	What Corrective Actions Has DOD Taken to Improve Its Readiness Assessment System? This automated system, which functions as the central listing for more than 9,000 military units, is the foundation of DOD’s unit readiness assessment process and is a primary source of information used for reviews at the joint and strategic levels. For example, prior reviews by our office and others have found:
SORTS represents a snapshot in time and does not signal impending changes in readiness. They, however, will not address some of the inherent limitations to the system. Another step DOD has taken to improve its readiness assessment capability is to institute a process known as the Joint Monthly Readiness Review. Do Military Readiness Reports Provided to Congress Effectively Support Congressional Oversight? DOD bases its quarterly reports on briefings to the Senior Readiness Oversight Council. 482 because they lacked the specific detail on deficiencies and planned remedial actions needed for congressional oversight. Last month, DOD provided Congress with an implementation plan for meeting the expanded reporting requirements for the quarterly report. Lastly, the plan does not present a clear picture of how the additional indicators will be incorporated into the quarterly report. Are Further Improvements to DOD’s Reporting Process Needed? Mr. Chairman, there are two areas where we think DOD has an opportunity to take further actions to improve its readiness reporting. 482 by providing (1) supporting data on key readiness deficiencies and (2) specific information on planned remedial actions in its quarterly readiness reports. Adding more specific detail should enhance the effectiveness of the reports as a congressional oversight tool. The second area where DOD can improve its readiness reporting concerns DOD’s plan to include additional readiness indicators in the quarterly report. Additional Readiness Indicators to Be Included in the Quarterly Readiness Report to Congress

The following are the additional indicators the Department of Defense is required, under 10 U.S.C. 482, to include in its quarterly reports to Congress beginning in October 1998. 2. 4. 5. 7. Training

8. Training unit readiness and proficiency. 11.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO discussed the Department of Defense's (DOD) process for assessing and reporting on military readiness, focusing on: (1) what corrective action DOD has taken to improve its readiness assessment system; (2) whether military readiness reports provided quarterly to Congress effectively support congressional oversight; and (3) whether further improvements are needed to DOD's process.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) over the last few years, DOD has taken action to improve readiness assessment; (2) DOD has made technical enhancements to the Status of Resources and Training System (SORTS)--the automated system it uses to assess readiness at the unit level; (3) DOD also has established two forums--the Joint Monthly Readiness Review and the Senior Readiness Oversight Council--for evaluating readiness from a joint and strategic perspective; (4) however, SORTS remains the basic building block for readiness assessment, and inherent limitations to this system, such as its inability to signal impending changes in readiness and its imprecise ratings for unit resources and training, may be reflected in reviews at the joint and strategic levels; (5) DOD's quarterly reports to Congress, which are based on information provided to the Senior Readiness Oversight Council, provide only a vague description of readiness deficiencies and planned remedial actions; consequently, in their present form they are not as effective as they could be as a congressional oversight tool; (6) DOD is required to expand on these reports beginning in October 1998 by adding indicators mandated by Congress; (7) GAO has concerns about DOD's current plans for implementing this expanded reporting requirement; (8) for example, current plans do not present a clear picture of how the additional readiness will be incorporated into the quarterly report; (9) GAO's work has identified two areas in which DOD can improve its readiness reporting to Congress; (10) DOD should provide more specific descriptions and supporting information for the key readiness deficiencies and planned remedial actions identified in its quarterly report; and (11) DOD can make improvements to its current plans for adding readiness indicators to the quarterly report.