Letter: OSD using wrong formula to solve modernization symptoms

Regarding “GAO: DOD's modernization needs improvement”: Part of this problem is due to [Office of the Secretary of Defense's]  attempt to use architecture and assessment processes designed for weapon systems and expect them to work for the fast paced IT market. The DODAF, JCIDS and 5000.2 series have never worked for any IT program. There is not one success.

I believe GAO would better serve the interest of the taxpayer if it highlighted the root cause of failures instead of focusing on the symptoms.

There are so many management controls and oversight bodies that it consumes nearly 25 percent of a program's budget without providing any value to the deployment of the capability. The few successes in DOD are the stealth ones that bypass the OSD required processes.

SAF/XC (CIO), which has revamped their entire IT architecture and assessment methods got it right, and should be a model for the rest to follow, in spite of the bad press it is getting lately.

Anonymous


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