Building Partner Capacity: Actions Needed to Strengthen DOD Efforts to Assess the Performance of the Regional Centers for Security Studies
Released: 2013-06-28T00:00:00


Highlights: section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: DOD has emphasized innovative and low-cost approaches to build the defense capacity of foreign partners, and it uses its five Regional Centers to administer programs to foster partnerships and deepen foreign officials' understanding of U.S. objectives. The conference report accompanying the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 112-705) mandated GAO to conduct a study of the Regional Centers. GAO's report (1) describes how the Regional Centers' activities compare with those of other DOD training and education organizations, and (2) evaluates the extent to which DOD has developed and implemented an approach to oversee and assess the Regional Centers' progress in achieving DOD priorities. This report also provides information on the process used to approve Regional Center requests to waive reimbursement of the costs for nongovernmental and international organizations that participate in the Regional Centers' activities. GAO reviewed public law and departmental directives and conducted an analysis comparing aspects of the Regional Centers with other selected DOD training and education institutions.

section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: The Department of Defense's (DOD) five Regional Centers for Security Studies (Regional Centers) share similarities and differences with other DOD institutions that provide training and education, including professional military education, advanced degree-conferring, and professional development institutions, in terms of curriculum topics, targeted audience, and program format. GAO found that they all offer training and educational programs and activities to help participants understand security and military matters and to enhance their knowledge, skills, and experiences in these matters. However, there are notable differences in that the Regional Centers generally focus on helping foreign participants understand and respond to regional security issues; generally target a foreign civilian and military personnel audience; and offer shorter and typically less formal courses of study. The Regional Centers support DOD policy objectives with curricula designed to enhance security and foster partnerships through education and exchanges. By contrast, other DOD training and education organizations focus their curricula on military operations and leadership. While the Regional Centers' target audience is foreign civilian and military officials, the other DOD educational organizations typically aim their programs and activities at U.S. servicemembers at all career levels. Regional Center participants generally do not earn credit toward a degree, and the offered courses, conferences, and workshops are of shorter duration ranging from days to weeks. DOD's professional military education and advanced degree-conferring institutions are accredited and generally offer longer, more formal courses that provide participants the opportunity to earn advanced degrees.

DOD has taken some steps to enhance its oversight of the Regional Centers' plans and activities, but its ability to determine whether the Regional Centers are achieving departmental priorities remains limited because it has not developed an approach for assessing progress. DOD has defined roles and responsibilities, issued relevant guidance that reflects departmental objectives, and established a governance body and planning process to facilitate information sharing and to achieve more integrated decision making. However, DOD has not developed an approach that includes measurable goals and objectives, metrics for assessing performance, or a methodology to assess the Regional Centers' progress in achieving DOD priorities, to include clarifying how it will use performance data provided by the Regional Centers. GAO's prior work has found that achieving results in government requires a comprehensive oversight framework that includes clear goals, measurable objectives, and metrics for assessing progress, consistent with the framework established in the Government Performance and Results Act. The Regional Centers report various types of performance data, such as summaries of past activities. While DOD has established a governance body to assist in monitoring the Regional Centers' plans and activities, the body has not identified how it will use performance information to assess the Regional Centers' progress toward achieving department priorities. Conducting routine assessments using measurable goals and objectives, with metrics to evaluate progress, and a methodology for using performance information to include defining the role of the governance body would provide DOD a sounder basis for assessing the Regional Centers' progress in achieving results, and for better determining the allocation of resources.

section_title: What GAO Recommends
paragraphs: GAO recommends that DOD develop measurable goals linked to key programming priorities for the Regional Centers, metrics for assessing performance against these goals, and a methodology to assess the Regional Centers' progress in achieving DOD priorities. DOD generally agreed with the recommendations.

or Charles Michael Johnson, Jr. at (202) 512-7331 or johnsoncm@gao.gov .

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: In recent years, the Department of Defense (DOD) has emphasized  security cooperation approaches to build the defense capacity of foreign  partners and advance the U.S. objective of international peace and  cooperation. For example, strategic guidance issued by the Secretary of  Defense in January 2012 highlighted the importance of enhancing the  defense capacity of foreign partners in order to share the costs and  responsibilities of global leadership. Termed “building partner capacity,”  this approach, according to DOD officials, represents the way to reduced  long-term U.S. presence while protecting the territory of other nations.  The strategic guidance stated that a fiscally constrained environment will  require innovative, low-cost, and small-footprint activities toward building  partner capacity. These activities include training, educating, and  assisting foreign countries’ civilian and military personnel in becoming  more proficient at defense-related decision making, providing security to  their populations, and protecting their resources and territories.

As part of the department’s efforts to build partner capacity, DOD relies  on its Regional Centers for Security Studies (Regional Centers) to  coordinate with the geographic combatant commands in developing  training and educational programs around the globe to enhance security,  deepen foreign officials’ understanding of the United States, and foster  bilateral and multilateral partnerships. In addition to the Regional Centers,  DOD and the Department of State (State) offer other programs and  activities to provide training and education to foreign military and civilian  personnel. These include, among other programs and activities, officer  exchange programs, educational opportunities at U.S. professional  military schools, and programs designed to assist foreign nations with  building more effective defense institutions. In fiscal year 2012, the  Regional Centers obligated approximately $101.4 million. Subject to  certain requirements, the Regional Centers are permitted to use a portion  of these funds to waive the reimbursement of the costs for foreign officials  and other personnel, such as representatives of nongovernmental and  international organizations, to participate in the Regional Centers’  programs and activities.

In our prior work we have identified challenges that DOD faces in  managing its initiatives to build the defense capacity of foreign partners,  as well as key practices that could provide opportunities for DOD to more  effectively manage these efforts. Specifically, we have found instances in  which DOD had not consistently defined measures to evaluate progress,  and in which reporting on the progress and effectiveness of some  defense capacity-building activities had been limited. For example, in  2012 we reported that because the National Guard’s State Partnership  Program did not have agreed-upon goals or metrics, DOD could not  assess progress toward achieving program goals. Our work has  emphasized how, among other things, setting clear goals can help  stakeholders understand what defense capacity-building programs seek  to accomplish, and how establishing mechanisms to evaluate progress  can help ensure that programs have long-term impact. A list of our  related work that identifies challenges DOD has faced in its efforts to build  the defense capacity of partners can be found at the end of the report.

The conference report accompanying the National Defense Authorization  Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Pub. L. No. 112-239) mandated us to conduct a  study of DOD’s Regional Centers. In this report, we (1) describe how the  Regional Centers’ activities compare with those of other DOD training and  education organizations, and (2) evaluate the extent to which DOD has  developed and implemented an approach to oversee and assess the  Regional Centers’ progress in achieving DOD priorities. In addition, we  are providing information about the process used by DOD and State for  approving and monitoring Regional Center requests to waive  reimbursement of the costs for nongovernmental and international  organizations that participate in the Regional Centers’ activities.

Department of Defense and Department of State, Foreign Military Training, Fiscal Years  2010 and 2011, Joint Report to Congress (Washington, D.C.:  n.d.). progress in achieving DOD priorities we examined DOD guidance as  well as DOD annual reports, Regional Center program and budget plans,  and other documentation, and we referred to the Government  Performance and Results Act (GPRA) as amended by the GPRA  Modernization Act of 2010 and our prior work that identifies elements  that constitute a comprehensive oversight framework. We also  interviewed officials from OUSD Policy, from DSCA, and from the  Regional Centers to obtain their perspectives on the processes used to  oversee the Regional Centers’ programs and activities and to assess their  performance in achieving DOD priorities.

To identify the process used by DOD and State to approve and monitor  Regional Center requests to waive reimbursement of costs for  nongovernmental and international organizations that participate in the  Regional Centers’ activities, we reviewed DSCA guidance identifying the  procedures for submitting requests and the criteria applied to  consideration of waivers for nongovernmental and international  organizations. We discussed the process with DSCA and State officials  and obtained information on the waivers requested, as well as the  amounts waived, between fiscal years 2009 and 2012.

We conducted this performance audit from August 2012 to June 2013 in  accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain  sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our  findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that  the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and  conclusions based on our audit objectives. A more detailed description of  our scope and methodology is included in appendix I.
subsections: section_title: Background
subsections: section_title: DOD’s Emphasis on Initiatives to Build the Defense Capacity of Partner Nations
paragraphs: According to the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review Report, a component  of DOD’s strategy to prevent and deter conflict is to help build the  capacity of partners to maintain and promote stability, and such an  approach requires working closely with U.S. allies and partner nations to  leverage existing alliances and create conditions to advance common  interests. Such “building partner capacity initiatives” comprise a broad  range of security cooperation and security assistance activities.

Security cooperation is the broad term used by DOD for those activities  taken to build relationships that promote specified U.S. interests, build  partner nation capabilities for self-defense and coalition operations, and  provide U.S. forces with access both in peacetime and during  contingencies. These activities are carried out under various statutory  authorities. For example, DOD may conduct activities with partner  nations, such as sending out military liaison teams, exchanging military  personnel between units, or conducting seminars and conferences in  theaters of operations under Title 10 U.S. Code. DOD also conducts  security cooperation activities through security assistance programs  authorized by Title 22 U.S. Code. These Title 22 programs are a part of  U.S. efforts to provide foreign assistance through military assistance and  sales.

section_title: DOD Regional Centers’ Mission
paragraphs: The five Regional Centers for Security Studies (Regional Centers)  support DOD’s objective to build the defense capacity of partner nations.  The Regional Centers’ activities include education, exchanges, research,  and information sharing. The Regional Centers conduct in-residence  courses, in-country seminars, and conferences, among other activities,  that address global and regional security challenges such as terrorism  and maritime security. DOD policy states that a core Regional Center  mission is to assist military and civilian leaders in the region in developing  strong defense establishments and strengthening civil-military relations in  a democratic society.coordinate with the department’s geographic combatant commands in  developing and implementing activities for their region. Table 1 lists the  five Regional Centers, the year in which each was established, their  locations, and their corresponding geographic combatant commands.

section_title: Regional Centers’ Programs and Activities Share Some Similarities with Those Offered by Other DOD Organizations, but There Are Notable Differences
paragraphs: DOD provides training and education opportunities to U.S. and foreign  participants by means of various institutions, among which are the five  Regional Centers; professional military education and degree-conferring  institutions; and professional development institutions. For our review, we  analyzed training and educational programs and activities administered  by 17 selected DOD institutions, and compared them with those  administered by the Regional Centers for the following three attributes:  curriculum topics, targeted audience, and program format. (See appendix  I for a full list of institutions in our review.) The main similarities and  differences we observed in comparing them are described below.
subsections: section_title: DOD Organizations Administer Various Types of Training and Educational Programs and Activities
paragraphs: DOD provides U.S. and foreign participants with a variety of training and  educational programs and activities through its five Regional Centers, its  professional military education and advanced degree-conferring  institutions, and its professional development institutions. For example,  the Regional Centers, in accordance with DOD Directive 5200.41, support  departmental policy objectives with activities designed to enhance  security, foster partnerships, improve national security decision making,  and strengthen civil-military relationships through education, exchanges,  research, and information sharing. Professional military education and  advanced degree-conferring institutions aim to develop U.S. military  personnel (enlisted and officer) with expertise and knowledge appropriate  to their grade, branch, and military professional specialty. Examples of  professional military education and advanced degree-conferring  institutions include the National Defense University and the Naval  Postgraduate School, respectively. DOD also administers training and  educational programs and activities to U.S. and foreign participants  through various professional development institutions for the purpose of  providing developmental opportunities and enhancing their mission- related knowledge, skills, and experience. Examples of DOD’s  professional development institutions include the Defense Acquisition  University and the Center for Civil-Military Relations.

section_title: Regional Centers’ Programs and Activities Share Similarities and Differences with Those Offered by Other DOD Institutions
paragraphs: Programs and activities administered by the Regional Centers and other  DOD professional military education and advanced degree-conferring  institutions as well as professional development institutions have similar  features in that they all offer curriculum topics intended to help participants enhance  knowledge and skills on security and military matters;  target members of the military; and  feature program formats that include in-residence courses; seminars,  conferences, workshops; distance learning; and in-country instruction.

However, some differences exist among the Regional Centers and the  other programs administered by DOD organizations. Specifically:

Regional Centers focus on bringing participants together for courses  intended to foster understanding of regional security challenges and  to strengthen the professional skills needed to develop effective  strategies. In contrast, professional military education institutions  generally focus on military operations and leadership; and advanced  degree-conferring institutions and professional development  institutions generally focus on professional knowledge, skills, and  experiences.

The Regional Centers’ audience is generally civilian and military  officials from other countries. In contrast, professional military  education institutions and advanced degree-conferring institutions  target U.S. military officials.

The Regional Centers’ program format is generally shorter than an  academic year, and its completion does not count toward an  academic degree. In contrast, professional military education  institutions and advanced degree-conferring institutions offer degree  and certificate programs that can take over a year to complete.

Table 2 summarizes a comparison of programs and activities  administered by DOD’s Regional Centers, professional military education  and advanced degree-conferring institutions, and professional  development institutions, in terms of curriculum topics, targeted audience,  and program format. The checkmarks in the table indicate that we found  the attribute is generally descriptive of the category, as we found  exceptions to the attribute in some cases.

To further elaborate on the information in table 2, the following  paragraphs describe similarities and differences for each of the attributes  we reviewed.

We found that the Regional Centers, professional military education and  advanced degree-conferring institutions, and professional development  institutions are similar in that they all offer programs and activities to help  a participant understand security and military matters and to enhance his  or her knowledge and skills.

The Regional Centers focus their programs and activities on addressing  OUSD Policy and geographic combatant command priorities and bringing  participants together to understand regional security challenges and to  develop cooperative strategies to address them. For example, the Asia- Pacific Center for Security Studies administers a Comprehensive Security  Responses to Terrorism course designed to broaden knowledge and  improve skills in assessing terrorism threats in the Asia-Pacific region and  to develop a community of professionals to collaborate on regional and  global issues. Another example is the Africa Center’s African Executive  Dialogue, which brings together African and U.S. senior officials to  discuss how African countries can work together and with external  stakeholders on Africa’s key security challenges. A further example is the  Marshall Center’s Seminar on Trans-Atlantic Civil Security, which is  designed to improve the homeland defense capacity and skills, across the  whole of government, needed to prevent and respond to natural or man- made disasters or terrorist attacks.

Moreover, each of the Regional Centers devotes significant programmatic  effort to establishing, developing, and sustaining alumni networks. For  example, officials at the Asia-Pacific Center told us that they track the  progress of and provide support for the establishment of alumni chapters  in Asia-Pacific countries, as well as helping to coordinate alumni events  sponsored by these chapters. According to its program plan for fiscal year  2013, the Near East South Asia Center plans to conduct 10 alumni events  in the region to promote continual engagement with and among  participants who have attended the center’s core programs and promote  collaboration on current regional security issues.

In contrast, professional military education institutions’ programs and  activities focus on instructing U.S. servicemembers in military operations  and leadership in support of the U.S. national security strategy. For  example, the National Defense University administers a Combating  Terrorism Strategies and Policies course in which students examine the  ongoing challenge to U.S. national security posed by the threat of  international terrorism and the ways in which the United States is  attempting to prevent future terror attacks. The advanced degree- conferring institutions focus on instructing U.S. military professionals on  security-related knowledge and skills, such as operations research,  logistics, and information system management. For example, the Naval  Postgraduate School administers an Applied Mathematics Course in  which students learn advanced mathematical techniques applicable to  game theory and network design. The professional development  institutions address professional security-related knowledge, skills, and  experiences, such as consequence management, law enforcement, and  decision making. For example, the Defense Acquisition University  administers a variety of training courses that members of the defense  acquisition workforce can use toward certification in various acquisition  fields, such as systems acquisition, cost analysis, and contracting. In  another example, the Defense Institute for Medical Operations  administers an Emergency Management Strategies for Senior Leaders  course to review and exercise executive-level principles for emergency  management, disaster planning, and corrective action plan  implementation.

In terms of target audience, we found that the Regional Centers,  professional military education and advanced degree-conferring  institutions, and professional development institutions are similar in that  all of them include institutions that target programs and activities to  members of the military.

We found that the Regional Centers are distinct in that participants in their  programs and activities are generally from other countries, either civilians  or members of the military. In 2012, 82 percent of the participants at the  five Regional Centers were civilians or members of the military from other  countries. According to officials and participants with whom we spoke, the  preponderance of foreign participants provide U.S. participants with the  unique experience of being in the minority during the discussion of U.S.  security policy decisions and their impacts around the world. Further,  officials stated that the Regional Centers intentionally invite executive- level civilian officials as well as representatives from nongovernmental  organizations, international organizations, and the private sector to  ensure a broad, whole-of-government audience. Past participants of the  Africa Center for Strategic Studies have included six current and former  heads of state.

By contrast, professional military education and advanced degree- conferring institutions are primarily attended by members of the U.S.  military at all career levels. For example, about 85 percent of the students  enrolled in 2012 at the Air University were U.S. servicemembers, while  foreign military students made up less than 2 percent of the student body.

Similarly, U.S. servicemembers comprise the majority of the student  population at other DOD professional military education institutions. One  notable exception is the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security  Cooperation, which provides professional military education to Latin  American military officers and noncommissioned officers.

In terms of program format, the Regional Centers, professional military  education and advanced degree-conferring institutions, and professional  development institutions all offer programs and activities in the form of in- residence courses; seminars, conferences, and workshops; distance  learning; and in-country instruction.

The key distinctions between the Regional Centers and the other  organizations in program format is that professional military education  and advanced degree-conferring institutions offer degrees and certificates  programs that are accredited by an independent accrediting institution.

Professional military education or advanced degree-conferring programs  generally entail completion of academic courses of instruction over a  longer period for which a participant can earn credit toward a degree or  certificate. For example, participants at the Army Command and General  Staff College can earn a Master of Military Art and Science degree.  Further, the Army Command and General Staff College and the three  other services’ Command and General Staff Colleges are accredited  institutions. In another example, Naval Postgraduate School certificate,  Master’s, and Ph.D. programs can take up to 4 years to complete.

In contrast, Regional Centers and some professional development  institutions’ programs and activities are generally not creditable toward an  academic degree and are generally shorter than an academic year,  ranging from a few days to a few weeks. For example, a William J. Perry  Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies course on homeland security  entails a 3-week online phase, a 3-week in-residence phase, and a 3- week paper-writing phase.

Although the Regional Centers generally offer shorter-duration courses  on a range of security topics, some centers provide participants with  opportunities to obtain credit for their attendance. For example, the  George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies offers two  programs that can earn participants credit toward advanced degrees.  U.S. and foreign officers completing coursework at the center can earn  credit toward a Master’s in International Security Studies from the  Bundeswehr University in Munich, Germany, and the center also  administers a Senior Service Fellows program whereby U.S.  servicemembers can earn credit toward graduate degrees at their  respective service’s war college. In addition, although the Perry Center for  Hemispheric Defense Studies does not award degrees, some Latin  American institutions of higher learning, such as the Universidad  Francisco Marroquin, located in Guatemala City, Guatemala, award credit  for successful completion of the center’s courses.

The professional development institutions also generally offer shorter- duration courses. For example, the majority of Defense Institute for  Medical Operations courses are 4 to 7 days in length, and Defense  Institute of International Legal Studies courses range from 1 to 4 weeks.

section_title: DOD Has Taken Steps to Enhance Oversight of the Regional Centers Plans and Activities but Its Ability to Assess Their Progress Remains Limited
paragraphs: DOD has taken some steps to enhance its oversight of the Regional  Centers’ plans and activities, but it does not have a sound basis to  evaluate their progress in achieving DOD priorities because it has not  developed an assessment approach that includes measurable goals and  objectives with metrics or established a methodology for using the  performance information it collects. Our prior workhas found that  achieving results in government requires a comprehensive oversight  framework that includes clear goals, measurable objectives, and metrics  for assessing progress, consistent with the framework established in the  Government Performance and Results Act.
subsections: section_title: DOD Has Taken Steps to Enhance Oversight of Regional Centers’ Plans and Activities
paragraphs: Since 2005, DOD has taken several specific steps to enhance oversight  of the Regional Centers, including defining roles and responsibilities,  issuing guidance, and establishing a governance body and planning  process. Specifically:

Roles and Responsibilities: OUSD Policy, according to DOD Directive  5200.41, is responsible for providing policy guidance and oversight  and conducting reviews of the effectiveness of the Regional Centers  in achieving DOD objectives, including resource allocation,  management practices, and measures of effectiveness. In 2005,  DOD designated the DSCA director as the executive agent for the  Regional Centers and assigned it the responsibility for programming,  budgeting, and management of the resources necessary to support  their operation and providing them with needed staffing.

Guidance: OUSD Policy issues guidance to the Regional Centers that  assigns priorities to them reflecting national security and departmental  objectives. For example, in January 2013, OUSD Policy issued fiscal  year 2013 guidance incorporating policy priorities identified in DOD’s  January 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance, and instructing the  Regional Centers to address those priorities as they plan and execute  programs. DSCA issues planning guidance that requires the  Regional Centers to develop program plans to meet the OUSD Policy  priorities within their projected funding baseline and existing  authorities. The fiscal year 2014-2015 guidance states that each  Regional Center’s program plan, among others requirements, should  include a cover letter signed by the Regional Center director or  program manager, background and concept papers for core program  and significant events, a completed 2-year budget submission, and a  list of efficiency initiatives to be implemented. Further, DOD Directive  5200.41 states that the Regional Centers are required to develop and  implement their activities according to guidance from the geographic  combatant commanders.

Governance body and planning process: In December 2011, DOD  established a governance body within OUSD Policy, called the  Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Board, that  provides guidance for and monitoring of the Regional Centers’  activities and plans. According to DOD officials, OUSD Policy  established the board intending to facilitate coordination and  information sharing among different OUSD Policy offices, and to  achieve more integrated decision making on policies, plans,  programs, and budgets. DOD officials told us that before the board’s  establishment, each Regional Center reported to its respective OUSD  Policy stakeholders, and the opportunity for broader information  sharing was minimal. The board’s activities include, in 2011,  establishing a 16-month planning process to guide how the board and  OUSD Policy stakeholders will provide guidance and oversee the  development of plans and activities of the Regional Centers. As  shown in figure 2, key steps in the planning cycle include  identifying priorities and providing guidance to the Regional  Centers; providing a means with which the Regional Center directors can  update stakeholders on prior-year activities and future-year plans;  coordinating proposed Regional Center program plans with OUSD  Policy offices, the geographic combatant commands, and the  board; and  reviewing Regional Centers’ budgets and program plans.

In 2010, OUSD Policy tasked the Regional Centers with developing a  comprehensive set of measures of effectiveness by which progress  toward objectives could be assessed. In November 2010 the Regional  Centers submitted a plan.

Thereafter, OUSD Policy contracted with the RAND Corporation to  review the November 2010 plan. In September 2011, RAND  concluded that the measures of effectiveness identified in the plan  had some weaknesses. RAND recommended that the Regional  Centers develop a more comprehensive set of metrics and proposed  a framework for developing them.

On the basis of the results, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary  of Defense Board concluded that further study was needed.  Therefore, in July 2012, OUSD Policy contracted with RAND to  conduct a study to evaluate the effect of the Regional Centers and to  determine their contribution toward fulfilling OUSD Policy strategy  objectives. DOD expects RAND to publish a final report in September  2013. According to OUSD Policy officials, they believe the RAND  study will provide additional insights into the metrics or indicators that  could be used to evaluate the Regional Centers’ performance.

We recognize and have previously reported that it is difficult to establish  performance measures for outcomes that are not readily observable and  that in some cases systematic, in-depth program evaluation studies may  be needed in addition to performance measures. Such program  evaluation studies are conducted periodically and include context in order  to examine the extent to which a program is meeting its objectives.  Further, our prior work has shown that performance measures should  focus on core activities that would help managers assess whether they  are achieving organizational goals.

OUSD Policy has not established a methodology for assessing the  Regional Centers’ progress in achieving DOD priorities, to include  clarifying how it will use performance data provided by the Regional  Centers and clearly identifying the role of its governance board in the  assessment process. We found that, individually, the Regional Centers  collect data on their programs and activities, and while their efforts vary,  they all generally capture output and anecdotal data, such as summaries  of activities, events, attendee demographics, and participant days, as well  as the results of program surveys they conduct. For example:

One Regional Center summarized its assessment efforts as  conducting after-action reports, class evaluations, before and after  program surveys, and trip reports.

One Regional Center sends surveys to the attendees’ supervisors to  collect data on the attendee’s work performance and, if applicable,  any improvement in job performance subsequent to their attendance  at Regional Center programs, as well as to elicit the supervisors’  perspectives on the utility of the courses and its applicability to their  careers. Additionally, the center has developed an internal,  searchable database to store useful data and outcomes collected  from surveys, e-mails, and personal anecdotes.

Two Regional Center use a crosswalk that identifies how its programs  and activities support stakeholder priorities, as well as the effects of  its activities.

The Regional Centers provide data to OUSD Policy and DSCA on both  their expected achievements and their past activities. For example, as  required by DOD, the Regional Centers include in their program plans  expected achievements of their specific programs and a discussion of  how they expect their programs will support OUSD Policy priorities.  Additionally, as discussed earlier in this report, the Regional Center  directors brief the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Board  on their past activities. In our review of the board presentations in January  2013, we found that the board members had the opportunity to ask  questions as well as request additional information on specific aspects of  their activities.

However, OUSD Policy has not established a methodology or clarified  how it will use this performance information to assess the Regional  Centers’ performance against expected outcomes or in achieving DOD  priorities. Furthermore, although DOD established a governance body to  assist in monitoring the Regional Center’s plans and activities, DOD  officials acknowledge that the role of the governance body in assessing  the Regional Centers’ performance is not clearly defined. For example,  the governance body has not identified how it will consider the  performance information provided by the Regional Centers in making  decisions or demonstrated how the newly established planning process  will integrate the performance information to assess the Regional  Centers’ progress towards OUSD Policy strategic goals and priority  objectives.

Conducting routine assessments using measurable goals and objectives  with metrics to evaluate progress would provide DOD with a sounder  basis for determining whether the Regional Centers are achieving results,  as well as for allocating resources. Until measurable program goals and  objectives linked with performance metrics are implemented, DOD cannot  fully assess or adequately oversee the Regional Centers. Moreover, with  clearly defined roles and responsibilities for assessing the Regional  Centers, oversight mechanisms such as the governance body could  prove beneficial in evaluating the Regional Centers’ performance in  achieving DOD priorities, as well as the performance of other DOD  initiatives to build partner nations’ capacity.

section_title: Conclusions
paragraphs: Effective management of efforts to build the defense capacity of foreign  partners will help DOD steward its resources to achieve its strategic  priorities and will likely better position the U.S. government to respond to  changing conditions and future uncertainties around the world. As a  component of DOD’s broader effort, the Regional Centers provide an  opportunity for the U.S. government to strengthen cooperation with  foreign countries. While DOD has expressed challenges entailed in  establishing metrics to capture the effects of a program premised on  relationship-building and has taken steps to study the matter, it has yet to  establish an initial set of metrics. We note the importance for DOD to  have measurable goals and objectives linked with performance metrics,  which would form the foundation for an oversight framework. While DOD  has taken positive steps by establishing a new governance body and  updating DOD guidance applying to the Regional Centers for fiscal year  2013, DOD does not yet have a process to assess the Regional Centers’  progress. Conducting routine assessments using measurable goals and  objectives, with metrics to evaluate progress, and a methodology for  using performance information to include defining the role of the  governance board, would provide DOD a sounder basis for assessing the  Regional Centers’ progress in achieving results and better determining  the allocation of resources. Moreover, DOD’s ability to assess the  Regional Centers’ performance would provide Congress with the  information it needs as it evaluates current and similar programs and  considers future funding levels.

section_title: Recommendations for Executive Action
paragraphs: To enhance DOD’s ability to determine whether the Regional Centers are  achieving departmental priorities, we recommend that the Secretary of  Defense direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy to develop an approach to assess the Regional Centers’ progress in  achieving DOD priorities, including identifying measurable goals and  objectives, metrics, or other indicators of performance, and develop a methodology for using performance information, to include  defining the role of the governance board in the process.

section_title: Agency Comments and Our Evaluation
paragraphs: We provided a draft of this report to DOD and State for comment. DOD  provided written comments which are reprinted in appendix IV. In its  written comments, DOD partially concurred with our first recommendation  and concurred with our second recommendation. DOD also provided  technical comments, which we have incorporated into the report, as  appropriate. State did not provide any comments on the draft.

DOD partially concurred with our first recommendation that the Secretary  of Defense direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy to develop an  approach to assess the Regional Centers’ progress in achieving DOD  priorities, including identifying measurable goals and objectives, metrics,  and other indicators of performance. In its comments, DOD noted that our  recommendation should take into account that a process already exists  for Regional Center program development and approval, which requires  the Regional Centers to identify specific program goals that meet policy  objectives. DOD further noted that the department recognized the need to  improve the identification of measurable goals and objectives, metrics, or  other indicators of performance, and is already taking steps to address  this issue. DOD suggested that we revise our recommendation to state  that DOD should bolster the current approach to assess the Regional  Centers' progress in achieving DOD priorities, including identifying  measurable goals and objectives, metrics, and other indicators of  performance that appropriately measure the essential aspects of the  Regional Centers' mission.

As noted in our report, we recognize that DOD has a process for  developing and reviewing Regional Center programs and that the  department has established policy priorities for the Regional Centers. The  report also notes that the Regional Centers include in their program plans  expected achievements of their specific programs and a discussion of  how they expect their programs will support OUSD Policy priorities.  However, we note that DOD’s January 2013 guidance to the Regional  Centers contained priority objectives that were not measurable in many  cases. Further, our report describes past and current DOD efforts that  could be useful toward identifying metrics to assess Regional Center  progress in achieving DOD priorities. However, DOD has not yet  established an initial set of metrics. Without those key elements, we do  not believe that DOD has a sound approach to assess the Regional  Centers’ progress. Therefore we believe our recommendation is stated  appropriately.

We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional  committees. We are also sending copies to the Secretary of Defense; the  Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; and the Secretary of State. In  addition, the report will also be available on our website at  http://www.gao.gov.

If you or your staff have questions about this report, please contact  Sharon L. Pickup at (202) 512-9619 or pickups@gao.gov, or Charles  Michael Johnson, Jr. at (202) 512-7331. Contact points for our Offices of  Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page  of this report. GAO staff who made key contributors to this report are  listed in appendix V.

section_title: Appendix I: Scope and Methodology
paragraphs: To assess how the Regional Centers for Security Studies’ (Regional  Centers) programs and activities compared with those of other DOD  organizations that provide training and educational programs and  activities, we completed the following steps. First, we researched U.S.  government programs, activities, and initiatives providing training and  education to foreign civilian and military individuals. We reviewed two  U.S. government reports that provided comprehensive information on  training and education provided to foreign civilian and military  professionals: the Interagency Working Group on U.S. Government- Sponsored International Exchanges and Training fiscal year 2011 Annual  Report; and the Foreign Military Training Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011  Joint Report to Congress. The Interagency Working Group Annual  Reports provide a review of activities over a given fiscal year and they  include the previous fiscal year’s inventory of programs detailing the  scope of federal international exchanges and training. The Foreign  Military Training Report is jointly completed by DOD and the Department  of State (State) and provides information on all military training provided  to foreign military personnel by DOD and State during the previous fiscal  year and all such training proposed for the current fiscal year. In addition,  we reviewed the Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management’s  The Management of Security Cooperation (Green Book); the Defense  Security Cooperation Agency’s fiscal year 2013 Budget Request; and  Army Regulation 12-15, Joint Security Cooperation Education and  Training. The Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management  Green Book is the publication employed by the institute for instruction  covering the full range of security cooperation and security assistance  activities. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s fiscal year 2013  Budget Request identifies specific security cooperation activities  administered by the agency. The Joint Security Cooperation Education  and Training regulation prescribes policies, procedures, and  responsibilities for training international personnel. By reviewing these  documents, we identified a comprehensive inventory of U.S. security  cooperation and security assistance programs that provide training and  education to foreign nationals. Second, we excluded programs that: (1)  did not have national security and policy as their primary focus, or (2)  taught specific skill- or tactical-level training, such as language or flight  training. We then compared these programs against the legislation  establishing the Regional Centers and the DOD directive governing their  activities. On the basis of this comparison, we focused our selection on  the subset of training and education programs and building partner  capacity initiatives that, like the Regional Centers, support DOD priorities  by enhancing security, fostering partnerships, and assisting regional  leaders to develop strong defense establishments. We learned that the  programs identified in these first two steps of our selection process could  be classified in two categories: (1) DOD institutions that provide training  and education and (2) DOD and State programs and authorities that  provide funds for U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to attend these  institutions. Because one of the Regional Centers’ activities is to provide  for education and exchanges by conducting in-residence courses, in- country seminars, and conferences, among other activities, we focused  our next selection step on identifying training and educational program  providers. Third, we completed additional research on DOD institutions  that provide training and education. We conducted a preliminary review of  each institution by reading a description of it, and we again excluded  those that provide tactical-level training on skills not addressed by the  Regional Centers. The team collected additional information about these  institutions by completing online research, reviewing documentation  collected during the engagement, and requesting data and information  from each institution. On the basis of this research and review, we  identified and selected 17 organizations for this analysis; the  organizations are DOD institutions that provide training and education,  but U.S. citizens and foreign nationals that attend these institutions are, in  some instances, funded by DOD and State programs and authorities.  Where applicable, we also analyzed the various schools under each  institution.  1.  Air Force Institute of Technology (part of Air University)  3.  Army Command and General Staff College  4.  Army JFK Special Warfare School  5.  Army War College  6.  Center for Civil Military Relations  7.  Defense Acquisition University  8.  Defense Institute for Medical Operations  9.  Defense Institute of International Legal Studies  10. Defense Resource Management Institute  11. Joint Special Operations University  12. Marine Corps War College  13. National Defense University  14. NATO School  15. Naval Postgraduate School  16. Naval War College  17. Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation  Fourth, we identified which attributes to examine. For this engagement,  we selected three similar areas for comparison—curriculum topics, target  audience, and program type and format. In prior work, GAO has  compared programs by examining various program attributes, such as the  populations targeted, the types of services provided, or the program’s  geographic focus. As the analysis entailed comparing the Regional  Centers to the above 17 selected training and educational providers, we  concluded a review should examine the curriculum offered by each  provider and that the populations targeted and program format attributes  were applicable. We determined that these attributes we selected were  appropriate for comparing training and educational providers because  they explain the curriculum focus of each organization’s primary training  and educational efforts, who they engage in these efforts, and their  method of engagement. The results of our analysis are not generalizable  to DOD training and education programs and activities outside of those  included in the scope of our work.

To determine the extent to which DOD has developed and implemented  an approach to oversee the Regional Centers and assess their progress  in achieving DOD priorities, we evaluated relevant documentation and  interviewed knowledgeable officials. Specifically, we reviewed the  legislation establishing the Regional Centers, DOD guidance governing  their activities, and the 2010 and 2011 DOD annual reports to Congress  on Regional Center activities; the Office of the Under Secretary of  Defense (OUSD) Policy fiscal year 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 policy  guidance and DSCA Fiscal Year 2014-2015 program planning guidance  to the Regional Centers, and the Regional Centers’ program plans  submitted in response; and briefing documents concerning the  establishment of the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense  Board. In January 2013 we attended and observed the fourth meeting of  this board. We also reviewed a prior study conducted by the RAND  Corporation, contracted by OUSD Policy, to evaluate the Regional  Centers’ measures-of-effectiveness plan, and met with RAND officials. In  completing site visits to the Regional Centers, we reviewed  documentation relating to their missions, anticipated outcomes,  scheduled and proposed activities, program development processes, and  outreach to alumni. We also observed classes and conferences in  progress and met with international attendees. Additionally, to identify  oversight mechanisms for the Regional Centers, we reviewed key  geographic combatant command documents to include guidance issued  to Regional Centers and theater planning documents, and we interviewed  key command officials. We also referred to our prior work that identifies  elements that constitute a comprehensive oversight framework, and to  prior work that identifies the relationship between performance  management and program evaluation.

To provide information about the process used by DOD and State to  approve and monitor Regional Center requests to waive reimbursement  of costs for nongovernmental and international organizations that  participate in the Regional Centers’ activities, we reviewed relevant  legislation and DSCA guidance identifying the procedures for submitting  requests and the criteria applied to consideration of waivers for  nongovernmental and international organizations. We discussed the  process with DSCA and State officials and obtained information on the  various waivers requested, as well as the amounts waived, between fiscal  years 2009 and 2012.

To address all of our objectives, we collected information by interviewing  or communicating with officials in  (1) the Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSD  Policy), specifically the following subordinate offices:  a)  b)

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for  Partnership Strategy and Stability Operations,  Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for  International Security Affairs,  c)  d)  e)  f)  g)  h)

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense African Affairs,  Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for  Russia, Ukraine & Eurasia,  Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for  Western Hemispheres Affairs,  Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense—Asia  Pacific Security Affairs,   Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, and   Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for  Special Operations & Low-Intensity Conflict;  (2)  (3) the Defense Security Cooperation Agency;   each of the five Regional Centers:    a)  b)  c)  d)  e) the Africa Center for Strategic Studies,   the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies,   the George C. Marshall European Center for Security  Studies,   the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, and   the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense  Studies;   (4)  (5)  (6)  (7)  (8) each of the six geographic combatant commands:   a) U.S. Africa Command,  b) U.S. Central Command,   c) U.S. European Command,  d) U.S. Northern Command,  e) U.S. Pacific Command, and  f) U.S. Southern Command;  the Global Center for Security Cooperation;  the following State bureaus:  a) Bureau of African Affairs,  b) Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs,  c) Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, and  d) Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs;  the U.S. Agency for International Development; and  the RAND Corporation.

We conducted this performance audit from August 2012 through June  2013 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing  standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to  obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for  our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe  that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings  and conclusions based on our audit objectives.

section_title: Appendix II: The Department of Defense’s (DOD) Regional Centers for Security Studies
subsections: section_title: About the Center

section_title: Founded: 1998
paragraphs: Mission: The Africa Center for  Strategic Studies supports U.S. foreign  and security policies by strengthening  the strategic capacity of African states to  identify and resolve security challenges  in ways that promote civil-military  cooperation, respect democratic values,  and safeguard human rights.

Total personnel: 79 (as of September 2012)

Alumni: 5,193 (as of September 2012)

section_title: About the Center

section_title: Founded: 1995
paragraphs: Total personnel: 127 (as of November 2012)

section_title: Appendix II: The Department of Defense’s (DOD) Regional Centers for Security Studies
subsections: section_title: About the Center

section_title: Founded: 1997
paragraphs: Mission: Conduct educational  activities for civilians and the military in  the Western Hemisphere to enhance  partner capacity and foster trust, mutual  understanding, and regional  cooperation.

Priorities:      Encourage whole-of-government       coordination and support       hemispheric coordination       mechanisms to enhance       information-sharing.     Facilitate bilateral and multilateral       cooperation to build common       perspectives on regional challenges       and greater capacity.     Promote a strategic dialogue and       communicate U.S. defense priorities       to regional leaders.     Promote partner nation defense       planning and strategy development       (peacekeeping, humanitarian       assistance and disaster relief,       stability, and counterterrorism       operations).     Support civilian military control,       transitions, and oversight.

Total personnel: 77 (as of September 2012)

Courses:      Governance, Governability and       Security in The Americas:       Responses to Transnational       Organized Crime      Nationlab     Perspectives on Homeland Security       and Homeland Defense      Strategy and Defense Policy Course      Washington Security and Defense       Seminar Alumni: 5,335 (as of September 2012)

section_title: About the Center

section_title: Founded: 1993
paragraphs: Mission: Create a more stable security  environment by advancing democratic  institutions and relationships, especially  in the field of defense; promoting active,  peaceful security cooperation; and  enhancing enduring partnerships among  the nations of North America, Europe,  and Eurasia.

Total personnel: 206 (as of September 2012)

section_title: About the Center

section_title: Founded: 2000
paragraphs: Total funding: $17.3 million Total personnel: 72 (as of September 2012)

section_title: Appendix III: Reimbursement Waivers
paragraphs: The Secretary of Defense may use any of several specific authorities in  Title 10 U.S. Code to pay the expenses of representatives from various  regions around the world to attend Department of Defense (DOD)- sponsored programs and activities, including those of the Regional  Centers. These authorities vary on the basis of the type of attendees  (civilian or military) as well as the region of the world from where they  originate. The authority contained in 10 U.S.C. § 184note specifically  applies to nongovernmental and international organization (NGO/IO)  personnel attending Regional Center programs, for which DOD has  issued specific guidance to govern approval of reimbursement waivers.
subsections: section_title: Multiple Authorities Exist
paragraphs: In fiscal year 2009, 10 U.S.C. § 184note was enacted to temporarily grant  the Secretary of Defense the authority to waive reimbursement of costs  for NGO/IO personnel to attend Regional Center programs. Approval of  waived reimbursement depends on whether the NGO/IO’s attendance is  deemed to be in the U.S. national security interest and is subject to the  concurrence of the Secretary of State. Further, the collective  reimbursements being waived may not exceed a total of $1 million  (according to DOD officials, reimbursement is paid from the Regional  Centers’ Operation and Maintenance budgets) in any fiscal year. This  temporary waiver authority has been renewed most recently through  fiscal year 2013. Title 10 also contains permanent authorities to pay the  expenses of foreign representatives in order to foster cooperation with  various countries in those regions. Specifically, 10 U.S.C. 184(f)(3) allows  the Secretary of Defense to waive reimbursement of the costs of activities  of the Regional Centers for foreign military officers and foreign defense  and security civilian government officials from a developing country if the  Secretary determines that attendance of such personnel without  reimbursement is in the national security interest of the United States. In  addition, 10 U.S.C. § 1050 has been in effect since 1984 and allows the  Secretary of Defense to pay the expenses of officers and students from  Latin American countries.1050a, allowing the Secretary of Defense to pay the expenses of officers  and students from African countries. Under 10 U.S.C. § 113note, the   In 2011, Congress enacted 10 U.S.C. §  Secretary of Defense has the ability to pay the expenses of military  officers and civilian officials from European countries. The authorities are  summarized in table 3.

DOD has set up specific procedures to direct the use of the authority  granted under 10 U.S.C. § 184note to waive reimbursement of expenses  by NGO/IOs. This procedural guidance cites national security interests  when considering waiver of reimbursement and encourages the Regional  Centers to request waivers on the basis of each NGO/IO’s financial need.  It also outlines six specific priorities to be used for determining waiver  consideration, as described in table 4.

According to the procedural guidance issued by DOD, as well as  discussions with DOD and State Department officials, the process  through which waivers are requested and approved under 10 U.S.C. §  184note is as follows:

The Regional Centers send the Defense Security Cooperation Agency  (DSCA) their waiver requests identifying each organization, individual  attendees, and dollar amounts, and providing justifications for their  requests.

DSCA then reviews the requests and transmits them to the  Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for its  concurrence and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for  Policy (OUSD Policy) for approval.

The Department of State and OUSD Policy circulate the requests  among their respective regional and functional bureaus, which  perform a review of each candidate organization, principally to ensure  that the organization’s participation would not undermine the  program’s purpose.

The Department of State transmits its concurrence to DSCA which, in  turn, notifies OUSD Policy of the concurrence. OUSD Policy transmits  its approvals to DSCA.

DSCA designates a portion of the $1 million total waiver authority to  each Regional Center, setting a cap on how much of each center’s  Operation and Maintenance budget may be spent on waiving  reimbursements by NGO/IOs attending their programs.

section_title: Use of Other Authorities
paragraphs: In addition to the legislative authority provided for waiver of  reimbursement for NGO/IO personnel, OUSD Policy and the Regional  Centers may use other Title 10 authorities granted to the Secretary of  Defense. To date, only the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric  Defense Studies has paid the expenses of NGO/IO personnel with an  authority other than 10 U.S.C. § 184note. Using the authority under 10  U.S.C. § 1050, whereby the Secretary of Defense may pay the expenses  of officers and students from Latin American countries, the William J.  Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies has paid the expenses of  NGO/IO personnel. According to DOD, the Regional Centers have not  used 10 U.S.C. § 1050a, whereby the Secretary of Defense may pay the  expenses of officers and students from African countries; or 10 U.S.C. §  113note, through which the Secretary of Defense has the ability to pay  the expenses of military officers and civilian officials from European  countries, to waive reimbursements for participating NGO/IOs. Table 5  shows the extent to which the Regional Centers have used Title 10  authorities each fiscal year since 2009 to cover expenses for NGO/IO  personnel attending their programs.

section_title: Appendix IV: Comments from the Department of Defense

section_title: Appendix V: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments
subsections: section_title: GAO Contacts

section_title: Staff Acknowledgments
paragraphs: In addition to the contacts named above, Matthew Ullengren, Assistant  Director; Judith McCloskey, Assistant Director; David Keefer; Ricardo  Marquez; Shirley Min; Jamilah Moon; Amie Steele; Michael Silver;  Sabrina Streagle; and Cheryl Weissman made key contributions to this  report.

section_title: Related GAO Products
paragraphs: U.S. Assistance to Yemen: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of  Emergency Food Aid and Assess Security Assistance. GAO-13-310.  Washington, D.C.: March 20, 2013  Security Assistance: Evaluations Needed to Determine Effectiveness of  U.S. Aid to Lebanon's Security Forces. GAO-13-289. Washington, D.C.:  March 19, 2013  Building Partner Capacity: Key Practices to Effectively Manage  Department of Defense Efforts to Promote Security Cooperation.  GAO-13-335T. Washington, D.C.: February 14, 2013.

Security Assistance: DOD’s Ongoing Reforms Address Some  Challenges, but Additional Information Is Needed to Further Enhance  Program Management. GAO-13-84. Washington, D.C.: November 16,  2012.

State Partnership Program: Improved Oversight, Guidance, and Training  Needed for National Guard’s Efforts with Foreign Partners. GAO-12-548.  Washington, D.C.: May 15, 2012.

Security Force Assistance: Additional Actions Needed to Guide  Geographic Combatant Command and Service Efforts. GAO-12-556.  Washington, D.C.: May 10, 2012.

Humanitarian and Development Assistance: Project Evaluations and  Better Information Sharing Needed to Manage the Military’s Efforts.  GAO-12-359. Washington, D.C.: February 8, 2012.

Performance Measurement and Evaluation: Definitions and  Relationships. GAO-11-646SP. Washington, D.C.: May 2, 2011.

Preventing Sexual Harassment: DOD Needs Greater Leadership  Commitment and an Oversight Framework. GAO-11-809. Washington,  D.C.: September 21, 2011.

Defense Management: U.S. Southern Command Demonstrates  Interagency Collaboration, but Its Haiti Disaster Response Revealed  Challenges Conducting a Large Military Operation. GAO-10-801.  Washington, D.C.: July 28, 2010.

Defense Management: Improved Planning, Training, and Interagency  Collaboration Could Strengthen DOD’s Efforts in Africa. GAO-10-794.  Washington, D.C.: July 28, 2010.

Drug Control: DOD Needs to Improve Its Performance Measurement  System to Better Manage and Oversee Its Counternarcotics Activities.  GAO-10-835. Washington, D.C.: July 21, 2010.

Defense Management: DOD Needs to Determine the Future of Its Horn of  Africa Task Force. GAO-10-504. Washington, D.C.: April 15, 2010.


Question-summary annotations: questions: question: In what aspects do the Regional Centers for Security Studies share similarities and differences with other DOD institutions?
answer: The Department of Defense's (DOD) five Regional Centers for Security Studies (Regional Centers) share similarities and differences with other DOD institutions that provide training and education, including professional military education, advanced degree-conferring, and professional development institutions, in terms of curriculum topics, targeted audience, and program format.

question: What were the similarities that GAO found?
answer: GAO found that they all offer training and educational programs and activities to help participants understand security and military matters and to enhance their knowledge, skills, and experiences in these matters.

question: How are they different in offering their curricula?
answer: However, there are notable differences in that the Regional Centers generally focus on helping foreign participants understand and respond to regional security issues; generally target a foreign civilian and military personnel audience; and offer shorter and typically less formal courses of study. The Regional Centers support DOD policy objectives with curricula designed to enhance security and foster partnerships through education and exchanges. By contrast, other DOD training and education organizations focus their curricula on military operations and leadership.
child_questions: question: How are they different in their target audience?
answer: While the Regional Centers' target audience is foreign civilian and military officials, the other DOD educational organizations typically aim their programs and activities at U.S. servicemembers at all career levels.

question: How are they different in terms of degrees?
answer: Regional Center participants generally do not earn credit toward a degree, and the offered courses, conferences, and workshops are of shorter duration ranging from days to weeks. DOD's professional military education and advanced degree-conferring institutions are accredited and generally offer longer, more formal courses that provide participants the opportunity to earn advanced degrees.

questions: question: What has DOD done to enhance foreign partnerships?
answer: DOD has emphasized innovative and low-cost approaches to build the defense capacity of foreign partners, and it uses its five Regional Centers to administer programs to foster partnerships and deepen foreign officials' understanding of U.S. objectives.

question: What does the conference report mandate GAO to do?
answer: The conference report accompanying the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 112-705) mandated GAO to conduct a study of the Regional Centers.
child_questions: question: What does GAO's report include?
answer: GAO's report (1) describes how the Regional Centers' activities compare with those of other DOD training and education organizations, and (2) evaluates the extent to which DOD has developed and implemented an approach to oversee and assess the Regional Centers' progress in achieving DOD priorities. This report also provides information on the process used to approve Regional Center requests to waive reimbursement of the costs for nongovernmental and international organizations that participate in the Regional Centers' activities.

question: What did GAO do for making this report?
answer: GAO reviewed public law and departmental directives and conducted an analysis comparing aspects of the Regional Centers with other selected DOD training and education institutions.