Recovery.gov - Track the Money

The Near Term Energy Efficient Technologies Program will conduct 51 research and development projects that cover these five topics:

• Fuel Optimization for Mobility Platforms:
  
  
  
  • Testing various materials, like ceramics, in engine and equipment design to lower thermal loads and decrease the need for cooling of component parts that require additional energy to perform the cooling tasks
    
  • Demonstrations on the fuel efficiency of Low Observable subsonic propulsion systems in aircraft and small-scale propulsion systems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
    
  • Engine improvements to improve fuel efficiency
    
  • Airframe modifications to demonstrate drag reduction and better aerodynamics
    
  
  
• Facility Energy Initiatives:
  
  
  
  • Developing or reviewing off-the-shelf enterprise energy auditing programs and software that can couple energy security with energy efficiency
    
  • Reducing power consumption in tactical heating and air conditioning systems and environmental control units
    
  • Whole-building energy modeling and monitoring systems
    
  
  
• Operational Efficiencies/Commercial Practices:
  
  
  
  • Developing or reviewing off-the-shelf enterprise energy auditing and water management programs and software that can couple energy security with energy efficiency
    
  • Whole-building energy modeling, monitoring systems capable of identifying, classifying, and quantifying energy and water consumption deviations from design intent or optimal; recommend, prioritize, and implement corrective actions.
    
  
  
• Domestic Energy Supply/Distribution:
  
  
  
  • These include waste-to-energy and waste-to-fuel technology research and demonstrations; landfill gas use; biomass and algae fuel oil production; multi-junction solar photovoltaics for cells and sensors; wave and thermal energy from oceans; wind power and analyzing radar cross sections and noise control on wind turbines.
    
  
  
• Tactical power Systems /Generators:
  
  
  
  • Develop and demonstrate methanol-based portable fuel cells with improved energy densities
    
  • Long-duration multi-junction photovoltaics for UAVs
    
  • Fuel cells
    
  • Scalable micro-grid electrical distribution systems for fixed and tactical installation use
  
  

Review of the progress and performance of major programs, including risk-mitigation and corrective actions, is guided by the Risk Management Plan developed by the Department in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-123, Management’s Responsibility for Internal Control. The Department’s current Management’s Responsibility for Internal Control process has a Senior Assessment Team that is lead by Principal Deputy Under Secretary (Comptroller), who is also the Responsible Officer for the Department’s Recovery Act funding. As part of the Risk Management Plan, each program will be evaluated on a quarterly basis, with a Risk Profile being submitted to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer.

Identifying areas of high risk and high and low performance will be conducted through the Department’s Recovery Act Risk Management Plan, which is initiated with a Risk Assessment and Gap Analysis. This initial evaluation will be a one-time occurrence that will provide an overview of management capabilities and assist senior leadership with assessing their people, processes and technology to determine and coordinate resources necessary to meet the initial demands of obligating funds and public reporting. The risk assessment will review internal controls on human capital, performance, and measurement tools. This risk assessment will also evaluate the potential for financial, reporting and procurement risks; analyze Information Technology (IT) systems; and review results from any audits and investigations. Upon completion of the risk assessment, a gap analysis will be conducted.

The periodic review of each program’s progress to monitor and evaluate risk management will require the completion of a Risk Profile, the second step in the Department’s Risk Management Plan. This evaluation will be conducted on a quarterly basis and will be submitted to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer. The completion of the Risk Profile will be a process wherein the programs will build upon each prior deliverable. This process will identify any significant uncorrected weaknesses of each program and provide more detailed information related to the questions identified in the Risk Assessment and Gap Analysis. Any program areas that require mitigation will be required to submit a Risk Management Strategy. This action strategy report will include a description of the issue, the pace of corrective action, the methodology to ensure the effectiveness of the correction action(s), the performance measures that will be achieved, and major milestones that have been taken and are planned for the future. Each program will continue to validate and test the effectiveness of mitigation strategies for the Recovery Act funds.

Additionally, the remainder of the monitoring will be done at the Project level, led by the individual Program Managers. Some examples of other techniques that will be used to aid the monitoring and evaluate any issues include: presentations, design reviews - both preliminary and critical design; monthly face-to-face status reviews; monthly VTC/Conference calls and quarterly program management review meetings; development of Integrated Master Schedules, Contract Progress Status Reports, and Contractor Funds Status Reports; and development of various contract deliverable line items such as, Monthly Funds & Man-Hour Expenditure Reports, cost vouchers, and Status Report & Project Planning Chart.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has established the Recovery.gov website to provide the public with unprecedented visibility. The Department of Defense will be providing financial and contractual information to the Recovery.gov site using existing information systems.

Due to the magnitude of normal budgeting for national defense, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) has established a centralized Business Enterprise Integration System (BEIS) for financial review and internal control. The Department will use BEIS to handle financial tracking, particularly obligation and execution data, at a project-level. This ensures compliance with general financial management policies pertaining to the Recovery Act.

The Department will capture contract award information using the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS), identifying Recovery Act procurement actions in accordance with the guidance provided by the Office of Management and Budget.

Accountability for the execution of Recovery Act programs is enforced in all Department of Defense components receiving Recovery Act funds. The Department of Defense will use the existing civilian and military service performance regulations and policies (such as Career and Non-Career Senior Executive Service (SES), National Security Personnel System (NSPS), General Schedule (GS)) to assess, review, reward and penalize results in carrying out the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Recovery Act activities are considered a part of a manager, employee, and Service member’s duties; and performance will be reviewed within existing assessment cycles.

Performance success and failures will also be rewarded and enforced respectively for the execution of Recovery Act funds through the Department’s Risk Management Plan. This management plan includes setting priorities and performance measures and encourages the workforce to improve the overall performance of the Department for the Recovery Act and beyond. As part of the Risk Management Plan, each program is directed to identify the roles and responsibilities of management and upper level management and the processes that management follows to ensure that program and projects are reviewed on a frequent basis.

Additionally, at the project level, various other techniques will be used. One example is as follows: the Air Force, within AFRL management, will regularly review projects as part of the standard Program Management Review process which includes an in-depth review of financial and technical progress. In addition, major technical milestones will be presented to the Technical Review Boards of both the Propulsion Directorate and Materials & Manufacturing Directorate for review and comment.

The Department of Defense has issued policy guidance for implementing energy and water efficiency and other sustainability requirements included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Executive Order 13423, and Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Department of Defense Components have developed subordinate policies for implementing the legislative and Executive Order requirements as well. For example, each of the three (3) Military Departments (i.e. Navy/Marine Corps, Air Force, Army) has a policy that includes using Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification as a basis for new construction sustainability; a metering implementation plan; an energy professional training program; and awareness and award programs. The Department has developed and implemented Unified Facilities Criteria to ensure new construction and major renovation projects comply with applicable requirements and goals. The Department of Defense Energy Program also includes initiatives for audit programs.