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

Subtitle H — Other Matters

P. L. 115-

House Conference Report. 115-874

(a) Program Authorized.—The Secretary of Defense shall establish an exchange program under which the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall arrange for the temporary assignment of civilian personnel in the Department of Defense acquisition workforce.

(b) Purposes.—The purposes of the exchange program established pursuant to subsection (a) are—

(1) to familiarize personnel from the acquisition workforce with the equities, priorities, processes, culture, and workforce of the acquisition-related defense agencies;

(2) to enable participants in the exchange program to return the expertise gained through their exchanges to their original organizations; and

(3) to improve communication between and integration of the organizations that support the policy, implementation, and oversight of defense acquisition through lasting relationships.

(c) Participants.—

(1) NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS.—The Under Secretary shall select not less than 10 and no more than 20 participants per year for participation in the exchange program established under subsection (a).

(2) CRITERIA FOR SELECTION.—The Under Secretary shall select participants for the exchange program established under subsection (a) from among mid-career employees and based on—

(A) the qualifications and desire to participate in the program of the employee; and

(B) the technical needs and capacities of the acquisition workforce, as applicable.

(d) Terms.—Exchanges pursuant to the exchange program established under subsection (a) shall be for terms of one to two years, as determined and negotiated by the Under Secretary. The terms may begin and end on a rolling basis.

(e) Guidance And Implementation.—

(1) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall develop and submit to the congressional defense committees interim guidance on the form and contours of the exchange program established under subsection (a).

(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall implement the guidance developed under paragraph (1).

The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 843) that would require the Secretary of Defense to establish an exchange program that would temporarily assign civilian personnel working in the defense acquisition workforce, as defined by chapter 87 of title 10, United States Code, to a rotational program that would broaden the skills and expertise of participants and improve communication within and integration of the acquisition community.

The House bill contained no similar provision.

The House recedes.