President Bush took a number of important  steps in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks to strengthen the country’s  homeland security efforts, including the creation of an Office of Homeland  Security (OHS). The success of a homeland security strategy relies on the ability of all levels  of government and the private sector to communicate and cooperate  effectively with one another. Among other things, it is incumbent on the federal government to  formulate realistic budget and resource plans to support the  implementation of an efficient and effective homeland security program. A fundamental review of existing programs and operations can  create much-needed fiscal flexibility to address emerging needs by weeding  out programs that are out-dated, poorly targeted, or inefficiently designed  and managed.
What GAO Found

In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Administration took several steps to strengthen homeland security, including the creation of an Office of Homeland Security (OHS). The success of a homeland security strategy requires all levels of government and the private sector to communicate and cooperate with one another. The federal government must formulate realistic budget and resource plans to support the implementation of an efficient and effective homeland security program. A fundamental review of existing programs and operations can create the necessary fiscal flexibility by weeding out out-dated, poorly targeted, or inefficient programs. Although Congress called upon GAO to evaluate the effectiveness of OHS programs, GAO has experienced difficulty in gaining access to this information.