	FirstNet’s Progress Establishing and Financing the Network and Consulting Stakeholders

In our June 2017 report, we found that FirstNet has conducted key efforts  to establish the network, namely releasing the request for proposal for the  network in January 2016 and awarding the network contract to AT&T in  March 2017. As the contractor, AT&T will be responsible for the overall  design, development, production, operation, and evolution of the network,  as well as the marketing, product management, sales, distribution, and  customer care. By establishing a single, dedicated network for public safety use,  FirstNet’s network is expected to foster greater interoperability and meet  public safety officials’ reliability and other needs. We also found that FirstNet has made progress consulting with state and  local, federal, and tribal stakeholders through a variety of mechanisms. State officials we contacted were generally satisfied with FirstNet’s efforts  to engage them. However, tribal stakeholders we contacted expressed  concern with FirstNet’s efforts to consult with tribes per the 2012 Act’s  requirements. Further, tribes noted that  individuals with first-hand knowledge of tribes’ experiences are not able to  represent tribal views directly among FirstNet’s key decision makers. FirstNet has stated that, indeed, the 2012 Act requires that it consult with  tribes through state points of contact. Nevertheless, several federal  agencies have identified seeking a full understanding of tribal concerns— and reaching consensus where possible—as a key principle of effective  tribal communication, noting that agencies should adapt to changing  circumstances, contemplate creative problem solving, identify options for  addressing concerns, and exhaust alternatives to achieve mutually  agreeable solutions. We concluded that, by fully exploring and proposing actions to address  tribal stakeholders’ concerns, FirstNet could help improve its relations  with tribes and better meet stakeholders’ needs. FirstNet’s Network Reliability, Security, and Interoperability Challenges and Efforts to Address Them

In our report, we found that—according to stakeholders we contacted— FirstNet faces various challenges to ensure the network’s reliability,  security, and interoperability. For example, stakeholders raised concerns  related to: providing network coverage to rural areas, in buildings, or ensuring the network’s overall resiliency and cybersecurity; and managing frameworks for user identity, credentialing of users, access  management, and prioritization of users on the network. According to FirstNet documentation, FirstNet plans to use— and allow AT&T to use—the lab to test public safety devices and  applications before deploying them on the network. Further, we found that the majority of stakeholders we contacted were  satisfied with the planning efforts to ensure the reliability, security, and  interoperability of the network. However, many stakeholders also said that  there is much remaining uncertainty about how this will be implemented in  practice. FirstNet’s Contract Oversight Mechanisms

FirstNet must manage and oversee the implementation of the network  contract to build, operate, and maintain the network. FirstNet’s oversight mechanisms  include developing policies and procedures to guide contract  administration and establishing offices to oversee its network contractor. In particular, FirstNet established the Network Program Office to oversee  the contractor’s performance and facilitate quality assurance of contract  deliverables, among other things. FirstNet is also receiving assistance  from the Department of the Interior, which has experience with contract  administration, although FirstNet plans to assume full responsibility for  contract administration in the future. However, although FirstNet’s Network Program Office will perform  essential contract administration functions, FirstNet had not conducted  long-term projections of staffing needs for the office as of April 2017. Planning for and assigning adequate resources, including people, and  performing an assessment of the resources needed to oversee projects is  one of the key actions we identified for planning and executing effective  contract oversight. We concluded that FirstNet lacks reasonable assurance that it will have  sufficient resources to handle increases in its responsibilities over time  and that, by performing a long-term staffing assessment for the Network  Program Office, FirstNet would be in a better position to fully understand  its staffing needs and respond to staffing changes and risks as it assumes  full responsibility of contract administration in the future. FirstNet agreed with this  recommendation and, in September 2017, described the actions it has  taken to implement it.
Why GAO Did This Study

FirstNet is charged with establishing a nationwide public-safety broadband network that is reliable, secure, and interoperable. To inform this work, FirstNet is consulting with a variety of stakeholders. In March 2017, FirstNet awarded a 25-year contract to AT&T to build, operate, and maintain the network. FirstNet's oversight of AT&T's performance is important given the scope of the network and the duration of the contract.
This testimony provides information on (1) FirstNet's efforts to establish the network; (2) stakeholder views on network reliability, security, and interoperability challenges FirstNet faces and its efforts to address them; and (3) FirstNet's plans to oversee its network contractor. This statement is based on GAO's June 2017 report ( GAO-17-569 ). For this report, GAO reviewed FirstNet documentation, key contract oversight practices identified in federal regulations and other sources, tribal communication practices identified by federal agencies, and assessed FirstNet's efforts and plans against these practices. GAO also interviewed FirstNet officials and a nongeneralizable selection of public safety, tribal, and other stakeholders selected to obtain a variety of viewpoints.

What GAO Found

In June 2017, GAO reported that the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) had conducted key efforts to establish the network, namely releasing the request for proposal (RFP) for the network and awarding the network contract to AT&T. As the contractor, AT&T will be responsible for the overall design, development, production, operation, and evolution of the network. Additionally, FirstNet consulted with state and local, federal, and tribal stakeholders. State officials GAO contacted were generally satisfied with FirstNet's efforts to engage them. However, tribal stakeholders GAO contacted expressed concern that FirstNet has not fully engaged in effective communication with tribes. FirstNet engaged tribes through a variety of mechanisms, such as through state points of contact and a working group, but tribes noted that individuals with first-hand knowledge of tribes' experiences are unable to represent tribal views directly among FirstNet's key decision makers. Although FirstNet is required to consult with tribes through state points of contact, a key principle of effective tribal communication is to seek full understanding of tribal concerns and reach consensus where possible. By fully exploring and proposing actions to address tribal stakeholders' concerns, FirstNet could help improve its relations with tribes and better meet stakeholders' needs.
According to stakeholders GAO contacted, FirstNet faces various challenges to ensure the network's reliability, security, and interoperability. For example, stakeholders raised concerns related to:
providing coverage to rural areas, in buildings, or underground;
ensuring the network's overall resiliency and cybersecurity; and
managing frameworks for user identity, credentialing of users, access management, and prioritization of users on the network.
FirstNet has taken action to address these challenges, such as by opening a test lab to test public safety devices and applications before deploying them on the network. The majority of stakeholders GAO contacted were satisfied with FirstNet's efforts but many noted that much uncertainty remains about how the network will be implemented.
FirstNet established offices to oversee its network contractor, developed policies and procedures to guide contract administration—including management and oversight—and is receiving assistance from another federal agency with contract administration experience, although FirstNet plans to assume full responsibility in the future. For example, FirstNet established the Network Program Office to oversee the contractor's performance and facilitate quality assurance of contract deliverables, among other things. Although this office will perform essential contract-administration functions, FirstNet had not conducted long-term projections of staffing needs for the office as of April 2017. As a result, FirstNet lacks reasonable assurance that it will have sufficient resources to handle increases in its responsibilities over time. Planning for and assigning adequate resources, including people, and assessing resource needs is a key practice for planning and executing effective contract oversight. By performing a long-term staffing assessment for the Network Program Office, FirstNet would be in a better position to fully understand its staffing needs and respond to staffing changes and risks as it assumes full responsibility of contract administration in the future.

What GAO Recommends

In June 2017, GAO recommended that FirstNet fully explore tribal stakeholders' concerns and assess its long-term staffing needs. FirstNet agreed with GAO's recommendations and described actions to address them.