Defense Management: DOD Should Set Deadlines on Stalled Collaboration Efforts and Clarify Cross-Functional Team Funding Responsibilities
Fast Facts
DOD's organizational and management challenges have made it hard for organizations within the department to collaborate in reaching shared goals. To address this issue, Congress required DOD to develop a strategy to improve collaboration and establish teams to address critical department-wide objectives.
We found that DOD is 21 months late issuing this strategy. In addition, though DOD established a new team on electronic warfare, the team's work has been slowed because it did not initially receive the funding it needed.
We recommended that DOD establish deadlines to meet requirements and clarify how this new team will be funded.
Aerial photo of the Pentagon
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Department of Defense (DOD) is up to 21 months late in fully addressing five of seven requirements of section 911 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017. These remaining five requirements are designed to strengthen collaboration within the department to foster effective and efficient achievement of objectives and outputs (see figure).
Remaining Requirements for the Department of Defense's (DOD) Implementation of Section 911 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, as of June 2019
DOD has not addressed most of these remaining requirements of section 911 largely because the Chief Management Officer (CMO) has not approved the documents drafted to meet the requirements or coordinated department-wide review of the documents and provided them for Secretary of Defense issuance. According to Office of the CMO (OCMO) officials, some of the draft documents were provided to the CMO for review and approval as early as August 2018. After providing a draft of this report to the department for comment, GAO learned that the organizational strategy was circulated for department coordination in July 2019, with components expected to provide input by August 2019. However, while the OCMO has set an internal time frame for the organizational strategy, it has not set similar time frames for completing the other four remaining requirements, such as delivering guidance and training on cross-functional teams. GAO previously reported that establishing internal deadlines with key milestones and deliverables is important for tracking progress and implementing actions effectively.
DOD established a cross-functional team pursuant to section 911 on electromagnetic-spectrum operations (EMSO), but according to a team official, funding for the team was delayed. EMSO refers to those activities consisting of electronic warfare and joint electromagnetic-spectrum management operations used to exploit, attack, protect, and manage the electromagnetic operational environment to achieve the commander's objectives. According to the memorandum establishing the team, the CMO is required to provide administrative support to and coordinate with the team to ensure adequate resources are immediately available. However, team officials stated that this funding was delayed in part because of disagreements over responsibility for funding the team under the terms of this memorandum. Moreover, according to a team official, plans for funding in future fiscal years have not been developed. If DOD does not clarify roles and responsibilities for funding the team, the CMO and the EMSO team may face additional delays securing funding, which could negatively affect the team's ability to conduct its work and meet its objectives.
Why GAO Did This Study
DOD continues to confront organizational challenges that hinder collaboration. To address these challenges, section 911 of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2017 directed the Secretary of Defense to, among other things, issue an organizational strategy that identifies critical objectives that span multiple functional boundaries; establish cross-functional teams to support this strategy; and provide related guidance and training.
The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2017 also included a provision for GAO to assess DOD's actions in response to section 911. This report assesses the extent to which DOD has made progress in implementing the requirements of section 911, including establishing a new cross-functional team on electromagnetic spectrum operations.
GAO reviewed documentation, interviewed cross-functional team members and other DOD officials, and compared DOD's actions to section 911 requirements and leading practices for cross-functional teams.
Recommendations
GAO is making six recommendations, including that DOD set and ensure that it meets specific internal deadlines for review and approval of outstanding requirements of section 911, and that DOD clarify roles and responsibilities for providing funding for the EMSO cross-functional team. DOD concurred with GAO's recommendations and set deadlines for addressing the remaining requirements.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the CMO meets DOD's August 2019 deadline for final submission of the organizational strategy to the Secretary of Defense for review and issuance. (Recommendation 1) |
On August 30, 2019, the CMO submitted DOD's organizational strategy for approval, and on October 29, 2019, the Secretary of Defense approved it. As we reported in January 2020 (GAO-20-312), we found that the strategy addresses key requirements of section 911, including identifying critical objectives that would benefit from the use of cross-functional teams and providing for the appropriate use of these teams. As part of the organizational strategy, DOD also identified the actions it has taken to streamline the organizational structure and processes of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, another requirement of section 911. For example, the strategy states that DOD has delegated authority to approve certain global force management actions to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and delegated certain acquisition oversight functions to the military departments. Further, consistent with our recommendation from our February 2018 report that the CMO address how the department will promote and achieve a collaborative culture, the organizational strategy includes a short reference to our leading practices for mergers and organizational transformations. Because the strategy does not include specific implementation steps that explain how DOD will follow these practices, we made an additional recommendation in our January 2020 report that the Secretary of Defense ensure that the Chief Management Officer identify and document such steps. Nonetheless, the Secretary's approval of the organizational strategy will help ensure that DOD will implement key requirements of section 911 intended to advance a more collaborative culture within the department.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the CMO meets DOD's September 2019 deadline for review and approval of DOD's guidance on cross-functional teams and final submission to the Secretary for review and issuance. (Recommendation 2) |
We reported in January 2020 (GAO-20-312) that DOD had implemented this recommendation. Specifically, on December 12, 2019, the Secretary of Defense approved DOD's guidance on cross-functional teams, demonstrating his review and approval. We found that this two-page guidance addresses most, but not all, of the 911 requirements and leading practices for cross-functional teams. The Secretary-approved guidance also directs the CMO to develop more detailed implementing guidance. According to an OCMO official, OCMO plans to use previously drafted terms of reference as the basis for the CMO's more detailed implementing guidance. Based on our review, when the Secretary of Defense approved guidance is considered along with the draft terms of reference expected to serve as detailed implementing guidance, both documents will fully address all section 911 requirements and leading practices for effective cross-functional teams. The department's actions to obtain review and approval of guidance on cross-functional teams and direction and plans to develop more detailed implementing guidance meet the intent of this recommendation. As a result of these actions, DOD is well positioned to meet its statutory requirement effectively implement its cross-functional teams and advance a collaborative culture.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the CMO meets DOD's September 2019 deadline for review and approval of DOD's training curriculum for cross-functional team members and their supervisors. (Recommendation 3) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. Following the disestablishment of the position of CMO and disestablishment of the Office of the CMO (OCMO), the Office of the Director of Administration and Management (ODAM) assumed responsibility for this requirement. In August 2022, ODAM officials provided a memorandum documenting the Deputy Secretary of Defense's approval of guidance on cross-functional teams, which included plans to provide training to cross-functional team members and their supervisors. ODAM officials also provided documentation of the training curriculum for our review. ODAM officials further told us that prior to that memo, an OCMO official received the approval of the Deputy CMO to proceed with the training for DOD's cross-functional teams. By approving this curriculum and providing the required training, DOD can more effectively implement its cross-functional teams and advance a collaborative culture that could bolster broader efforts within the department. Based on these actions, we are closing this recommendation as implemented.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the CMO meets DOD's September 2019 deadline for review and approval of DOD's training curriculum for presidential appointees. (Recommendation 4) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. Following the disestablishment of the position of CMO and disestablishment of the Office of the CMO (OCMO), the Office of the Director of Administration and Management (ODAM) assumed responsibility for this requirement. In August 2022, ODAM officials provided a memorandum documenting the Deputy Secretary of Defense's approval of guidance on cross-functional teams, which included plans to provide training to the presidential appointees. ODAM officials also provided documentation of the training curriculum for our review. ODAM officials further told us that prior to that memo, an OCMO official received the approval of the Deputy DCMO to proceed with the training for presidential appointees. Approving this curriculum and providing the required training for senior leaders will support DOD's need for top leadership to drive successful organizational transformation, and advance a collaborative culture that could bolster broader efforts within the department. Based on these actions, we are closing this recommendation as implemented.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the CMO meets DOD's November 2019 deadline for drafting, review, and approval of DOD's report on the success and failures of cross-functional teams and final submission to the Secretary for review and approval. (Recommendation 5) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. Following the disestablishment of the position of CMO and disestablishment of the Office of the CMO (OCMO), the Office of the Director of Administration and Management (ODAM) assumed responsibility for this requirement. In August 2022, ODAM officials provided an October 2020 report assessing the experience of the Electro Magnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) cross-functional team's first year, which was produced in response to section 911's requirement for a report on the success and failures of cross-functional teams. The report included findings and recommendations based on the EMSO cross-functional team's experience. It included observations such as potential career risks of participating in a cross-functional team, the need for full-time members, and recommendations for improved guidance. Based on this action, we are closing this recommendation as implemented.
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| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the CMO and the electromagnetic spectrum operations cross-functional team clarify roles and responsibilities for providing administrative support and funding for the team beyond fiscal year 2019 in accordance with the memorandum establishing the team. (Recommendation 6) |
DOD concurred with this recommendation. In its comments on a subsequent report on the department's implementation of section 911, the department stated that funding for all Secretary of Defense-empowered cross functional teams, including the electromagnetic spectrum operations cross-functional (EMSO) team, was in place through fiscal year 2020, and that they were exploring options for dedicated funding for cross-functional teams in future years. In April 2020, the EMSO cross-functional team and Washington Headquarters Service signed a memorandum of agreement clarifying roles and responsibilities for providing administrative support and funding for the team, which meets the intent of our recommendation and will help sustain the work of the team going forward.
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