10 U.S.C. § 1737 — Definitions and general provisions

(a) Definitions.—In this subchapter: (1) “Program manager” means the acquisition-workforce member responsible for managing a defense acquisition program, whatever the member’s title. (2) “Deputy program manager” means the person authorized to act for the program manager when the program manager is absent. (3) “Significant nonmajor defense acquisition program” means a Department of Defense acquisition program that is not a “major defense acquisition program” (as defined in section 4201 of this title) and that the Secretary of Defense estimates will eventually require either research, development, test, and evaluation spending above the dollar threshold in section 3041(b)(1) of this title for a major system, or procurement spending above that threshold for a major system. (4) “Portfolio acquisition executive” means an individual described in section 1732(a) of this title. (5) “Senior contracting official” means a contracting director, or a principal deputy to one, serving in the office of a military department’s Secretary, a military department headquarters, the head of a Defense Agency, a subordinate command headquarters, or a major-systems or logistics contracting activity in the Department of Defense. (b) Limitation.—A civilian or military acquisition-workforce member who does not meet this subchapter’s education, training, and experience requirements for a critical acquisition position may not perform that position’s duties or use its authorities, except for no more than six months, unless a waiver is granted under subsection (c). (c) Waiver.—The Secretary of each military department, acting through that department’s service acquisition executive, may waive these requirements, on a case-by-case basis, with respect to assigning an individual to a particular critical acquisition position. The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, may do the same for Defense Agencies and other Department of Defense components. A waiver may be granted only when unusual circumstances justify it or when the Secretary concerned, or an official receiving delegated waiver authority, decides that the individual’s qualifications make the education, training, and experience requirements unnecessary.