Defense Infrastructure - Improved Performance Measures Would Enhance Defense Reform Initiative: Nsiad-99-169 (Paperback)

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Defense Reform Initiative (DRI), focusing on: (1) the types of performance measures used to track progress toward achieving DRI program goals; (2) opportunities to add or improve on existing performance measures; and (3) performance measurement limitations. GAO noted that: (1) DRI initiatives are assessed largely through output performance measures that provide an indication of the status of implementation; (2) as the Department of Defense (DOD) continues its efforts to reform its business processes, opportunities exist to increase the emphasis on outcome measures that would help it better assess results of the initiatives individually and collectively; (3) however, credible financial and other performance data needed to establish more outcome-oriented measures are not available in some areas; and (4) the fact that DOD does not have adequate cost systems continues to impair its ability to develop reliable cost-based performance measures.