50 U.S.C. § 2411 Director For Cost Estimating and Program Evaluation

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023 Edition
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-19 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/06/2023)

(a) Establishment

(1) There is in the Administration a Director for Cost Estimating and Program Evaluation (in this section referred to as the "Director").

(2) The position of the Director shall be a Senior Executive Service position (as defined in section 3132(a) of title 5).

(b) Duties

(1) The Director shall be the principal advisor to the Administrator, the Deputy Secretary of Energy, and the Secretary of Energy with respect to cost estimation and program evaluation for the Administration. The Director shall report directly to the Administrator.

(2) The Administrator may not delegate responsibility for receiving or acting on communications from the Director with respect to cost estimation and program evaluation for the Administration.

(c) Activities for cost estimation

(1) The Director shall be the responsible for the following activities relating to cost estimation:

(A) Advising the Administrator on policies and procedures for cost analysis and estimation by the Administration, including the determination of confidence levels with respect to cost estimates.

(B) Reviewing cost estimates and evaluating the performance baseline for each major atomic energy defense acquisition program.

(C) Advising the Administrator on policies and procedures for developing technology readiness assessments for major atomic energy defense acquisition programs that are consistent with the guidelines of the Department of Energy for technology readiness assessments.

(D) Reviewing technology readiness assessments for such programs to ensure that such programs are meeting levels of confidence associated with appropriate overall system performance.

(E) As directed by the Administrator, conducting independent cost estimates for such programs.

(2) A review, evaluation, or cost estimate conducted under subparagraph (B), (D), or (E) of paragraph (1) shall be considered an inherently governmental function, but the Director may use data collected by a national security laboratory or a management and operating contractor of the Administration in conducting such a review, evaluation, or cost estimate.

(3) The Director shall submit in writing to the Administrator the following:

(A) The certification of the Director with respect to each review, evaluation, and cost estimate conducted under subparagraph (B), (D), or (E) of paragraph (1).

(B) A statement of the confidence level of the Director with respect to each such review, evaluation, and cost estimate, including an identification of areas of uncertainty, risk, and opportunity discovered in conducting each such review, evaluation, and cost estimate.