12 2 STA T . 221 PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 1 8 1 —J A N .28 , 2008 (b)ELEM E NTS.—Ther e po r t re qui re d b ys ubse c tio n ( a ) sha l l include the results o f are v ie w, conducted by the C o m ptroller G en - eral for purposes of the report, re g arding the feasibility and advis- ability of, at a minimum, the following
( 1 ) R evising the acquisition process for ma j or defense acquisition programs by establishing shorter, more frequent acquisition program milestones. ( 2 ) Requiring certifications of program status to the defense acquisition e x ecutive and Congress prior to milestone approval for major defense acquisition programs. ( 3 ) Establishing a new office (to be k nown as the ‘ ‘ O ffice of I ndependent A ssessment ’ ’) to provide independent cost esti- mates and performance estimates for major defense acquisition programs. ( 4 ) Requiring the milestone decision authority for a major defense acquisition program to specify, at the time of M ilestone B approval, or K ey D ecision P oint B approval, as applicable, the period of time that will be required to deliver an initial operational capability to the relevant combatant commanders. ( 5 ) Establishing a materiel solutions process for addressing identified gaps in critical warfighting capabilities, under which process the U nder S ecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Tech- nology, and L ogistics circulates among the military departments and appropriate Defense Agencies a request for proposals for technologies and systems to address such gaps. ( 6 ) Modifying the role played by chiefs of staff of the Armed F orces in the requirements, resource allocation, and acquisition processes. ( 7 ) Establishing a process in which the commanders of combatant commands assess, and provide input on, the capabili- ties needed to successfully accomplish the missions in the oper- ational and contingency plans of their commands over a long- term planning hori z on of 15 years or more, taking into account expected changes in threats, the geo-political environment, and doctrine, training, and operational concepts. (c) C O NS U LT A T I ON.—In conducting the review required under subsection (b) for the report required by subsection (a), the Comp- troller General shall obtain the views of the following: (1) Senior acquisition officials currently serving in the Department of Defense. (2) Senior military officers involved in setting requirements for the joint staff, the Armed Forces, and the combatant com- mands currently serving in the Department of Defense. (3) Individuals who formerly served as senior acquisition officials in the Department of Defense. (4) Participants in previous reviews of the organization and structure of the Department of Defense for the acquisition of major weapon systems, including the President’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management in 1 98 6. (5) Other experts on the acquisition of major weapon sys- tems. (6) Appropriate experts in the Government Accountability Office.
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