Funding Was Generally Steady for Past Decade but Decreased in Fiscal Year 2015

The National Guard counterdrug program budget data provided by DOD  show that for fiscal years 2004 through 2014 the program’s total directed  funding ranged between $219.3 million and $242.1 million–with a peak of  $247 million in fiscal year 2013–but in fiscal year 2015 was reduced  substantially. Based on  DOD data, in every year since fiscal year 2004, Congress has directed  funding above DOD’s requested amount, keeping program amounts  generally steady through 2014. Specifically, in fiscal year 2013, DOD requested $117 million  for the National Guard counterdrug program, about a 40 percent  decrease from the prior year’s request. DOD’s data show that DOD’s budget request for the  counterdrug program continued to decline from $112.1 million in fiscal  year 2014 to $89.5 million in fiscal year 2015.In fiscal year 2015  Congress directed $86 million more than DOD requested for the program,  ultimately leaving the program with a lower total funding of $175.5 million. NGB Has Performance Measures, but Does Not Use the Information Collected to Inform State-Level Programs or Oversee the Counterdrug Schools

The NGB has developed performance measures to report on its  counterdrug program; however, we found that the information collected is  not used to evaluate and inform funding for state-level programs or  oversee the counterdrug schools’ training. According to NGB officials, their current performance measures were  developed in response to DOD guidance to report on the program’s  aggregate performance to support DOD’s annual performance  summary report to ONDCP. NGB officials stated that the guidance did  not specifically require them to assess the performance of state-level  programs; therefore, they did not fully consider the types of measures  or information that would be useful to evaluate the effectiveness of  individual state-level programs and oversee the counterdrug schools. Without performance information to evaluate state-level programs and  oversee the counterdrug schools, DOD and Congress cannot ensure  that the counterdrug program achieves its desired results and uses its  resources most efficiently. Recommendation for Executive Action

To ensure that resources are being efficiently applied to meet the  National Guard counterdrug program’s objectives, we recommend  that the Secretary of Defense direct the National Guard Bureau in  consultation with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for  Counternarcotics and Global Threats to take the following two actions:  Identify additional information needed to evaluate the performance  of the state programs and oversee counterdrug schools’ training;  and
Subsequently collect and use performance information to help  inform funding distribution decisions to state programs and to  conduct oversight of the training offered by the counterdrug  schools. To assess the extent to which the performance information is used to  evaluate the counterdrug program’s activities, we reviewed  documentation and interviewed counterdrug officials about program  activities, types of performance information collected, and funding  levels for individual state counterdrug programs.
Why GAO Did This Study

Since 1989 the National Guard has received hundreds of millions of dollars to help enhance the effectiveness of state-level counterdrug efforts by providing military support to assist interagency partners with their counterdrug activities. The program funds the drug interdiction priorities of each state Governor; counterdrug-related training to interagency partners at five counterdrug schools; and state-level counterthreat finance investigations, all of which are part of DOD's broader counterdrug efforts.
Senate Report 113-176 included a provision for GAO to conduct an assessment of the state operations of the National Guard's counterdrug program. This report: (1) identifies the changes in funding for the program since fiscal year 2004, and (2) assesses the extent to which performance information is used to evaluate the program's activities. GAO analyzed the program's budgets and obligations data, performance measures, and program guidance, and interviewed knowledgeable officials.

What GAO Found

The National Guard Bureau (NGB) counterdrug program's budget data show that funding has ranged from about $219.3 million to $242.1 million in fiscal years 2004 through 2014–with a peak of $247 million in fiscal year 2013–but in fiscal year 2015 funding was reduced substantially. Based on Department of Defense (DOD) data, every year since 2004 Congress has directed funding above the requested amount, thus keeping program amounts steady through 2014. In fiscal year 2013, DOD reported requesting $117 million for the program, about a 40 percent decrease from the prior year's request. While DOD reduced its request, however, Congress in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 directed funding at generally comparable amounts from prior years. In fiscal year 2015 Congress directed less of an increase above DOD's request, leaving the program with lower total funding of $175.5 million.
The NGB has developed performance measures to report on its counterdrug program; however, the information collected is not used to evaluate and inform funding for state-level programs or oversee the counterdrug schools' training. GAO has previously reported that setting useful measures is important for oversight; without them, managers cannot monitor and evaluate the performance of programs' activities. NGB officials stated that they developed the current measures in response to DOD guidance to report on the program's aggregate performance and did not fully consider the types of measures or information that would be useful to evaluate individual state-level programs and oversee the counterdrug schools. Without collecting and using useful performance information to evaluate state-level programs and oversee the counterdrug schools, DOD and Congress cannot ensure that the counterdrug program is achieving its desired results and is distributing its funding most efficiently.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that DOD (1) identify additional information needed to evaluate the performance of state programs and oversee counterdrug schools' training; and (2) subsequently collect and use performance information to help inform funding distribution decisions to state programs and to conduct oversight of the training offered by the counterdrug schools. DOD concurred with GAO's recommendations.