Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation

The Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) is a principal staff assistant and advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

The postholder, as chartered under United States Department of Defense Directive 5141.1 in 1996 (subsequently superseded and canceled with the publication of United States Department of Defense Directive 5105.84, Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (DCAPE)), provides independent analytic advice to the Secretary of Defense on all aspects of the Department of Defense (DoD) program, including alternative weapons and force structures, the development and evaluation of defense program alternatives, and the cost-effectiveness of defense systems. The office also conducts analyses and offers advice in a number of related areas, such as military medical care, school systems for military dependents, information technology, and defense economics. As an advisory office, the office has no decision authority or line responsibilities.

The Director of CAPE reports directly to the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense. A political appointee, the Director of CAPE is an Executive Service Level IV official who is nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. He or she coordinates and exchanges information with other Office of the Secretary of Defense officials, the Heads of the DoD Components, and Federal officials having collateral or related functions.

CAPE has a staff of about 155 people, including government civilians and military officers, and hires contractors as well. The military officers serve in two- to three-year assignments with the organization. CAPE's civilian staff is drawn from a variety of academic disciplines, including physics, economics, engineering, mathematics, biology, and computer science. The CAPE staff is recognized as among the most capable in the Pentagon.

History CAPE traces its history to the 1960s, when Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara created the office of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Systems Analysis).

This office was most previously known as the Office of Program Analysis & Evaluation (PA&E), made defunct by the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009.

Officeholders The table below includes both the various titles of this post over time, as well as all the holders of those offices. +Directors of Cost Assessment and Program EvaluationNameTenureSecDef(s) served underPresident(s) served under Assistant Secretary of Defense (Systems Analysis)Alain C. EnthovenSeptember 10, 1965 – January 20, 1969Robert S. McNamara Clark M. CliffordLyndon JohnsonIvan Selin (Acting)January 31, 1969 – January 30, 1970Melvin R. LairdRichard NixonGardiner L. TuckerJanuary 30, 1970 – March 30, 1973Melvin R. Laird Elliot L. RichardsonRichard Nixon Director (Defense Program Analysis and Evaluation)Leonard SullivanMay 21, 1973 – February 11, 1974Elliot L. Richardson James R. SchlesingerRichard Nixon Assistant Secretary of Defense (Program Analysis and Evaluation)Leonard SullivanFebruary 11, 1974 – March 13, 1976James R. Schlesinger Donald H. RumsfeldRichard Nixon Gerald Ford Director for Planning and EvaluationEdward C. Aldridge, Jr.May 18, 1976 – March 11, 1977Donald H. Rumsfeld Harold BrownGerald Ford Jimmy Carter Assistant Secretary of Defense (Program Analysis and Evaluation)Russell Murray IIApril 28, 1977 – January 20, 1981Harold BrownJimmy Carter Director of Program Analysis and EvaluationDavid S. C. ChuMay 19, 1981 – July 13, 1988Caspar W. Weinberger Frank C. Carlucci IIIRonald Reagan Assistant Secretary of Defense (Program Analysis and Evaluation)David S. C. ChuJuly 13, 1988 – January 20, 1993Frank C. Carlucci III William H. Taft IV (Acting) Richard B. CheneyRonald Reagan George H. W. BushDirector of Program Analysis and EvaluationWilliam J. LynnJune 25, 1993 – November 19, 1997Leslie Aspin, Jr. William J. Perry William S. CohenBill ClintonRobert R. SouleJuly 1, 1998 – April 27, 2001William S. Cohen Donald H. RumsfeldBill Clinton George W. BushBarry D. WattsMay 1, 2001 – July 1, 2002Donald H. RumsfeldGeorge W. BushStephen A. CamboneJuly 1, 2002 – March 7, 2003Donald H. RumsfeldGeorge W. BushKenneth J. KriegJuly 23, 2003 – June 6, 2005Donald H. RumsfeldGeorge W. BushBradley M. BerksonJune 6, 2005 – April 3, 2009Donald H. Rumsfeld Robert M. GatesGeorge W. Bush Barack ObamaDirector of Cost Assessment & Program EvaluationChristine H. FoxOctober 28, 2009 – June 28, 2013Robert M. Gates Leon Panetta Chuck HagelBarack ObamaJamie M. MorinJune 30, 2014 – January 20, 2017Chuck Hagel Ashton CarterBarack ObamaScott Comes (Acting)January 20, 2017 - August 7, 2017James MattisDonald TrumpRobert DaigleAugust 7, 2017 – May 18, 2019James MattisDonald TrumpE. Y. (Yisroel) Brumer (Acting)May 18, 2019 – August 16, 2019Mark EsperDonald TrumpJohn Whitley (Acting)August 16, 2019 – May 4, 2020Mark EsperDonald TrumpJoseph Nogueira (Acting)May 4, 2020 – January 20, 2021Mark Esper Lloyd AustinDonald Trump Joe Biden Susanna Blume (Performing the Duties of) January 20, 2021 – April 26, 2021 Lloyd AustinJoe Biden Susanna Blume August 5, 2021 – January 20, 2025Lloyd AustinJoe Biden Michael Payne January 20, 2025 – January 14, 2026 (Acting) Pete Hegseth Donald Trump January 14, 2026 – Present

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