Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation

The director has three direct reports: the principal deputy director of cost assessment and program evaluation; the deputy director for cost assessment; and the deputy director for program evaluation. The director oversees a budget of about $50 million.

• Serves as a principal advisor to the secretary of defense and other senior DOD officials
• Issues guidance for the treatment of risk and confidence levels in support of preparation of cost estimates within DOD⁶

• Identifies key issues that should be considered during the programming and budgeting phases of the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System (PPBS) process in the Office of the Secretary of Defense

• Program evaluation: provides analyses of defense policy issues that help senior leaders decide among issues, and presents those issues to the most senior leaders

• Cost analysis: ensures that DOD provides decision-makers with accurate assessments of the future cost to buy and operate defense weapons

• Organizes and runs the programming portion of the PPBS process in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, with assistance from the undersecretary (comptroller)

• Assists the undersecretary (comptroller) in organizing and running the budget portion of the PPBS process in the Office of the Secretary of Defense

• Formulates analyses of alternatives for major defense acquisition programs and assesses the performance of such analyses, as directed by the secretary of defense (10 U.S.C. § 139a)

• Leads the development of improved analytical skills and competencies within DOD’s cost assessment and program-evaluation workforce(10 U.S.C. § 139a)

• Co-chairs, along with the undersecretary of defense for policy and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, serving as the executive secretary of the governance group that oversees support to strategic analysis activities⁷

• Serves on boards, committees and other groups pertaining to the Office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation’s functional areas, and represents the secretary and deputy secretary of defense on related matters outside DOD⁸

• Coordinates and exchanges information with other officials within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the heads of the DOD components and heads of federal agencies having collateral or related responsibilities and functions⁹

• Communicates with other government officials, representatives of the legislative branch, members of the public and representatives of foreign governments, as appropriate, in carrying out assigned responsibilities and functions¹⁰

• Performs other duties assigned by the secretary or deputy secretary of defense¹¹

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[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]