OEM COG – OSD CAPE Overview and Policy Update

OSD CAPE Overview and Policy Update
Tuesday, December 14th

OSD CAPE reports directly to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense and serves as an independent source of unbiased analysis and decision support. They provide the Department with timely, insightful, and unbiased analysis on resource allocation and cost estimation problems to deliver the optimum portfolio of military capabilities through efficient and effective use of each taxpayer dollar.

The presentation will provide an overview of OSD CAPE’s functions to develop and provide insight into the costs of acquisition programs that enables responsible budgeting and proactive management decisions so that the Department can control cost and achieve savings. We will also review current policies and guidance related to cost estimation, cost analysis, cost data reporting, inflation and escalation, and operations support.

Speakers:
Ms. Jennifer Bowles is the Director for Land and Naval Warfare Cost Analysis Division, formerly the Operations and Support Cost Analysis Division, for the Office of the Director, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE), Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon. In this position, she is responsible for the conduct of independent cost estimates (ICEs), cost analyses for land and naval systems, and is the CAPE lead for developing policies and procedures related to cost estimation for the Department and for the reporting and collection of actual cost data and other related information for acquisition programs.

She holds a BS in Mathematical Sciences from Pennsylvania State University; an MS in Operations Research from the Florida Institute of Technology; an MS in National Security and Resource Strategy from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School, with a Diploma in the Senior Acquisition Course; and is Level III certified in both Cost Estimating and Financial Management for Defense Acquisition and DoD Financial Management.

Ms. Erica Walters is an operations research analyst with the Land and Naval Warfare Cost Analysis Division for the Office of the Director, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE), Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon. In addition to completing cost estimates on ship programs, she is CAPE’s cost policy lead and subject matter expert on inflation and escalation. She is responsible for updating the DoDM 5000.04 (CSDR manual), DoDI 5000.73 (cost analysis guidance and procedures), inflation and escalation handbook, and other CAPE-owned policy and guidance. She has worked at CAPE for two years, and previously worked for six years at the Air Force Cost Analysis Agency. She has a master’s degree in security studies from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from George Washington University.