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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§4273 Performance assessments and root cause analyses

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART V— - ACQUISITION › Subpart Subpart F— - Major Systems, Major Defense Acquisition Programs, and Weapon Systems Development › Chapter CHAPTER 322— - MAJOR SYSTEMS AND MAJOR DEFENSE ACQUISITION PROGRAMS GENERALLY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE SPECIFICALLY TO MAJOR DEFENSE ACQUISITION PROGRAMS › § 4273

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must name one senior official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense to run and oversee performance checks and root cause studies for major defense acquisition programs. That official must not also run the programs. The Secretary must give that person enough staff, money, and help from other experts across the Department of Defense to do the job. That official must do periodic performance checks or do them when top leaders ask. A performance check looks at a program’s cost, schedule, and technical results compared to current targets and decides if the program will deliver the needed capability on time, with the resources used, and whether it is better than other options. The official must also do root cause studies when required by section 4376(a)(1) or when asked by senior leaders. A root cause study finds why costs, schedules, or performance fell short. It can look at things like unrealistic expectations or estimates, immature technology or high integration risk, unexpected design or manufacturing problems, changes in how many items are bought, weak or unstable funding, poor manager or contractor performance, or other issues. The official also creates rules and guidance for how these checks and studies are done, reviews the usefulness of performance measures, and advises acquisition leaders before key decisions such as certification under sections 4376 and 4377, entry into full-rate production, or seeking multiyear contracts.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §4273

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Secretary of Defense shall designate a senior official in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the principal official of the Department of Defense responsible for conducting and overseeing performance assessments and root cause analyses for major defense acquisition programs.
(2)The Secretary shall ensure that the senior official designated under paragraph (1) is not responsible for program execution.
(3)The Secretary shall assign to the senior official designated under paragraph (1) appropriate staff and resources necessary to carry out the senior official’s function under this section.
(b)The senior official designated under subsection (a) shall be responsible for the following:
(1)Carrying out performance assessments of major defense acquisition programs in accordance with the requirements of subsection (c) periodically or when requested by the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Secretary of a military department, or the head of a Defense Agency.
(2)Conducting root cause analyses for major defense acquisition programs in accordance with the requirements of subsection (d) when required by section 4376(a)(1) of this title, or when requested by the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, the Secretary of a military department, or the head of a Defense Agency.
(3)Issuing policies, procedures, and guidance governing the conduct of performance assessments and root cause analyses by the military departments and the Defense Agencies.
(4)Evaluating the utility of performance metrics used to measure the cost, schedule, and performance of major defense acquisition programs, and making such recommendations to the Secretary of Defense as the official considers appropriate to improve such metrics.
(5)Advising acquisition officials on performance issues regarding a major defense acquisition program that may arise—
(A)before certification under section 4376 and 4377 of this title;
(B)before entry into full-rate production; or
(C)in the course of consideration of any decision to request authorization of a multiyear procurement contract for the program.
(c)For purposes of this section, a performance assessment with respect to a major defense acquisition program is an evaluation of the following:
(1)The cost, schedule, and performance of the program, relative to current metrics, including performance requirements and baseline descriptions.
(2)The extent to which the level of program cost, schedule, and performance predicted relative to such metrics is likely to result in the timely delivery of a level of capability to the warfighter that is consistent with the level of resources to be expended and provides superior value to alternative approaches that may be available to meet the same military requirement.
(d)For purposes of this section and section 4376 and 4377 of this title, a root cause analysis with respect to a major defense acquisition program is an assessment of the underlying cause or causes of shortcomings in cost, schedule, or performance of the program, including the role, if any, of—
(1)unrealistic performance expectations;
(2)unrealistic baseline estimates for cost or schedule;
(3)immature technologies or excessive manufacturing or integration risk;
(4)unanticipated design, engineering, manufacturing, or technology integration issues arising during program performance;
(5)changes in procurement quantities;
(6)inadequate program funding or funding instability;
(7)poor performance by government or contractor personnel responsible for program management; or
(8)any other matters.
(e)The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the senior official designated under subsection (a) has the support of other Department of Defense officials with relevant capabilities and expertise needed to carry out the requirements of this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification section 103 of Pub. L. 111–23, formerly set out as a note under section 2430 of this title, which was transferred to chapter 144 of this title, renumbered as section 2438, and amended by Pub. L. 111–383, § 901(d), (k)(1)(F), and subsequently renumbered as this section and amended by Pub. L. 116–283, § 1847(e)(3), was based on Pub. L. 111–23, title I, § 103, May 22, 2009, 123 Stat. 1715.

Amendments

2024—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 118–159 substituted “4376” for “4736”. 2023—Subsec. (b)(5)(A). Pub. L. 118–31 substituted “section 4376” for “section 4736”. 2021—Pub. L. 116–283, § 1847(e)(3), renumbered section 2438 of this title as this section. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 116–283, § 1847(e)(3)(A), as amended by Pub. L. 117–81, § 1701(b)(16)(B), substituted “section 4376(a)(1)” for “section 2433a(a)(1)”. Subsec. (b)(5)(A). Pub. L. 116–283, § 1847(e)(3)(B), substituted “section 4736 and 4377” for “section 2433a”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–283, § 1847(e)(3)(B), substituted “section 4736 and 4377” for “section 2433a” in introductory provisions. 2019—Subsec. (b)(1), (2). Pub. L. 116–92 substituted “Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment” for “Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics”. 2015—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 114–92 struck out subsec. (f) which related to annual report. 2013—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 112–239 inserted “the senior” before “official’s”. 2011—Pub. L. 111–383, § 901(k)(1)(F), substituted “Performance assessments and root cause analyses” for “performance assessments and root cause analyses for major defense acquisition programs” in section catchline. Pub. L. 111–383, § 901(d), transferred section 103 of Pub. L. 111–23 to this chapter and renumbered it as this section. See Codification note above. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 111–383, § 901(d)(1), substituted “section 2433a(a)(1) of this title” for “section 2433a(a)(1) of title 10, United States Code (as added by section 206(a) of this Act)”. Subsec. (b)(5)(A). Pub. L. 111–383, § 901(d)(2), substituted “before” for “prior to” and “section 2433a of this title” for “section 2433a of title 10, United States Code (as so added)”. Subsec. (b)(5)(B). Pub. L. 111–383, § 901(d)(2)(B), substituted “before” for “prior to”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 111–383, § 901(d)(3), substituted “section 2433a of this title” for “section 2433a of title 10, United States Code (as so added)” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 111–383, § 901(d)(4), struck out “beginning in 2010,” after “each year,”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2021 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 117–81 applicable as if included in the enactment of title XVIII of Pub. L. 116–283 as enacted, see section 1701(a)(2) of Pub. L. 117–81, set out in a note preceding section 3001 of this title and note below. Amendment by Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Effective Date

Amendment by Pub. L. 111–383 effective Jan. 1, 2011, see section 901(p) of Pub. L. 111–383, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2011 Amendment note under section 131 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 4273

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73