National Security Analysis Issue Area Plan--Fiscal Years 1997-99 (Letter
Report, 04/01/97, GAO/IAP-97-1).
GAO provided information on its National Security Analysis issue area
plan for fiscal years 1997-1999.
GAO plans to assess the: (1) extent to which the Department of Defense's
(DOD) initiatives for implementing the national military strategy result
in the efficient and effective allocation of resources; (2) efficiency
and effectiveness of DOD's existing and planned force structure; (3)
extent to which planned defense budgets accurately reflect the projected
costs of DOD programs; and (4) extent to which the intelligence
community is adequately addressing the changed threat and new
requirements.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: IAP-97-1
TITLE: National Security Analysis Issue Area Plan--Fiscal Years
1997-99
DATE: 04/01/97
SUBJECT: Strategic planning
Defense budgets
Human resources utilization
Military forces
Cost effectiveness analysis
Combat readiness
Defense cost control
Military intelligence
Future budget projections
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Cover
================================================================ COVER
National Security and International Affairs Division
April 1997
NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYSIS ISSUE
AREA PLAN
FISCAL YEARS 1997-99
GAO/IAP-97-1
Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV
DOD - Department of Defense
FOREWORD
============================================================ Chapter 0
As the investigative arm of Congress and the nation's auditor, the
General Accounting Office is charged with following the federal
dollar wherever it goes. Reflecting stringent standards of
objectivity and independence, GAO's audits, evaluations, and
investigations promote a more efficient and cost-effective
government; expose waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in federal
programs; help Congress target budget reductions; assess financial
information management; and alert Congress to developing trends that
may have significant fiscal or budgetary consequences. In fulfilling
its responsibilities, GAO performs original research and uses
hundreds of databases or creates its own when information is
unavailable elsewhere.
To ensure that GAO's resources are directed toward the most important
issues facing Congress, each of GAO's 32 issue areas develops a
strategic plan that describes the significance of the issues it
addresses, its objectives, and the focus of its work. Each issue
area relies heavily on input from congressional committees, agency
officials, and subject-matter experts in developing its strategic
plan.
The National Security Analysis issue area covers programs of the
Department of Defense (DOD), the individual military services, and
other supporting defense agencies. GAO's work in this issue area
focuses on major DOD initiatives to implement the national military
strategy, force structure, budget analysis, and intelligence. The
principal issues we cover are:
the extent to which DOD's initiatives for implementing the national
military strategy result in the efficient and effective
allocation of resources,
the efficiency and effectiveness of DOD's existing and planned
force structure,
the extent to which planned defense budgets accurately reflect the
projected costs of DOD programs, and
the extent to which the intelligence community is adequately
addressing the changed threat and new requirements.
In the pages that follow, we describe our key planned work on these
important issues.
Because events may significantly affect even the best of plans, our
planning process allows for updating and the flexibility to respond
quickly to emerging issues. If you have any questions or suggestions
about this plan, please call me at (202) 512-3504.
Richard Davis
Director
National Security Analysis
CONTENTS
============================================================ Chapter 1
FOREWORD
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:1
1
TABLE I: KEY ISSUES
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:2
4
TABLE II: PLANNED MAJOR WORK
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:3
6
TABLE III: GAO CONTACTS
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:4
7
TABLE I: KEY ISSUES
============================================================ Chapter 2
Issue Significance Objectives Focus of Work
----------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------
Strategy implementation: Do Since the end of the Cold War, DOD has been undertaking � Evaluate whether DOD's major initiatives to implement �Adjustments in defense
DOD's initiatives to initiatives to adjust its programs and forces to reflect a the programs and operations to
implement the national changed security environment and reduced budgets, national military strategy are based on sound assumptions reflect the changed security
military strategy ensure emphasizing the importance of jointness in its planning and will result in an efficient and effective allocation environment.
efficient and effective and operations. However, many aspects of DOD's processes of resources.
allocation of resources? and approaches remain unchanged. Congress, concerned about �Opportunities to identify
DOD's progress in adapting to the new environment and the �Assess DOD's progress in institutionalizing jointness in greater efficiencies that
quality of DOD's future planning, has required DOD to its programs, processes, and procedures. maximize force capabilities
complete a quadrennial defense review of strategy, force within reduced budgets.
structure, and modernization needs by May 1997.
�Potential for improving the
jointness of DOD's planning,
requirements determination,
and operations.
Force structure: Are DOD's Congress continues to be concerned about the adequacy of �Assess whether DOD has an appropriate mix of combat and �Assessment of key combat and
forces organized efficiently DOD's planned force structure. The size and composition of support forces to implement the national military support missions.
and effectively to implement the force will be a key topic in the quadrennial defense strategy.
the national military review. Efforts to size and organize DOD's forces more �Potential for consolidating
strategy? efficiently and eliminate overlapping capabilities are �Identify opportunities for achieving savings by functions among/within
becoming more important as DOD seeks to modernize its organizing forces more efficiently or consolidating key services.
forces and achieve long-term readiness within expected functions shared by more than one service, component, or
budgets. command. �Opportunities for reshaping
role and structure of reserve
�Assess the active/reserve mix and potential to place forces.
greater emphasis on less costly reserve forces.
�Service requirements for
� Evaluate the basis for the services' stated requirements active military personnel.
for military, civilian, and reserve personnel.
Budget analysis: Do budgets There is widespread concern in Congress about the adequacy �Assess whether DOD's budgets are based on accurate data �Full disclosure of budget
for national security of funding for defense priorities, such as modern weapon and sound estimates with lower program and societal costs. assumptions and estimates.
programs accurately reflect systems. DOD is looking to fund its modernization plan
the projected costs of DOD within the defense budget through various means, including �Assess whether DOD's financial plan and budget execution �Analyses of defense
programs? reducing its infrastructure. Congress is unsure whether match its priorities. infrastructure and
ongoing initiatives will achieve needed savings for appropriations accounts.
modernization. �Identify the trends in DOD's budget and assess the
implications of those trends. �Comparison of spending plans
and stated defense
priorities.
Intelligence: Is the U.S. The United States spends tens of billions of dollars each �Determine whether unnecessary duplication exists between �Consistency of force
intelligence community year on intelligence programs, most of which were intelligence organizations and programs. structure and weapon needs
adequately addressing the developed during the Cold War years. The intelligence with threat estimates.
changed threat and new community is continuing to undergo major changes because �Evaluate the accuracy of intelligence estimates used to
requirements? of the changing post Cold War security environment. support force structure and weapon acquisitions. �Intelligence support for
peace operations.
�Assess the role of intelligence agencies in supporting
new missions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE II: PLANNED MAJOR WORK
============================================================ Chapter 3
Issue Planned Major Job Starts
----------------------- ---------------------------------------------
Strategy implementation �Review of DOD's Quadrennial Defense Review.
�Assess DOD's progress in achieving jointness
under the Goldwater-Nichols Act.
�Analysis of U.S. information warfare
strategies.
�Review of U.S. strategies for critical
infrastructure protection.
Force structure �Requirements for Army combat forces.
�Assessment of DOD's Deep Attack Weapons Mix
Study.
�Reviews of Air Force, Army, and Navy
requirements for active military personnel.
�Capping report on military and civilian end
strength issues.
�Review of military headquarters force.
Budget analysis �Comparison of Fiscal Year 97 and Fiscal Year
98 Future Years Defense Programs.
�Analysis of Bosnia peace operation costs.
�Trends in budget and obligation data in
DOD's operations and maintenance account.
�Review of DOD's infrastructure reduction
efforts.
�Future Years Defense Program analysis of
central training and force management
activities.
�Future Years Defense Program analysis of
acquisition workforce.
Intelligence �Reviews of selected intelligence programs as
congressional interests dictate.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE III: GAO CONTACTS
============================================================ Chapter 4
DIRECTOR
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:0.1
Richard Davis (202) 512-3504
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:0.2
Carol Schuster (202)512-3958
ASSISTANT DIRECTORS
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:0.3
Marvin Casterline
Davi D'Agostino
Fred Dziadek
Jerry Herley
Wendy Jaffe
Sharon Pickup
Steven Sternlieb
Janet St. Laurent
Gary Weeter
*** End of document. ***