The Defense Department has begun preliminary work to divide its current acquisition, technology and logistics organization into two offices to comply with a fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act provision, Federal News Radio reported Tuesday.Scott Maucione writes Congress asked DoD to submit an implementation plan for the AT&L reorganization effort in August and complete the establishment of the new functions by February next year.
The 2017 NDAA requires the department to split the current AT&L office’s responsibilities between an undersecretary for research and engineering and an undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment.
Mary Miller, acting assistant defense secretary for research and engineering, said at a National Defense Industrial Association-hosted forum in Washington the proposed R&E office will manage the allocation of resources, experimentation, prototyping, technology development and transition efforts across DoD.
Miller added the future acquisition and sustainment office will oversee the department’s acquisition policy design, contract administration, industrial base policy, logistics, maintenance, sustainment policy and procurement of goods and services.
DoD assembled a small cross functional team to assess how a reorganized AT&L will align with the chief management office, the report noted.
