OEC  notes that it plays a key role in ensuring federal, state, local, tribal, and  territorial agencies have the necessary plans, resources, and training  needed to support operable and interoperable emergency  communications. We  reviewed OEC’s and FEMA’s collaborative efforts related to grant  guidance and found that their efforts generally follow our previously  identified leading practices for effective interagency collaboration, as  described below. Written Guidance and Agreements. OEC and FEMA formalized their  coordination efforts for interoperable emergency communications  grants in a memorandum of agreement in 2014. Participants. OEC’s and FEMA’s July 2018 standard operating procedures  established a process to track and monitor grantee compliance. Accordingly,  we could not evaluate the effectiveness of the new procedures to  monitor and assess grantee compliance, and without conducting such  an evaluation, we could not determine whether OEC’s and FEMA’s  efforts align with the key practice in this area. Additionally, the majority of  SWICs responded to our survey that it is at least moderately important for  OEC to incorporate the FirstNet network and emerging technologies into  its written guidance, technical assistance offerings, training opportunities,  workshops, and grant guidance, Furthermore, in most cases, SWICs  responded that OEC has incorporated FirstNet’s network and emerging  technologies into these areas, as follows:
FirstNet network. According to federal standards for internal control,  management should externally communicate the necessary quality  information to achieve the entity’s objectives. This includes  communicating with external parties and using the appropriate methods  of communication. The federal standards state that management should  periodically assess the entity’s methods of communication so that the  organization has the appropriate tools to communicate quality information  throughout and outside of the entity on a timely basis. Also with respect to OEC’s communication efforts with stakeholders, four  of six OEC coordinators and 3 of 10 public-safety organizations we  interviewed, along with 26 of 54 (48 percent) of the SWICs we surveyed,  identified the need for OEC to use additional tools or approaches for  improving communication with SWICs and the public-safety community. Although public-safety stakeholders we  contacted were generally satisfied with OEC’s communications efforts,  OEC could be missing opportunities to use additional tools and  approaches, such as social media, to improve communication with public- safety officials. Absent an assessment of its methods of communication,  OEC cannot ensure it is using the best methods to provide relevant and  timely information on training opportunities, workshops, technical  assistance offerings, and other emergency-communications information  to the public-safety community. Recommendation for Executive Action

OEC should assess its methods of communication to help ensure it has  the appropriate tools and approaches to communicate quality information  to public-safety stakeholders, and as appropriate, make adjustments to its  communications strategy. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report examines (1) the Office of Emergency Communications’  (OEC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA)  collaborative efforts to develop and implement guidance for grantees  using federal grants for interoperable emergency communications; (2)  how OEC incorporates FirstNet’s nationwide public-safety broadband  network and other emerging technologies into its plans and offerings, and  stakeholders’ views regarding those efforts; and (3) the extent to which  OEC has assessed its methods of communication. We  assessed OEC’s and FEMA’s actions against the seven key  considerations for interagency collaborations. We  assessed OEC’s efforts against federal standards for internal control  regarding external communications and periodic evaluation of its methods  of communication.
Why GAO Did This Study

Public-safety communications systems are used by thousands of federal, state, and local jurisdictions. It is vital that first responders have communications systems that allow them to connect with their counterparts in other agencies and jurisdictions. OEC offers written guidance, governance planning, and technical assistance to help ensure public-safety entities have the necessary plans, resources, and training to support emergency communications. FirstNet, an independent authority within the Department of Commerce, is establishing a public-safety network.
GAO was asked to review OEC's efforts related to interoperable emergency communications. This report examines (1) OEC's and FEMA's collaborative efforts to develop grant guidance; (2) how OEC incorporates FirstNet's network and other emerging technologies into its plans and offerings; and (3) the extent to which OEC has assessed its methods of communication. GAO evaluated OEC's and FEMA's coordination against GAO's leading practices for interagency collaboration; surveyed all 54 state-designated SWICs; evaluated OEC's communications efforts against federal internal control standards; and interviewed officials that represented various areas of public safety.

What GAO Found

The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) collaborate on grant guidance to help public-safety stakeholders use federal funds for interoperable emergency communications. GAO found that OEC's and FEMA's efforts generally align with GAO's leading practices for effective interagency collaboration. For example, OEC's and FEMA's memorandum of agreement and standard operating procedures articulate their agreement in formal documents, define their respective responsibilities, and include relevant participants. During this review, the agencies established a process to monitor and assess grantees' compliance with the grant guidance. However, because the grants for 2018 were not yet awarded at the time of GAO's review, GAO was unable to assess the effectiveness of the new process.
OEC incorporates the First Responder Network Authority's (FirstNet) nationwide public-safety broadband network and other emerging technologies into various offerings such as written guidance, governance planning, and technical assistance. Public-safety organizations GAO interviewed and statewide interoperability coordinators (SWIC) GAO surveyed were generally satisfied with OEC's communication efforts.
OEC has not assessed its methods for communicating with external stakeholders. According to federal internal control standards, management should externally communicate the necessary quality information to achieve the entity's objectives and periodically assess its methods of communication so that the organization has the appropriate tools to communicate quality information on a timely basis. Some SWIC survey respondents and public-safety representatives identified an opportunity for OEC to improve its methods of communication. For example, 26 of the 54 SWICs responded that OEC could use additional tools or approaches, such as social media, for improving communication with its stakeholders. In addition, public-safety officials reported that they have missed training because they were unaware of opportunities. Because OEC has not assessed its methods of communication, OEC may not be using the best tools and approaches to provide timely information on training opportunities, workshops, and other emergency communications information to the public-safety community.

What GAO Recommends

OEC should assess its methods of communication to help ensure it is using the appropriate tools in communicating with external stakeholders. DHS concurred with the recommendation.