Professional Military Education: Programs Are Accredited, but Additional Information Is Needed to Assess Effectiveness. Report to Congressional Addressees. GAO-20-323

The Conference Report accompanying the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 included a provision for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate Department of Defense (DOD) Professional Military Education (PME) and JPME institutions. This report examines the extent to which: (1) the military services' PME programs have met civilian and Joint PME (JPME) accreditation requirements, (2) The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has assessed the effectiveness of the military services' PME programs, and (3) The Under Secretary of Defense (USD) (Comptroller) has monitored the military services' PME program budget data. GAO analyzed applicable laws and policy, analyzed accreditation and budget information, and interviewed officials from the military services' intermediate- and senior-level resident PME programs.