DOD Has Made Progress in Addressing GAO Recommendations, but Additional Actions Are Needed

Our January 2006 and September 2006 reports contained 14  recommendations aimed at improving DOD’s management oversight and  implementation of DTS and related travel policies. The 7 closed recommendations pertained to  premium-class travel, unused airline tickets, use of restricted airfare,  proper testing of system interfaces, and streamlining of certain travel  processes, such as the process for approving travel voucher expenses. Our  preliminary analysis of the 7 closed recommendations found that the  actions taken by the department responded to the intent of our  recommendations; however, we need to perform additional work to  validate the department’s closed status regarding these recommendations. Of the 7 open recommendations, 3 related to the adequacy of DTS’s  requirements management and system testing, 3 related to DTS  underutilization, and 1 related to developing an approach that will permit  the use of automated methods to reduce the need for hard copy receipts to  substantiate travel expenses. Requirements management and system testing. Based upon our preliminary analysis and discussions with DTMO,  PMO-DTS, and the prime contractor for the development and  implementation of DTS, we found that while DTS’s requirements  management and testing process has improved, problems still persist. The  problems were generally related to missing documentation, the limited  scope of requirements testing performed, or both. The three recommendations we made in the area  remain open. Military service officials stated that they are unable to determine  the number of legacy system vouchers that should have been processed by  DTS (total universe of travel vouchers). DOD Lacks Complete and Accurate Information About Legacy Travel Systems

A key component of DOD’s efforts to transform its travel process is the  elimination of the department’s legacy travel systems. Our preliminary work found  that the department has not yet identified and validated the number of  legacy travel systems still used by the military services and the cost of  operating them. Information provided by DTMO indicates that the military  services are still using 23 legacy travel systems. However, information  provided by the military services identified only 12 legacy travel systems— 10 of which were included on the DTMO list. However, 20 of the 23  systems on DTMO’s list were not identified in the budget. Without a valid  inventory of legacy travel systems, it is unlikely that DOD management or  the Congress—in particular, this subcommittee—will receive reliable  reports regarding when these systems are likely to be eliminated and the  continuing annual cost to operate and maintain them. Electronic Processing of Travel Vouchers Is More Cost Effective

Continued operation of legacy travel systems, particularly where DTS has  been deployed, diminishes savings available through electronic processing  of travel vouchers and related travel information. DFAS  provides only limited manual travel voucher processing for the Navy and  the Air Force. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

To determine the status of our 14 recommendations to improve the  Department of Defense’s (DOD) travel processes and Defense Travel  System (DTS) implementation, we met with representatives of the Defense  Travel Management Office (DTMO) and the Program Management Office- Defense Travel System (PMO-DTS) to obtain an understanding of actions  taken, under way, or planned by the department in response to our  recommendations. We obtained and analyzed documentation, such as  policies, procedures, and testing documentation, that supported the  actions DOD has taken. We also obtained from the  military services a listing of the legacy travel systems that will continue to  operate once the DTS is deployed to all intended locations and the  rationale for the continued operation of these systems. In addition, we  reviewed the department’s fiscal year 2009 information technology budget  request to identify the universe of legacy travel systems and their  associated operating and maintenance costs.
Why GAO Did This Study

In 1995, the Department of Defense (DOD) began an effort to implement a standard departmentwide travel system--the Defense Travel System (DTS). As part of its ongoing monitoring, GAO's April 2008 testimony before this subcommittee highlighted challenges confronted by the department in its implementation efforts. GAO's testimony today is based on its current follow-up work conducted at the request of this subcommittee, as well as the Subcommittee on Readiness. GAO's testimony today focuses on the actions DOD has taken to (1) implement previous GAO recommendations regarding implementation of DTS and related travel policies, (2) phase out legacy travel systems and their associated costs, and (3) implement electronic travel voucher processing. To address these objectives, GAO (1) analyzed specific documentation, such as test documentation, travel policies, and budget data, and (2) interviewed appropriate DOD travel personnel.

What GAO Found

GAO has made 14 recommendations aimed at improving DOD's management oversight and implementation of DTS and related travel policies to make DTS the standard departmentwide travel system. GAO considers 7 of the 14 recommendations closed and the remaining 7 recommendations as being open. The 7 closed recommendations pertained to premium-class travel, unused airline tickets, use of restricted airfare, proper testing of system interfaces, and streamlining of certain travel processes, such as the process for approving travel voucher expenses. GAO's analysis of the 7 closed recommendations found that the actions taken by the department responded to the intent of the recommendations. Of the 7 open recommendations, 3 related to the adequacy of DTS's requirements management and system testing, 3 to DTS underutilization, and 1 to developing an approach that will permit the use of automated methods to reduce the need for hard copy receipts to substantiate travel expenses. In the area of requirements management and testing, GAO found that while DTS's requirements management and testing process has improved, problems still persist. The problems were generally related to missing documentation, the limited scope of requirements testing performed, or both. In the area of DTS utilization, GAO found that the department still does not have in place the metrics to determine the number of manual travel vouchers that should have been processed through DTS. Further, DOD does not have accurate and complete information on the number of legacy travel systems that are still in use by the military services. Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) data indicates that there are 23 legacy travel systems, but military services' data identify 12--10 of which are on the DTMO list. In addition, GAO found that the department lacks visibility of the cost to operate and maintain these legacy systems. The DTMO and the military services could only provide limited cost data for each identified legacy travel system and the department's fiscal year 2009 information technology budget contained cost data for only 3 of the 23 systems on the DTMO list. According to the military services, some of the legacy systems will be needed even after DTS has been deployed to all intended locations because DTS will not include certain functionality, such as the processing of civilian permanent duty travel. Without a valid inventory of legacy travel systems, it is unlikely that DOD management or the Congress will receive reliable reports regarding when duplicative systems are likely to be eliminated and the annual savings available from avoiding the associated operating and maintenance costs. Finally, GAO found that there is a significant difference between the costs of processing a travel voucher manually and electronically. Based upon departmental data , the fee charged to process a travel voucher manually is about 15 times greater than electronic voucher processing--approximately $37 manually and $2.50 electronically. Shutting down legacy travel systems, which require manual processing, would provide cost savings to the department related to the processing of travel vouchers.