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Open Recommendations

Defense Innovation Unit: Actions Needed to Assess Progress and Further Enhance Collaboration
GAO-25-106856
Feb 27, 2025
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6 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the DIU Director establishes measurable performance goals with associated metrics that have quantitative targets and time frames to ensure DIU is able to assess progress toward DIU's strategic goal. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the DIU Director collects performance information based on the metrics associated with the performance goals for DIU. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the DIU Director uses the performance information collected by its metrics to assess DIU's performance and inform DIU's future decision-making. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the DIU Director aligns NSIN's and NSIC's goals with DIU's strategic goal. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the DIU Director develops and documents a process for how it will assess DICE's progress toward meeting its short- and long-term goals to strengthen accountability of its collaboration efforts. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure the DIU Director, once DIU documents how it will evaluate DICE's progress toward its goals, assesses the effectiveness of DICE and makes changes as needed to enhance collaboration. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Shipbuilding and Repair: Navy Needs a Strategic Approach for Private Sector Industrial Base Investments
GAO-25-106286
Feb 27, 2025
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6 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that the Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) updates and implements its policies to require its Contracts Directorate to centrally collect data for shipyard investment incentives from contracting officers and its Program Management Offices' contracting officer's representatives to track and monitor its incentive efforts on an ongoing basis. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should develop performance metrics to assess the programmatic and aggregate effect of the Navy's ship industrial base investments. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Secretary of the Navy regularly coordinate on industrial base support investments, to include collecting and sharing relevant data. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should ensure that grant funding or other support efforts the Navy provides for the ship repair industrial base are informed by analysis that identifies the required infrastructure capacity needed for surface ship repair. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should develop a ship industrial base strategy that aligns with the National Defense Industrial Strategy and adheres to the desirable characteristics of a national strategy. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy should evaluate how to ensure ASN (RD&A) has the line of authority it needs to carry out its responsibilities for acquisition and sustainment, including repair, for example, by reorganizing NAVSEA's Director for Surface Ship Maintenance, Modernization and Sustainment to fall under PEO Ships' authority, and act on the results of this evaluation, as appropriate. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Laser Communications: Space Development Agency Should Create Links Between Development Phases
GAO-25-106838
Feb 26, 2025
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the Director of the Space Development Agency demonstrates the minimum viable product for laser communications capability in space in PWSA's T0 and incorporates relevant lessons learned and corrective updates before proceeding with launch decisions for satellites in T1. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should ensure that the Director of the Space Development Agency creates and documents a link between demonstrating the minimum viable product for laser communications capability in space in PWSA's T1 and incorporates relevant lessons learned and corrective updates before proceeding further with launch decisions for satellites in T2. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should direct the Director of the Space Development Agency to ensure investment in PWSA is commensurate with development progress by demonstrating the minimum viable product of laser communications in space and incorporating lessons learned and corrective updates in T1 and, to the extent practicable, T2 before proceeding with the T3 effort. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of the Air Force The Secretary of the Air Force should direct that the Director of the Space Development Agency documents and communicates PWSA's T0, T1, T2 and future tranche on-orbit test plans, including timelines and results, to relevant stakeholders. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Persistent Chemicals: DOD Needs to Provide Congress More Information on Costs Associated with Addressing PFAS [Reissued with revisions on Feb. 25, 2025]
GAO-25-107401
Feb 25, 2025
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment includes in DOD's semiannual report to Congress on costs for investigating and cleaning up PFAS or other congressional reporting mechanism: (1) additional information regarding DOD's potential total fiscal exposure related to PFAS investigation and cleanup, including cost estimates at BRAC and other sites expected to be funded by DOD appropriations, and (2) a detailed explanation and examples of how changing assumptions about key cost drivers may affect future cost estimates. This additional information could be informed by a risk and uncertainty analyses of changing key cost drivers relating to PFAS investigation and cleanup. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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