1. 2019

   Awardees developed new and innovative approaches needed to advance historical research and analysis tied to the Agency’s mission to find, recover, and identify missing military personnel lost in past conflicts, to include a nationwide “hub and spoke” network somewhat akin to crowdsourcing, albeit with a quality control aspect built in. These new approaches identified new sources of records and data and provided opportunities to leverage the capabilities of external prgainizations and individuals, such as military unit historians and university military history classes. The result has been to increase the Agency’s capability and capacity for historical research and analysis at a modest cost, thereby greatly enhancing DPAA’s efforts to find missing personnel and to provide much-appreciated information and/or closure to the families of the missing.

2. 2021

   Despite COVID-19 travel restrictions and health and safety related concerns, the program continued to result in new and innovative approaches and processes for the Agency to work with partners for field recoveries worldwide and to develop information of possible loss sites where remains of missing military personnel could be recovered. An outside study demonstrated that these efforts resulted in cost avoidance even as overall Agency capacity was increased. Program utilized the expertise and resources of cultural resource management, archeology and forensic anthropology entities able to conduct terrestrial and underwater operations worldwide. Program directly contributed to multiple successful field recoveries and the recovery and return of missing military personnel lost in past conflicts (going back to and including WWII). Program also generated new field techniques and approaches that offer the potential to increase the overall efficiency of the Agency’s field activities.

3. 2022

   FY22 constituted another positive increment in the trend line of DPAA’s partner expansion. Despite the challenges to partner projects and PI team functionality with continued impacts of COVID-19, the team accelerated its level of effort in all key performance indicators. From the 63 planned field missions (plus a few others that were withdrawn), the year ended with 46 partner missions launched. Although every field project presents its own special blend of challenges and opportunities, this FY was notable for including very complex efforts in Southeast Asia, in very deep-water areas, and with multi-year arrangements in specific countries (Philippines) or to test certain approaches (mountain sites). Planning this number of field projects alone is commendable; the increasing complexity and productivity of partners demonstrates a clear maturation of the program. The PI Research Team (PIRT) also dramatically expanded efforts to work on 69 separate projects of varying complexity and scope. These efforts included some foundational research that DPAA staff simply does not have the time or ability to conduct as well as some focused, case-progression research. We expanded the number of research partners, the types of arrangements used to work with them, and the forms of research pursued through collaborative effort. Finally, as the nascent innovation program steps into being, over the course of FY22 we still worked on four separate pilot projects again of varying complexity and scope. The results and lessons learned through that effort will inform the agency-wide program soon to launch.

4. 2024

   In FY24, the Innovation Team saw many accomplishments, including doubling Innovation Team personnel, making significant improvements to the Think Ticket prioritization process, improving collaboration across the Agency, processing 20 Innovation Think Tickets, funding five new Innovation Studies, and hosting the first Innovation event. These actions were undertaken to accomplish the team’s goal: to build and test a strategic and collaborative program that results in measurable increases in DPAA’s capacity and capabilities. PI Terrestrial Archaeologists collaborated with 20 primary partner organizations to plan 44 missions in 12 countries. Of these, 33 missions were executed, 1 mission was postponed to a later FY, 6 missions were withdrawn (all in Kiribati, due to HN restrictions), 1 mission was merged, and 3 were canceled (all in Laos, due to HN restrictions). In the EM region, partners completed 20 recoveries and one other mission (a Pre-Deployment Site Survey [PDSS]); no terrestrial partner investigations were planned in the region. In the IP region, partners executed seven investigations, five recoveries, and one other mission (Kiribati repatriation support). PI’s Underwater Team stepped back in terms of overall missions planned to accommodate the budget constraints of increased recoveries. In FY24, the PI Underwater team collaborated with 15 primary partner organizations to plan 22 missions in 16 countries. Of these, 19 missions with 13 organizations in 14 countries were executed and 3 missions were postponed to the next FY. In the EM region, partners executed five IT surveys and five recoveries. In the IP region, partners executed six IT surveys and three excavations. Finally, FY24 was marked by refinement of past practices, development of new internal procedures, and the integration of new staff members. PI Research Team (PIRT) developed stronger collaborative processes with the Development and Innovation Team, establishing bi-weekly group meetings between leads on both teams. The PIRT continued to use strong internal and external communication practices and implement the research execution process. Over this year, the PIRT executed two Research Partner Project Reviews that led to better processes for internal staff and partners. The PIRT developed new research project practices this year by encouraging cross-partner collaboration. The PIRT set up collaborative committees aimed at sharing knowledge about agency products and requirements among partners. The PIRT also gave back to the partners by establishing a writing group to support H&S fellow development. These two activities created a stronger, more collegial accounting community within H&S institutions.

Single Audit Applies (2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F):

For additional information on single audit requirements for this program, review the current Compliance Supplement.

1. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015.
2. Pub. L. Section 916 of Public Law 113-291.
3. EO 12372 - "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs".
4. 10 US Code 1501a U.S.C. § .