Defense Transformation: Clear Leadership, Accountability, and Management Tools Are Needed to Enhance DOD's Efforts to Transform Military Capabilities
GAO-05-70
Published: Dec 17, 2004. Publicly Released: Dec 17, 2004.
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Highlights
Because future threats the nation may face are uncertain, and with many competing demands on its resources, the Department of Defense (DOD) has begun to transform its military capabilities, which will involve not only the acquisition of new weapon systems but also how the armed forces think, train, and fight. In 2003, DOD estimated $263 billion would be allocated from fiscal year 2004 through 2009 for transformation efforts. In this report GAO (1) describes DOD's strategy to transform joint military capabilities; (2) assesses the extent to which DOD has established clear leadership, accountability, and a mechanism to integrate transformation efforts; and (3) assesses the extent to which DOD's framework incorporates results-oriented management tools to guide transformation efforts.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | To clarify the accountability for achieving the transformation of military capabilities and to establish a mechanism to integrate the transformation efforts using results-oriented management tools, the Secretary of Defense should assign clear leadership and accountability for achieving the transformation of military capabilities. |
Closed – Not Implemented
In oral comments, DOD disagreed with this recommendation, stating that the Secretary of Defense already provides leadership for transformation. We noted in our response that the day-to-day demands placed on the Secretary make it difficult for him to maintain oversight, that no individual has clear accountability for achieving transformation results, and that the strategic appraisal process has not provided an overall evaluation of progress in achieving transformational capabilities. The Office for Force Transformation does not provide this leadership for two reasons: 1) the Director testified that he is a catalyst for, but does not direct, transformation; and 2) since our report was issued, DOD disbanded this office. Since the Office for Force Transformation no longer exists and since DOD has not taken any action on this recommendation, we will close this recommendation with no action taken.
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| Department of Defense | To clarify the accountability for achieving the transformation of military capabilities and to establish a mechanism to integrate the transformation efforts using results-oriented management tools, the Secretary of Defense should establish a formal crosscutting transformation group, assign it with the responsibility for overseeing and integrating DOD's strategy, provide it with the necessary authority to perform their responsibilities effectively, and hold it accountable for results. The group should (1) include representatives from the key offices deemed necessary for successful implementation, (2) have clearly defined roles and responsibilities, (3) articulate and periodically revise long-term goals for the transformation of military capabilities that reflect the joint concepts, these long-term goals should identify what transformation results are to be expected and when to expect these results, (4) clearly identify the resources that DOD estimates it will need to achieve each long-term goal, (5) use the goals and measures as a foundation for the annual assessment of transformation progress, and (6) prepare an annual report to Congress on the progress in achieving transformation goals, including actions taken and outcomes achieved, resources expended and programmed, measures used to assess progress achieved, and actions planned to meet or revise unmet goals. |
Closed – Not Implemented
In oral comments, DOD disagreed with this recommendation stating that a crosscutting group would compete with the budget process creating another bureaucratic layer and that DOD's Annual Defense Report includes progress of transformation. We noted in our response that DOD has chosen to appoint crosscutting groups for other transformation efforts and that the experience of other organizations have shown that crosscutting integration teams are essential for successful transformation. Also, the Annual Defense Report had not included any measures of transformation results. We noted in our response that measuring outcomes and identifying resources devoted to transformation efforts could help Congress determine whether DOD is achieving an adequate return on investment. Since the Office for Force Transformation no longer exists and since DOD has not taken any action on this recommendation, we will close this recommendation with no action taken.
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| Department of Defense | To further develop results-oriented management tools that can guide DOD's transformation of joint military capabilities, measure progress, and determine whether initiatives are achieving their desired results, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, to direct the Commander, Joint Forces Command, to include in future updates to the Joint Transformation Roadmap (1) a discussion of how the capabilities being developed will link with and support accomplishment of the long-term goals; (2) results-oriented performance goals linked to long-term goals, which also reflect the joint concepts and gaps in current capabilities, that establish intended performance, focus on outcomes or results expected or required, and establish target dates for the achievement of these results; (3) performance measures based on the performance goals to assess progress; and (4) resources required (for nonmateriel as well as materiel efforts) to obtain capabilities for each joint concept and linkage of resources with each performance goal. |
Closed – Not Implemented
In oral comments DOD disagreed with this recommendation, stating that existing mechanisms, such as roadmaps and the strategic appraisal process, would provide the results-oriented management tools we recommended. We noted that these separate elements still lack clearly defined goals linked to the joint concepts, do not clearly identify resources to meet the goals, and do not include performance measures to evaluate outcomes. DOD?s oral comments did not address our recommended improvements to the Joint Transformation Roadmap, which was intended to document planned activities to achieve transformational improvements in joint capabilities and facilitate coordination of transformational activities across DOD. Since the Office for Force Transformation, which reviewed the transformation roadmaps, no longer exists, the Joint Transformation Roadmap has not been published since 2005, and since DOD has not taken any action on this recommendation, we will close this recommendation with no action taken.
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AccountabilityDefense capabilitiesInternal controlsMilitary forcesMilitary operationsPerformance measuresStrategic planningMilitary capabilitiesResults oriented managementPerformance measurement