Director of Administration and Management ( DoD ) The Director of Administration and Management , or DA & M , is a position within the Office of the Secretary of Defense ( OSD ) at the Department of Defense . As the principal staff assistant and advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense concerning organizational and administrative management matters , the DA & M is responsible for : developing and maintaining organizational charters and overseeing assigned programs such as DoD Committee Management , DoD Headquarters Management , the OSD Historical Program , the DoD Freedom of Information Act Program , the DoD Privacy Program , the DoD Civil Liberties program , the OSD Internal Management Control Program , and OSD Information Technology / CIO programs . Additionally , the DA & M performs management and oversight responsibilities for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency and the Washington Headquarters Services , a 1 , 300 employee , $ 1 . 3 billion field activity . Responsibilities . The DA & M has three principal responsibilities : to advise the Secretary and DoD senior leaders team on organizational and management matters of institutional importance ; to oversee and provide a range of administrative , logistical , facilities , and technology support to the Pentagon Reservation - the headquarters of the U . S . Defense establishment and a highly visible symbol of U . S . military power - and DoD - leased facilities in the National Capital Region ( NCR ) ; and to secure and protect the people , facilities , and infrastructure of the Pentagon Reservation and DoD - leased facilities in the NCR . Although the DA & M is considered to be part of the OSD , the post does not explicitly require Senate confirmation . The DoD General Counsel is the Regulatory Policy Officer responsible for monitoring regulatory activities within DoD to ensure uniform compliance with the implementation of executive and legislative requirements and priorities . Nevertheless , the DA & M is considered the " functional proponent " for the DoD Regulatory Program and the Plan , and so oversees the operational requirements of the regulatory process . For example , the retrospective review of DoD rules required by Executive Order 13563 is a " special focus of interest " for the DA & M . EO 13563 , signed by President Obama on January 18 , 2011 , directed all Federal agencies to " promote predictability and reduce uncertainty " in America ' s regulatory code by ensuring that existing regulations are " accessible , consistent , written in plain language , and easy to understand . " History . This position originated in 1949 as the " Assistant Secretary of Defense ( Administration and Public Affairs ) " , established as one of the three assistant secretary posts authorized by amendments to the National Security Act ( P . L . 81 - 216 , amended 10 August 1949 ) . That post was abolished in 1950 , its duties transferred to the " Assistant Secretary of Defense ( Manpower ) " . In July 1964 , the post of " Assistant Secretary of Defense ( Administration ) " was established , only to be redesignated in November 1971 as the " Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense ( Administration ) " . In May 1988 , this office was retitled " Director of Administration and Management " , per Defense Directive 5105 . 53 . Office Holders . The table below includes both the various titles of this post over time , as well as all the holders of those offices . Budget . Budget Totals . The annual budget for the DA & M is contained in the OSD ' s budget , under the Defense - Wide Operation and Maintenance ( O & M ) account . The Obama administration is expecting to cut funding for this position by ~ 18 % in FY12 . Importantly , this line item does not include funding for personnel compensation or benefits , which comes out of the OSD Core Operating Program . Budget Functions . The DA & M funding supports the Civil Liberties Office , Defense Privacy Office , Defense Reform Initiative , Defense Historian , and the Directorate for Organizational and Management Planning .