GAO cites confusion over homeland security responsibilities

More than three years after 9/11, confusion still exists over which departments are primarily responsible for core homeland security efforts, according to government auditors.

Additionally, the government faces challenges implementing key initiatives in a well-coordinated and integrated way, particularly when they cut across two or more core mission areas, the Government Accountability Office said in a 200-page report (GAO-05-33) released Monday.

Departments and agencies are addressing every initiative within the National Strategy for Homeland Security, GAO found. The national strategy was issued in July 2002 by President Bush and includes 43 key initiatives.

The initiatives fall within six "critical mission areas:" intelligence and warning; border and transportation security; domestic counterterrorism; protecting critical infrastructure and key assets; defending against catastrophic threats, and emergency preparedness and response.

The report notes ongoing challenges within each area, however, such as consolidating terrorist watch lists, problems securing rail and mass transit transportation, and the lack of comprehensive information with regard to chemical plant security.

GAO found that six departments play key roles in implementing the national strategy: Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Justice.

All 43 initiatives within the strategy were included in plans and implementation activities in fiscal 2004 by at least one of the six departments, GAO found. DHS was identified as the lead department for 37 initiatives.

More than two-thirds of the initiatives, however, were being planned or implemented by three or more departments, and GAO had to infer which was primarily responsible for 13 initiatives. Twelve initiatives had multiple lead departments, raising questions about overall coordination.

"Given the large number of initiatives being implemented by multiple agencies, the fact that some of the leads were implied rather than clear, and the fact that about a third of the initiatives had multiple leads, coordination across federal departments will be a key factor required for the successful implementation of the strategy," the report stated.

"Such coordination would ensure that federal departments are working to support the lead agency, are complementing one another's leadership when there are multiple lead agencies, and are not unnecessarily duplicating one another's programs when there are multiple departments implementing the same initiatives."

GAO also found some of the most difficult challenges the government faces is addressing initiatives that cut across multiple mission areas. The challenges include: balancing homeland security needs with other national requirements; improving risk management methods for resource allocation and investments; developing adequate homeland security performance measures; clarifying the roles and responsibilities among the levels of government and the private sector; and developing a national blueprint-called an enterprise architecture-to help integrate efforts by different organizations to improve homeland security.

"While departments have incorporated these initiatives into their planning and implementation activity," the report concluded, "the United States faces significant challenges in fully implementing the strategy in a coordinated and integrated manner."

The report does not contain any recommendations and was done between February and November 2004. None of the departments listed in the report disagreed with its substance. The FBI, however, provided extensive comments in response to the report on what it has accomplished since 9/11. GAO noted that it did not ask for the FBI comments or verify their validity.

The report also did not assess the quality of implementation activities by each department.