Michael Payne, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office, told senators Thursday that the organization’s workforce is strained and its technology outdated. He pledged to modernize its systems if confirmed.
“We must leverage cutting-edge methods, tools, and digital systems to deliver faster, more accurate, and more relevant evaluations to keep pace with modern warfare and acquisition demands,” Payne said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Payne is serving as CAPE acting director and previously served as its principal deputy director. President Trump nominated him in July to lead CAPE permanently.
CAPE provides independent analysis to help the secretary and deputy secretary of defense align resources with the National Defense Strategy. The office oversees major program reviews, cost estimates, and evaluations of defense systems and force structures for the Department of Defense (DOD), – which the Trump administration has rebranded as the Department of War.
Payne told lawmakers that the CAPE office’s “IT systems and tools are antiquated” and that one of his top priorities, if confirmed, would be to launch an effort to “modernize the organization’s data collection and analysis tools to boost productivity.”
In written responses to lawmakers ahead of the hearing, Payne described the department’s data collection and analysis as facing “technical, policy, structural, and cultural barriers,” including outdated systems, fragmented data sources, and resistance to change.
Payne said he would prioritize data reform and work with stakeholders to advance effective data initiatives.
Payne also said the Pentagon’s “significant technical debt” limits its ability to take full advantage of the digital environment, particularly as it seeks to integrate artificial intelligence (AI).
“Particular areas that could benefit from data improvements include budget transparency, personnel management, strategic analysis, force management, and acquisition management,” he wrote.
Payne pledged to work with the DOD chief information officer and military services to assess the cost of addressing technical debt and supporting digital transformation. He also said he would collaborate with the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering to plan for and estimate costs for the Pentagon’s AI programs.