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Defense Logistics: Oversight and a Coordinated Strategy Needed to Implement the Army Workload and Performance System

GAO-11-566R Published: Jul 14, 2011. Publicly Released: Jul 14, 2011.
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Highlights

In 1996, the Army began development of the Army Workload and Performance System (AWPS) at the direction of the House National Security Committee. AWPS is a capstone information system that receives data from other systems, primarily the Logistics Modernization Program (LMP), and produces management reports and decision support tools intended to assist the Army in linking its industrial facility workload demands to its workforce requirements. AWPS defines workload demands in terms of the amount of work projected to be completed in an 8-hour period and labels each such period as one "resource." Based on the calculation of these resources, reports from AWPS are designed to aid decision makers in determining workforce needs. In 1998, the House National Security Committee directed that the Army provide the committee with a long-range master plan to implement AWPS. The committee also directed that we provide a report on the Army's plan to implement AWPS, and in 1999 we recommended that the Army strengthen its oversight of AWPS development efforts. In 2001, Congress enacted statutory requirements related to the use and implementation of AWPS. Specifically, Section 346 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 stated that AWPS would continue as a standard Army-wide manpower system under the supervision and management of the Secretary of the Army. The act also required the Secretary of the Army to submit annual progress reports to Congress on the implementation of the AWPS master plan until the Secretary certified to Congress that AWPS was fully implemented. The act additionally required GAO to submit an evaluation of the annual reports not later than 60 days after their submission to Congress. In May 2002, the Army submitted to Congress its first and only progress report on the implementation of the AWPS master plan. During our evaluation of the report, we identified several weaknesses and recommended improvements. Although the Army concurred with our recommendations, since 2002, the Army has not submitted any additional required annual reports to Congress, and the Secretary of the Army has not certified that implementation is complete. In this context, Congress asked us to assess the Army's development and use of AWPS. In response, we evaluated (1) the extent to which the Army is using AWPS and (2) the Army's plans regarding the future use of AWPS.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense To improve the accuracy and efficiency of the Army plans for utilizing its industrial facility workforce, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Army to identify which Army organization is responsible for the overall oversight of AWPS.
Closed – Implemented
DOD concurred with our recommendation and, in its comments on our report, identified the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs as the organization responsible for providing overall oversight of AWPS. In response to a subsequent GAO review of AWPS (GAO-14-266), the Army stated that AWPS was transferred to the Logistics Domain from the Human Resource Management Domain, and that the Under Secretary of the Army, in his role as Chief Management Officer, will strengthen the development, review, approval and oversight of the AWPS master plan across the Army's business domains. In December 2014, the Under Secretary of the Army approved the revised AWPS master plan for implementation, and in May 2015 the Secretary of the Army certified to Congress that AWPS had been fully implemented across the Army's organic industrial base.
Department of Defense To improve the accuracy and efficiency of the Army plans for utilizing its industrial facility workforce, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Secretary of the Army to report--as required by law--to Congress annually on the implementation of the system's master plan, and specifically address any changes made to the master plan.
Closed – Implemented
DOD concurred with our recommendation. In May 2015, the Secretary of the Army certified to Congress that AWPS had been fully implemented across the Army's organic industrial base and provided Congress with the updated AWPS master plan.

Full Report

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Topics

Data integrityDecision makingDefense capabilitiesDefense industryIndustrial facilitiesInformation systemsInternal controlsLogisticsNational defense operationsReporting requirementsStaff utilizationStrategic information systems planningStrategic planningSystems designSystems evaluationWorkloads