DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.

SEC. 1112. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CIVILIAN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.(a) Leadership Program Required.—(1) In general.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a program of leadership recruitment and development for civilian employees of the Department of Defense, to be known as the “Department of Defense Civilian Leadership Program” (in this section referred to as the “program”).(2) Objectives.—The objectives of the program shall be as follows:(A) To develop a new generation of civilian leaders for the Department of Defense.(B) To recruit individuals with the academic merit, work experience, and demonstrated leadership skills to meet the future needs of the Department.(C) To offer rapid advancement, competitive compensation, and leadership opportunities to highly qualified civilian employees of the Department.(3) Available authorities.—In carrying out the program, the Secretary may exercise any authority available to the Office of Personnel Management under section 4703 of title 5, United States Code, except that the Secretary shall not be bound by the limitations in subsection (d) of such section. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the waiver of any part of chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, or any regulation implementing such chapter, in the carrying out of the program.(b) Eligible Individuals.—(1) In general.—The following individuals shall be eligible to participate in the program:(A) Current employees of the Department of Defense.(B) Appropriate individuals in the private sector.(2) Limitation on number of participants in program.—The total number of individuals who may participate in the program in any fiscal year may not exceed 5,000.123 STAT. 2497(3) Limitation on period of participation in program.—The maximum period of time that an individual may participate in the program is three years.(c) Elements of Program.—(1) Competitive entry.—The selection of individuals for entry into the program shall be made on the basis of a competition conducted at least twice each year. In each competition, participants in the program shall be selected from among applicants determined by the Secretary to be the most highly qualified in terms of academic merit, work experience, and demonstrated leadership skills. Each competition shall provide for entry-level participants and midcareer participants in the program.(2) Allocation of positions.—The Secretary shall allocate positions in the program among the components of the Department of Defense that—(A) offer the most challenging assignments;(B) provide the greatest level of responsibility; and(C) demonstrate the greatest need for participants in the program.(3) Assignments to positions.—Participants in the program shall be assigned to components of the Department that best match their skills and qualifications. Participants in the program may be rotated among components of the Department of Defense at the discretion of the Secretary.(4) Initial compensation.—The initial compensation of participants in the program shall be determined by the Secretary based on the qualifications of such participants and applicable market conditions.(5) Education and training.—The Secretary shall provide participants in the program with training, mentoring, and educational opportunities that are appropriate to facilitate the development of such participants into effective civilian leaders for the Department of Defense.(6) Objective, merit-based principles for personnel decisions.—The Secretary shall make personnel decisions under the program in accordance with such objective, merit-based criteria as the Secretary shall prescribe in regulations for purposes of the program. Such criteria shall include, but not be limited to, criteria applicable to the following:(A) The selection of individuals for entry into the program.(B) The assignment of participants in the program to positions in the Department of Defense.(C) The initial compensation of participants in the program.(D) The access of participants in the program to training, mentoring, and educational opportunities under the program.(E) The consideration of participants in the program for selection into the senior management, functional, and technical workforce of the Department.(7) Consideration for senior management, functional, and technical workforce.—Any participant in the program who, as determined by the Secretary, demonstrates outstanding performance shall be afforded priority in consideration for selection into the appropriate element of the senior management, 123 STAT. 2498 functional, and technical workforce of the Department of Defense (as defined in section 115b(f) of title 10, United States Code).