executive agent


executive agent

A term used to indicate a delegation of authority by theSecretary of Defense to a subordinate to act on the Secretary'sbehalf. An agreement between equals does not create an executiveagent. For example, a Service cannot become a Department ofDefense executive agent for a particular matter with simply theagreement of the other Services; such authority must be delegatedby the Secretary of Defense. Designation as executive agent, inand of itself, confers no authority. The exact nature and scopeof the authority delegated must be stated in the documentdesignating the executive agent. An executive agent may belimited to providing only administration and support orcoordinating common functions, or it may be delegated authority,direction, and control over specified resources for specifiedpurposes. Also called EA. See also agent.