Defense Acquisitions: DOD's Requirements Determination Process Has Not Been Effective in Prioritizing Joint Capabilities
Abstract
The JCIDS process has not yet met its objective to identify and prioritize warfighting needs from a joint capabilities perspective. Instead, capabilities continue to be driven primarily by the individual services which sponsored 67 percent of initial capabilities proposals submitted since 2003 with little involvement from the COCOMs, which are largely responsible for planning and carrying out military operations. By continuing to rely on capability proposals that lack a joint perspective, DOD may be losing opportunities to improve joint warfighting capabilities and reduce the duplication of capabilities in some areas. In addition, proposals for new capability needs and system solutions are not systematically prioritized across capability and mission areas, and virtually all proposals that have gone through JCIDS have been validated. The JCIDS process has also proven to be lengthy, taking on average up to 10 months to validate a need. Such a protracted process further undermines the department's efforts to effectively respond to the needs of the warfighter, especially those that are near term. DOD lacks an analytic framework to prioritize capability proposals submitted by component sponsors to the JCIDS process. To date, JCIDS largely responds to proposals on a case-by-case basis, rather than assessing them from a department wide or joint perspective. Further, the functional capabilities boards (FCBs), which were established to manage the JCIDS process and facilitate the prioritization of needs, have not been staffed or resourced to effectively prioritize and address joint needs. Instead, the military services retain most of DOD's analytical capacity and resources for requirements development. DOD has recently taken steps aimed at improving the JCIDS process.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA487099
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office