Sec. 303. Acquisition authorities for technical support offices
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Subtitle D of title VIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: Within the Department, there shall be an Office of Test and Evaluation to— provide test and evaluation support across the Department; and serve as the liaison with other Federal agencies, foreign, Tribal, State, and local governments; the private sector; educational institutions; and other entities with regards to test and evaluation matters. The Office of Test and Evaluation shall be led by a Director to oversee the requirements specified in paragraph
(1)and to carry out the following responsibilities: Establish and update as necessary test and evaluation policies, procedures, and guidance for the Department. Ensure, in coordination with relevant component heads, that major acquisition programs— complete reviews of operational requirements to ensure the requirements are informed by threats, including physical and cyber threats, and are measurable, testable, and achievable within the constraints of cost and schedule; complete independent testing and evaluation of technologies and systems throughout development; complete operational testing and evaluation that includes all system components and incorporates operators into the testing to ensure that systems meet the mission need as intended in the appropriate operational setting; use independent verification and validation of test and evaluation implementation and results, as appropriate; and document whether such programs meet all operational requirements. Provide oversight of test and evaluation for the Department’s major acquisition programs throughout the acquisition life cycle by— approving program test and evaluation master plans, plans for individual test and evaluation events, and other related documentation, as deemed appropriate by the Director; approving the independent test and evaluation agent or third-party tester selected for each program; and providing an independent assessment to the acquisition decision authority that assesses a program’s progress in meeting operational requirements and operational effectiveness, suitability, and resilience to inform production and deployment decisions. Determine if testing conducted by other Federal departments and agencies, private or third-party entities, and educational institutions is relevant and sufficient in determining whether systems perform as intended. Within one year of the date of enactment of this Act, and each year thereafter, the Director of the Office of Test and Evaluation shall prepare a report summarizing the test and evaluation activities of the Department’s major acquisition programs during the preceding fiscal year. Each report shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. Each report shall— be submitted concurrently to the Secretary, Under Secretary for Management, the component heads, and the congressional homeland security committees (as such term is defined in section 830); summarize the adequacy of any test and evaluation activities conducted for each major acquisition program in the fiscal year, including the assessment of results in demonstrating progress against program operational requirements and determination of operational effectiveness, suitability, and resilience; assess the waivers of and deviations from program test and evaluation plans that occurred during the fiscal year, any concerns raised by the waivers or deviations, and the actions that have been taken or are planned to be taken to address the concerns; and include any other comments and recommendations deemed appropriate, including comments and recommendations on resources and facilities available for test and evaluation and levels of funding made available for test and evaluation activities. Within the Department, there shall be an Office of Systems Engineering and Standards to— provide systems engineering, standards, and human systems integration support across the Department; and serve as the liaison with other Federal agencies, foreign, Tribal, State, and local governments; the private sector; educational institutions; and other entities with regards to systems engineering, standards, and human systems integration matters. The Office of Systems Engineering and Standards shall be led by a Director to oversee the requirements specified in subsection
(1)and to carry out the following responsibilities: Establish and update as necessary systems engineering, standards, and human systems integration policies, procedures, and guidance for the Department. Ensure, in coordination with relevant component heads, that major acquisition programs— integrate applicable standards into development specifications; and complete systems engineering reviews and technical assessments during development to inform production and deployment decisions. Provide oversight of systems engineering, standards, and human systems integration for the Department’s major acquisition programs throughout the acquisition life cycle by— approving program systems engineering lifecycle tailoring plans; and providing independent assessments, in coordination with the Office of the Chief Information Officer as appropriate, of a program’s technical approach, and any significant changes to the technical approach, to inform key acquisition decisions, such as initiating development; and participating in program systems engineering lifecycle technical reviews. . The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 835, as added by this Act, the following new items: Sec. 836. Technical support offices. .
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Sec. 303
Acquisition authorities for technical support offices
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