GSA pilots coworking with federal agencies but faces data challenges
GSA, the government’s landlord, has launched a coworking pilot, which is showing potential for reducing federal office space costs, but data limitations could hinder further deployment, according to a GAO report, as flagged by Federal News Network. For the pilot, GSA's Workplace Innovation Lab established six coworking spaces nationwide, which 924 federal employees from 59 organizations used 1,839 times.
GAO noted that data collection is limited, because GSA relies on QR code scans for usage tracking, which not all users complete. GSA is implementing an automated reservation system with reporting functionality to enhance data quality but has not resolved the issue.
GSA should also establish a pricing model before the pilot ends in 2026, per the report. GSA is developing a cost estimating tool to compare savings from coworking spaces versus traditional leases. The coworking initiative aligns with broader efforts to reduce the federal real estate footprint, but challenges remain in refining data collection and creating a sustainable pricing strategy.
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