National Park Service: Assessment of Design and Construction Program

Since its creation in 1916, the National Park Service (NPS) has experienced sustained growth in holdings and visitation, and a concomitant expansion of facilities and infrastructure. The NPS construction program encompasses the major facility and infrastructure development activities of the National Park system. The Denver Service Center (DSC) has a dominant role in implementing the program. The Academy previously conducted two studies of the NPS design and construction program. The first of these studies, in 1998, set forth eleven findings and recommendations to improve the efficiency of the program. The second study, in 2002, assessed NPS progress on implementing the recommendations from the 1998 report and found that substantial progress had been made. The program’s leaders believe, however, that it would now benefit from an expert independent review of its current practices to ensure they align with current best management practices with the potential to promote cost-efficiency, timeliness, and high-quality delivery of NPS construction projects.