	DOD Has Taken Steps to Transform Language and Regional Proficiency Capabilities, but Still Needs a Comprehensive Strategic Plan to Guide Its Efforts

The Office of the Secretary of Defense has taken a number of steps over  the past several years to transform its language and regional proficiency  capabilities, including designating Senior Language Authorities within the  Office of the Secretary of Defense, the military services, and other DOD  components; developing a governance structure; updating policies; and  publishing the Defense Language Transformation Roadmap—the primary  document that DOD has used to guide its efforts to date. Using the roadmap as guidance or a complementary document, each  military service has developed or is in the process of developing a service- specific strategy for language and regional-proficiency transformation. Our prior work has shown that for a strategic plan to be helpful, it should  contain certain key elements, such as measurable performance goals and  objectives and funding priorities that are linked to goals. DOD had also not identified the resources required to implement the  tasks in the roadmap or linked the roadmap to its funding requests. In the absence of a comprehensive strategic plan that includes measurable  performance goals and objectives, funding priorities linked to goals, and  accountability for achieving results, we concluded it would be difficult for  DOD to guide the military services as they develop and implement their  strategies, and supporting programs and activities, and also to ensure  these efforts were synchronized and consistent with departmentwide  goals. Furthermore, for both the department and Congress, the lack of a  comprehensive plan would make it difficult to develop or evaluate funding  requests, respectively, and assess progress towards achieving successful  transformation of language and regional proficiency capabilities. Therefore, we recommended that DOD develop a strategic plan with all  the key elements I have mentioned. Our latest information from DOD officials, as  of this month, is that the plan has been drafted and is undergoing final  review and approval. DOD Has Not Fully Developed the Information It Needs to Identify Gaps in Language and Regional Proficiency and Assess Risk

In addition to a comprehensive strategic plan, it is important for DOD to  have complete information on the current level of language and regional  proficiency within its forces as well as the requirements for these  capabilities. With this knowledge, the department can identify gaps and  assess risks. At the time of our June 2009 report, DOD had efforts  underway to gather inventory data and define requirements, but did not  yet have complete information. Because DOD did not have complete information on the regional  proficiency capabilities of its military and civilian workforce or a method  to evaluate proficiency levels, we concluded it could not determine  capability gaps and assess risk effectively. However,  DOD has not yet established a mechanism to assess and validate regional  proficiency skills. In June 2009, we  reported that DOD had developed a process to enable combatant  commanders, the military services, and other organizations to submit their  language and regional proficiency requirements. Without a validated methodology that was consistently applied by all  organizations, DOD did not have a reliable means to identify language and  regional proficiency requirements. DOD agreed with this recommendation, noting that it  planned to complete two assessments by November 2009 that would  identify a validated process to prioritize and refine DOD’s foreign language  and regional expertise requirements and produce a standardized  methodology to measure risk of identified gaps and shortfalls. As of June 2010, DOD officials told  us these assessments were completed and that the results were used to  develop a validated methodology for determining language and regional  proficiency requirements.
Why GAO Did This Study

Today, and in the foreseeable future, military operations require U.S. personnel to work alongside multinational partners and among local populations. The Department of Defense (DOD) has placed a greater emphasis on transforming language and regional proficiency capabilities, which includes cultural awareness. GAO's prior work has found that integrated strategic plans with measurable goals and funding priorities linked to goals can help guide organizational transformations. Decision makers also require complete information to identify capability gaps and assess risk. This testimony summarizes GAO's prior work and recommendations on DOD's efforts to develop language skills and regional proficiency and the steps DOD has taken to implement our prior recommendations. Specifically, it addresses the extent to which DOD has (1) developed a strategic plan to guide its language and regional proficiency transformation efforts and (2) obtained the information it needs to identify capability gaps and assess risk. GAO's statement is based on a June 2009 report and work conducted during May 2010 through June 2010 to update the status of GAO's recommendations.

What GAO Found

DOD has taken steps to transform its language and regional proficiency capabilities, but it has not yet developed a comprehensive strategic plan to guide its transformation efforts. DOD established Senior Language Authorities within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the military services, and other components, developed a governance structure to provide internal oversight over transformation efforts, updated policies, and published a Defense Language Transformation Roadmap with broad goals and objectives. Each military service has also developed or is currently developing strategies using the roadmap as guidance or as a complementary document. However, GAO reported in June 2009 that not all objectives within the 2005 roadmap were measurable and that DOD had not identified the resources required to implement roadmap tasks or linked the roadmap to funding requests. In the absence of a comprehensive plan, GAO concluded it would be difficult for DOD to guide the military services as they develop their strategies and related training programs, and ensure these efforts were consistent with DOD-wide goals. Furthermore, DOD and Congress would lack information needed to assess progress toward a successful transformation and evaluate funding requests. GAO recommended that DOD develop a strategic plan that includes measurable performance goals and objectives and investment priorities. DOD agreed with this recommendation and estimated that a strategic plan would be completed by September 2009. In June 2010, DOD officials informed GAO that the plan is undergoing final review and approval. DOD lacks the information needed to identify gaps in language and regional proficiency and to assess related risks. GAO reported in June 2009 that DOD had developed an inventory of its language capabilities for military personnel, but it did not yet have data on regional proficiency capabilities because DOD lacked an agreed-upon way to assess and validate these skills. GAO concluded that without complete information, DOD could not determine capability gaps and assess risk effectively and recommended that DOD establish a mechanism to assess and validate regional proficiency capabilities. DOD agreed with this recommendation. As of June 2010, DOD had not established such a mechanism. GAO also reported that DOD lacked a standardized methodology to aid DOD components in identifying language and regional proficiency requirements and, as a result, estimates of requirements varied widely. GAO concluded that without such a validated methodology, DOD would not have a reliable way to identify language and regional proficiency requirements. GAO recommended that DOD develop a validated methodology for identifying these requirements for all communities and all proficiency levels. DOD agreed, stating that it had two assessments underway intended to produce a standardized methodology. In June 2010, DOD officials told GAO that, based on the assessments, they had developed a methodology, which is being reviewed by senior DOD leaders.