The fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that President Donald Trump signed into law on Dec. 20 contains three provisions that authorize changes to the defense procurement process and one of those concerns with intellectual property, Federal News Network reported Thursday.
The FY 2020 NDAA allows the Department of Defense to come up with a pilot program on IP evaluation. The pilot will review commercial valuation techniques for IP, examine contracting methods to expedite IP delivery and address the oversight’s feasibility to standardize IP practices. DoD should submit a report to Congress in November 2020 as well as annual reports through 2023.
The law requires DoD to have guidance in place by Dec. 15 for middle-tier acquisition programs. Failure to do so fences off 75 percent of 2020 funds for such programs and money for the operations of the Pentagon’s undersecretary of acquisition and sustainment, research and technology undersecretary, military acquisition executives and director of cost analysis and program evaluation.
Another provision calls for the creation of a Defense Civilian Training Corps to address skills gaps within the department. The DoD secretary should have a plan by Feb. 15 for the corps’ establishment at a civilian educational institution. Congress also mandates a plan by the end of 2020 for the expansion of the corps to five institutions.
