Rule of law assistance is an important component of U.S. efforts to build  foreign partner capacity, and according to officials, includes defense  institution-building  and foreign partner training focused on military justice,  human rights, anticorruption, and professionalization of the military. Foreign Military Financing funds account for 4 percent, $1.0 million, of  DIILS disbursements for fiscal years 2013 through 2016. DIILS assesses the quality of its assistance in various  ways, including implementing student surveys, conducting pre- and post- course tests, and instituting real-time classroom assessments of  participants’ comprehension. Our interviews with foreign partner recipients of DIILS assistance and  U.S. officials working to provide it generally reflected positive views about  the quality of DIILS’s services. Since Fiscal Year 2013, DIILS Has Provided Assistance to Almost 100 Countries, with the Greatest Number of Events in Africa

For fiscal years 2013 through 2016, DIILS provided over 500 training and  institution-building  events to about 100 countries; that includes over 200  core rule of law events, about 200 defense institution-building events, and  about 100 statutorily required human rights training events. DIILS Takes Several Steps to Assess the Quality of Its Assistance, Which Is Generally Viewed Positively by Recipients and U.S. Officials

DIILS officials provided examples of several steps that they take to  assess the quality of DIILS’s assistance. DOD Has Not Assessed Whether the Size of DIILS’s Workforce Aligns with the Scope of Its Mission

The demand for DIILS’s assistance has increased over time, as  summarized in table 2. Federal internal control standards highlight the need for management to  conduct reviews at the functional or activity level, which may include  conducting a workforce review or developing a corrective action plan, if  needed. Amid increasing demand and interest in DIILS’s provision of defense- institution building assistance and statutorily required human rights  training, the number of events that DIILS has provided has increased  since fiscal year 2013, while its workforce has increased by a single full- time equivalent (FTE) staff, going from 28 FTE staff in 2013 to 29 FTE  staff in 2016, as illustrated by figure 7. DOD  officials told us that the decision was based on budget considerations  rather than on an assessment of whether the size of DIILS’s workforce  aligns with the scope of its mission to provide rule of law assistance. In addition, according to DIILS officials, although DIILS has the physical  space to increase the capacity for the courses it holds in Newport, Rhode  Island, from 50 to 75 participants, DIILS is facing logistical challenges in  increasing capacity as a result of staffing constraints. Since fiscal  year 2013, the demand for DIILS’s assistance has increased by nearly 50  percent. Recommendation for Executive Action

To help ensure that DOD successfully achieves the goal of supporting  foreign nations in upholding the rule of law, we recommend that the  Secretary of Defense assess the extent to which the size of DIILS’s  workforce is aligned with the scope of its mission, including whether DIILS  has sufficient staff to complete required after action reports and to  increase its resident course capacity. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

House Report 114-102 includes a provision for us to review Department  of Defense (DOD) efforts to work with DOD’s foreign military partners to  build rule of law capacity. This report examines the extent to which, for  fiscal years 2013 through 2016, (1) the Defense Institute of International  Legal Studies (DIILS) has provided rule of law assistance to foreign  partners and assessed its quality, (2) planning processes for DIILS’s rule  of law efforts have considered foreign partner needs, and (3) DOD has  considered whether the size of DIILS’s workforce aligns with the scope of  its mission.
Why GAO Did This Study

Rule of law assistance is an important component of U.S. efforts to build the capacity of foreign partners to support international peace and security. DIILS is DOD's lead global resource for providing professional legal education and assistance to foreign military personnel and civilian defense officials on core rule of law issues. Such issues include military justice, anticorruption, and professionalization of the military. In addition, DIILS provides defense institution-building assistance and statutorily required human rights training to foreign partners. In fiscal years 2013 through 2016, DIILS disbursed over $24 million.
House Report 114-102 includes a provision for GAO to review DOD's efforts to build partner capacity in the rule of law. This report examines, among other things, the extent to which (1) DIILS has provided rule of law assistance to foreign partners and assessed its quality and (2) DOD has considered whether the size of DIILS's workforce aligns with the scope of its mission. GAO reviewed and analyzed agency funding, planning, and organizational structure documents for fiscal years 2013 through 2016. GAO interviewed U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., and conducted fieldwork in Newport, Rhode Island; Botswana; Germany; and Uganda. Locations were selected on the basis of the nature and timing of assistance.

What GAO Found

For fiscal years 2013 through 2016, the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) conducted over 500 rule of law events in almost 100 countries, and it assessed the quality of its assistance in a variety of ways. DIILS provides three types of assistance: (1) core rule of law training in the United States and abroad, (2) defense institution-building, and (3) statutorily required human rights training. DIILS takes steps to assess the quality of its assistance, such as by conducting student feedback surveys and real-time classroom assessments of students' learning. Foreign partner recipients of DIILS assistance and U.S. officials working to provide it told us they generally held positive views about the quality of DIILS's services.
Although the demand for DIILS's assistance has increased since 2013, the Department of Defense (DOD) has not assessed whether the size of DIILS's workforce aligns with the scope of its mission. Federal internal control standards highlight the need for management to conduct reviews at the functional or activity level, including conducting a workforce review, if needed. Since fiscal year 2013, the demand for DIILS's assistance has grown by nearly 50 percent, while its workforce has increased by one full-time equivalent (FTE) staff position. According to DIILS officials, as a result of staffing constraints, DIILS staff have completed 55 percent of required after action reports, which capture lessons learned for future events; expended 55 percent of all defense institution-building funds that DOD has made available since fiscal year 2013; and faced challenges in increasing capacity of residence courses to help meet demand. According to DOD officials, DOD has declined DIILS's requests for additional FTE staff based on budget considerations and not on an assessment of whether the size of DIILS's workforce aligns with the scope of its mission. Without a clear understanding provided by such an assessment, DOD cannot adequately ensure that DIILS is effectively meeting demands for its training and assistance to foreign military officials, which may contribute to more robust rule of law systems, more accountable governments, and greater respect for human rights.

What GAO Recommends

The Secretary of Defense should assess the extent to which the size of DIILS's workforce is aligned with the scope of its mission. DOD concurred with the recommendation.