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Status of Open GAO Recommendations to the Director of National Intelligence

GAO-25-108612 Published: Sep 29, 2025. Publicly Released: Sep 29, 2025.
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Fast Facts

When federal agencies implement our recommendations, it leads to billions of dollars in savings annually and thousands of other improvements across government.

Among the 122 recommendations we made to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence from FY 2011 to 2025, 44 have yet to be fully implemented. These recommendations are intended to address issues with workforce management, intelligence enterprise management, personnel vetting, and infrastructure and facilities.

In May 2025, we identified 14 of these as recommendations that ODNI should prioritize.

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Highlights

What GAO Found

GAO has made 122 recommendations to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from July 2011 through September 15, 2025. These recommendations address issues with intelligence enterprise management, infrastructure and facilities, workforce management, and personnel vetting. As of September 15, 2025, the Office of the DNI (ODNI) has implemented 72 recommendations, or 59 percent. GAO closed six additional recommendations for various other reasons. In May 2025, we identified 14 of these as recommendations that ODNI should prioritize. By fully implementing the 44 remaining open recommendations, ODNI could help ensure the intelligence community improves its workforce and infrastructure management and increases the effectiveness of operations in support of its mission.

Why GAO Did This Study

The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 included a provision for the Comptroller General to submit a list to the Congressional Intelligence Committees and to the DNI of all recommendations made by GAO to the DNI as of September 30, 2023 that had not been fully implemented, and annually thereafter through 2028. This report is GAO's third submission, which formally transmits and communicates the results of its work.

For more information, contact Alissa H. Czyz at czyza@gao.gov.

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