General Services, Office of

Agency Web Site: https://ogs.ny.gov/

Mission

The New York State Office of General Services (OGS) manages and leases real property; designs and builds facilities; contracts for goods, services, and technology; coordinates efforts towards the State's sustainability and resiliency goals; and delivers a wide array of support services. They provide government and nonprofit agencies with innovative solutions, integrated service, and the best value in support of cost-effective operations and responsible public stewardship.

Organization and Staffing

OGS is headed by a Commissioner who is appointed by the Governor, subject to Senate confirmation. The agency is organized into several major business units, including: Division of Real Estate; Office of Language Access; Design and Construction; Shared Services (Procurement Services, Business Services Center, and Project Management); Administration and Support Operations; and Finance and Accountability. These units are under the direction of the Commissioner’s Office and act under the auspices of an Executive group that consists of the Commissioner’s Office, Communications, Legal Services, Resiliency and Sustainability, and Internal Audit.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2024 Executive Budget recommends $1.31 billion in All Funds appropriations ($111 million General Fund; $34 million Special Revenue Funds-Other; $17 million Federal Funds; $3 million Enterprise Funds; $882 million Internal Service Funds; $750,000 Fiduciary Funds; and $259 million Capital Funds) reflecting an All Funds decrease of $17 million from FY 2023,. The Capital decrease reflects the one-time funding for Empire State Plaza (ESP) infrastructure projects in FY 2023, including repairs to the Capitol's Eastern Approach Staircase and the red brick roadway on the Plaza.

The Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 1,844, which includes 13 new FTEs to staff the increasingly in-demand Digital and Media Services Center (MSC) and a shift of 40 FTEs to the Office of Information Technology Services. This is 27 fewer than in FY 2023.

Program Highlights

Executive Administration

Provides the day-to-day management of the agency, serves State agencies by performing professional communication services, hosting the new resiliency and sustainability program, and provides legal and audit support to hosted agencies.

Division of Real Estate

Comprises four business units: The Real Property and Facilities Management Group, which is responsible for the administration and daily operations of 58 major and 118 ancillary buildings comprising nearly 21 million square feet and totaling over $7 billion in assets; the Leasing Services Group, which manages the State’s lease portfolio totaling over 400 locations representing 12 million square feet of office space and $265 million in annual spend; the State Asset and Portfolio Management Group, which coordinates real estate-related projects, maintains the statewide real estate inventory, and performs data analytics; and the Administrative Services Group, which optimizes the Division of Real Estate's business processes through strategic management, centralized planning, and more, with a purview of over $30 million of yearly transactions. These four groups work together to enable OGS to strategically manage and optimize the use of the State’s real estate portfolio, including identifying potential cost reduction opportunities and efficiency improvements, as well as real estate management best practices and methods.

Office of Language Access

Introduced in FY 2023, the Office of Language Access provides guidance and support to 45 New York State agencies to ensure that the statewide language access law, Executive Law Section 202-a, is implemented efficiently and effectively.

Design and Construction (D&C)

Provides a full range of high-quality architectural, engineering, permitting, and construction management services to over 50 Executive State agencies through an interdependent model of public and private sector resources. Those services include site assessments, design/construction feasibility studies and planning, design development, bidding, contract management, construction management, and quality inspection. D&C also performs project document reviews for code compliance and permitting. In addition, D&C is uniquely responsible for statewide emergency contracting for urgent damage/system failure repairs throughout the State ranging from every day 365/24/7 response to severe weather events. D&C is committed to providing timely, efficient, responsive, and cost-effective construction projects thereby enabling those agencies to fulfill their own diverse missions on behalf of the people of New York State.

Procurement Services

Establishes and maintains more than 1,500 centralized contracts for commodities, technology, and services valued at approximately $30 billion for use by State agencies and municipalities, as well as other public and some nonprofit entities. Procurement Services works to acquire commodities and services at competitive, volume discounted/reduced prices while maintaining the statutory compliance and strategic effectiveness of all procurements. Procurement Services also educates vendors and public purchasers about how to participate effectively in the State’s procurement process.

Business Services Center (BSC)

A shared services organization that provides standardized financial and human resources transaction processing services to the Executive agencies, with a focus on best practices, customer service, and efficiency. In the finance area, the BSC processes transactions related to accounts payable, accounts receivable, credit cards, purchasing, and employee travel and expense reimbursements. In the human resources management area, the BSC processes employee benefits, payroll, time and attendance, and personnel transactions. The BSC currently provides finance services to 66 agencies and human resources services to 55 agencies. The BSC also continues to support efforts to enhance the State’s human resources technology systems.

Finance and Accountability

Provides financial services to OGS and selected hosted agencies and has responsibility for a number of statewide initiatives. Statewide responsibilities include the centralized procurement of insurance and the provision of insurance and risk management expertise, consulting services, and commercial insurance product access; the development and administration of enterprise fleet initiatives and implementation; the analysis and compliance regulations associated with meeting energy planning goals; the monitoring of goal compliance with the diversity of contracted parties per MWBE; and the administration of the State’s Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) program.

Administration and Support Operations

Provides human resources and diversity/equal employment opportunity services to OGS and hosted agencies, along with an array of statewide support services. This group’s support responsibilities include the management of the State’s consolidated warehouse program; the provision of interagency mail and centralized printing services; the administration of the transfer of Federal and State surplus property; the coordination of cultural events and visitor services to the Capitol and Plaza; and the distribution of over $250 million worth of food purchased by the Federal Government, including locally grown New York State produce, to entities that include qualified New York State schools, child and adult care feeding programs, food banks, soup kitchens, and child summer feeding programs.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 02/01/2023