In anticipation of reductions and transfers of employees resulting from the Defense Reform Initiative, the Secretary of Defense directed the establishment of the Project Outlook Career Assistance Center to allay fears that the streamlining would result in involuntary separations.

The Center was established in January 1998 and provides counseling, job opportunities, and assistance to personnel who are affected by downsizing, competitive sourcing, and other changes under the DRI. It provides a clear signal that the Office of the Secretary of Defense takes care of its most important resource, its people. One measure of the Center’s success is that OSD has achieved most of the reductions without having to involuntarily separate people.