DOD Has Not Fully Established a Comprehensive Management Approach to Guide Joint Seabasing and Integrate Service Initiatives

Although DOD has taken action to begin the development of joint  seabasing, DOD has not fully established a comprehensive management  approach to effectively guide and assess joint seabasing as an option for  projecting and sustaining forces in an antiaccess environment and  integrate service initiatives. Specifically, DOD has not fully incorporated  sound management practices—such as providing leadership, dedicating an  implementation team, and establishing a communications strategy—that  our prior work has shown are found at the center of successful  transformations. Without a management approach that  contains these elements, DOD may be unable to guide and assess joint  seabasing in an efficient and cost-effective manner. DOD Has Not Developed a Joint Experimentation Campaign Plan to Inform Decisions About Joint Seabasing

DOD has not developed, implemented, or used an overarching joint  experimentation campaign plan to inform decisions about joint seabasing. Many seabasing experimentation activities have  taken place across DOD and the services; however, an overarching  experimentation campaign plan to coordinate and guide joint seabasing  experimentation does not exist because the U.S. Joint Forces Command— DOD’s leader of joint warfighting experimentation—has not taken the lead  in coordinating joint seabasing experimentation efforts. All of the services,  combatant commands, and some defense entities have been involved with  seabasing experimentation through war games, studies, workshops,  modeling and simulation, and live demonstrations. While the  U.S. Joint Forces Command said it is in the process of developing the plan,  it is unclear the extent to which this plan will address joint seabasing. Once the U.S. Joint Forces Command develops and implements the plan,  which it intends to do by fiscal year 2008, it is also unclear the extent to  which this plan will be able to guide and coordinate joint seabasing  experimentation efforts because the U.S. Joint Forces Command does not  have the authority to direct service and other DOD organizations’  experimentation plans. Timeframe for Completing Joint Seabasing Total Ownership Cost Estimates is Uncertain

While some service acquisitions tied to seabasing are approaching  milestones for investment decisions, it is unclear when DOD will complete  development of total ownership cost estimates for a range of joint  seabasing options. Until  total ownership cost estimates for joint seabasing options are developed  and made transparent to DOD and Congress, decision makers will not be  able to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of individual service initiatives. One part of the JCIDS  analysis process is the Functional Solutions Analysis—an operationally  based assessment of all potential approaches, including changes to  doctrine, organization, training, as well as material solutions, to solve  identified capability gaps. According to DOD officials, cost  assessments for joint seabasing approaches have not yet begun and may  not be completed for a year or more. Without a campaign plan to direct experimentation for joint  seabasing, DOD and the services’ ability to evaluate and validate their  solutions, coordinate efforts, perform analysis, and disseminate results  could be compromised. Furthermore,  establishing a joint seabasing capability could be the source of significant  investment by DOD. Recommendations for Executive Action

To assist decision makers in developing a comprehensive management  approach to guide and assess joint seabasing as an option for force  projection and sustainment in an antiaccess environment and integrate  service initiatives, we recommend that the Secretary of Defense take the  following actions to incorporate sound management principles into DOD’s  management of joint seabasing:   assign clear leadership and accountability for developing a joint  seabasing capability and coordinating supporting initiatives;    establish an overarching, dedicated implementation team to provide  day-to-day management oversight over the services, combatant  commands, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and others involved in joint  seabasing; and    develop and implement a communications strategy to ensure  communication between and among the services, combatant  commands, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of  Staff, and to provide information on all joint seabasing activities across  DOD. DOD has not provided sufficient  leadership to ensure these initiatives are fully leveraged, properly focused,  and complement each other.
Why GAO Did This Study

Joint seabasing is one of several evolving concepts for projecting and sustaining forces without relying on immediate access to nearby land bases and could be the source of billions of dollars of investment. In future security environments, the Department of Defense (DOD) expects to encounter situations of reduced or denied access to areas of operation. Even where forward operating bases are otherwise available, their use may be politically undesirable or operationally restricted. GAO was asked to address the extent to which (1) DOD has employed a comprehensive management approach to joint seabasing, (2) DOD has developed a joint experimentation campaign plan for joint seabasing, and (3) DOD and the services have identified the costs of joint seabasing options. For this review, GAO analyzed joint requirements documents, experimentation efforts, and service acquisition plans.

What GAO Found

While DOD has taken action to establish a joint seabasing capability, it has not developed a comprehensive management approach to guide and assess joint seabasing. GAO's prior work showed that sound management practices for developing capabilities include involving top leadership, dedicating an implementation team, and establishing a communications strategy. DOD is developing a joint seabasing concept and various DOD organizations are sponsoring seabasing initiatives. However, DOD has not provided sufficient leadership to guide joint seabasing development and service initiatives are outpacing DOD's analysis of joint requirements. DOD also has not established an implementation team to provide day-to-day management to ensure joint seabasing receives the focused attention needed so that efforts are effective and coordinated. Also, DOD has not fully developed a communications strategy that shares information among the organizations involved in seabasing. Without a comprehensive management approach containing these elements, DOD may be unable to coordinate activities and minimize redundancy among service initiatives. DOD has not developed a joint experimentation campaign plan, although many seabasing experimentation activities--including war games, modeling and simulation, and live demonstrations--have taken place across the services, combatant commands, and other defense entities. No overarching joint seabasing experimentation plan exists to guide these efforts because the U.S. Joint Forces Command has not taken the lead in coordinating joint seabasing experimentation, although it has been tasked with developing a biennial joint experimentation campaign plan for future joint concepts. While the U.S. Joint Forces Command is in the process of developing the plan, it is unclear the extent to which this plan will address joint seabasing or will be able to guide joint seabasing experimentation efforts. Without a plan to direct experimentation, DOD and the services' ability to evaluate solutions, coordinate efforts, and disseminate results could be compromised. While service development efforts tied to seabasing are approaching milestones for investment decisions, it is unclear when DOD will complete development of total ownership cost estimates for a range of joint seabasing options. Joint seabasing is going through a capabilities-based assessment process that is intended to produce preliminary cost estimates for seabasing options. However, DOD has not yet begun the specific study that will identify potential approaches, including changes to doctrine and training as well as material solutions, and produce preliminary cost estimates. DOD officials expect the study will not be complete for a year or more. Meanwhile, the services are actively pursuing a variety of seabasing initiatives, some of which are approaching milestones which will guide future program investments. Until total ownership cost estimates for joint seabasing options are developed and made transparent to DOD and Congress, decision makers will not be able to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of individual service initiatives.