Acquisition Reform: Military Departments' Response to the Reorganization Act
NSIAD-89-70
Published: Jun 01, 1989. Publicly Released: Jun 20, 1989.
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Highlights
In response to a congressional request, GAO assessed: (1) whether the military departments' reorganizations satisfied the requirements and objectives of the Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986; (2) the roles of the military staffs in the acquisition process; and (3) the changes in the civilian/military balance within the acquisition organizations.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Air Force | To bring the Air Force into compliance, the Secretary of the Air Force should transfer responsibility for acquisition activities now assigned to the Assistant Secretary for Readiness to the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition. |
Responsibility for acquisition logistics has been transferred to ASAF for Acquisition.
|
| Department of the Navy | The Secretary of the Navy should take appropriate action to bring the Navy into compliance with the requirements of the act. |
The Defense Management Report requires that a single ASN be designated as the Acquisition Executive.
|
| Department of the Air Force | To provide the secretariat with direct access to program information, a key ingredient to strengthening civilian control, and to ensure that the concept of civilian control is reflected in the organizational structure of each of the acquisition secretariats, the Secretary of the Air Force should consider: (1) enhancing secretariat management of logistics programs; and (2) seeking a more balanced mix of civilian and military personnel in leadership positions. |
A new acquisition management structure is in place. Program management flows directly from the Service Acquisition Executive to the Program Executive for major programs and the ALCC for all other programs. One of the six program executives will be civilian, and senior civilians will be placed in the primary mission area directorates as associate directors.
|
| Department of the Army | To provide the secretariat with direct access to program information, a key ingredient to strengthening civilian control, and to ensure that the concept of civilian control is reflected in the organizational structure of each of the acquisition secretariats, the Secretary of the Army should monitor implementation of the program executive office concept to ensure that a sufficient level of program expertise remains under the direct control of the Army Acquisition Executive. |
The primary Acquisition Executive will monitor this aspect of acquisition through review of actions and is ready to take decisive actions at anytime they appear warranted.
|
| Department of the Navy | To provide the secretariat with direct access to program information, a key ingredient to strengthening civilian control, and to ensure that the concept of civilian control is reflected in the organizational structure of each of the acquisition secretariats, the Secretary of the Navy should clarify the roles and responsibilities of secretariat staff and CNO program coordinators in line with the objective of ensuring that independent program expertise resides within the secretariat. |
The Vice CNO issued a memo changing the program coordinators' titles to requirements officers. The functions are limited to support CNO responsibilities. They are prohibited from independent review of acquisition programs and cannot issue program direction involving the business of financial management.
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Topics
Defense procurementFederal agency reorganizationStaff utilizationMilitary lawMilitary officersNoncomplianceProcurement policyProcurement regulationsMilitary forcesReorganization