ESC served as the Air Force’s center for  the development and acquisition of electronic command-and-control  systems. Reorganization Affected Reporting Chains and Workforce Composition, but Did Not Change Acquisition Mission at Hanscom Air Force Base

The reorganization affected the reporting chains of command and the  workforce composition for some offices, but did not change the  acquisition mission at Hanscom Air Force Base. 2). Specifically, functional office  personnel at Hanscom Air Force Base—who provide technical services  such as acquisition, engineering, financial management, and  contracting—previously were managed by locally-based ESC leadership. Under the reorganization, they report directly to senior functional  managers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In addition to its effects on the reporting chains of command, the  reorganization also affected the composition of Hanscom’s workforce by  eliminating about 10 percent of its civilian authorizations.the reorganization eliminated 131 of Hanscom’s 1,258 civilian  authorizations that were comprised exclusively of government positions  and did not include contractor positions, according to a Hanscom  contracting official. 3). Officials Identified Opportunities and Concerns Resulting from the Reorganization at Hanscom Air Force Base

The reorganization resulted in opportunities and some concerns at  Hanscom Air Force Base, and AFLCMC has taken steps to facilitate its  implementation. Opportunities at Hanscom Air Force Base from the Reorganization

Officials at Hanscom Air Force Base and Wright-Patterson Air Force  Base, as well as Hanscom customers and contractors, stated that the  reorganization resulted in opportunities to help strengthen the delivery of  products to customers. These opportunities include increased focus on  life-cycle management of weapon systems by PEOs, an increase in  collaboration of personnel within the restructured AFLCMC, and greater  standardization of processes. Increased collaboration within the command. These  concerns related to: increased workload for functional office personnel at  Hanscom Air Force Base due to position eliminations there, process  delays resulting from centralization of various administrative processes  and actions at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, officials at Wright- Patterson Air Force Base not having a full understanding of Hanscom’s  programs, and possible future diminished importance of Hanscom Air  Force Base as the center of electronic systems for the Air Force. Lack of full understanding of Hanscom’s programs. In addressing the limited understanding of  Hanscom’s electronic systems programs by Wright-Patterson Air  Force Base personnel, AFMC and AFLCMC officials stated senior  functional managers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base do not  require specific expertise in electronic systems because the  processes, such as personnel and financial management, apply  across systems and programs. Effects of the Reorganization Are Not Yet Known, and AFLCMC Has Developed Metrics to Measure How It Is Meeting Customers’ Needs

The effects of the reorganization on Hanscom’s core mission of delivering  electronic systems to customers are not yet fully known, and AFLCMC  has developed metrics to measure how it is meeting customers’ needs. Effects of the Reorganization Are Not Yet Known

The effects of the reorganization on Hanscom’s core mission of delivering  electronic systems to customers are not yet known, as it is too early to  assess changes resulting from the reorganization; also multiple factors  unrelated to the reorganization may affect mission implementation. Another change involved the reduction in the level of  contractor support at Hanscom Air Force Base, which was driven by  multiple initiatives, unrelated to AFMC’s reorganization, such as the Office  of the Secretary of Defense Comptroller’s Resource Management  Decision 802. These metrics  are designed to measure how AFLCMC is meeting customer needs,  rather than the effects of the reorganization itself. Table 1 shows  the objectives and what the related metrics are intended to measure. AFLCMC senior officials said AFLCMC began data collection for the new  metrics in February 2013, with measures to be continuously tracked by  individual offices and aggregated monthly at the AFLCMC level. The  department provided technical comments, which we incorporated as  appropriate. Appendix II: AFLCMC’s Objectives and Associated Metrics

In examining the extent to which the Air Force Life Cycle Management  Center (AFLCMC) developed metrics to measure how well it is meeting  the needs of the customer, we obtained the objectives and the associated  metrics developed by AFLCMC.
Why GAO Did This Study

Electronic command and control systems, which rely on technologies such as radar, satellite, and electronic surveillance, play a critical role in modern-day defense strategy. ESC at Hanscom Air Force Base supported the Air Force's ability to develop and acquire these capabilities. It was inactivated in July 2012 as part of an effort to respond to an initiative by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to reduce civilian positions to fiscal year 2010 levels. The reorganization consolidated ESC into AFLCMC at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which manages weapon systems from inception to retirement. Congress directed GAO to assess the effect of the reorganization on Hanscom's mission. This report examines (1) how the reorganization affected reporting chains of command, workforce composition, and the acquisition mission at Hanscom Air Force Base, (2) opportunities and concerns resulting from the reorganization at Hanscom, and (3) what is known about the effects of the reorganization and what metrics have been developed to assess how the new organization is meeting customers' needs. GAO evaluated relevant documentation; reviewed data on eliminated positions; and interviewed Air Force officials, selected contractors based on size and proximity to Hanscom Air Force Base, and Hanscom's primary customers. Results from these interviews cannot be generalized but offer stakeholders' perspectives on the reorganization.

What GAO Found

The reorganization of the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) affected reporting chains of command and workforce composition for some offices at Hanscom Air Force Base, but did not change how former components of the Electronic Systems Center (ESC) at Hanscom carry out their acquisition mission. Personnel in functional offices who provide technical services previously reported to the locally-based ESC leadership; they now report directly to senior functional managers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, who oversee functional offices across all locations of the new Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) established by the reorganization. In addition, the reorganization eliminated 131 functional office positions (about 10 percent of Hanscom's civilian positions), which AFMC determined were not directly involved with development, delivery, or sustainment of weapon systems. GAO's analysis of Hanscom's data showed that the eliminated positions included 13 which were unfilled; of personnel in the remaining 118 positions, 15 accepted voluntary-separation agreements, 102 were reassigned at Hanscom Air Force Base, and 1 was removed. The reorganization did not change the mission of directorates that deliver electronic capabilities to customers.
Various opportunities and concerns at Hanscom Air Force Base resulted from the reorganization. According to officials at Hanscom and Wright-Patterson Air Force Bases, customers, and contractors, the opportunities include increased focus on life-cycle management of electronic systems, increased collaboration within the command, and greater standardization of processes. Hanscom Air Force Base officials and contractors identified some concerns related to increased workload for functional office personnel due to position eliminations, process delays, the lack of full understanding of Hanscom's programs by AFLCMC officials, and whether Hanscom Air Force Base will continue as the center of electronic systems for the Air Force. However, AFMC and AFLCMC senior officials generally did not see these concerns as significant problems. For example, they stated that AFLCMC's senior functional managers do not require in-depth technical knowledge of Hanscom's programs because the functions, such as financial management, apply across programs. AFLCMC's steps to facilitate the reorganization include establishing a governance structure and communicating with stakeholders.
The effects of the reorganization on Hanscom's core mission of delivering electronic systems to customers are not yet fully known, but AFLCMC has developed metrics to measure how well it is meeting customer needs. Officials stated the changes went into effect only recently and multiple factors unrelated to the reorganization, such as budget changes, may affect the mission. However, AFLCMC developed organizational objectives and associated metrics in areas such as delivering cost-effective acquisition solutions and providing affordable and effective product support. The metrics, while not designed to measure the effects of the reorganization, are intended to measure how AFLCMC is meeting customers' needs. The data for the metrics will be collected by individual offices and aggregated monthly at the AFLCMC level, according to its senior officials.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is not making recommendations in this report. DOD provided technical comments, which GAO incorporated as appropriate.