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

Subtitle C--Provisions Relating to Major Defense Acquisition Programs

P. L. 112-81

House Conference Report 112-329

(a) Chief Developmental Tester- Section 820(a) of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109-364; 120 Stat. 2330), as amended by section 805(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 110-181; 123 Stat. 2403), is further amended--

(1) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph (7); and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following new paragraph (6):

`(6) Chief developmental tester.'.

(b) Responsibilities of Chief Developmental Tester and Lead Developmental Test and Evaluation Organization- Section 139b of title 10, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c):

`(c) Support of Mdaps by Chief Developmental Tester and Lead Developmental Test and Evaluation Organization-

`(1) SUPPORT- The Secretary of Defense shall require that each major defense acquisition program be supported by--

`(A) a chief developmental tester; and

`(B) a governmental test agency, serving as lead developmental test and evaluation organization for the program.

`(2) RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHIEF DEVELOPMENTAL TESTER- The chief developmental tester for a major defense acquisition program shall be responsible for--

`(A) coordinating the planning, management, and oversight of all developmental test and evaluation activities for the program;

`(B) maintaining insight into contractor activities under the program and overseeing the test and evaluation activities of other participating government activities under the program; and

`(C) helping program managers make technically informed, objective judgments about contractor developmental test and evaluation results under the program.

`(3) RESPONSIBILITIES OF LEAD DEVELOPMENTAL TEST AND EVALUATION ORGANIZATION- The lead developmental test and evaluation organization for a major defense acquisition program shall be responsible for--

`(A) providing technical expertise on testing and evaluation issues to the chief developmental tester for the program;

`(B) conducting developmental testing and evaluation activities for the program, as directed by the chief developmental tester; and

`(C) assisting the chief developmental tester in providing oversight of contractors under the program and in reaching technically informed, objective judgments about contractor developmental test and evaluation results under the program.'.

The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 806) that would strengthen management of developmental test and evaluation for major defense acquisition programs.

The House bill contained no similar provision.

The House recedes.

Senate Report 112-26

Management of developmental test and evaluation for major defense acquisition programs (sec. 806)

The committee recommends a provision that would require that each major defense acquisition program of the Department of Defense be supported by a chief developmental tester and a lead developmental test and evaluation organization, and that the chief developmental tester for each such program be a government employee.