GAO made the recommendation after an analysis showed six of the 13 acquisition-related career areas did not meet growth objectives DoD crafted in 2010 as part of its acquisition workforce plan, the congressional audit agency said in a report published Monday.
According to the report, three of these six career areas — business, contracting and engineering — were considered a priority by the Pentagon in its 2010 plan.
Auditors noted that DoD posted a 27,000-increase in workforce personnel to approximately 153,000 in March, up from about 126,000 in September 2008.
GAO also called on the department to create time frames for follow-up competency reviews in order to monitor progress in its efforts to address skill gaps.