According to the Office of  Intelligence and Security’s (OIS) Associate Director for National Security  (hereafter referred to as the Associate Director), the Transportation  Infrastructure Assurance (TIA) program is, in part, DOT’s effort to meet  these Presidential Decision Directive requirements. On March 1, 2003, TSA  became part of the newly created Department of Homeland Security. TIA Program Is Scheduled to End in December 2003 with Completion of Four Vulnerability Assessments

The TIA program is scheduled to end in December 2003, resulting in the  completion of four vulnerability assessments aimed at identifying and  finding ways to mitigate threats against the nation’s transportation  infrastructure. RSPA plans to work with OIS to disseminate the results of the program to  private transportation system operators and to stakeholders in DOT and  other federal agencies through 11 formal reports, presentations,  workshops, and the Internet. Congress appropriated $1 million each year to RSPA for the TIA program  in fiscal years 2001, 2002, and 2003. RSPA Has Not Fully Coordinated Their Activities with OIS in Selecting the Vulnerabilities to Be Assessed and in Implementing the Assessments for the TIA Program

RSPA has not fully coordinated their activities with OIS—DOT’s key  transportation security stakeholder—in selecting the vulnerabilities to be  assessed or in implementing the assessments for the TIA program. In this initial  proposal, the Director of OIS said that significant OIS involvement would  be required to effectively implement the program given its responsibilities  for defining transportation security vulnerabilities, ensuring that  vulnerability assessments are conducted, and implementing actions to  mitigate those vulnerabilities. Instead, RSPA selected two transportation vulnerabilities for assessment  under the program after holding discussions with Volpe Center  researchers and officials from RSPA’s Office of Hazardous Materials  Safety. They agreed that  increased coordination would be beneficial. Specifically, they agreed to  hold bi-monthly updates on the progress of each of the vulnerability  assessments, discuss program task methodologies and approaches, and  identify options for addressing the challenges facing program researchers  in conducting the program’s vulnerability assessments. Agency Comments and Our Evaluation

We provided a copy of the draft report to DOT and RSPA officials who  agreed with the contents of the report and provided technical  clarifications that we incorporated into the report.
Why GAO Did This Study

The events of September 11, 2001, increased attention on efforts to assess the vulnerabilities of the nation's transportation infrastructure and develop needed improvements in security. The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) had already begun research in this area in June 2001. The goals of RSPA's Transportation Infrastructure Assurance program are to identify, and develop ways to mitigate the impact of, threats to the nation's transportation infrastructure. DOT's Office of Intelligence and Security is responsible for defining the requirements for transportation infrastructure protection, ensuring that vulnerability assessments of transportation infrastructure are conducted, and taking action to mitigate those vulnerabilities. The House Committee on Appropriations asked GAO to determine (1) the status and anticipated results of the Transportation Infrastructure Assurance (TIA) program, and (2) the extent to which RSPA and the Office of Intelligence and Security have coordinated their activities in selecting the vulnerabilities to be assessed and implementing the vulnerability assessments for the program. DOT and RSPA officials reviewed a draft of the report, agreed with its contents, and provided technical clarifications that we incorporated.

What GAO Found

The Transportation Infrastructure Assessment program is scheduled to end in December 2003 after the completion of four transportation vulnerability assessments. Congress appropriated $1 million in each of the fiscal years from 2001 through 2003 to RSPA for the program. RSPA plans to disseminate reports, conduct workshops, and post information on the Internet to inform decision-makers in the transportation community about the results. Prior to March 2003, RSPA did not fully coordinate their activities with the Office of Intelligence and Security in selecting the vulnerabilities to be assessed, or in implementing the assessments for the program. We discussed this problem with officials from both offices who agreed that closer coordination would be beneficial, particularly to discuss options for addressing the challenges facing program researchers in conducting the program's vulnerability assessments. In March 2003, officials from both offices began regular meetings to facilitate this coordination.