Audit finds flaws in Pentagon’s 2019 digital modernization strategy
The DOD CIO's 2019 digital modernization strategy contained objectives that were not “specific, verifiable and measurable," according to a new audit from the Pentagon Inspector General.
BY
MIKAYLA EASLEY
JULY 17, 2024
The Defense Department’s flagship digital modernization strategy included strategic goals that were not always “specific, verifiable and measurable,” potentially leading to performance gaps or changes in mission needs, according to a new audit from the Pentagon’s Inspector General.
At the same time, leadership and personnel turnover at the DOD Chief Information Office prohibited officials from conducting annual reviews of the strategy’s implementation, the probe found.
Released in 2019, the Pentagon’s first-ever digital modernization strategy (DMS) looked to increase technological capabilities across the department and improve overall adoption of modern systems in response to emerging threats and new tools. The strategy included four strategic initiatives — innovation for advantage, optimization, resilient cybersecurity and cultivation of talent — with accompanying objectives and tasks, known as “strategy elements,” as well as a roadmap for implementation through fiscal 2023.
But an audit from the Pentagon Inspector General’s office, published July 9, found that 54 of the 131 strategy elements were not “specific, verifiable and measurable” in accordance with requirements from the Office of Management and Budget, therefore preventing the DOD CIO from effectively monitoring progress towards goals outlined in the strategy.
https://defensescoop.com/2024/07/17/audit-finds-flaws-pentagon-2019-digital-modernization-strategy/
