(a) The Office of the Secretary of the Navy shall have sole responsibility within the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Headquarters, Marine Corps, for the following functions:
(1) Acquisition;
(2) Auditing;
(3) Comptroller (including financial management);
(4) Information management;
(5) Inspector general;
(6) Legislative affairs;
(7) Public affairs;
(8) Research and development, except for military requirements and operational test and evaluation, which are the responsibilities of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Headquarters Marine Corps.
(b) The following offices within the Office of the Secretary of the Navy are designated to conduct the functions specified in paragraph (a) of this section. No office or other entity may be established or designated within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations or the Headquarters, Marine Corps, to conduct any of the functions specified in paragraph (a) of this section, except as noted in paragraph (a)(8) of this section.
(1) The Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) is the Acquisition Executive for the Department of the Navy. The Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) (ASN(RD&A;)) is responsible for research, development and acquisition, except for military requirements and operational test and evaluation, which remain functions of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and Headquarters Marine Corps. In addition to Acquisition Executive, ASN(RD&A;) is also the Navy Senior Procurement Executive and Senior Department of the Navy Information Resource Management Official. Responsibilities include developing acquisition policy and procedures for all Department of the Navy research, development, production, shipbuilding and production/logistics support programs; and Department of the Navy international technology transfer.
(2) The Auditor General is responsible for the internal auditing function within the Department of the Navy.
(3) The Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management) is responsible for comptrollership, including financial management, within the Department of the Navy.
(4) The Naval Inspector General is responsible for the inspector general function within the Department of the Navy.
(5) The Chief of Legislative Affairs is responsible for legislative affairs within the Department of the Navy.
(6) The Chief of Information is responsible for public affairs within the Department of the Navy.
(c) The Secretary shall:
(1) Prescribe the relationship of each office or other entity established or designated under paragraph (b) of this section:
(i) To the Chief of Naval Operations and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations: and
(ii) To the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Headquarters, Marine Corps; and
(2) Ensure that each such office or entity provides the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps such staff support as the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps consider necessary to perform their respective duties and responsibilities.
(d) The vesting in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy of the responsibility for the conduct of a function specified in paragraph (a) of this section does not preclude other elements of the Department of the Navy (including the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Headquarters, Marine Corps) from providing advice or assistance to the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, or otherwise participating in that function within the executive part of the Department under the direction of the office assigned responsibility for that function in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy.