Many Pentagon information systems programs are not establishing baselines to meet program goals, according to Government Accountability Office audit.
GAO looked at 20 major automated information systems (MAIS) programs, and found that the majority had not established first baselines, which include estimates of life cycle costs, schedules and performance targets, within two years of the program's start date.
Resource: Read the GAO Report
"While the Defense Science Board supports that programs should establish their baselines within two years, 12 programs spent, on average, five years and two months and about $452 million prior to establishing baselines," GAO said. "Programs that have not established baselines are subject to less oversight and cannot be measured against cost, schedule, and performance targets. Also, the propensity to carry out MAIS programs for multiple years prior to committing to baselines is inconsistent with incremental and rapid development as called for in federal law, Office of Management and Budget guidance, and a Defense Science Board recommendation."
Four MAIS programs did fully define and manage their key risks, or were on track to do so. "Until programs establish their cost and schedule baselines within two years, they may continue to spend hundreds of millions of dollars with limited oversight and accountability," said GAO.
