	Background

The National Strategy for Homeland Security sets out a plan to improve  homeland security through the cooperation and partnering of federal,  state, local, and private sector organizations on an array of functions. The strategy also identifies the major initiatives to be addressed within  each of these six mission areas. In all, the  strategy cites 43 initiatives across the six mission areas. Finally, our work did not assess the  status or quality of the work being planned or implemented. Domestic Counterterrorism

The Domestic Counterterrorism mission area has six initiatives. All of the  initiatives are covered by at least one department’s planning or  implementation activities (see table 3). All 6 initiatives were being implemented in fiscal year 2004 as reported by  one or more departments (see table 9). Protecting Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets

The strategy identifies eight initiatives under the Protecting Critical  Infrastructures and Key Assets—commonly referred to as Critical  Infrastructure Protection (CIP)— mission area. Crosscutting Issues

Our recent work has also identified homeland security challenges that cut  across the various mission areas. Such governmentwide  challenges that we have identified include    balancing homeland security needs with other national requirements by  formulating realistic budget and resource plans that support the  implementation of an efficient and effective homeland security  program;    providing timely and transparent homeland security funding  information that sets forth detailed information concerning the  obligation of the funding provided;  improving risk management methods for resource allocation and  investments by developing a commonly accepted framework and  supporting tools to guide agency analysts in providing information to  management;    establishing baseline performance goals and measures upon which to  assess and improve prevention efforts, evaluate vulnerability reduction,  and gauge responsiveness to damage and recovery needs at all levels of  government;    clarifying the roles and responsibilities within and between the levels  of government and the private sector through the development and  implementation of an overarching framework and criteria to guide the  process;    developing a national blueprint—called an enterprise architecture—to  help integrate different organizations’ efforts to improve homeland  security; and  improving governmentwide information technology management  through the consistent application of effective strategic planning and  performance measurement practices. Concluding Observations

All 43 initiatives of the National Strategy for Homeland Security were  included in plans and implementation activities in fiscal year 2004 by at  least one of the six key departments we reviewed. While DHS was identified as the lead for  the most initiatives (37), there were multiple leads for 12 of these 42  initiatives. Given the large number of initiatives being implemented by  multiple agencies, the fact that some of the leads were implied rather than  clear, and the fact that about a third of the initiatives had multiple leads,  coordination across federal departments will be a key factor required for  the successful implementation of the strategy. The six departments are the Departments of Defense (DOD), Energy  (DOE), Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS),  Justice (DOJ), and State. This work is based exclusively  on a review of challenges identified in GAO products issued since  September 11, 2001. Summary of Departmental Activities on the Initiatives

All 12 Emergency Preparedness and Response initiatives are being  addressed in key departments’ planning and implementation activities. State  demonstrated 2004 activities in 15 of the 43 initiatives, spanning all six  mission areas; and DOJ identified 2004 activities in 13 of the 43 initiatives,  covering four of the six mission areas (the exceptions: Border and  Transportation Security and Defending against Catastrophic Threats).
Why GAO Did This Study

The National Strategy for Homeland Security sets forth a plan to improve homeland security through the cooperation of federal, state, local, and private sector organizations on an array of functions. These functions are organized into the six distinct "critical mission areas" of (1) intelligence and warning, (2) border and transportation security, (3) domestic counterterrorism, (4) protecting critical infrastructures and key assets, (5) defending against catastrophic threats, and (6) emergency preparedness and response. Within each of these mission areas, the strategy identifies "major initiatives" to be addressed. In all, the strategy cites 43 initiatives across the six mission areas. GAO reviewed the strategy's implementation to (1) determine whether its initiatives are being addressed by key departments' strategic planning and implementation activities, whether the initiatives have lead agencies identified for their implementation, and whether the initiatives were being implemented in fiscal year 2004 by such agencies and (2) identify ongoing homeland security challenges that have been reflected in GAO products since September 11, 2001, by both mission area and issues that cut across mission areas.

What GAO Found

Key federal departments--Defense (DOD), Energy (DOE), Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS), Justice (DOJ), and State--have addressed the strategy's 43 initiatives to some extent in their strategic planning and implementation activities. All 43 of the initiatives were included in some of the planning or implementation activities of at least one of these six departments. Most of the initiatives (42 of the 43) also had departments identified as the lead agencies for their implementation, which helps to ensure accountability for implementation. However, many of these 42 initiatives had multiple lead agencies, indicating that interagency coordination of roles and activities will be important, particularly on those initiatives involving domestic counterterrorism and critical infrastructure protection. All of the initiatives were being implemented in fiscal year 2004 by at least one department. While GAO determined that implementation was occurring, it did not assess the status or quality of the various departments' implementation of the initiatives. While departments have incorporated these initiatives into their planning and implementation activity, the United States faces significant challenges in fully implementing the strategy in a coordinated and integrated manner. Some of the most difficult challenges being confronted are those that cut across the various critical mission areas, such as balancing homeland security funding needs with other national requirements, improving risk management methods for resource allocation and investments, developing adequate homeland security performance measures, developing a national enterprise architecture for homeland security, and clarifying the roles and responsibilities among the levels of government and the private sector. GAO has also identified a large diversity of other challenges in each of the six critical mission areas since September 11.