A report to congressional committees regarding the DoD¿s progress in implementing GAO's recommendations over the last 7 years. During this period of time, GAO issued 637 reports to DoD that included 2,726 recommendations. By law, agencies, including DoD, are required to submit written statements explaining actions taken in response to recommendations that have been made. This report contains the results of an analysis on the implementation status of the 2,726 recommendations made to DoD in reports issued during FY 2001 through 2007. Includes examples of related financial accomplishments reported for the period, based on DoD-related work. Illustrations.

Status of GAO Recommendations to the Department of Defense (Fiscal Years 2001-2007)

This report contains the results of our analysis on the implementation status of the 2,726 recommendations we made to DOD or its components in reports issued during fiscal years 2001 through 2007.

Status of GAO Recommendations to the Department of Defense (Fiscal Years 2001-2008)

From fiscal years 2001 through 2008, we issued 743 reports to DOD or its components that included 3,099 recommendations. We follow up on the implementation status of each recommendation at least annually after report issuance to determine whether DOD has instituted sufficient corrective actions. This report, which responds to this mandate, contains the results of our analysis on the implementation status of the 3,099 recommendations. The implementation status for each recommendation falls into one of three categories: recommendations that remain open, recommendations that are closed and implemented, and recommendations that are closed but not implemented. As of September 30, 2009, 841 or 27 percent of these recommendations are reported as open, 1,878 or 61 percent are closed-implemented, and 380 or 12 percent are closed-not implemented.

In recent years, congressional concern and public debate have increased about the nature and growing number of earmarks. This report seeks to provide Congress and the public with an understanding of how agencies respond to congressional funding directions by examining how selected executive branch agencies translate these directions from Congress into governmental activities. There have been numerous calls in and out of Congress for earmark reform in response to concerns about the nature and number of earmarks. Both Houses of Congress have taken steps to increase disclosure requirements. The President has also called for earmark reform. In January 2007, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed agencies to collect and submit data to it on fiscal year 2005 earmarks in appropriations bills and certain authorization bills. GAO collected and analyzed information on four agencies' processes (i.e., the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works programs). Our objectives were to identify, for these agencies, (1) their processes for identifying and categorizing congressional directives; (2) their processes for tracking, implementing, and reporting on congressional directives; and (3) agency officials' views on the trends and impact of congressional directives.