[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 171 (Thursday, November 19, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8171-S8173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PROGRAM MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 288, S. 1550.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1550) to amend title 31, United States Code, to 
     establish entities tasked with improving program and project 
     management in certain Federal agencies, and for other 
     purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs, with an amendment to strike all after the 
enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:

                                S. 1550

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Program Management 
     Improvement Accountability Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR MANAGEMENT.

       (a) Additional Functions.--Section 503 of title 31, United 
     States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Program and Project Management.--
       ``(1) Requirement.--Subject to the direction and approval 
     of the Director, the Deputy Director for Management or a 
     designee shall--
       ``(A) adopt governmentwide standards, policies, and 
     guidelines for program and project management for executive 
     agencies;
       ``(B) oversee implementation of program and project 
     management for the standards, policies, and guidelines 
     established under subparagraph (A);
       ``(C) chair the Program Management Policy Council 
     established under section 1126(b);
       ``(D) establish standards and policies for executive 
     agencies, in accordance with widely accepted standards for 
     program and project management planning and delivery;
       ``(E) engage with the private sector to identify best 
     practices in program and project management that would 
     improve Federal program and project management;
       ``(F) conduct portfolio reviews to address programs 
     identified as high risk by the Government Accountability 
     Office;
       ``(G) not less than annually, conduct portfolio reviews of 
     agency programs in coordination with Project Management 
     Improvement Officers designated under section 1126(a)(1) to 
     assess the quality and effectiveness of program management; 
     and
       ``(H) establish a 5-year strategic plan for program and 
     project management.
       ``(2) Application to department of defense.--Paragraph (1) 
     shall not apply to the Department of Defense to the extent 
     that the provisions of that paragraph are substantially 
     similar to or duplicative of the provisions of the National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016.''.
       (b) Deadline for Standards, Policies, and Guidelines.--Not 
     later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of 
     Management and Budget shall issue the standards, policies, 
     and guidelines required under section 503(c) of title 31, 
     United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
       (c) Regulations.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
     which the standards, policies, and guidelines are issued 
     under subsection (b), the Deputy Director for Management of 
     the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the 
     Program Management Policy Council established under section 
     1126(b) of title 31, United States Code, as added by section 
     3(a), and the Director of the Office of Management and 
     Budget, shall issue any regulations as are necessary to 
     implement the requirements of section 503(c) of title 31, 
     United States Code, as added by subsection (a).

     SEC. 3. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT OFFICERS AND PROGRAM 
                   MANAGEMENT POLICY COUNCIL.

       (a) Amendment.--Chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``Sec. 1126. Program Management Improvement Officers and 
       Program Management Policy Council

       ``(a) Program Management Improvement Officers.--
       ``(1) Designation.--The head of each agency described in 
     section 901(b) shall designate a senior executive of the 
     agency as the Program Management Improvement Officer of the 
     agency.
       ``(2) Functions.--The Program Management Improvement 
     Officer of an agency designated under paragraph (1) shall--
       ``(A) implement program management policies established by 
     the agency under section 503(c); and
       ``(B) develop a strategy for enhancing the role of program 
     managers within the agency that includes the following:

[[Page S8172]]

       ``(i) Enhanced training and educational opportunities for 
     program managers that shall include--

       ``(I) training in the relevant competencies encompassed 
     with program and project manager within the private sector 
     for program managers; and
       ``(II) training that emphasizes cost containment for large 
     projects and programs.

       ``(ii) Mentoring of current and future program managers by 
     experienced senior executives and program managers within the 
     agency.
       ``(iii) Improved career paths and career opportunities for 
     program managers.
       ``(iv) A plan to encourage the recruitment and retention of 
     highly qualified individuals to serve as program managers.
       ``(v) Improved means of collecting and disseminating best 
     practices and lessons learned to enhance program management 
     across the agency.
       ``(vi) Common templates and tools to support improved data 
     gathering and analysis for program management and oversight 
     purposes.
       ``(3) Application to department of defense.--This 
     subsection shall not apply to the Department of Defense to 
     the extent that the provisions of this subsection are 
     substantially similar to or duplicative of the provisions of 
     the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016.
       ``(b) Program Management Policy Council.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Office of 
     Management and Budget a council to be known as the `Program 
     Management Policy Council' (in this subsection referred to as 
     the `Council').
       ``(2) Purpose and functions.--The Council shall act as the 
     principal interagency forum for improving agency practices 
     related to program and project management. The Council 
     shall--
       ``(A) advise and assist the Deputy Director for Management 
     of the Office of Management and Budget;
       ``(B) review programs identified as high risk by the 
     General Accountability Office and make recommendations for 
     actions to be taken by the Deputy Director for Management of 
     the Office of Management and Budget or a designee;
       ``(C) discuss topics of importance to the workforce, 
     including--
       ``(i) career development and workforce development needs;
       ``(ii) policy to support continuous improvement in program 
     and project management; and
       ``(iii) major challenges across agencies in managing 
     programs;
       ``(D) advise on the development and applicability of 
     standards governmentwide for program management transparency; 
     and
       ``(E) review the information published on the website of 
     the Office of Management and Budget pursuant to section 1122.
       ``(3) Membership.--
       ``(A) Composition.--The Council shall be composed of the 
     following members:
       ``(i) Five members from the Office of Management and Budget 
     as follows:

       ``(I) The Deputy Director for Management.
       ``(II) The Administrator of the Office of Electronic 
     Government.
       ``(III) The Administrator of Federal Procurement Policy.
       ``(IV) The Controller of the Office of Federal Financial 
     Management.
       ``(V) The Director of the Office of Performance and 
     Personnel Management.

       ``(ii) The Program Management Improvement Officer from each 
     agency described in section 901(b).
       ``(iii) Other individuals as determined appropriate by the 
     Chairperson.
       ``(B) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--
       ``(i) In general.--The Deputy Director for Management of 
     the Office of Management and Budget shall be the Chairperson 
     of the Council. A Vice Chairperson shall be elected by the 
     members and shall serve a term of not more than 1 year.
       ``(ii) Duties.--The Chairperson shall preside at the 
     meetings of the Council, determine the agenda of the Council, 
     direct the work of the Council, and establish and direct 
     subgroups of the Council as appropriate.
       ``(4) Meetings.--The Council shall meet not less than twice 
     per fiscal year and may meet at the call of the Chairperson 
     or a majority of the members of the Council.
       ``(5) Support.--The head of each agency with a Project 
     Management Improvement Officer serving on the Council shall 
     provide administrative support to the Council, as 
     appropriate, at the request of the Chairperson.
       ``(6) Committee duration.--Section 14(a)(2) of the Federal 
     Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
     Council.''.
       (b) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of 
     Management and Budget, in consultation with each Program 
     Management Improvement Officer designated under section 
     1126(a)(1) of title 31, United States Code, shall submit to 
     Congress a report containing the strategy developed under 
     section 1126(a)(2)(B) of such title, as added by subsection 
     (a).

     SEC. 4. PROGRAM AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL STANDARDS.

       (a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``agency'' means 
     each agency described in section 901(b) of title 31, United 
     States Code.
       (b) Regulations Required.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the date on which the standards, policies, and guidelines are 
     issued under section 503(c) of title 31, United States Code, 
     as added by section 2(a), the Director of the Office of 
     Personnel Management, in consultation with the Director of 
     the Office of Management and Budget, shall issue regulations 
     that--
       (1) identify key skills and competencies needed for a 
     program and project manager in an agency;
       (2) establish a new job series, or update and improve an 
     existing job series, for program and project management 
     within an agency; and
       (3) establish a new career path for program and project 
     managers within an agency.

     SEC. 5. GAO REPORT ON EFFECTIVENESS OF POLICIES ON PROGRAM 
                   AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT.

       Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Government Accountability Office shall issue, in 
     conjunction with the High Risk list of the Government 
     Accountability Office, a report examining the effectiveness 
     of the following on improving Federal program and project 
     management:
       (1) The standards, policies, and guidelines for program and 
     project management issued under section 503(c) of title 31, 
     United States Code, as added by section 2(a).
       (2) The 5-year strategic plan established under section 
     503(c)(1)(H) of title 31, United States Code, as added by 
     section 2(a).
       (3) Program Management Improvement Officers designated 
     under section 1126(a)(1) of title 31, United States Code, as 
     added by section 3(a).
       (4) The Program Management Policy Council established under 
     section 1126(b)(1) of title 31, United States Code, as added 
     by section 3(a).

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Ernst 
amendment be agreed to, the committee-reported substitute, as amended, 
be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, 
and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the 
table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2873) was agreed to, as follows:

                     (Purpose: To improve the bill)

       On page 11, line 22, strike ``in accordance'' and insert 
     ``consistent''.
       On page 12, lines 18 and 19, strike ``the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016'' and insert ``chapter 
     87 of title 10''.
       On page 15, lines 16 and 17, strike ``the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016'' and insert ``chapter 
     87 of title 10''.

  The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as amended, 
was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 1550), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1550

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Program Management 
     Improvement Accountability Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR MANAGEMENT.

       (a) Additional Functions.--Section 503 of title 31, United 
     States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Program and Project Management.--
       ``(1) Requirement.--Subject to the direction and approval 
     of the Director, the Deputy Director for Management or a 
     designee shall--
       ``(A) adopt governmentwide standards, policies, and 
     guidelines for program and project management for executive 
     agencies;
       ``(B) oversee implementation of program and project 
     management for the standards, policies, and guidelines 
     established under subparagraph (A);
       ``(C) chair the Program Management Policy Council 
     established under section 1126(b);
       ``(D) establish standards and policies for executive 
     agencies, consistent with widely accepted standards for 
     program and project management planning and delivery;
       ``(E) engage with the private sector to identify best 
     practices in program and project management that would 
     improve Federal program and project management;
       ``(F) conduct portfolio reviews to address programs 
     identified as high risk by the Government Accountability 
     Office;
       ``(G) not less than annually, conduct portfolio reviews of 
     agency programs in coordination with Project Management 
     Improvement Officers designated under section 1126(a)(1) to 
     assess the quality and effectiveness of program management; 
     and
       ``(H) establish a 5-year strategic plan for program and 
     project management.
       ``(2) Application to department of defense.--Paragraph (1) 
     shall not apply to the Department of Defense to the extent 
     that the provisions of that paragraph are substantially 
     similar to or duplicative of the provisions of chapter 87 of 
     title 10.''.
       (b) Deadline for Standards, Policies, and Guidelines.--Not 
     later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of 
     Management and Budget shall issue the standards, policies, 
     and guidelines required under section 503(c) of title 31, 
     United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
       (c) Regulations.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
     which the standards, policies, and guidelines are issued 
     under subsection (b), the Deputy Director for Management of 
     the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the 
     Program Management Policy Council established under section 
     1126(b) of title 31, United States Code, as added by section 
     3(a), and the Director of the Office of Management and 
     Budget, shall issue any regulations as are necessary to 
     implement the requirements of section 503(c) of title 31, 
     United States Code, as added by subsection (a).

[[Page S8173]]

  


     SEC. 3. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT OFFICERS AND PROGRAM 
                   MANAGEMENT POLICY COUNCIL.

       (a) Amendment.--Chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``Sec. 1126. Program Management Improvement Officers and 
       Program Management Policy Council

       ``(a) Program Management Improvement Officers.--
       ``(1) Designation.--The head of each agency described in 
     section 901(b) shall designate a senior executive of the 
     agency as the Program Management Improvement Officer of the 
     agency.
       ``(2) Functions.--The Program Management Improvement 
     Officer of an agency designated under paragraph (1) shall--
       ``(A) implement program management policies established by 
     the agency under section 503(c); and
       ``(B) develop a strategy for enhancing the role of program 
     managers within the agency that includes the following:
       ``(i) Enhanced training and educational opportunities for 
     program managers that shall include--

       ``(I) training in the relevant competencies encompassed 
     with program and project manager within the private sector 
     for program managers; and
       ``(II) training that emphasizes cost containment for large 
     projects and programs.

       ``(ii) Mentoring of current and future program managers by 
     experienced senior executives and program managers within the 
     agency.
       ``(iii) Improved career paths and career opportunities for 
     program managers.
       ``(iv) A plan to encourage the recruitment and retention of 
     highly qualified individuals to serve as program managers.
       ``(v) Improved means of collecting and disseminating best 
     practices and lessons learned to enhance program management 
     across the agency.
       ``(vi) Common templates and tools to support improved data 
     gathering and analysis for program management and oversight 
     purposes.
       ``(3) Application to department of defense.--This 
     subsection shall not apply to the Department of Defense to 
     the extent that the provisions of this subsection are 
     substantially similar to or duplicative of the provisions of 
     chapter 87 of title 10.
       ``(b) Program Management Policy Council.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Office of 
     Management and Budget a council to be known as the `Program 
     Management Policy Council' (in this subsection referred to as 
     the `Council').
       ``(2) Purpose and functions.--The Council shall act as the 
     principal interagency forum for improving agency practices 
     related to program and project management. The Council 
     shall--
       ``(A) advise and assist the Deputy Director for Management 
     of the Office of Management and Budget;
       ``(B) review programs identified as high risk by the 
     General Accountability Office and make recommendations for 
     actions to be taken by the Deputy Director for Management of 
     the Office of Management and Budget or a designee;
       ``(C) discuss topics of importance to the workforce, 
     including--
       ``(i) career development and workforce development needs;
       ``(ii) policy to support continuous improvement in program 
     and project management; and
       ``(iii) major challenges across agencies in managing 
     programs;
       ``(D) advise on the development and applicability of 
     standards governmentwide for program management transparency; 
     and
       ``(E) review the information published on the website of 
     the Office of Management and Budget pursuant to section 1122.
       ``(3) Membership.--
       ``(A) Composition.--The Council shall be composed of the 
     following members:
       ``(i) Five members from the Office of Management and Budget 
     as follows:

       ``(I) The Deputy Director for Management.
       ``(II) The Administrator of the Office of Electronic 
     Government.
       ``(III) The Administrator of Federal Procurement Policy.
       ``(IV) The Controller of the Office of Federal Financial 
     Management.
       ``(V) The Director of the Office of Performance and 
     Personnel Management.

       ``(ii) The Program Management Improvement Officer from each 
     agency described in section 901(b).
       ``(iii) Other individuals as determined appropriate by the 
     Chairperson.
       ``(B) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--
       ``(i) In general.--The Deputy Director for Management of 
     the Office of Management and Budget shall be the Chairperson 
     of the Council. A Vice Chairperson shall be elected by the 
     members and shall serve a term of not more than 1 year.
       ``(ii) Duties.--The Chairperson shall preside at the 
     meetings of the Council, determine the agenda of the Council, 
     direct the work of the Council, and establish and direct 
     subgroups of the Council as appropriate.
       ``(4) Meetings.--The Council shall meet not less than twice 
     per fiscal year and may meet at the call of the Chairperson 
     or a majority of the members of the Council.
       ``(5) Support.--The head of each agency with a Project 
     Management Improvement Officer serving on the Council shall 
     provide administrative support to the Council, as 
     appropriate, at the request of the Chairperson.
       ``(6) Committee duration.--Section 14(a)(2) of the Federal 
     Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
     Council.''.
       (b) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
     of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of 
     Management and Budget, in consultation with each Program 
     Management Improvement Officer designated under section 
     1126(a)(1) of title 31, United States Code, shall submit to 
     Congress a report containing the strategy developed under 
     section 1126(a)(2)(B) of such title, as added by subsection 
     (a).

     SEC. 4. PROGRAM AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL STANDARDS.

       (a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``agency'' means 
     each agency described in section 901(b) of title 31, United 
     States Code.
       (b) Regulations Required.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the date on which the standards, policies, and guidelines are 
     issued under section 503(c) of title 31, United States Code, 
     as added by section 2(a), the Director of the Office of 
     Personnel Management, in consultation with the Director of 
     the Office of Management and Budget, shall issue regulations 
     that--
       (1) identify key skills and competencies needed for a 
     program and project manager in an agency;
       (2) establish a new job series, or update and improve an 
     existing job series, for program and project management 
     within an agency; and
       (3) establish a new career path for program and project 
     managers within an agency.

     SEC. 5. GAO REPORT ON EFFECTIVENESS OF POLICIES ON PROGRAM 
                   AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT.

       Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Government Accountability Office shall issue, in 
     conjunction with the High Risk list of the Government 
     Accountability Office, a report examining the effectiveness 
     of the following on improving Federal program and project 
     management:
       (1) The standards, policies, and guidelines for program and 
     project management issued under section 503(c) of title 31, 
     United States Code, as added by section 2(a).
       (2) The 5-year strategic plan established under section 
     503(c)(1)(H) of title 31, United States Code, as added by 
     section 2(a).
       (3) Program Management Improvement Officers designated 
     under section 1126(a)(1) of title 31, United States Code, as 
     added by section 3(a).
       (4) The Program Management Policy Council established under 
     section 1126(b)(1) of title 31, United States Code, as added 
     by section 3(a).

                          ____________________