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

Subtitle D--Acquisition Workforce Matters

P. L. 111-

House Conference Report 111-288

    (a) Comptroller General Report on the Government-wide Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan required by section 869 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417; 122 Stat. 4553) is completed, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report on the Plan.

    (b) Matters Covered.--The report required under subsection (a) shall include assessments of the following:

    (1) The methodologies used to formulate the Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan and its recommendations.

    (2) The extent to which the Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan addresses previously identified shortcomings in the acquisition workforce and prior efforts by agencies to develop acquisition workforce plans, including the strategies used to identify and hire acquisition personnel.

    (3) The feasibility of the Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan's recommendations and associated time frames for implementation, particularly as they relate to the development of a sustainable funding model and the applicability of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund model to civilian agencies.

    (4) The extent to which the Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan considered the use by agencies of contractor personnel to supplement the acquisition workforce.

    (5) Whether the Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan considered the full range of laws, regulations, and policies that currently apply to the acquisition workforce.

    (6) The extent to which the Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan considered the specific training and retention tools (whether located within or outside an agency) used to professionally develop and retain acquisition personnel, including the following:

    (A) The Defense Acquisition University.

    (B) The Federal Acquisition Institute.

    (C) Continuing education and professional development opportunities available to acquisition professionals.

    (D) Opportunities to pursue higher education available to acquisition personnel, including scholarships and student loan forgiveness.

    (7) Such other matters, findings, and recommendations as the Comptroller General considers appropriate.

    (c) Relevant Committees.--In this section, the term ``relevant committees'' means each of the following:

    (1) The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives.

    (2) The Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.

    (3) The Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the Senate.

    (4) The Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.

   The House bill contained a provision (sec. 833) that would require the Comptroller General to convene a panel of experts to study the ethics, competence, and effectiveness of acquisition personnel in federal agencies.

   The Senate amendment contained no similar provision.

   The Senate recedes with an amendment requiring that the Comptroller General review and report to Congress on the Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan developed pursuant to Sec. 869 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417). The report shall include a review of the methodologies used to formulate the plan and the extent to which the plan identified shortcomings in the acquisition workforce, highlighted strategies needed to recruit appropriately qualified personnel, and considered the specific training and retention tools needed to professionally develop and retain such personnel.