Sec. 201. Definitions
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Subtitle D of title VIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting before section 831 the following new section: In this subtitle: The term acquisition has the meaning given such term in section 131 of title 41, United States Code. The term acquisition decision authority means the authority, held by the Secretary acting through the Deputy Secretary or Under Secretary for Management to— ensure compliance with Federal law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and Department acquisition management directives; review (including approving, pausing, modifying, or canceling) an acquisition program through the life cycle of such program; ensure that acquisition program managers have the resources necessary to successfully execute an approved acquisition program; ensure good acquisition program management of cost, schedule, risk, and system performance of the acquisition program at issue, including assessing acquisition program baseline breaches and directing any corrective action for such breaches; and ensure that acquisition program managers, on an ongoing basis, monitor cost, schedule, and performance against established baselines and use tools to assess risks to an acquisition program at all phases of the life cycle of such program to avoid and mitigate acquisition program baseline breaches.
The term acquisition decision event means, with respect to an acquisition program, a predetermined point within each of the acquisition phases at which the acquisition decision authority determines whether such acquisition program shall proceed to the next acquisition phase. The term acquisition decision memorandum means, with respect to an acquisition, the official acquisition decision event record that includes a documented record of decisions, exit criteria, and assigned actions for such acquisition, as determined by the person exercising acquisition decision authority for such acquisition.
The term acquisition program means the process by which the Department acquires, with any appropriated amounts, by contract for purchase or lease, property or services (including construction) that support the missions and goals of the Department. The term acquisition program baseline , with respect to an acquisition program, means a summary of the cost, schedule, and performance parameters, expressed in standard, measurable, quantitative terms, which must be met in order to accomplish the goals of such program.
The term best practices , with respect to acquisition, means a knowledge-based approach to capability development that includes— identifying and validating needs; assessing alternatives to select the most appropriate solution; clearly establishing well-defined requirements; developing realistic cost assessments and schedules; securing stable funding that matches resources to requirements; demonstrating technology, design, and manufacturing maturity; using milestones and exit criteria or specific accomplishments that demonstrate progress; adopting and executing standardized processes with known success across programs; establishing an adequate workforce that is qualified and sufficient to perform necessary functions; and integrating the capabilities described in subparagraphs
(A)through
(I)into the Department’s mission and business operations. The term breach , with respect to a major acquisition program, means a failure to meet any cost, schedule, or performance threshold specified in the most recently approved acquisition program baseline. The term congressional homeland security committees means— the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and of the Senate. The term Component Acquisition Executive means the senior acquisition official within a component who is designated in writing by the Under Secretary for Management, in consultation with the component head, with authority and responsibility for leading a process and staff to provide acquisition and program management oversight, policy, and guidance to ensure that statutory, regulatory, and higher level policy requirements are fulfilled, including compliance with Federal law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and Department acquisition management directives established by the Under Secretary for Management. The term life cycle cost means the total ownership cost of an acquisition, including all relevant costs related to acquiring, owning, operating, maintaining, and disposing of the system, project, or product over a specified period of time. The term major acquisition program means a Department acquisition program that is estimated by the Secretary to require an eventual total expenditure of at least $300,000,000 (based on fiscal year 2017 constant dollars) over its life cycle cost. . The table of contents in section 1(b) of such Act is further amended by inserting before the item relating to section 831 the following new item: 830. Definitions. .