GAO: Defense Department management weaknesses persist

Weaknesses in the Defense Department's business enterprise architecture remain unaddressed, hindering the department's modernization efforts, according a report from congressional auditors.

The Government Accountability Office found that after four years and about $318 million in expenses, the Pentagon failed to establish an effective architecture that would help the department modernize its businesses systems and eliminate duplicative operations.

The military has failed to fulfill a requirement in the fiscal 2005 Defense Authorization Act that directed the department to establish a transition plan and a precise architecture for its business systems by September 2005, the GAO report states.

Recommendations by GAO over the last four years that were intended to help the Pentagon correct its management weaknesses also have been unfulfilled, according to the report.

The 69-page report (GAO-05-702) was sent to leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees Friday.

In response to the concerns raised in the report, the Pentagon told GAO that it will have an approved plan for an enterprise architecture program by Sept. 30.

The Pentagon's business systems modernization efforts have been on GAO's high-risk list since 1995.

The report criticized entities given the responsibility for establishing the department's enterprise architecture, stating that one met only four times in four years and another did not include the military services in its deliberations.

To address the matter, the Pentagon has established a new enterprise architecture group, the Defense Business Systems Management Committee, chaired by the deputy Defense secretary.

The committee will replace executive and steering committees that previously held governance responsibilities and will serve as the highest ranking body overseeing the department's business transformation. The team will consist of senior leadership from across the department, including agency chiefs, service secretaries and principal staff assistants.