DOD’s business systems modernization is one of the high-risk  areas, and it is an essential component for addressing many of the  department’s other high-risk areas. Stage 5: Leveraging the enterprise architecture to manage  change. The groups are architecture governance, content, use, and  measurement. Use refers to core elements that provide for an architecture-centric  approach to IT investment management (i.e., treating architecture as the  authoritative frame of reference in guiding and constraining IT  investments). 2. DOD Roles and Responsibilities for Business Enterprise Architecture Development and Use

In 2005, DOD reassigned responsibility for directing, overseeing, and  executing its business transformation and systems modernization efforts  to the Defense Business Systems Management Committee (DBSMC) and  the Business Transformation Agency. Maturity of Military Department Enterprise Architecture Programs Continues to Vary

Each of the military departments’ enterprise architecture programs is at  the initial stage of our maturity framework, meaning that each has not  fully satisfied all of the core elements associated with the framework’s  second stage (establishing the management foundation for developing,  maintaining, and using the architecture). Also, none have fully satisfied the  core elements associated with Stage 3 (developing the architecture), 4  (completing the architecture), and 5 (leveraging the architecture for  organizational change). As a result, none have yet to advance to a state  that can be considered fully mature and effective. Although all  departments are at Stage 1, the status of the three vary considerably. Specifically, the Air Force far exceeds the Navy, which generally exceeds  the Army, in terms of the total number of core elements that are fully  satisfied. Further, even though all three are at Stage 1, the Air Force has at  least partially satisfied all of the core elements associated with Stage 3 and  has partially satisfied all but three core elements across all stages. Moreover, the Air  Force has made important progress in maturing its EA program over the  last 2 years, while the Navy has made mixed progress, and the Army has  not made progress. The Navy has at least partially satisfied 93 percent of the elements  associated with Stages 2 and 3 and has in place many aspects of the core  elements that support these stages, which it can use to continue  establishing an effective architecture management foundation and  associated plans and products. In particular, while the Army has an EA  program office, the office does not have an approved charter. According to Air Force officials, the positive progress that it has made in  maturing its architecture program is due, in large part, to the focus,  commitment, and leadership of senior department executives, including  the Secretary of the Air Force. The Air Force has a solid foundation  on which to continue building, but the Navy and, even more so, the Army has  much to accomplish before either will have effective and mature architecture  programs. As a result, DOD, as a whole, is not as well positioned as it should be  to realize the significant benefits that a well-managed federation of architecture  programs can provide. Recommendation for Executive Action

Because we have outstanding recommendations to the Secretary of  Defense aimed at, among other things, having the Departments of the Air  Force, Navy, and Army fully satisfy each of the core elements in our  architecture framework, we are not making additional recommendations  relative to our framework at this time.
Why GAO Did This Study

In 1995, GAO designated Department of Defense (DOD) business systems modernization as a high-risk program, and the program remains on the high-risk list today. A key to successful systems modernization is having and using an enterprise architecture as an authoritative frame of reference, or blueprint, for system investment decisions. To assist DOD in modernizing its business systems, Congress passed legislation consistent with prior GAO recommendations for DOD to develop and implement a business enterprise architecture (BEA). In response, DOD developed a corporate BEA that it intends to federate, or extend, to the military departments and defense agencies. To support GAO's legislative mandate to review DOD's BEA, GAO evaluated the status of the Air Force, Navy, and Army architecture programs. To accomplish this, GAO used its Enterprise Architecture Management Maturity Framework and associated evaluation method.

What GAO Found

The enterprise architecture programs within the Departments of the Air Force, Navy, and Army have yet to advance to a level that can be considered fully mature. Specifically, all three departments are at the initial stage of GAO's architecture maturity framework. This means that they have not fully satisfied all the core elements associated with the framework's second stage (establishing the management foundation for developing, maintaining, and using the architecture) or any of the framework's higher stages: Stage 3 (developing the architecture), Stage 4 (completing the architecture), and Stage 5 (leveraging the architecture for organizational change). An organization generally needs to have achieved the fifth stage in the framework for it to have an effective architecture program because, at this stage, the management controls and structures are in place for using an approved architecture to guide and constrain system investments in a way that produces institutional results. Although each department is at Stage 1, the status of the programs vary considerably. Specifically, the Air Force far exceeds both the Navy and the Army, while the Navy generally exceeds the Army, in terms of the total percentage of core elements that are fully satisfied. Moreover, of the core elements that have not been fully satisfied by at least one of the three departments, most relate to architecture content, use, and measurement. Even though none of the departments have fully satisfied sufficient core elements to advance beyond Stage 1, the Air Force has at least partially satisfied all the core elements associated with Stages 2 and 3, as well as all but three core elements across all stages, and the Navy has at least partially satisfied all the core elements for Stage 2. In addition, the Air Force has made important progress in the last 2 years in maturing its architecture program, while the Navy's progress has been mixed, and the Army has not made any progress. Collectively, this means that DOD, as a whole, is not as well positioned as it should be to realize the significant benefits that a well-managed federation of architectures can afford its business systems modernization efforts. Individually, it means that the Air Force has a solid architectural foundation on which to continue building, while the Navy and, even more so, the Army has much to accomplish. According to Air Force officials, its progress owes largely to the architecture-related focus, commitment, and leadership of senior department executives, including the Secretary.