Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act of 2015

Summary: Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act of 2015 Establishes as additional functions of the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements to:  adopt and oversee government-wide standards, policies, and guidelines for program and project management for executive agencies;   chair the Program Management Policy Council (established by this Act);  issue regulations and establish standards and policies for executive agencies in accordance with nationally accredited standards for program and project management planning and delivery issues;   engage with the private sector;   conduct portfolio reviews to address programs identified as high risk by the Government Accountability Office;  conduct portfolio reviews of agency programs at least annually; and   establish a five-year strategic plan for program and project management.   Requires the head of each federal agency that is required to have a Chief Financial Officer to designate a Program Management Improvement Officer to implement agency program management policies and develop a written strategy for enhancing the role of program managers within the agency.  Establishes the Program Management Policy Council within OMB to act as the principal interagency forum for improving agency practices related to program and project management. Requires the Office of Personnel Management to issue regulations that: (1) identify key skills and competencies needed for an agency program and project manager, (2) establish a new job series for program and project management within an agency, and (3) establish a new career path for program and project managers. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Program Management Improvement and 
Accountability Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR MANAGEMENT.

    (a) Additional Functions.--Section 503 of title 31, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) Program and Project Management.--Subject to the direction and 
approval of the Director, the Deputy Director for Management or 
designee shall--
            ``(1) adopt governmentwide standards, policies, and 
        guidelines for program and project management for executive 
        agencies;
            ``(2) oversee program and project management for the 
        standards, policies, and guidelines established under paragraph 
        (1);
            ``(3) chair the Program Management Policy Council 
        established by section 1126(b);
            ``(4) issue regulations and establish standards and 
        policies for executive agencies in accordance with nationally 
        accredited standards for program and project management 
        planning and delivery issues;
            ``(5) engage with the private sector;
            ``(6) conduct portfolio reviews to address programs 
        identified as high risk by the Government Accountability 
        Office;
            ``(7) not less than annually, conduct portfolio reviews of 
        agency programs in coordination with project management 
        improvement officers; and
            ``(8) establish a five-year strategic plan for program and 
        project management.''.
    (b) Deadline for Standards, Policies, and Guidelines.--Not later 
than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Deputy 
Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget shall 
issue the standards, policies, and guidelines required under section 
503(c)(1) of title 31, United States Code, as added by subsection (a).
    (c) Regulations.--Not later than 150 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Deputy Director for Management of the Office 
of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Council and the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall issue any 
regulations as are necessary to implement the requirements of section 
503(c) of title 31, United States Code, as added by subsection (a).

SEC. 3. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT OFFICERS AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT 
              POLICY COUNCIL.

    (a) Amendment.--Chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1126. Program Management Improvement Officers and Program 
              Management Policy Council
    ``(a) Program Management Improvement Officers.--
            ``(1) Designation.--The head of each agency described in 
        section 901(b) shall designate a senior executive of the agency 
        as the agency Program Management Improvement Officer. The 
        Program Management Improvement Officer shall report directly to 
        the head of the agency.
            ``(2) Functions.--The Program Management Improvement 
        Officer shall--
                    ``(A) implement agency program management policies 
                established under section 503(c); and
                    ``(B) develop a written strategy for enhancing the 
                role of program managers within the agency that 
                includes the following:
                            ``(i) Enhanced training and educational 
                        opportunities for program managers.
                            ``(ii) Mentoring of current and future 
                        program managers by experienced senior 
                        executives and program managers within the 
                        agency.
                            ``(iii) Improved career paths and career 
                        opportunities for program managers.
                            ``(iv) Incentives for the recruitment and 
                        retention of highly qualified individuals to 
                        serve as program managers.
                            ``(v) Improved resources and support, 
                        including relevant competencies encompassed 
                        with program and project management within the 
                        private sector for program managers.
                            ``(vi) Improved means of collecting and 
                        disseminating best practices and lessons 
                        learned to enhance program management across 
                        the agency.
                            ``(vii) Common templates and tools to 
                        support improved data gathering and analysis 
                        for program management and oversight purposes.
    ``(b) Program Management Policy Council.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Office of 
        Management and Budget a council to be known as the `Program 
        Management Policy Council' (in this section referred to as the 
        `Council').
            ``(2) Purpose and functions.--The Council shall act as the 
        principal interagency forum for improving agency practices 
        related to program and project management. The Council shall--
                    ``(A) advise and assist the Deputy Director for 
                Management of the Office of Management and Budget;
                    ``(B) review programs identified as high risk by 
                the General Accountability Office and make 
                recommendations for actions to be taken by the Deputy 
                Director for Management of the Office of Management and 
                Budget or designee;
                    ``(C) discuss topics of importance to the 
                workforce, including--
                            ``(i) career development and workforce 
                        development needs;
                            ``(ii) policy to support continuous 
                        improvement in program and project management; 
                        and
                            ``(iii) major challenges across agencies in 
                        managing programs;
                    ``(D) advise on the development and applicability 
                of standards governmentwide for program management 
                transparency; and
                    ``(E) review the information published on the 
                website pursuant to section 1122.
            ``(3) Membership.--
                    ``(A) Composition.--The Council shall be composed 
                of the following members:
                            ``(i) Five members from the Office of 
                        Management and Budget as follows:
                                    ``(I) The Deputy Director for 
                                Management.
                                    ``(II) The Administrator of the 
                                Office of Electronic Government.
                                    ``(III) The Administrator of the 
                                Office of Federal Procurement Policy.
                                    ``(IV) The Controller of the Office 
                                of Federal Financial Management.
                                    ``(V) The Director of the Office of 
                                Performance and Personnel Management.
                            ``(ii) The Program Management Improvement 
                        Officer from each agency described in section 
                        901(b).
                            ``(iii) Other individuals as determined 
                        appropriate by the Chairperson.
                    ``(B) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Deputy Director for 
                        Management of the Office of Management and 
                        Budget shall be the Chairperson of the Council. 
                        A Vice Chairperson shall be elected by the 
                        members and shall serve a term of not more than 
                        one year.
                            ``(ii) Duties.--The Chairperson shall 
                        preside at the meetings of the Council, 
                        determine the agenda of the Council, direct the 
                        work, of the Council and establish and direct 
                        subgroups of the Council as appropriate.
            ``(4) Meetings.--The Council shall meet not less than twice 
        per fiscal year and may meet at the call of the Chairperson or 
        a majority of the members of the Council.
            ``(5) Support.--The head of each agency with a Project 
        Management Improvement Officer serving on the Council shall 
        provide administrative support to the Council, as appropriate, 
        at the request of the Chairperson.
            ``(6) Committee duration.--Section 14(a)(2) of the Federal 
        Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
        Council.''.
    (b) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the head of each agency described in section 
901(b) of title 31, United States Code, shall submit to Congress and 
the Office of Management and Budget a report containing the strategy 
developed under section 1126(a)(2)(B) of such title, as added by 
subsection (a).

SEC. 4. PROGRAM AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL STANDARDS.

    (a) Regulations Required.--Not later than 270 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management, in consultation with the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget, shall issue regulations that--
            (1) identify key skills and competencies needed for a 
        program and project manager in an agency;
            (2) establish a new job series for program and project 
        management within an agency; and
            (3) establish a new career path for program and project 
        managers within an agency.
    (b) Agency Defined.--In this section, the term ``agency'' means 
each agency described in section 901(b) of title 31, United States 
Code.