DOD Joint Bases: Management Improvements Needed to Achieve Greater Efficiencies
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has not developed or implemented a plan to guide joint bases in achieving cost savings and efficiencies. The Department of Defense (DOD) originally estimated saving $2.3 billion from joint basing over 20 years, but in the absence of a plan to drive savings, that estimate has fallen by almost 90 percent. OSD also does not yet have a fully developed method for accurately collecting information on costs, savings, and efficiencies achieved specifically from joint basing. GAO previously reported that organizational transformations such as merging components and transforming organizational cultures should be driven by top leadership, have implementation goals and a timeline to show progress, and include a communication strategy. Although the joint bases anecdotally reported achieving some savings and efficiencies, without an implementation plan to drive savings and a means to collect reliable information on the specific costs, estimated savings, and efficiencies from joint basing, DOD will not be able to facilitate achievement of the goals of cost savings and efficiencies, track the extent to which these goals have been achieved, or evaluate the continuation or expansion of joint basing.
The joint bases implemented common standards for installation support services developed by OSD, and in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 reported meeting the standards more than 70 percent of the time. However, three factors limited the usefulness of the reported standards as a common tool for managing installation support services: the lack of clarity in some standards, unclear standards that were not reviewed and changed in a timely manner, and data collection and reporting on the standards that in some cases adhered to individual service standards rather than the common standard. DOD guidance states that the purpose of the joint base common standards framework was to provide a common language to serve as a basis for planning and management across the joint bases, and GAO previously reported that performance measures should be clear and follow standard procedures. Without a consistent interpretation and reported use of the standards, OSD and the joint bases will not have reliable or comparable data with which to assess their service support levels.
OSD and the joint bases have various mechanisms in place to address challenges in achieving joint basing goals, such as a joint management oversight structure and annual OSD-joint base review meetings, but none of these routinely facilitates communication among the joint bases to identify solutions to common challenges. The reported challenges cover a wide range of issues, from different expectations among military services as to how base support services should be provided to incompatible information technology networks. However, the absence of a formal method to routinely share information on common challenges and possible solutions, or guidance on developing and providing training for new personnel on how joint bases provide installation support, means DOD is likely to miss opportunities to develop common solutions to common challenges. Federal internal control standards state that for an entity to control its operations, it must have relevant and timely communications, and information is needed throughout the agency to achieve objectives. In addition, without processes to identify common challenges and share information across the joint bases, DOD may miss opportunities for greater efficiencies and be unable to provide uniform policies across the joint bases.
Why GAO Did This Study
GAO has designated DOD support infrastructure as an area of high risk and included one key related category--installation support--as an area for potential savings. In 2005, DOD recommended to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission combining 26 installations into 12 joint bases to generate efficiencies and cost savings and, in 2010, completed this consolidation. GAO assessed the extent to which (1) DOD developed and implemented a plan to achieve cost savings and efficiencies at the joint bases, (2) joint base common standards provide a common framework to manage and plan for installation support services, and (3) DOD has a process to consistently identify and address any implementation challenges. GAO reviewed DOD policies and guidance on joint basing, visited 3 joint bases and obtained answers to written questions from the other 9, interviewed OSD and military service officials, and analyzed performance data on joint base support services.
Recommendations
GAO recommends that DOD take six actions, such as developing a plan to achieve cost savings, prioritizing review and revision of unclear common standards, and developing a strategy to share solutions to common challenges. DOD partially agreed with five recommendations and did not concur with the recommendation to develop a plan to achieve cost savings, because it stated that such goals are not appropriate at this time. GAO continues to believe that the recommendations are valid as discussed further in the report.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | To enable DOD to achieve cost savings and efficiencies and to track its progress toward achieving these goals, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment) to develop and implement a plan that provides measurable goals linked to achieving savings and efficiencies at the joint bases and provide guidance to the joint bases that directs them to identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiencies. DOD should at a minimum consider the items identified in its recommendation to the 2005 BRAC Commission as areas for possible savings and efficiencies, including (1) paring unnecessary management personnel, (2) consolidating and optimizing contract requirements, (3) establishing a single space management authority to achieve greater utilization of facilities, and (4) reducing the number of base support vehicles and equipment. |
DOD did not concur with this recommendation. The department stated that its "patient" approach to cost savings is working, and that the senior joint base working group decided against savings targets because of the complexity involved in setting up the bases. We acknowledge that establishing joint basing is a complex undertaking, but in its justification to the BRAC commission, DOD stated that joint basing would produce savings exceeding the cost of implementation immediately. DOD also asserted that it is achieving savings, as shown by the Air Force and Navy manpower reductions at the joint bases. However, these cuts were not the result of a purposeful effort to pare unnecessary management personnel due to the implementation of joint basing. Air Force and Navy documents and interviews with officials from these services indicate that the joint bases' memoranda of agreement show increases in budget and civilian manpower required as a result of joint basing. Any reductions in civilian positions at the joint bases through attrition or leaving unfilled positions open are attributable to general service-wide initiatives and reductions and not joint basing efficiencies. The Secretary of Defense's justification to the BRAC Commission requesting approval of the joint basing recommendation stated that "there is a significant opportunity to reduce duplication of efforts with resulting reductions of overall manpower and facilities requirements capable of generating savings." We believe that DOD's justification for joint basing--the realization of savings--is attainable by developing guidance and encouraging appropriate practices, goals, and time frames. However, in December 2019, DOD officials told us that they do not plan to act on our recommendation and as of June 2020, no action has been taken.
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| Department of Defense | To enable DOD to achieve cost savings and efficiencies and to track its progress toward achieving these goals, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment) to continue to develop and refine the Cost Performance and Visibility Framework in order to (1) eliminate data reliability problems, (2) facilitate comparisons of joint basing costs with the cost of operating the separate installations prior to implementing joint basing, and (3) identify and isolate the costs and savings resulting from actions and initiatives specifically resulting from joint basing and excluding DOD- or service-wide actions and initiatives. |
DOD partially concurred with this recommendation. DOD acknowledged that there were inconsistencies in the current data and that it was working to improve the data's reliability, and that it would then be able to compare current obligations with prior years, and be able to perform a separate analysis to compare joint basing operating costs with the costs of operating the separate bases prior to the creation of the joint bases. DOD provided guidance to the joint bases which resulted in improved quality of the data obtained for fiscal year 2012. Subsequently DOD performed an analysis comparing this improved operating cost data with what it projected would be the costs operating the separate installations if the joint bases had not been created. This analysis showed that the joint bases were saving money relative to the costs of operating the separate installations. Together these actions met the intent of our recommendation, and provide DOD with an improved picture of the cost of operating the joint bases as well as a comparison of the cost of operating the joint bases with the cost of operating the separate installations.
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| Department of Defense | To improve DOD's ability to provide a common framework for the management and planning of support services at the joint bases, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment) to direct the joint bases to compile a list of those common standards in all functional areas needing clarification and the reasons why they need to be clarified, including those standards still being provided or reported on according to service-specific standards rather than the common standard. |
DOD partially concurred with this recommendation. It stated that the department already has a quarterly process to review its joint base common standards, and that reviewing all the standards simultaneously does not allow for the depth of analysis required to make sound decisions. DOD did not take steps to implement our recommendation, but in June 2017, DOD directed that the Joint Bases stop using the joint base common standards and instead use the standards of the military service in charge of providing support services at any given joint base. With the phasing out of the joint base common standards, DOD will no longer be able to implement our recommendation.
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| Department of Defense | To improve DOD's ability to provide a common framework for the management and planning of support services at the joint bases, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment) to amend the OSD joint standards review process to prioritize review and revision of those standards most in need of clarification within this list. |
DOD partially concurred with this recommendation. The department stated that it already has a quarterly joint base common standards review process, and that reviewing all the standards simultaneously does not allow for the depth of analysis required to make sound decisions. In addition, it noted that the current process incorporates input from the Joint Base commanders, Intermediate Command Summit, and service headquarters. DOD did not take steps to implement our recommendation, but in June 2017, DOD directed that the Joint Bases stop using the joint base common standards and instead use the standards of the military service in charge of providing support services at any given joint base. With the phasing out of the joint base common standards, DOD will no longer be able to implement our recommendation.
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| Department of Defense | To increase opportunities for the joint bases to obtain greater efficiencies in developing common solutions to common challenges and reduce duplication of efforts, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment) to develop a common strategy to expand routine communication between the joint bases, and between the joint bases and OSD, to encourage joint resolution of common challenges and sharing of best practices and lessons learned. |
DOD partially concurred with this recommendation, stating that there were already mechanisms in place to facilitate such communication, which we had discussed in our report. Subsequently DOD added an annual meeting beginning in February 2013 for Joint Base commanders to discuss issues the bases are facing, and in August 2013 distributed contact information for all Joint Base commanders and Deputy Joint Base commanders to each of the joint bases. As a result, joint bases will have expanded opportunities to share information on best practices and lessons learned, and to resolve common challenges. In part because the annual Joint Base commander's meeting takes place as part of an annual program review meeting with OSD, together these actions address the intent of our recommendation.
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| Department of Defense | To increase opportunities for the joint bases to obtain greater efficiencies in developing common solutions to common challenges and reduce duplication of efforts, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment) to develop guidance to ensure all the joint bases develop and provide training materials to incoming personnel on how installation services are provided on joint bases. |
In May 2015, DOD issued a handbook to provide basic information and clarify processes and procedures for the joint bases. The document is intended to serve as a first point of reference for information about the joint bases and the unique policies and guidance that govern them. This handbook, which covers how joint bases differ from other military installations among other relevant issues, can better inform incoming servicemembers about the particular characteristics of joint bases, as well as reduce duplication or inconsistency in how the joint bases train incoming servicemembers, and therefore meets the intent of our recommendation.
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