Effects of Certain Ethics Requirements on DOD Hiring, Retention, and Operations

IDA analyzed the impact of four recently-enacted ethics requirements on the recruiting and retention of DOD personnel and the ability of the Department to detect, deter, prevent, and redress ethical misconduct. The review did not find conclusive evidence that the provisions have had an adverse impact on DOD recruiting and retention. However, the provisions have caused significant uncertainty and confusion due to inconsistency and overlap in the provisions. IDA found that the impact of the provisions on the Department's access to the knowledge and expertise of former senior officials, while currently manageable, could become problematic if the requirements were to be strengthened or expanded.