The Army Can Better Integrate Manpower, Personnel, and Training Into the Weapon Systems Acquisition Process

Gao ID: NSIAD-85-154 September 27, 1985

GAO reviewed the Army's efforts to improve the integration of manpower, personnel, and training (MPT) into its weapon systems acquisition process.

GAO believes that: (1) the Army must effectively integrate MPT into the weapon system acquisition process to ensure that, once weapon systems are deployed, they can be properly operated and maintained; and (2) the Army's lack of centralized MPT management impedes its MPT improvement efforts. GAO found that a number of studies by the Army and other organizations have identified major systemic MPT problems that adversely affect the Army's ability to integrate MPT into the systems acquisition process, including: (1) a lack of leadership in MPT integration; (2) failure to identify MPT requirements early in the acquisition process; (3) failure to define MPT needs for contractors designing weapon systems; and (4) a lack of contract incentives for good MPT planning. GAO also found that the Army is improving its MPT integration efforts by: (1) clarifying the roles of certain key officials in the MPT integration process; (2) testing techniques to identify MPT needs early in the acquisition process; and (3) developing methodologies to identify MPT needs to weapon system contractors. However, GAO noted that there has been little coordination between three major Army commands with MPT responsibilities that are independently implementing MPT improvements. In addition, GAO found that the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, which has primary responsibility for MPT planning, has not established detailed procedures for carrying out MPT responsibilities.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Thomas J. Brew Team: General Accounting Office: National Security and International Affairs Division Phone: (202) 512-6113


The Justia Government Accountability Office site republishes public reports retrieved from the U.S. GAO These reports should not be considered official, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Justia.