Security cooperation and assistance programs that supply military equipment and training to more than 100 partner countries are facing challenges with training and workforce structure, defining partner country requirements, and obtaining acquisition and delivery status information, GAO has said in calling for more data needed to enhance program management.
DoD security cooperation officials say information gaps in the acquisition and delivery phases of the security assistance process continue to hinder the effectiveness of U.S. assistance.
Through focus groups and interviews GAO found persistent difficulties obtaining information on the status of security assistance acquisitions and deliveries because information systems are difficult to access and contain limited information, according to GAO-13-84.
It said DSCA data indicate the department has improved timeliness in the initial phases of the security assistance process, but that these data provide limited information on other phases.
DoD agreed to establish procedures to ensure that its agencies enter needed acquisition and delivery status data into security assistance information systems as well as to establish performance measures to assess timeliness for additional phases of the security assistance process.
