Back to NDAA Contents

TITLE VIII--ACQUISITION POLICY, ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT, AND RELATED MATTERS

Subtitle A--Acquisition Policy and Management

P. L. 111-

House Conference Report 111-288

    (a) Assessment Required.--The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics shall direct the Defense Science Board to conduct an independent assessment of improvements in the procurement and oversight of services by the Department of Defense.

    (b) Matters Covered.--The assessment required by subsection (a) shall include the following:

    (1) An assessment of the quality and completeness of guidance relating to the procurement of services, including implementation of statutory and regulatory authorities and requirements.

    (2) A determination of the extent to which best practices are being developed for setting requirements and developing statements of work.

    (3) An assessment of the contracting approaches and contract types used for the procurement of services and whether such contracting approaches and contract types best serve the interests of the Department of Defense.

    (4) A determination of whether effective standards to measure performance have been developed.

    (5) An assessment of the effectiveness of peer reviews within the Department of Defense of contracts for services and whether such reviews are being conducted at the appropriate dollar threshold.

    (6) An assessment of the management structure for the procurement of services, including how the military departments and Defense Agencies have implemented section 2330 of title 10, United States Code.

    (7) A determination of whether the performance savings goals required by section 802 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (10 U.S.C. 2330 note) are being achieved.

    (8) An assessment of the effectiveness of the Acquisition Center of Excellence for Services established pursuant to section 1431(b) of the Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003 (title XIV of Public Law 108-136; 117 Stat. 1671; 41 U.S.C. 405 note) and the feasibility of creating similar centers of excellence in the military departments.

    (9) An assessment of the quality and sufficiency of the acquisition workforce for the procurement and oversight of services.

    (10) Such other related matters as the Under Secretary considers appropriate.

    (c) Report.--Not later than March 10, 2010, the Under Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the results of the assessment, including such comments and recommendations as the Under Secretary considers appropriate.

   The House bill contained a provision (sec. 802) that would require the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics to contract with a federally funded research and development center to conduct an independent assessment of improvements in the procurement and oversight of contracting for services by the Department of Defense.

   The Senate amendment contained no similar provision.

   The Senate recedes with an amendment that would: (1) require that the study be conducted by the Defense Science Board; and (2) provide for the study to review additional issues.

House Report 111-166 - NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

This section would require the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics to commission a study by a federally funded research and development center on the Department of Defense's oversight of service contracting. Matters to be covered in the study include: the quality of guidance relating to service contracting; best practices in the process of setting requirements and developing statements of work; the development of effective performance metrics; an assessment of the management structure for service contracting; the effectiveness of peer reviews; the quality and sufficiency of the acquisition workforce for service contracting; and such other matters as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics deems appropriate for inclusion in the study. This section would require the Under Secretary to submit a report containing the findings and recommendations of the study, along with the Under Secretary's comments, to the congressional defense committees by March 1, 2010.