The Department of Defense needs a “comprehensive,
integrated strategic plan with results–oriented
performance measures, including a well–defined blueprint
to guide and constrain implementation of such a plan,”
according to a new report from the Government
Accountability Office identifying key elements lacking
in Defense’s business management reform efforts.
Those efforts are needed to address “growing questions
about the affordability and sustainability of current
defense spending,” as well as management problems GAO
considers “high–risk” — vulnerable to fraud, waste,
mismanagement and abuse, according to GAO–05–520T.
It also cited the need for “central control of system
investments” for transformation efforts, and as well
as the need for “a legislatively created deputy
secretary of defense for management” necessary to
provide “strong and sustained executive leadership
needed if reform efforts are to succeed.
GAO’s 2005 high–risk list includes eight DoD programs
or operations and six government–wide areas it shares
some responsibility, touching all of DoD’s major
business operations, resulting in “billions of dollars
of waste each year and inadequate accountability to
Congress and the American people.”