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Undersecretary for Business Management and Information

Undersecretary for Business Management and Information, Department of Defense
Responsibility
Management Scope

In fiscal 2016, the Department of Defense base budget was $521.7 billion. DOD has 2.1 million active and reserve service members and just under 930,000 civilian personnel.

Primary Responsibilities

• Also serves as the performance improvement officer and the chief information officer of the department
• Assists the deputy secretary of defense in the deputy secretary’s role as the chief management officer of the Department of Defense
• Supervises the management of the business operations of the Department of Defense and adjudicates issues and conflicts in functional domain business policies
• Establishes business strategic planning and performance management policies and measures, and develops the Department of Defense Strategic Management Plan
• Establishes business information technology portfolio policies and oversees investment management of that portfolio for the Department of Defense
• Establishes end-to-end business process and policies for establishing, eliminating and implementing business standards, and manages the Business Enterprise Architecture
• Supervises the business process reengineering of the functional domains of the department in order to support investment planning and technology development decision-making for information technology systems
• As the chief information officer, exercises authority, direction, and control over the Information Assurance Directorate of the National Security Agency (Public Law 113-291)

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Appointed from civilian life (Public Law 113-291)
• Knowledge of the department’s functions and policies (the broader the experience base, the better)
• Strength in broad business operations (a plus)
• Management and operational experience provide credibility to the candidate, given the acute focus on business operations (this is important given the change-management challenge associated with adopting new and different ways of doing business)
• Strong relationships with relevant stakeholders, or the ability to form them, given that the role is cross-functional and cross-organizational

Competencies

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent leadership skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to focus on good government and achieving better outcomes
• Ability to work effectively across functional and organizational boundaries

Past Appointments
  • (former deputy chief management officers)
  • Peter Levine (2015 to 2016): Roles as Staff Director, General Counsel and Minority Counsel on the Senate Armed Services Committee from August 1996 to February 20152
  • Elizabeth A. McGrath (2010 to 2013): Principal Deputy for Business Transformation, Office of the Secretary of Defense; Deputy Director for Systems Integration, Defense Finance and Accounting Service, DOD; several Program Management roles culminating in Program Executive Office-level oversight responsibility3
AGENCY

Department of Defense

Mission: The mission of the Department of Defense is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country.

COMPENSATION

Level III $165,300 (5 U.S.C. § 5314)1

REPORTS TO

Deputy Secretary of Defense (Public Law 113-291)

SENATE COMMITTEE

Armed Services

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Footnote
  1. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
  2. http://www.defense.gov/About-DoD/Biographies/Biography-View/Article/606617/peter-levine
  3. http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS26/20130313/100444/HHRG-113-AS26-Bio-McGrathE-20130313.pdf
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