CAPE Director Cleared

The Senate Armed Services Committee this afternoon approved 394 pending military nominations in the Army, Navy and Air Force as well as several civilians, among them Jamie Morin as director of the Pentagon's cost assessment and program evaluation office.

In response to advance policy questions submitted to the committee earlier this month, Morin -- up until now the Air Force's comptroller -- said he plans to review the organization's workforce, which has been singled out as a problem area since its inception.

If confirmed, Morin said, he would move to review the size, shape and organization of the CAPE workforce "in detail to ensure the organization is aligned to meet current and future needs." As Inside the Pentagon reported Oct. 17:

CAPE was established by the 2009 Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act to "provide independent analysis and advice" to senior defense officials on a variety of issues -- including cost estimation and cost analysis for major defense acquisition programs and major automated information systems. CAPE replaced the department's now-defunct Program Analysis and Evaluation office.

However, CAPE has struggled to build up a staff suited to perform its expanded responsibilities. And now the tight fiscal environment may force the office, along with other agencies across the department, to reduce staffing and resources, such as money for federally funded research and development centers, Morin wrote.

"If confirmed, I expect to immediately undertake a review of the organization and its ability to fully meet statutory requirements, with the goal to provide clear recommendations regarding changes to organizational structure and additional resource demands," Morin said. "Given the significant statutory responsibilities under WSARA and the relatively limited growth of CAPE staffing since its enactment, I plan to be both an active manager of organizational resources and a strong advocate for the organization's mission."

Last year, CAPE launched a data-gathering effort on the workforce size, grade, demographics, and education and experience levels, according to a spring report signed by CAPE's then-director Christine Fox.

Other nominations approved by the committee today include:

Michael Lumpkin to be assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict;

Jo Ann Rooney to be under secretary of the Navy; and

Kenneth Mossman to be a member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.