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Open Recommendations

Transition to Civilian Life: Better Collection and Analysis of Military Service Data Needed to Improve Oversight of the SkillBridge Program
GAO-24-107352
Aug 22, 2024
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7 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should update SkillBridge program guidance to include what types of SkillBridge program data should be tracked by each of the military services and how that data should be reported to the department. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, ensure the Secretary of the Army directs the Chief of Staff of the Army to collect and analyze SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military-Civilian Transition Office along with any associated corrective action plans. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, ensure the Secretary of the Navy directs the Chief of Naval Operations to collect and analyze SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military-Civilian Transition Office along with any associated corrective action plans. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, ensure the Secretary of the Navy directs the Commandant of the Marine Corps to collect and analyze SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military- Civilian Transition Office along with any associated corrective action plans. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, ensure the Secretary of the Air Force directs the Chief of Staff of the Air Force to collect and analyze Air Force SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military-Civilian Transition Office along with any associated corrective action plans. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should, once SkillBridge program guidance is updated, ensure the Secretary of the Air Force directs the Chief of Space Operations to collect and analyze Space Force SkillBridge program data and report that data to the Military-Civilian Transition Office along with any associated corrective action plans. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

IT Systems Annual Assessment: DOD Needs to Improve Performance Reporting and Development Planning [Reissued with revisions on Aug. 22, 2024]
GAO-23-106117
Aug 22, 2024
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Chief Information Officer to ensure that major IT business programs identify at least the minimum required amount of operational performance metrics, as appropriate, in the department's submission to the Federal IT Dashboard. (Recommendation 1)
Open
As of August 2023, the department indicated that it has taken steps to address our recommendation. The department stated that it had implemented an additional audit check to ensure operational performance metrics are provided for all major IT systems and reported to the Federal IT Dashboard, but that the checks did not work properly and it has since corrected them. The department stated that it estimates the data will be available in April 2024 as part of DOD's fiscal year 2025 submission to the Dashboard and we will continue to monitor the department's efforts to fully implement this recommendation through our annual reviews of selected DOD IT programs.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Chief Information Officer to ensure that major IT business programs develop capability implementation plans or other program plans that address conducting user training and deployment, as appropriate. (Recommendation 2)
Open
As of August 2023, the department indicated that it has taken steps to address our recommendation. The department stated that, as of January 2020, the Secretary of Defense provided direction to ensure that major IT business programs develop capability implementation plans or other program plans that address conducting user training and deployment, as appropriate. Specifically, in accordance with DOD directives and July 2014 and July 2018 Deputy Secretary of Defense memorandums, USD(A&S) issued guidance on the acquisition of business systems to include establishing policy for the use of the business capability acquisition cycle (BCAC) for business systems requirements and acquisition and documenting user training throughout. The department also noted that the requirement to develop capability implementation plans is codified within DODI 5000.75 and, as a defense business system progresses through the BCAC, they are required to mature their user training and deployment plans at each phase/authority to proceed decision point. The department added that, per DODI 5000.75, the milestone decision authority has the ability to review the user training and deployment plans prior to progressing into the capability support phase. We will continue to monitor the department's efforts to fully implement this recommendation as part of our annual review of selected DOD IT programs, with the next report planned for issuance in summer 2024.

Hypersonic Weapons: DOD Could Reduce Cost and Schedule Risks by Following Leading Practices
GAO-24-106792
Jul 29, 2024
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10 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should ensure the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) Block IB effort solicits and incorporates relevant user feedback throughout development. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile effort solicits and incorporates relevant user feedback throughout development. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should ensure the Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive anti-surface warfare effort solicits and incorporates relevant user feedback throughout development. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon effort, if further development and production is planned, solicits and incorporates relevant user feedback throughout development. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Army The Secretary of the Army should ensure the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon effort assesses the practicality, benefits, and affordability of implementing digital engineering, including digital twinning, and whether to incorporate these tools into the effort. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) Block IB effort assess the practicality, benefits, and affordability of implementing digital engineering, including digital twinning, and whether to incorporate these tools into the effort. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Weapon Systems Annual Assessment: DOD Is Not Yet Well-Positioned to Field Systems with Speed [Reissued with revisions on Jul. 18, 2024]
GAO-24-106831
Jul 18, 2024
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the USD(A&S) to issue policy calling for MTA program acquisition strategies to include how the program plans to implement leading practices for product development to deliver fieldable capability with speed, within 5 years. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the USD(A&S) fully defines goals for DOD's software cadre, to include long-term outcomes and near-term measurable results with time frames. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the USD(A&S) identifies strategies and resources needed to achieve DOD's goals for its software cadre, including assessing the internal and external factors that could affect achievement of DOD's goals for its software cadre and how to mitigate them. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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