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Defense Space Activities: Organizational Changes Initiated, but Further Management Actions Needed

GAO-03-379 Published: Apr 18, 2003. Publicly Released: Apr 18, 2003.
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Highlights

In January 2001, the congressionally chartered Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization--known as the Space Commission--reported that the Department of Defense (DOD) lacked the senior-level focus and accountability to provide guidance and oversight for national security space operations. Congress mandated that GAO provide an assessment of DOD's actions to implement the Space Commission's recommendations. Thus, GAO (1) updated its June 2002 assessment of DOD's actions to address the Space Commission's recommendations, (2) ascertained progress in addressing other long- term management concerns, and (3) assessed the extent to which DOD has developed a results-oriented management framework for space activities.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense To improve the management of national security space activities, the Secretary of Defense should require the executive agent for DOD space, in conjunction with the services, to establish a departmentwide space human capital strategy that includes goals and time lines to develop and maintain a cadre of military and civilian space professionals.
Closed – Implemented
The Air Force and Navy have issued the human capital strategies we recommended. Although the Army has not yet issued its strategy, it has taken steps to develop a strategy, such as identifying the skills and personnel that should be included in its space workforce, and is working toward issuing a comprehensive strategy.
Department of Defense To improve the management of national security space activities, the Secretary of Defense should require the executive agent for DOD space to develop a comprehensive management framework for space activities that includes a results-oriented national security space strategy tied to overall department-level space goals, time lines, and performance measures to assess space activities' progress in achieving national security space goals.
Closed – Not Implemented
DOD agreed with the recommendation, and has issued a new national security space policy. However, it has not required the executive agent for space to develop a comprehensive strategy for managing space assets to achieve goals or timelines or performance measures.
Department of Defense To improve the management of national security space activities, the Secretary of Defense should include performance goals and measures for space activities in DOD's next departmentwide performance report.
Closed – Not Implemented
DOD decided against including performance measures in its annual report.
Department of Defense To improve the management of national security space activities, the Secretary of Defense should designate an oversight entity in the Office of the Secretary of Defense to periodically assess the progress of DOD's executive agent in achieving goals for space activities.
Closed – Not Implemented
Although the Department of Defense agreed with the recommendation, no oversight entity has been designated to assess the progress of DOD's executive agent for achieving goals for space activities.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretaries of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force to review, and as necessary, adjust service cadre plans to ensure they are linked to the department's space human capital strategy when completed.
Closed – Implemented
DOD partially agreed with the recommendation, which was reworded to address the agency's concerns. The Air Force and the Navy have developed and approved space human capital strategies. The Army is has taken some steps toward developing a human capital strategy, such as identifying the personnel with space education or experience and in improving space issue training. The Army is taken steps to develop a human capital strategy, although it has not yet issued a comprehensive strategy

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Topics

AccountabilityAgency missionsFederal agency reorganizationInternal controlsNational defense operationsHomeland securityU.S. Air ForceNational securitySpace acquisition programsHuman resources management