Development and Use of Military Services' Staffing Standards: More Direction, Emphasis, and Consistency Needed

摘要

In view of rising personnel costs, it is increasingly important that staffing of the military services be credible, supportable, and visible as the Secretary and the Congress decide on the size and composition of the defense establishment. The military services use a variety of management tools and techniques such as manpower surveys, staffing guides, criteria manuals, and staffing standards in determining support personnel requirements. Staffing standards based on work measurement generally are considered to be more reliable than other methods. With the exception of the Air Force, the services have made little progress in developing and using these techniques. GAO endorses the concept of work measurement as a potential means for more accurate, reliable, and useful staffing determination and justifiable budget submissions. In addition, it can be useful in measuring the efficiency of the work force, in preparing zero-based budgets, and in saving money. However, the Office of the Secretary of Defense has not provided adequate leadership, guidance, or review of the military services' development and use of staffing standards. As a result, support personnel requests have not been based on staffing standards to the extent practical.