Last month, the Navy decided to eliminate the “dual hatting” of the research heads Chief of Naval Research and director of OPNAV N94 under one official.
Previously, the Chief of Naval Research, currently Rear Adm. Lorin Selby, was concurrently directing the Office of Naval Research and Director of Innovation, Technology Requirements and Test and Evaluation within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV N94).
However, after a recent recommendation to split the roles, a new Navy leadership memo divided the positions in an Aug.18 memo. Under the new structure, Selby will remain as Chief of Naval Research but named Carroll Quade as a new senior executive for N94, reporting to OPNAV N9, effective August 18.
The memo was signed by Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN-RDA) James Geurts and Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. William Lescher.
Quade previously served as the Deputy for Test and Evaluation (T&E) in the ASN-RDA office and Special Assistant to the Department of the Navy T&E Executive.
An earlier October 2019 Secretary of the Navy memo confirmed CNR was to directly report to the ASN-RDA via a senior civilian/Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (DASN) who has authority to direct naval research, development, engineering and testing.
Then, a Geurts memo from November 2019 assigned those authorities and responsibilities to William Bray as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (DASN RDT&E).
However, a May 2019 report by the Naval Research and Development Enterprise Senior Review Team recommended eliminating the dual hatting of CNR as the Director of OPNAV N94. Then, a June 2020 ASN-RDA meeting report-out recommended specific courses of action associated with eliminating that dual hatting of CNR/OPNAV N94.
The memo directing this division said “to enhance accountability and reporting, effective the date of this memorandum the CNR will relinquish all responsibilities as OPNAV N94 and is no longer required to report to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Requirements and Capabilities (OPNAV N9) in this capacity.”
The CNR, Selby, now will report only to ASN-RDA via DASN RDT&E. Separately, OPNAV N94 “will be led by a Senior Executive that will have dual reporting responsibilities to DASN (RDT&E) and OPNAV N9.”
Selby was sworn in as the CNR and head of OPNAV N94 in June. He previously served as the chief engineer at Naval Sea Systems Command (Defense Daily, June 5).
This new senior executive billet, filled by Quade, will report directly to OPNAV N9 “and be responsible for performing all requirements and resource sponsor duties associated with Science and Technology, Test and Evaluation, Targets, and Training Ranges,” the memo said.
N9 is led by Vice Adm. James Kilby, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Requirements and Capabilities.
Within ASN-RDA, the N94 senior executive will report directly to DASN RDT&E as the Navy Department’s test and evaluation executive, specifically.
In this role, the T&E executive has responsibility to develop and implement T&E policy, act as the functional lead of the T&E acquisition workforce, and be the single point of contact with the Office of the Secretary of Defense on all Department of the Navy T&E matters.
“The DON T&E Executive will also provide advice to and coordinate with OPNAV N9 on all T&E policy and requirements,” the memo added.
Geurts also directed Quade to provide an organizational assessment and update to OPNAV N9 and ASN-RDA leadership in six months.