Pentagon Remains on High Risk List for Poor Management Practices

The entire US Department of Defense remains on a "high risk" list for bad management practices and required administrative reforms that have not been met, the Government Accountability office (GAO) said in a report on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Defense Department policymakers also needed to determine the appropriate mix of military, civilian and contractor personnel necessary in its workforce plan, the GAO added.

"While [the Defense Department] maintains military forces with unparalleled capabilities, it continues to confront decades-old management weaknesses related to its business functions that support these forces," the report stated.

The GAO said it had listed the Defense Department’s overall approach to managing business transformation as a high-risk area in 2005 and eleven years on, major problems still had not been properly addressed.

"[T]o further improve outcomes on the billions of dollars spent annually on goods and services, [the Defense Department] needs to… continue… strategic planning and alignment of funding, to increase the department’s capacity to manage and oversee contracts," the report stated.