DOD Systems Modernization: Further Action Needed to Improve Travel and Other Business Systems
Fast Facts
DOD has struggled for decades to modernize its business systems, including its travel system. In 2023, DOD abandoned an initiative to replace its existing travel system, raising concerns about the effectiveness of its business process reforms.
We reviewed DOD's efforts to modernize its travel and other systems. We found it hasn't fully addressed leading practices like establishing lead offices to oversee the efforts or ensuring their alignment with department-wide goals. Without fully implementing leading practices, DOD may continue to have trouble managing its efforts.
Our recommendations address these issues and more.
A person in military fatigues typing on a computer.
Highlights
What GAO Found
In May 2023, the Department of Defense (DOD) discontinued its MyTravel initiative and directed all users to return to the previous Defense Travel System (DTS). Based on information from DOD, the department’s abandonment of MyTravel was due to four primary factors: lack of a central leadership authority and advocate for change; insufficient program management practices; inadequate outreach to understand evolving stakeholder needs; and inconsistent inclusion of key users in gathering and tracking program requirements.
While DOD is reinvesting in DTS to add key capabilities, the department has not yet fully addressed applicable leading practices related to the primary factors of MyTravel's abandonment (see figure). These practices include statutory department-specific business system requirements. Overall, DOD fully addressed 12 practices, partially addressed six, and did not address four. Of particular concern are the three program management and five requirements management practices that are not yet fully addressed. Until it fully implements these practices, DOD risks shortcomings in managing the program and in ensuring that users are involved in requirements gathering and tracking.
Assessment of DOD’s Defense Travel System Against Selected Leading Practices and Statutory Elements Related to the MyTravel System’s Abandonment
Regarding overall system modernization, DOD has department-wide improvements underway. However, its policies and guidance for managing and directing these efforts do not fully address 11 of 23 leading practices and statutory requirements related to the above four factors. For example, the department has established a framework to monitor progress of selected programs but has not established a permanent leadership structure for the efforts or taken steps to ensure that programs fully align with department-wide goals and priorities. Without fully implementing these leading practices and statutory requirements, DOD can experience coordination issues and inconsistent execution in planning and making improvements to its business systems modernization efforts.
Why GAO Did This Study
DOD relies on its travel system to support mission-critical operations. DOD has faced multiple challenges in its many attempts to modernize this system, most recently through the abandoned MyTravel initiative. Similar challenges have kept DOD’s business systems modernization on GAO’s High-Risk List since 1995.
GAO was asked to review the DTS modernization program and DOD’s overall business system modernization. This report examines (1) primary factors that caused DOD’s abandonment of MyTravel, (2) the extent to which DOD is following applicable leading practices in modernizing DTS, and (3) the extent to which DOD is following selected practices in its overall business systems modernization.
To conduct this review, GAO analyzed DOD documentation related to MyTravel and identified leading practices for system modernization. GAO analyzed DOD efforts to modernize its travel system, as well as documentation related to departmentwide business system modernization efforts, against the leading practices. GAO also interviewed relevant DOD officials.
Recommendations
GAO is making 13 recommendations to DOD, including to identify leadership roles for the DTS modernization and department-wide Defense Business Council, and to document details for the tracing and prioritization of requirements. The department concurred with 11 recommendations. Although partially concurring with the remaining two, DOD provided information on steps it had underway or planned to implement all 13 recommendations. GAO will continue to monitor the department’s actions to address these recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to document the Agile practices relevant to the Defense Travel System program. (Recommendation 1) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to develop and implement clearly identifiable leadership roles and responsibilities for the Defense Travel System modernization effort, including by documenting the lead agency for this effort. (Recommendation 2) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to substantiate compliance for the Defense Travel System with all statutory requirements related to the initial approval and annual certification of business systems and provide rationale on how DOD has achieved compliance. (Recommendation 3) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to integrate interim milestones planned for the upcoming Defense Travel System modernization into the program's overall implementation timeline. (Recommendation 4) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to develop performance metrics that clearly link to goals and milestones in program-wide documentation for the DTS modernization. (Recommendation 5) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to document a consistent process for the elicitation and prioritization of non-functional DTS requirements, such as security, privacy, and system performance requirements. (Recommendation 6) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Director of the Defense Travel Management Office to document its process for determining the relative value of the factors it considers when making decisions to balance customer and user needs. (Recommendation 7) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the DOD CIO to develop and implement clearly identifiable leadership roles and responsibilities for its business system modernization efforts, including by clarifying the entity or entities with leadership responsibility over the Defense Business Council. (Recommendation 8) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the DOD CIO to document in policy a process to periodically reassess and adapt the common outcomes included in its modernization strategy in response to plan changes and shifting departmental priorities. (Recommendation 9) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the DOD CIO to update policies for Agile development to include related metrics that enable traceability between elements planned for inclusion in an effort and department-wide strategic goals. (Recommendation 10) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the DOD CIO to ensure agency policies include guidance on steps to take when using Agile repeatable processes to conduct software tests. (Recommendation 11) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the DOD CIO to update agency-wide policies to provide specific details on steps that programs are required to take when adjusting requirements, such as steps for addressing changes to stakeholder needs. (Recommendation 12) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should direct the DOD CIO to update business system and software acquisition policies to require bidirectional traceability of requirements. (Recommendation 13) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|