Improvements Needed in the Army's Design Process for Military Construction Projects in Europe

GAO reviewed the design process for military construction projects in Europe. The review was made primarily at each of the services' design agents that are responsible for the design and construction of all Department of Defense projects within their designated geographical areas.

GAO identified several problems that warrant attention and corrective action. First, there is potential overstaffing at the Corps of Engineers' division in Frankfurt; a review of the division's design process and workload indicates that the planned staff increase may not be needed and, in fact, that reduction may be possible. Second, design agencies are not ensuring that proposed Army construction projects meet the congressional goal for projects to be at the 35-percent design stage when submitted to Congress for construction authorization and funding. GAO believes that, when projects are not at the specified stage at the time of budget submission to Congress, the appropriate committees should be informed of those projects as well as when the projects are expected to reach the 35-percent design stage. Alternatively, those projects could be deferred until the next budget submission. Third, the Corps' Engineering Division is not ensuring that timely value engineering studies are made during the design of construction projects in Europe. At the completion of the GAO review, the division was taking steps to improve the timeliness of such studies.