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SEC. 838. IMPROVEMENTS TO TEST AND
EVALUATION PROCESSES AND TOOLS.
(a) Developmental Test Plan Sufficiency
Assessments.—
(1) ADDITION TO MILESTONE B BRIEF
SUMMARY REPORT.—Section 2366b(c)(1) of title 10, United States
Code, is amended—
(A) by redesignating subparagraph
(G) as subparagraph (H); and
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following new
subparagraph (G):
“(G) An assessment of the sufficiency
of developmental test and evaluation plans, including the use
of automated data analytics or modeling and simulation tools
and methodologies.”.
(2) ADDITION TO MILESTONE C BRIEF SUMMARY REPORT.—Section
2366c(a) of such title is amended by inserting after paragraph
(3) the following new paragraph:
“(4) An assessment of the
sufficiency of the developmental test and evaluation
completed, including the use of automated data analytics or
modeling and simulation tools and methodologies.”.
(3) RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONDUCTING
ASSESSMENTS.—For purposes of the sufficiency assessments
required by section 2366b(c)(1) and section 2366c(a)(4) of
such title, as added by paragraphs (1) and (2), with respect
to a major defense acquisition program—
(A) if the milestone decision
authority for the program is the service acquisition
executive of the military department that is managing the
program, the sufficiency assessment shall be conducted by
the senior official within the military department with
responsibility for developmental testing; and
(B) if the milestone decision authority for the program is
the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and
Sustainment, the sufficiency assessment shall be conducted
by the senior Department of Defense official with
responsibility for developmental testing.
(4) GUIDANCE REQUIRED.—Within one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the senior
Department of Defense official with responsibility for
developmental testing shall develop guidance for the
sufficiency assessments required by section 2366b(c)(1) and
section 2366c(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code, as added
by paragraphs (1) and (2). At a minimum, the guidance shall
require—
(A) for the sufficiency assessment
required by section 2366b(c)(1) of such title, that the
assessment address the sufficiency of—
(i) the developmental test and
evaluation plan;
(ii) the developmental test and evaluation schedule,
including a comparison to historic analogous systems;
(iii) the developmental test and evaluation resources
(facilities, personnel, test assets, data analytics tools,
and modeling and simulation capabilities);
(iv) the risks of developmental test and production
concurrency; and
(v) the developmental test criteria for entering the
production phase; and
(B) for the sufficiency assessment
required by section 2366c(a)(4) of such title, that the
assessment address—
(i) the sufficiency of the
developmental test and evaluation completed;
(ii) the sufficiency of the plans and resources available
for remaining developmental test and evaluation;
(iii) the risks identified during developmental testing to
the production and deployment phase;
(iv) the sufficiency of the plans and resources for
remaining developmental test and evaluation; and
(v) the readiness of the system to perform scheduled
initial operational test and evaluation.
(b) Evaluation Of Department Of Defense
Need For Centralized Tools For Developmental Test And
Evaluation.—The Secretary of Defense shall evaluate the strategy
of the Department of Defense for developing and expanding the
use of tools designed to facilitate the cost effectiveness and
efficiency of developmental testing, including automated test
methods and tools, modeling and simulation tools, and data
analytics technologies. The evaluation shall include a
determination of the appropriate role of the senior Department
of Defense official with responsibility for developmental
testing in developing enterprise level strategies related to
such types of testing tools. |
Improvements to test and evaluation processes and tools (sec.
838)
The House bill contained a provision (sec. 815) that would
amend sections 2366b and 2366c of title 10, United States Code,
to require an assessment of the sufficiency of the developmental
test plan and resources for each major defense acquisition
program (MDAP) be included in the “acquisition scorecards” that were created in
section 808 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328).
The Senate amendment contained no
similar provision.
The Senate recedes with an amendment
that would make technical clarifications. |
