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Cooperative Threat Reduction: DOD Has Improved Its Management and Internal Controls, but Challenges Remain

GAO-05-329 Published: Jun 30, 2005. Publicly Released: Jun 30, 2005.
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Highlights

Section 3611 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 mandates that GAO assess the Department of Defense's (DOD) internal controls for the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program and their effect on the program's execution. In addressing the mandate, we assessed DOD's management and internal controls over implementing CTR projects since 2003 by using the control standards for the federal government as criteria. In response to the mandate, we focused on those management and internal control areas considered most relevant to CTR project implementation: (1) building a management structure, (2) risk assessments, (3) performance measures, (4) program reviews, (5) communications, and (6) project monitoring. The Congress also mandated that GAO describe the status of DOD's implementation of legislative mandates covering the CTR program.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should conduct performance reviews upon the completion of CTR projects. Such reviews would provide a mechanism for documenting lessons learned and applying them to future project planning and implementation.
Closed – Implemented
GAO recommended in June 2005 that the Secretary of Defense conduct performance reviews upon the completion of Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) projects in order to document lessons learned and apply them to future project planning and implementation. At that time, DOD concurred with the recommendation. In meeting with CTR program officials in February 2009, they explained that the "lessons learned" process and evaluation system that the program office implemented to address GAO's recommendation has become a key component of its own Continuous Improvement Process. CTR program efforts to address GAO's recommendation culminated in February 2008 with...

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Topics

Arms control agreementsDefense cost controlForeign governmentsInternal controlsInternational cooperationLessons learnedPerformance measuresProgram evaluationProgram managementRisk assessmentRisk managementStrategic planningWeapons of mass destruction