	Most States and Several Local Jurisdictions Have or Are Planning Fusion Centers That Vary in Their Characteristics

Almost all states and several local governments have established or are in  the process of establishing a fusion center. Further, 23 of the 36 operational fusion  centers that provided us mission statements had missions that involved  collecting, analyzing, and disseminating criminal as well as terrorism- related information. Law enforcement entities, such as state police or state bureaus of  investigation, were the lead or managing agencies in the majority of the  operational centers we contacted. The centers varied in their staff sizes  and partnerships with other agencies, ranging from fewer than 5  employees to over 80. DHS and DOJ, recognizing the importance of fusion  centers in information sharing, have efforts under way that begin to  address many of these challenges. However,  officials at 31 of the 58 centers we contacted reported challenges obtaining  access to federal information systems or networks. While these efforts  to improve the quality and flow of information to state and local users are  promising, it is too soon to determine the extent to which they will  address the challenges in accessing and managing information reported to  us by fusion center officials. DHS and the FBI Provide Clearances to Fusion Center Officials, but Officials Cited Some Challenges with Obtaining and Using Clearances

Both DHS and the FBI have provided security clearances for numerous  state and local personnel in order to access classified information and  have set goals to reduce the length of time it takes to obtain a security  clearance. DHS and DOJ Continue to Provide Guidance, Technical Assistance, and Training to Fusion Centers

DHS, DOJ, and the PM-ISE continue to provide fusion centers with  guidance, technical assistance, and training to help address their  challenges in these areas. Furthermore, officials at 21 of the centers we contacted said that the  availability of adequate training for mission-related issues, such as training  on intelligence analysis, was a challenge. Additionally, along with the PM-ISE  and others, DHS and DOJ have sponsored regional and national  conferences, including the second annual national fusion center  conference in March 2008, which was designed to support fusion centers  in building capabilities and understanding their roles and responsibilities  as described in the National Strategy. Fusion Center Officials Cited Challenges with Personnel and Funding; DHS and the FBI Are Helping to Address These Issues to Some Extent

Many fusion center officials we contacted reported challenges related to  obtaining personnel (43 of 58) and obtaining and maintaining funding  when establishing and operating their centers (54 of 58)—challenges that  some of these officials also said affected their centers’ sustainability. Both DHS and the FBI  have continued to support fusion centers by deploying personnel,  consistent with the 9/11 Commission Act. In promoting that fusion centers achieve a baseline level of capability, the  National Strategy states that the federal government will support the  establishment of fusion centers and help sustain them through grant  funding, technical assistance, and training to achieve such a baseline level  of capability. However, some fusion center officials raised concerns at the  national fusion center conference about how specifically the federal  government was planning to assist state and local governments to sustain  fusion centers. However, fusion center  officials raised some concerns about sustainability of funding and  personnel as the federal government continues work to incorporate fusion  centers into the information sharing environment and implement the  National Strategy.
Why GAO Did This Study

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, state and local governments formed fusion centers, collaborative efforts to detect, prevent, investigate, and respond to criminal or terrorist activity. Recognizing that the centers are a critical mechanism for sharing information, the federal government--including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE), which has primary responsibility for governmentwide information sharing--is taking steps to partner with fusion centers. This testimony focuses on (1) the characteristics of fusion centers as of September 2007 and (2) federal efforts to help alleviate challenges centers identified. This testimony is based on GAO's October 2007 report on 58 fusion centers and related federal efforts to support them as well as updated information GAO obtained in March 2008 by reviewing plans describing selected federal efforts and attending the second annual national fusion center conference.

What GAO Found

Almost all states and several local governments have established or are in the process of establishing fusion centers that vary in their characteristics. Centers were generally established to address gaps in information sharing, and the majority of the centers GAO contacted had adopted broad missions that could include both counterterrorism and law enforcement-related information. While law enforcement entities, such as state police, are the lead or managing agencies in the majority of the centers GAO contacted, the centers varied in their staff sizes and partnerships with other agencies. The majority of the operational fusion centers GAO contacted had federal personnel, including from DHS or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), assigned to them as of September 2007. DHS and DOJ have several efforts under way that begin to address challenges fusion center officials identified. DHS and DOJ have provided many fusion centers access to their information systems, but fusion center officials cited challenges accessing and managing multiple information systems. Both DHS and the FBI have provided security clearances for state and local personnel and set timeliness goals for granting clearances. However, officials cited challenges obtaining and using clearances. DHS, DOJ, and the PM-ISE have also taken steps to develop guidance and provide technical assistance to fusion centers, for instance, by issuing guidelines for establishing and operating centers. However, officials at 21 centers cited challenges with the availability of training for mission-specific issues. DHS and DOJ have continued providing a technical assistance program for fusion centers and disseminated a baseline capabilities draft in March 2008 that outlines minimum operational standards for fusion centers. While this support and guidance is promising, it is too soon to determine the extent to which it will address challenges identified by officials contacted. Finally, officials in 43 of the 58 fusion centers contacted reported facing challenges related to obtaining personnel, and officials in 54 centers reported challenges with funding, some of which affected these centers' sustainability. To support fusion centers, both DHS and the FBI have assigned, and continue to assign, personnel to the centers. To help address funding issues, DHS has provided funding for fusion-center related activities. The National Strategy for Information Sharing, issued in October 2007 by the President, states that the federal government will support the establishment of fusion centers and help sustain them through grant funding, technical assistance, and training. However, some fusion center officials raised concerns about how specifically the federal government was planning to assist state and local governments to sustain fusion centers as it works to incorporate fusion centers into the ISE and to implement the strategy.