Pentagon IT: GAO Finds Major Issues
- A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlights ongoing struggles within the Department of Defense's (DoD) IT programs.
- The 2025 IT Systems Annual Assessment revealed that 14 of 24 major IT business programs reported cost or schedule changes since 2023.
- Furthermore, the report found that only 19 of the 24 programs have resulted in functional software.
The Pentagon‘s IT programs are under scrutiny again, as a new GAO report reveals persistent challenges.Despite a planned $10.9 billion investment, manny critical IT systems, essential for military ERP software and healthcare, face important cost increases and schedule delays. The findings detailed in the IT Systems Annual Assessment expose shortcomings in adhering to Agile methodologies and cybersecurity protocols, directly impacting essential functions. Only a fraction of major programs are performing as intended,wiht many failing to report performance metrics adequately. The report underscores critical issues in IT systems and software development within the DoD. While cybersecurity practices have improved, the need for enhanced oversight remains urgent. News Directory 3 provides essential updates, including this breaking report. Discover how the GAO’s recommendations might reshape the management of these vital programs. what’s next for the Pentagon’s digital infrastructure?
DoD IT Programs Face Challenges Despite Billions Spent
Updated June 12, 2025
A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlights ongoing struggles within the Department of Defense’s (DoD) IT programs. Despite a planned investment of $10.9 billion, these critical systems, including military ERP software and healthcare systems, continue to face meaningful hurdles.
The 2025 IT Systems Annual Assessment revealed that 14 of 24 major IT business programs reported cost or schedule changes since 2023. cost increases ranged from $6.1 million to $815.5 million, while delays varied from three months to four years. These issues impact essential functions like maintenance tracking and payroll.
Furthermore, the report found that only 19 of the 24 programs have resulted in functional software. Of those, a majority failed to adequately report performance metrics, hindering the Office of Management and Budget’s ability to assess their success. Only one program met all its performance targets.
adoption of Agile and iterative development practices, mandated by DoD policies, remains a challenge. The GAO found that only 11 of the 24 programs are adhering to these standards. While cybersecurity practices have improved, two programs still lack an approved cybersecurity strategy as of March 2025, and four are behind on implementing zero trust architecture by the 2027 deadline.The IT systems are critical to the success of the DoD’s major business functions, and software development is key to keeping them up to date.
“Information technology is critical to the success of dod’s major business functions. Not identifying and reporting results data on performance metrics in each category makes it harder to determine if these programs are achieving their intended goals.”
The GAO reiterated previous, unimplemented recommendations, urging the DoD to address long-standing issues. For example, a 2021 report noted the Pentagon’s failure to improve monitoring of IT acquisitions through appropriate data strategy and collection metrics, despite a planned action date of August 2024. The Pentagon’s IT programs have been on the GAO’s high risk list since 1995.
What’s next
The GAO recommends that the DoD ensure IT business programs identify and report results data on the minimum number of performance metrics. The agency also urges the DoD to revisit and implement previous recommendations to improve its IT programs.