A wider range of programs will be considered this year for funding through the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP), Patrick O’Brien said Wednesday on ADC Live. O’Brien is director of DOD’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, formerly known as the Office of Economic Adjustment.

“Last year, then-Secretary [Mark] Esper decided to prioritize quality of life spending,” O’Brien said. “This year, Congress enacted language that reprioritizes this. We have military value up front. We have installation resiliency, and then we have family and quality of life.”

DOD will also give priority to projects based on “how quickly you can start turning dirt and getting the project built.”

O’Brien said he expects that DOD will begin soliciting proposals in April for both DCIP and the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program. Communities will have 60 days to complete their proposals, and all selected projects will be funded by the end of the fiscal year in September, he said.

O’Brien also encouraged ADC-member communities and states to continue educating Pentagon officials, especially those new to their positions, about the work they do for their installations.

The full episode is available on the ADC Live website. Subscribe to the ADC Live podcast for an upcoming audio version.

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