GAO Calls Out DOD for Not Implementing Majority of Tech Acquisition, Development Recommendations

The Government Accountability Office said the Department of Defense has not implemented key recommendations designed to keep the United States abreast with its near-peer adversaries in terms of software acquisition and technology development.

Between 2018 and 2019, the Defense Science Board and Defense Innovation Board offered 17 recommendations to help the Pentagon speed up tech-related acquisitions and developments. According to a GAO report issued on April 5, the DOD has not implemented 13 of them.

The report found that source code access, Authority to Operate reciprocity, software and digital infrastructure adoption and rapid development recommendations were partially implemented, FCW reported.

The recommendations covered workforce development, acquisition, technology testing and verification, contracting vehicles and software acquisition efficiencies. According to the report, some of the unaddressed recommendations cover software, workforce development and machine learning validation.

DOD officials said they might implement other recommendations through future modernization efforts. They also told the GAO that they are not required to implement all recommendations and that doing so might be impractical.