Department of Veterans Affairs major acquisition program managers

Subchapter VI of chapter 81 of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 2, is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 8183. Major acquisition program managers (a) Appointments Not later than 30 days after any date on which the Secretary approves a major acquisition program to commence, the applicable Program Executive Officer shall appoint a manager to be responsible for administering such program. (b) Qualifications Each manager appointed pursuant to subsection (a) shall be— (1) certified in project management at level three by— (A) the Department; (B) the Federal Acquisition Institute pursuant to section 1201 of title 41; or (C) the Department of Defense pursuant to section 1701a of title 10; or (2) hold an equivalent certification by a private sector project management certification organization, as determined appropriate by the Secretary. (c) Duties Each manager appointed pursuant to subsection (a) for a major acquisition program shall— (1) report to the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition through the Program Executive Officer responsible for the major acquisition program; and (2) shall be responsible for, with respect to the major acquisition program— (A) developing, in coordination with the Program Executive Officer, a plan to administer the major acquisition program, which shall be known as the program baseline for the major acquisition program, that includes— (i) a description of each acquisition phase of the major acquisition program; (ii) for each such acquisition phase, requirements for advancing the major acquisition program to a subsequent acquisition phase; and (iii) estimates of the cost, schedule, and performance of the major acquisition program that account for the entire life cycle of the major acquisition program; (B) ensuring the major acquisition program is in compliance with such requirements and providing all program documentation, including program baseline documentation, cost, schedule, performance and risk assessments, and other relevant materials, to designated officials and relevant governance boards; (C) developing resource requests and justifications necessary to satisfy such requirements; and (D) on a continuous basis, assessing and managing risks to satisfying the requirements of such program baseline relating to cost and schedule. (d) Program decision authority The Secretary shall ensure that— (1) program decision authority for oversight of a major acquisition program is the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition; and (2) program management offices for major acquisition programs are independent of the Veterans Benefits Administration, the Veterans Health Administration, the National Cemetery Administration, and staff offices of the Department by reporting directly to the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition. (e) Program decision authority notification required Not later than 30 days after any date on which a major acquisition program concludes an acquisition phase, the manager of such program appointed pursuant to subsection (a) shall notify the program decision authority under subsection (c)..