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SEC. 843. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HIRING AND
TRAINING OF THE ACQUISITION WORKFORCE.
(a) Use Of Funds From The Defense
Acquisition Workforce Development Fund To Pay Salaries Of
Personnel To Manage The Fund.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection 1705(e) of
title 10, United States Code, is amended—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by inserting “(A)” before
“Subject to the provisions of this subsection”; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(B) Amounts in the Fund also may be
used to pay salaries of personnel at the Office of the
Secretary of Defense, military departments, and Defense
Agencies to manage the Fund.”; and
(B) in paragraph (3)—
(i) by striking “and” at the end
of subparagraph (C);
(ii) by striking the period and inserting “; and” at the
end of subparagraph (D); and
(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(E) describing the amount from the
Fund that may be used to pay salaries of personnel at the
Office of the Secretary of Defense, military departments,
and Defense Agencies to manage the Fund and the
circumstances under which such amounts may be used for such
purpose.”.
(2) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Defense shall issue, and submit to the congressional defense
committees, the policy guidance required by subparagraph (E)
of section 1705(e)(3) of title 10, United States Code, as
added by paragraph (1).
(b) Comptroller General Review Of
Effectiveness Of Hiring And Retention Flexibilities For
Acquisition Workforce Personnel.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than June
30, 2019, the Comptroller General of the United States shall
submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the
effectiveness of hiring and retention flexibilities for the
acquisition workforce.
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report under this subsection shall include
the following:
(A) A determination of the extent to
which the Department of Defense experiences challenges with
recruitment and retention of the acquisition workforce, such
as post-employment restrictions.
(B) A description of the hiring and retention flexibilities
available to the Department to fill civilian acquisition
positions and the extent to which the Department has used
the flexibilities available to it to target critical or
understaffed career fields.
(C) A determination of the extent to which the Department
has the necessary data and metrics on its use of hiring and
retention flexibilities for the civilian acquisition
workforce to strategically manage the use of such
flexibilities.
(D) An identification of the factors that affect the use of
hiring and retention flexibilities for the civilian
acquisition workforce.
(E) Recommendations for any necessary changes to the hiring
and retention flexibilities available to the Department to
fill civilian acquisition positions.
(F) A description of the flexibilities available to the
Department to remove underperforming members of the
acquisition workforce and the extent to which any such
flexibilities are used.
(c) Assessment And Report Required On
Business-Related Training For The Acquisition Workforce.—
(1) ASSESSMENT.—The Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall conduct an
assessment of the following:
(A) The effectiveness of industry
certifications, other industry training programs, including
fellowships, and training and education programs at
educational institutions outside of the Defense Acquisition
University available to defense acquisition workforce
personnel.
(B) Gaps in knowledge of industry operations, industry
motivation, and business acumen in the acquisition
workforce.
(2) REPORT.—Not later than December
31, 2018, the Under Secretary shall submit to the Committees
on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of
Representatives a report containing the results of the
assessment conducted under this subsection.
(3) ELEMENTS.—The assessment and report under paragraphs (1)
and (2) shall address the following:
(A) Current sources of training and
career development opportunities, industry rotations, and
other career development opportunities related to knowledge
of industry operations, industry motivation, and business
acumen for each acquisition position, as designated under
section 1721 of title 10, United States Code.
(B) Gaps in training, industry rotations, and other career
development opportunities related to knowledge of industry
operations, industry motivation, and business acumen for
each such acquisition position.
(C) Plans to address those gaps for each such acquisition
position.
(D) Consideration of the role industry-taught classes and
classes taught at educational institutions outside of the
Defense Acquisition University could play in addressing
gaps.
(d) Comptroller General Review Of
Acquisition Training For Non-Acquisition Workforce Personnel.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than June
30, 2019, the Comptroller General of the United States shall
submit to the congressional defense committees a report on
acquisition-related training for personnel working on
acquisitions but not considered to be part of the
acquisition workforce (as defined in section 101(18) of
title 10, United States Code) (hereafter in this subsection
referred to as “non-acquisition workforce personnel”).
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report shall address the following:
(A) The extent to which
non-acquisition workforce personnel play a significant
role in defining requirements, conducting market research,
participating in source selection and contract negotiation
efforts, and overseeing contract performance.
(B) The extent to which the Department is able to identify
and track non-acquisition workforce personnel performing
the roles identified in subparagraph (A).
(C) The extent to which non-acquisition workforce
personnel are taking acquisition training.
(D) The extent to which the Defense Acquisition Workforce
Development Fund has been used to provide acquisition
training to non-acquisition workforce personnel.
(E) A description of sources of funding other than the
Fund that are available to and used by the Department to
provide non-acquisition workforce personnel with
acquisition training.
(F) The extent to which additional acquisition training is
needed for non-acquisition workforce personnel, including
the types of training needed, the positions that need the
training, and any challenges to delivering necessary
additional training.
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Improvements to the hiring and training of the acquisition
workforce (sec. 843)
The House bill contained a provision (sec. 822) that would
amend section 1705 of title 10, United States Code, to authorize
the use of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund to
pay salaries of personnel to manage the Fund. The section also
would require the Comptroller General of the United States to
submit a report to the congressional defense committees on the
effectiveness of existing hiring flexibilities for the
acquisition workforce, as well as the need for acquisition
training for personnel who work in acquisition programs but are
not formally considered part of the acquisition workforce. The
provision would require the Department of Defense to evaluate
gaps in knowledge of industry operations, industry motivation,
and business acumen in the acquisition workforce, and would
require the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to submit a report on this evaluation to the
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of
Representatives by December 31, 2018. Lastly, the provision
would require the Director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency
to provide a briefing to the Committees on Armed Services of the
Senate and the House of Representatives, not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, on strategies to
enhance the professionalization of the Agency’s workforce to meet increasing
demands.
The Senate amendment contained no
similar provision.
The Senate recedes with an amendment that would remove the
requirement for the briefing by the Director of the Defense
Contract Audit Agency and would add additional study elements
for the reviews to be conducted by the Comptroller General of
the United States and the Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Sustainment. |
