Congress and the administration will need to examine the ability of the  executive branch to develop and implement overarching strategies to  enhance collaboration for national security efforts. Key Findings

		Although Some Agencies Have Developed Overarching Strategies, the Lack of Information on Roles and Responsibilities and Lack of Coordination Mechanisms Can Hinder Interagency Collaboration

Although some U.S. government agencies have developed or updated  overarching strategies since September 11, 2001, the lack of information  on roles and responsibilities and lack of coordination mechanisms in these  strategies can hinder interagency collaboration. We have  testified and reported that in some cases U.S. efforts have been hindered  by multiple agencies pursuing individual efforts without overarching  strategies detailing roles and responsibilities of organizations involved or  coordination mechanisms to integrate their efforts. For example, we have  found the following:    Since 2005, multiple U.S. agencies—including the State Department, U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID), and Department of  Defense (DOD)—had led separate efforts to improve the capacity of Iraq’s  ministries to govern without overarching direction from a lead entity to  integrate their efforts. Key Findings

		Organizational Differences Can Hinder Collaboration on National Security Activities

Based on our prior work, organizational differences—including  differences in organizational structures, planning processes, and funding  sources—can hinder interagency collaboration, resulting in a patchwork  of activities that can waste scarce funds and limit the overall effectiveness  of federal efforts. Agencies involved in national security activities  define and organize their regions differently. According to a DOD official,  disagreement about equitable funding from each budget led to the initial  operating capability date being pushed back 1 year for a new space radar  system. Enclosure III of this report further  discusses the human capital issues related to interagency collaboration for  national security. We have found that some mechanisms are not formalized, may not be fully  utilized, or have difficulty gaining stakeholder support, thus limiting their  effectiveness in enhancing interagency collaboration. Key Findings

		Some Agencies Lack Personnel Capacity to Fully Participate in Interagency Activities

Collaborative approaches to national security require a well-trained  workforce with the skills and experience to integrate the government’s  diverse capabilities and resources, but some federal government agencies  may lack the personnel capacity to fully participate in interagency  activities. Some federal government agencies have taken steps to improve their  capacity to participate in interagency activities. Training Opportunities and Strategic Workforce Planning Could Facilitate Collaboration

Increased training opportunities and focusing on strategic workforce  planning efforts are two tools that could facilitate federal agencies’ ability  to fully participate in interagency collaboration activities. As such, sharing and integrating  national security information among federal, state, local, and private- sector partners is critical to assessing and responding to current threats to  our national security. Congress and the  administration will need to ensure that agencies remain committed to  sharing relevant national security information, increasing access to  necessary information, and effectively managing and integrating  information across multiple agencies. Key Findings

		Agencies Do Not Always Share Relevant Information

Our prior work has shown that agencies do not always share relevant  information with their national security partners, including other federal  government agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector. Information is a crucial tool in addressing national security issues and its  timely dissemination is absolutely critical for maintaining national  security. Security clearance issues. Specifically,  we reported in May 2007 that non-DOD personnel could not access some  DOD planning documents or participate in planning sessions because they  may not have had the proper security clearances, hindering interagency  participation in the development of military plans. Based on our previous work, we identified three challenges posed by  managing and integrating information drawn from multiple sources. for sharing information? Combating Terrorism: Actions Needed to Enhance Implementation of  Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership.
Why GAO Did This Study

While national security activities, which range from planning for an influenza pandemic to Iraq reconstruction, require collaboration among multiple agencies, the mechanisms used for such activities may not provide the means for interagency collaboration needed to meet modern national security challenges. To assist the 111th Congress and the new administration in developing their oversight and management agendas, this report, which was performed under the Comptroller General's authority, addresses actions needed to enhance interagency collaboration for national security activities: (1) the development and implementation of overarching, integrated strategies; (2) the creation of collaborative organizations; (3) the development of a well-trained workforce; and (4) the sharing and integration of national security information across agencies. This report is based largely on a body of GAO work issued since 2005.

What GAO Found

Based on prior work, GAO has found that agencies need to take the following actions to enhance interagency collaboration for national security: Develop and implement overarching strategies. Although some U.S. government agencies have developed or updated overarching strategies on national security issues, GAO has reported that in some cases, such as U.S. government efforts to improve the capacity of Iraq's ministries to govern, U.S. efforts have been hindered by multiple agencies pursuing individual efforts without an overarching strategy. In particular, a strategy defining organizational roles and responsibilities and coordination mechanisms can help agencies clarify who will lead or participate in activities, organize their joint and individual efforts, and facilitate decision making. Create collaborative organizations. Organizational differences--including differences in agencies' structures, planning processes, and funding sources--can hinder interagency collaboration, potentially wasting scarce funds and limiting the effectiveness of federal efforts. For example, defense and national intelligence activities are funded through separate budgets. Disagreement about funding from each budget led to the initial operating capability date being pushed back 1 year for a new space radar system. Coordination mechanisms are not always formalized or not fully utilized, potentially limiting their effectiveness in enhancing interagency collaboration. Develop a well-trained workforce. Collaborative approaches to national security require a well-trained workforce with the skills and experience to integrate the government's diverse capabilities and resources, but some federal government agencies lack the personnel capacity to fully participate in interagency activities. Some federal agencies have taken steps to improve their capacity to participate in interagency activities, but personnel shortages have impeded agencies' ability to participate in these activities, such as efforts to integrate personnel from other federal government agencies into the Department of Defense's (DOD) new U.S. Africa Command. Increased training opportunities and strategic workforce planning efforts could facilitate federal agencies' ability to fully participate in interagency collaboration activities. Share and integrate national security information across agencies. Information is a crucial tool in national security and its timely dissemination is critical for maintaining national security. However, despite progress made in sharing terrorism-related information, agencies and private-sector partners do not always share relevant information with their national security partners due to a lack of clear guidelines for sharing information and security clearance issues. For example, GAO found that non-DOD personnel could not access some DOD planning documents or participate in planning sessions because they may not have had the proper security clearances. Additionally, incorporating information drawn from multiple sources poses challenges to managing and integrating that information.