  We give conditions on a pair of Banach spaces $X$ and $Y,$ under which each
operator from $X$ to $Y,$ whose second adjoint factors compactly through the
space $l^p,$ $1\le p\le+\infty$, itself compactly factors through $l^p.$ The
conditions are as follows: either the space $X^*,$ or the space $Y^{***}$
possesses the Grothendieck approximation property. Leaving the corresponding
question for parameters $p>1, p\neq 2,$ still open, we show that for $p=1$ the
conditions are essential.
