Skip to main content

DOD Business Systems Modernization: Long-Standing Weaknesses in Enterprise Architecture Development Need to Be Addressed

GAO-05-702 Published: Jul 22, 2005. Publicly Released: Jul 22, 2005.
Jump To:
Skip to Highlights

Highlights

The Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 directed the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop, by September 2005, a well-defined business enterprise architecture (BEA) and a transition plan. GAO has made numerous recommendations to assist the department in successfully doing so. As part of ongoing monitoring of the architecture, GAO assessed whether the department had (1) established an effective governance structure; (2) developed program plans, including supporting workforce plans; (3) performed effective configuration management; (4) developed well-defined BEA products; and (5) addressed GAO's other recommendations.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Deputy Secretary of Defense, as the chair of the Defense Business Systems Management Committee (DBSMC) and in collaboration with DBSMC members, to immediately fully disclose the state of its BEA program to DOD's congressional authorization and appropriations committees, including its limited progress and results to date, as well as specific plans and commitments for strengthening program management and producing measurable results that reflect the department's capability to do so.
Closed – Implemented
In its March 15, 2006, annual report to Congress, DOD disclosed the current state of the BEA program by including key milestones for fiscal years 2006 and 2007, accomplishments since September 2005, and limitations of, and gaps in, the architecture and transition plan. For example, in an effort to improve visibility into personnel activities, in fiscal year 2006, DOD reported that it has deployed a civilian personnel data warehouse to facilitate data sharing. In addition, the department reported that termination and migration dates had yet to be determined for a number of systems.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Deputy Secretary of Defense, as the chair of the DBSMC and in collaboration with DBSMC members, to ensure that each of our recommendations related to the BEA management and content are reflected in the above plans and commitments.
Closed – Implemented
The Business Transformation Agency and business enterprise architecture (BEA) program documentation reflect activities and steps taken or planned to address our recommendations relative to BEA content and management. Furthermore, the department has stated its commitment to addressing our recommendations in its annual reports to the congressional defense committees.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Deputy Secretary of Defense, as the chair of the DBSMC and in collaboration with DBSMC members, to ensure that plans and commitments provide for effective BEA workforce planning, including assessing workforce knowledge and skills needs, determining existing workforce capabilities, identifying gaps, and filling these gaps.
Closed – Implemented
On March 21, 2007, the BTA released its Human Capital Strategy document, which focuses on the workforce needs of the BTA and provides for putting in place the means by which to acquire, develop and maintain BTA's workforce. To augment the strategy, BTA subsequently released its human capital implementation plan, which includes the products/events, schedules, and status indicators associated with implementing the activities needed to identify and address gaps in workforce needs and capabilities. Going forward, the department intends to continue to revise and update the strategy and plans to provide for effective BEA workforce planning.

Full Report

Office of Public Affairs

Topics

AccountabilityAgency missionsBaseline architectureEnterprise architectureFederal agency reorganizationHuman capital managementPerformance managementProgram managementRisk managementStrategic planningSystems analysisSystems managementConfiguration control boardBusiness planningGovernment and business