§2411 Director for Cost Estimating and Program Evaluation

Summary

Creates a Director for Cost Estimating and Program Evaluation in the Administration. The Director must be a Senior Executive Service official and report directly to the Administrator. The Administrator cannot give away the job of receiving or acting on the Director’s cost-estimate advice. The Director is the main advisor to the Administrator, the Deputy Secretary, and the Secretary on cost estimates and program evaluations. The Director will set and review policies for cost analysis and confidence levels, check cost estimates and the performance baseline for each major program, review and advise on technology-readiness work, and do independent cost estimates when asked. Reviews and cost estimates are work the government must do itself, but the Director may use data from national security labs or management contractors. The Director must give written certification and a statement of confidence for each major review, noting uncertainties, risks, and opportunities. The Director must also review and comment on the future-years nuclear security program each year, help with planning and budgeting, produce Selected Acquisition Reports and independent cost estimates for major life-extension work, watch cost and schedule baselines and notify Congress about overruns, and report any major program changes to Congress when the President’s budget is sent for the next fiscal year. The Administrator must give the Director enough skilled staff and use data practices like the Defense Cost Analysis Resource Center. The Director must send Congress reports about activities and the status of all major programs at about the time the President’s budget is submitted for fiscal years 2015 through 2018. Definitions: Administration (excludes Office of Naval Reactors); major program (project cost over $500,000,000 or lifetime cost over $1,000,000,000); performance baseline (key performance, scope, cost, and schedule measures).