The Government Accountability Office has recommended the Defense Department to develop guidance that mandates the use of best practices when analysis of alternatives processes are performed on future military construction projects.
A GAO report published Monday says auditors found five criteria drive the DoD’s AOA process including impact on intelligence operations, bilateral and multinational intelligence collaboration, international agreements and relationships, community quality of life and the business case for consolidation.
DoD has decided to consolidate and relocate its Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex to a U.K. air force base in Croughton because of the deteriorating condition of JIAC facilities and the department’s criteria for AOA guidance.
The auditor said that DoD officials did not follow best practices when it commenced the JIAC consolidation AOA process because the department does not possess guidance that outlines such practices for military construction decisions.
GAO added that DOD’s JIAC consolidation work has partially met four characteristics that the auditor believes will help boost the quality and reliability of the AOA process including “well documented”, “comprehensive”, “unbiased” and “credible”.
DoD believes that the best practices do not apply to military construction project decision-making processes and did not agree with GAO’s recommendations.
