Summary: The Defense Department (DOD) has planned or under way hundreds of Year 2000 end-to-end test and evaluation activities that must be finished in a relatively short time. So far, DOD is taking steps to ensure that these related end-to-end activities are effectively coordinated. However, DOD is far from successfully completing its Year 2000 end-to-end test activities. Much remains to be done. DOD needs to ensure that it completes efforts to establish end-to-end test management controls outlined in GAO's Year 2000 test guide--namely, establishing an independent quality assurance program to guarantee that its test guidance, plans, and standards are being met and that any deviations or other reasons for low confidence in end-to-end test results are brought to the attention of senior management. Also, DOD must ensure that it effectively implements all of the controls it has included in its plans so that DOD executives receive timely and reliable information on end-to-end test results and limitations. With such information, DOD can act swiftly to correct known problems and to fill voids in test coverage.
