DOD Business Systems Modernization: Progress in Establishing Corporate Management Controls Needs to Be Replicated Within Military Departments

摘要

In 1995, GAO first designated the Department of Defense's (DOD) business systems modernization program as 'high risk,' and GAO continues to do so today. To assist in addressing this high-risk area, the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 contains provisions that are consistent with prior GAO investment management and enterprise architecture-related recommendations, and requires the department to submit annual reports to its congressional committees on its compliance with these provisions. The act also directs GAO to review each annual report. In response, GAO assessed the actions taken by DOD to comply with requirements of the act. To do so, GAO leveraged its recent reports on various aspects of the department's modernization management controls, and it reviewed, for example, the latest version of its business enterprise architecture and the associated transition plan and architecture federation strategy. GAO also interviewed key officials. As part of DOD's continuing efforts to strengthen management of its business systems modernization program, it has taken steps over the last year to build on past efforts and further comply with the National Defense Authorization Act's requirements and related federal guidance. Notwithstanding this progress, aspects of these requirements and relevant guidance have yet to be fully satisfied. In particular, the military departments, under DOD's 'federated' and 'tiered' approach to establishing institutional modernization management controls, have lagged well behind DOD's corporate efforts, and the corporate efforts are still not yet where they need to be.