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 Deputy Secretary shall appoint a manager to be responsible for administering such program. (b) Duties Each manager appointed pursuant to subsection (a) shall report to the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Innovation and shall be responsible for, with respect to the applicable major acquisition program— (1) developing, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary, and functional teams responsible for the program requirements, a plan to administer such program, to be known as the program baseline, that includes— (A) a description of each acquisition phase of such program; (B) for each such acquisition phase, requirements for advancing such program to a subsequent acquisition phase; and (C) estimates of the cost, schedule, and performance of such program that account for the entire life cycle of such program; (2) ensuring such program is in compliance with such requirements; (3) securing funding necessary to satisfy such requirements; (4) adopting standardized processes with established success to support the progress of such program, including— (A) milestones; (B) exit criteria; and (C) specific accomplishments; (5) to the extent practicable, ensuring that personnel of the Department responsible for estimating the budget and cost of such program are provided with an opportunity to raise concerns relating to such budget and cost prior to the establishment of the program baseline under paragraph (1); (6) on a continuous basis, assessing and managing risks to satisfying the requirements of such program baseline relating to cost and schedule; (7) ensure such program complies with cost accounting standards, as applicable; (8) establishing a workforce for such program that is qualified and sufficient to perform the necessary functions of such program; and (9) ensuring such program has adequate technology and production capacity prior to commencing an acquisition phase of such program related to manufacturing, if applicable. (c) Consideration of alternate requirements Not later than 90 days after any date on which a manager appointed pursuant to subsection (a) establishes a program baseline described in subsection (b)(1), such manager shall submit to the program decision authority under subsection (d) a certification that such manager considered establishing alternate requirements in such program baseline relating to the cost, schedule, and performance of each acquisition phase of such program prior to establishing such program baseline. (d) Program decision authority The Secretary shall ensure that— (1) program decision authority for oversight of a major acquisition program of the Department is the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Innovation; 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 Department staff offices by reporting directly to the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Innovation. (e) Program decision authority authorization required (1) 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 (d). (2) Such manager may not advance such program to a subsequent acquisition phase without the authorization of such program decision authority under subsection (d)..

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 Deputy Secretary shall appoint a manager to be responsible for administering such program. (b) Duties Each manager appointed pursuant to subsection (a) shall report to the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Innovation and shall be responsible for, with respect to the applicable major acquisition program— (1) developing, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary, and functional teams responsible for the program requirements, a plan to administer such program, to be known as the program baseline, that includes— (A) a description of each acquisition phase of such program; (B) for each such acquisition phase, requirements for advancing such program to a subsequent acquisition phase; and (C) estimates of the cost, schedule, and performance of such program that account for the entire life cycle of such program; (2) ensuring such program is in compliance with such requirements; (3) securing funding necessary to satisfy such requirements; (4) adopting standardized processes with established success to support the progress of such program, including— (A) milestones; (B) exit criteria; and (C) specific accomplishments; (5) to the extent practicable, ensuring that personnel of the Department responsible for estimating the budget and cost of such program are provided with an opportunity to raise concerns relating to such budget and cost prior to the establishment of the program baseline under paragraph (1); (6) on a continuous basis, assessing and managing risks to satisfying the requirements of such program baseline relating to cost and schedule; (7) ensure such program complies with cost accounting standards, as applicable; (8) establishing a workforce for such program that is qualified and sufficient to perform the necessary functions of such program; and (9) ensuring such program has adequate technology and production capacity prior to commencing an acquisition phase of such program related to manufacturing, if applicable. (c) Consideration of alternate requirements Not later than 90 days after any date on which a manager appointed pursuant to subsection (a) establishes a program baseline described in subsection (b)(1), such manager shall submit to the program decision authority under subsection (d) a certification that such manager considered establishing alternate requirements in such program baseline relating to the cost, schedule, and performance of each acquisition phase of such program prior to establishing such program baseline. (d) Program decision authority The Secretary shall ensure that— (1) program decision authority for oversight of a major acquisition program of the Department is the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Innovation; 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 Department staff offices by reporting directly to the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Innovation. (e) Program decision authority authorization required (1) 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 (d). (2) Such manager may not advance such program to a subsequent acquisition phase without the authorization of such program decision authority under subsection (d)..