Defense Procurement: Improvement Needed in Technical Data Management
NSIAD-92-23
Published: Feb 25, 1992. Publicly Released: Mar 11, 1992.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Defense's (DOD) management of its technical data repositories, focusing on: (1) the timeliness of DOD responses to technical data requests, particularly from small businesses; (2) the adequacy of the data DOD provides; and (3) DOD actions to improve technical data access.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the service Secretaries and the Director, DLA, to require that each of the military services and DLA technical data repository managers ensure compliance with the appropriate internal control requirements designed to: (1) measure the timely fulfillment of technical data requests; and (2) determine the status of in-process requests. |
Closed – Implemented
The Department concurs and reinforced its guidance to the military services and DLA to ensure compliance with appropriate existing internal control requirements. The reinforcing guidance was promulgated by a memorandum issued to the military services and DLA on September 30, 1992.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the service Secretaries and the Director, DLA, to reinforce their guidance to those organizations and entities charged with the responsibility of analyzing and accepting technical data for DOD to ensure that technical data accepted during the acquisition process is as current, accurate, and complete as possible. |
Closed – Implemented
The Department concurs and provided guidance, on October 19, 1992, to the military services and DLA to review and reinforce existing direction to those organizations within the acquisition and logistics communities responsible for ensuring the currency, technical accuracy, and completeness of technical data acquired by the Department.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the service Secretaries and the Director, DLA, to require procurement offices and repository sites to include in each solicitation the area code and telephone number of the persons designated to handle inquiries or to make proper referrals to persons with requisite engineering expertise who can solve technical data problems. |
Closed – Implemented
The Department concurs and provided guidance, on October 19, 1992, to the military services and DLA to review and reinforce existing procedures to ensure that the functional or technical requester of data for use in an acquisition provides the appropriate contracting office with a point of contact and the telephone number of persons with expertise to solve technical problems.
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Data integrityDefense procurementDepartment of Defense contractorsFederal records managementGovernment information disseminationInformation resources managementInformation systemsMechanizationSpare partsSystems conversionsTechnical assistance