SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The DoW is renewing the BoV NDU in accordance with chapter 10 of title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) (commonly known as the “Federal Advisory Committee Act” or “FACA”) and 41 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 102-3.50(d), and DoW policies and procedures. The public or interested organizations may submit written statements about the BoV NDU mission and functions. Written statements may be submitted at any time or in response to the stated agenda of planned meetings of the BoV NDU. All written statements shall be submitted to the BoV NDU Designated Federal Officer (DFO), and this individual will ensure that all written statements are provided to the membership for their consideration. The BoV NDU's DFO is Ms. Joycelyn Stevens, and she may be contacted at (202) 685-0079, or stevensj7@ndu.edu.

Consistent with 41 CFR 102-3.65(a), the DoW is publishing the BoV NDU's Public Interest Determination.

Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.60(a), to establish, renew, reestablish, or merge a discretionary (agency discretion) advisory committee, an agency must first consult with the General Services Administration's Committee Management Secretariat (the Secretariat) and, as part of the consultation, provide a written public interest determination approved by the head of the agency to the Secretariat with a copy to the Office of Management and Budget. In addition, pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.35, an agency shall follow the same consultation process and document in writing the same determination of need before creating a subcommittee under a discretionary committee that is not made up entirely of members of a parent advisory committee.

Information on the following factors for the BoV NDU is provided to the Secretariat to demonstrate that renewing the BoV NDU is in the public interest:

1. Annual Budget: The DoW estimates annual operating costs to support the BoV NDU are $182,212, which includes personnel travel, meetings, and contract support.

a. Federal personnel on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis: The estimated annual personnel costs to the DoW are 0.9 full-time equivalent at $155,180, which includes basic pay with cost-of-living allowance (COLA).

b. Other Federal internal costs: Other costs for the BoV NDU include administrative and contract costs at $9,744.

c. Proposed payments to members: Consistent with 10 U.S.C. 173, members of the BoV NDU are not compensated for their services, except for travel and per diem reimbursement for official BoV NDU-related business.

d. Proposed number of members: As authorized by the Secretary of War (SecWar), the BoV NDU will be composed of not more than 12 members.

e. Reimbursable costs: The estimated reimbursement costs, to include travel, for BoV NDU staff and members are $17,288.

2. If applicable, the total dollar value of grants is expected to be recommended during the fiscal year: N/A.

3. Criteria for selecting members to ensure the committee has the necessary expertise and fairly balanced membership: As described in its proposed charter and membership balance plan, the BoV NDU is composed of members who have distinguished backgrounds in defense, intelligence, management, leadership, academia, national military strategy, joint planning at all levels of war, joint doctrine, joint command and control, or joint requirements and development.

In selecting members, the DoW seeks to capitalize on recognized talented, innovative private and public sector leaders to provide the broadest knowledge and expertise based on a balanced BoV NDU membership composition. The BoV NDU membership is not static, and the SecWar and Deputy Secretary of War (“the DoW Appointing Authority”) may change the membership based upon work assigned to the BoV NDU by the DoW Appointing Authority or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), as the BoV NDU's DoW Sponsor.

4. List of all other DoW Federal Advisory Committees: A complete listing of DoW Federal advisory committees can be located at: https://www.facadatabase.gov/​FACA/​s/​account/​001t000000DCAooAAH/​department-of-defense.

5. Justification that the information or advice provided by the Federal advisory committee or subcommittee is not available from another Federal advisory committee, another Federal Government source, or any other more cost-effective and less burdensome source: The BoV NDU's unique role in providing the independent governance required for academic accreditation for NDU cannot be replicated by another Federal Government source. No standard internal government office or military chain of command can replicate this independent oversight, which is legally and procedurally necessary for NDU to grant degrees. Furthermore, this specific governance structure ensures the DoW complies with the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986's mandate to maintain rigorous standards for the military education of officers. By acting as an objective guardian of institutional integrity, the BoV NDU directly advises the CJCS, delivering essential external accountability and bi-annual assessments.

Furthermore, while the BoV NDU operates under the direct oversight of the DoW and the CJCS, it provides a specialized advisory capability that standard internal Federal functions cannot replicate. It uniquely bridges external academic and strategic expertise with internal military governance, directly supporting the CJCS and NDU leadership with focused, expert recommendations. This structured relationship allows the BoV NDU to effectively champion NDU's needs within the DoW—such as successfully advocating for critical infrastructure funding from the Joint Staff and the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW). By functioning as a dedicated advisory body rather than a traditional bureaucratic office, the BoV NDU is uniquely positioned to guide strategic innovations—such as integrating emerging AI technologies and wargaming—while ensuring the NDU remains strictly aligned with high-level Administration and DoW priorities regarding the warrior ethos and warfighting advantage.

6. If the consultation is a committee renewal, a summary of the previous accomplishments of the committee and the reasons it needs to continue: Enhancing Warrior Ethos in Curriculum: At the BoV NDU's recommendation, in 2022 NDU established an ethics working group responsible for auditing and suggesting improvements to how ethics and the profession of arms is reinforced within curriculum. In Academic Year 2024, NDU also instituted a new institutional learning outcome to ensure all programs purposefully develop graduates' abilities to apply principles governing the profession of arms, civil-military relations, and ethics to support strategic level decision-making. The BoV NDU is monitoring progress.

Shaping NDU's Strategic Plan: The BoV NDU advises on NDUs strategic goals and monitors the implementation of NDU's Strategic Plan. NDU's Interim Strategic Plan for 2026-27 prioritizes three objectives: warfighting output, decision advantage, and institutional adaptation. The plan demands innovation in design and delivery of Joint Professional Military Education (JPME), incorporating emerging technologies, wargaming, and ( printed page 45798) simulation into the applied decision making of NDU programs. The BoV NDU has also been a strong advocate for strengthening relationships with the defense industrial base, supporting NDU's successful petition to expand the number of private sector fellow positions within the student body.

Fostering Accountability & Stability: The BoV NDU is a significant advocate for stable funding for NDU, monitoring fiscal, physical infrastructure, and technological requirements. This support was instrumental in securing Joint Staff and OSW funding to replace failing classroom infrastructure at North and South campuses in fiscal year 2024. The BoV NDU also routinely reviews NDU's military and civilian accreditation compliance. In Academic Year 2024, they reviewed improvements to NDU's institutional assessment processes, ensuring that the University has a sustainable approach for identifying and implementing improvements.

The BoV NDU has contributed to the achievement of the NDU's mission for five decades, safeguarding the quality of senior-level joint professional military education. It provides expert recommendations on curriculum and instructional innovation focused on DoW priority areas: rigorous standards, warrior ethos, and military leadership in complex, joint environments. Additionally, it guides and monitors strategic planning and implementation. Most recently, these efforts have focused on integration of emerging technologies, wargaming, and simulation into NDU programs. The BoV NDU also plays a critical role in institutional accountability and quality, providing routine updates to the CJCS on requirements and trends in institutional performance. This governance function is required for compliance with academic accreditation, which both enables the NDU to grant degrees and facilitates DoW's compliance with the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, 10 U.S.C. 2152 direction to ensure “schools maintain rigorous standards for the military education of officers.”

7. Explanation of why the committee/subcommittee is essential to the conduct of agency business: The BoV NDU provides expert guidance on vital issues for improving NDU and its six colleges as they deliver military education tailored for senior-level warfighters and national security partners (JPME I, II and III), the intelligence community, DoW's Cyber Workforce, DoW's Senior Acquisition Workforce, and joint special operators. More specifically, BoV NDU review encompasses curriculum, strategic innovation ( e.g., incorporation of emerging technologies), and institutional effectiveness. This includes reviewing how NDU programs are implementing executive and DoW priorities. The BoV NDU also serves as a guardian of institutional integrity, advising the CJCS to ensure that the NDU continues to fulfill its mission to educate for warfighting advantage to win in competition, crisis, and conflict. This governance function is required for academic accreditation, which both enables the NDU to grant degrees and facilitates DoW's compliance with the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, 10 U.S.C. 2152, direction that “schools maintain rigorous standards for the military education of officers.” Following each bi-annual meeting, the BoV NDU provides written recommendations to the CJCS, directly contributing to institutional improvement.

91 FR 45796