Defense Acquisitions: DOD Needs to Establish an Implementing Directive to Publish Information and Take Actions to Improve DOD Information on Critical Acquisition Positions
Highlights
During the course of our work for Congress examining the space acquisition workforce, we learned that the Department of Defense (DOD) may not be periodically publishing a list of designated critical acquisition positions as required by statute. We are bringing this matter to your attention not only because it is a requirement to publish this data, but because having it is critical to effectively managing DOD's current workforce. Operating without this critical information may result in flawed decisions regarding this part of the workforce and may put the organization's ability to sustain its mission or function effectively at risk. The designation "critical acquisition positions," according to the 1990 Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA), refers to certain senior-level military and civilian positions that carry significant responsibility and primarily consist of supervisory, oversight, and management duties in the DOD acquisition system. They are a key factor in ensuring that DOD acquisitions--some of which are very expensive and critical to the success of current combat operations--are effectively managed. In accordance with DAWIA and as was later codified in Title 10 of the United States Code, the Secretary of Defense is required to periodically publish a list of critical acquisition positions. The service Secretaries are responsible to ensure that the individuals who hold these positions have the appropriate skills, experience, and rank to perform their duties effectively. According to a DOD instruction on the reporting of DOD acquisition personnel data, the services are required to provide data on their critical acquisition positions to the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). We sought to determine whether DOD is publishing a list of critical acquisition positions, as required by statute.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | In order to ensure that DOD has data needed to effectively plan and manage its space acquisition workforce, the Secretary of Defense should direct that the Under Secretary of Defense for AT&L issue implementing instructions that establish the method by which information on critical acquisition positions will be published. |
Closed – Implemented
During the course of our work on GAO-06-908 that identified management actions were needed to better manage the Air Forces' space personnel, we learned that the Department of Defense (DOD) may not be periodically publishing a list of designated critical acquisition positions as required by statute. We identified this as a problem not only because it is a requirement to publish this data, but because having it is critical to effectively managing DOD's current workforce. To ensure that an organization's workforce is able to meet its mission, the organization must develop strategies to address management challenges such as any gaps that may exist in personnel resources. Strategic workforce management entails having accurate and comprehensive data concerning the workforce, and especially concerning those positions deemed critical to the success of the organization's mission. Operating without this critical information may result in flawed decisions regarding this part of the workforce and may put the organization's ability to sustain its mission or function effectively at risk. The designation "critical acquisition positions," refers to certain senior-level military and civilian positions that carry significant responsibility and primarily consist of supervisory, oversight, and management duties in the DOD acquisition system. They are a key factor in ensuring that DOD acquisitions, some of which are very expensive and critical to the success of current combat operations, are effectively managed. In accordance with the 1990 Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) and as was later codified in Title 10 of the United States Code, the Secretary of Defense is required to periodically publish a list of critical acquisition positions. The service Secretaries are responsible to ensure that the individuals who hold these positions have the appropriate skills, experience, and rank to perform their duties effectively. In order to ensure that DOD has data needed to effectively plan and manage its space acquisition workforce, GAO recommended that the Secretary of Defense direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (AT&L) to issue implementing instructions to establish the method by which information on critical acquisition positions (CAP) would be published. In response, in July 2007 DOD established a publishing method and required that the CAPs be published on the AT&L website. AT&L website (www.dau.mil/workforce/CAPs.asp) now provides data on critical acquisition positions. As a result, DOD now has data on critical acquisition positions to better manage this workforce and better inform Congress regarding any shortfalls in critical positions.
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| Department of Defense | In order to ensure that DOD has data needed to effectively plan and manage its space acquisition workforce, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for AT&L, as part of its Human Capital Strategic Plan, to include in its initiatives a review of the accuracy of critical acquisition position data that DOD components submit to DMDC; identify the causes of any inaccuracies; and take corrective actions to ensure that this information is accurate and complete. |
Closed – Implemented
In order to ensure that DOD has data needed to effectively plan and manage its space acquisition workforce, we recommend that the Secretary of Defense to direct the Under Secretary of Defense for AT&L, as part of its Human Capital Strategic Plan, to include in its initiatives a review of the accuracy of critical acquisition position data that DOD components submit to DMDC; identify the causes of any inaccuracies; and take corrective actions to ensure that this information is accurate and complete. DOD has issued revised and new guidance, including (1) a DOD Instruction entitled "Defense Acquisition Workforce Education, Training, and Acquisition Organization Methodology;" (2) a DOD Manual entitled "Defense Acquisition Workforce Data Reporting Standards;" and (3) a DOD Manual entitled "Defense Acquisition Workforce Procedures" are in final draft but DOD reports that DOD components have already incorporated some of the new requirements into quarterly data submissions. These DOD actions address the intent of GAO's recommendation.
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