Also, in 2008, Congress mandated that DOD implement a centralized,  case-level database for the collection and maintenance of information  regarding sexual assault involving a member of the armed forces. DOD Has Implemented DSAID across the Military Services and Taken Steps to Standardize Its Use and Monitor Data Quality

		DOD Has Implemented DSAID across the Military Services

As of October 2013, DOD had implemented DSAID across the military  services, and the military services were using it to track and collect data  on sexual assault cases. Data are input into DSAID through both manual and  automated data entry processes, and include, as applicable, victim and  referral support information; investigative and incident information; and  case outcome data. DOD Has Taken Steps to Standardize the Use of DSAID across the Military Services Development of Policies, Processes, and Procedures

Since 2012, DOD has taken several steps to standardize the use of  DSAID throughout the department, including the development of (1)  policies, processes, and procedures for use of the system; (2) training for  system users; and (3) processes for monitoring the completeness of data. Further, DOD has instituted formal processes to facilitate changes to  DSAID. Users Have Identified Technical Challenges with DSAID and DOD Plans to Implement Modifications to Alleviate Challenges

DSAID users have identified a variety of technical challenges with the  system and DOD officials told us they have plans to spend approximately  $8.5 million to address most of these issues in fiscal years 2017 and  2018. Some of the key technical challenges users have reported  experiencing with the system are related to DSAID’s system speed and  ease of use; interfaces with MCIO databases; utility as a case  management tool; and users’ ability to query data and generate reports. DOD has plans in place to implement modifications to DSAID that are  expected to alleviate these challenges; however, officials stated that they  will not get approval to fund these modifications until after having  conducted an analysis of alternatives in line with DOD’s acquisition policy  framework. This framework, and the GAO Cost Estimating and  Assessment Guide outline key elements that should be included in this  analysis, such as relative lifecycle costs and benefits; the methods and  rationale for quantifying the lifecycle costs and benefits; the effect and  value of cost, schedule, and performance tradeoffs; the sensitivity to  changes in assumptions; and risk factors for any proposed modifications. Conducting a comparative analysis of alternatives, including identifying  and quantifying lifecycle costs and benefits and weighing the cost,  schedule, and performance tradeoffs, is key to ensuring that DOD  appropriately manages its modifications to DSAID. In 2010, we found that  DOD had failed to demonstrate adherence to these key elements in the  initial development and implementation of DSAID. DOD projected it will have spent a total of approximately  $31.5 million as of November 2016 on implementing and maintaining  DSAID through fiscal year 2018. This is approximately $13 million more  than the revised 2012 estimate. DOD’s plan to conduct an analysis  of alternatives that adheres to the department’s acquisition framework  and adequately considers key elements identified in the GAO Cost  Estimating and Assessment Guide, as DOD officials have stated that their  analysis will do, should position DOD to more accurately assess whether  planned modifications to DSAID can be implemented within budget and  with the desired outcome. DOD’s Process for Managing Changes to DSAID Substantially Aligns with Key Elements of Industry Standards

DOD manages modifications to DSAID through its change management  process, which we found, based on our review of DOD documentation,  substantially align with the elements described in the project management  and information technology industry standards that we reviewed. Agency Comments

We are not making recommendations in this report. DOD provided technical  comments, which we incorporated as appropriate. Appendix I: Change Requests Prioritized for Implementation in Fiscal Year 2017

Table 3 describes change requests to the Defense Sexual Assault  Incident Database (DSAID) that the Department of Defense (DOD) has  prioritized for implementation in fiscal year 2017.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO has reported that DOD has not collected uniform data on sexual assaults involving members of the armed forces. In 2008, Congress required DOD to implement a centralized, case-level database for the collection and maintenance of these data. In 2012, DSAID reached initial operational capability to capture sexual assault data. House Report 112-479 included a provision for GAO to review DSAID no sooner than 1 year after it was certified compliant with DOD standards by the Secretary of Defense.
This report (1) describes the current status of DOD's implementation of DSAID and steps DOD has taken to help standardize DSAID's use, (2) assesses any technical challenges DSAID's users have identified and any DOD plans to address those challenges, and (3) assesses the extent to which DOD's change management process for modifying DSAID aligns with information technology and project management industry standards.
GAO reviewed DOD documents, and interviewed DOD program officials as well as DSAID users. Specifically, GAO conducted site visits to 9 military installations and met with 42 DSAID users. Views obtained are nongeneralizable. Installations were selected based on their use of DSAID, number of users, geographic diversity, and other factors.
GAO is not making recommendations in this report. DOD provided technical comments, which GAO incorporated as appropriate.

What GAO Found

As of October 2013, the Department of Defense's (DOD) Defense Sexual Assault Incident Database (DSAID) was fully implemented and in use across the military services, and DOD had taken several steps to standardize DSAID's use throughout the department. Sexual assault incident data are input into DSAID through both manual and automated data entry processes and include, as applicable, victim and referral support information, investigative and incident information, and case outcome data for certain incidents of sexual assault that involve a servicemember. Additionally, in some instances DSAID includes sexual assault cases involving a servicemember spouse, an adult family member, and DOD civilians and contractors. Further, DOD has taken several steps to standardize DSAID's use through the development of (1) policies, processes, and procedures for using the system; (2) training for system users; and (3) processes for monitoring the completeness of data.
DSAID users have identified technical challenges with the system and DOD officials stated that they have plans to spend approximately $8.5 million to implement modifications to DSAID that address most of these challenges in fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Some of the key technical challenges users have identified experiencing with the system relate to DSAID's system speed and ease of use; interfaces with other external DOD databases; and users' ability to query data and generate reports. DOD has plans in place to implement modifications to DSAID that are expected to alleviate these challenges; however, officials stated that they will not be approved to fund these modifications until they have conducted an analysis of alternatives that is in line with DOD's acquisition policy framework. This framework, as well as the GAO Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide , outline key elements of this analysis, such as relative lifecycle costs and benefits and the effect and value of cost and schedule, among others. Conducting an analysis of alternatives including these elements is key to ensuring that DOD appropriately manages its modifications to DSAID. In 2010, GAO found that DOD had failed to demonstrate adherence to these key elements in the initial development and implementation of DSAID, and, DOD projects it will have spent a total of approximately $31.5 million on implementing and maintaining DSAID through fiscal year 2018. This is approximately $13 million more than the 2012 estimate. DOD's plan to conduct an analysis of alternatives that adequately considers key elements should position DOD to more accurately assess whether planned modifications to DSAID can be implemented within budget and result in the desired outcome.
DOD manages modifications to DSAID through its change management process, which GAO found substantially aligns with key applicable elements established in the industry standards that GAO reviewed. Specifically, DOD has established processes for managing change requests, such as developing a process to evaluate requested changes to the database and establishing a board that approves, tracks, and controls changes to the database. DOD has also established processes for configuration management, including a process to track, communicate, and deliver changes to the database.