Quadrennial Homeland Security Review

The first-ever Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) comes amid much expectation and interest. Homeland security encompasses the most sweeping reform in government in nearly half a century, and makes explicit the realization that the evolving international security landscape bears directly on our domestic security. But we have also learned that security is not an end in itself; rather, it is an important means to a vital end: preserving the values, principles, and way of life we pursue as Americans. A review of homeland security could take many forms—from a retrospective and assessment of the past, to an analysis of current programs and activities, to a view of what the future might bring. Nonetheless, Congress made clear in its direction to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the principal author of this report, that the QHSR should delineate a homeland security strategy, including an outline of priority mission areas, not simply for DHS, but for the homeland security enterprise as a whole—embracing Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial governments, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, as well as individuals, families and communities. Such a strategic analysis would then serve as a basis for a deeper review of the many programs and budgets required to execute the full range of homeland security missions. Congress also sought to better understand the resource and organizational implications of an evolving strategic view of homeland security. What was clear from the start, however, is that any articulation of strategy or analysis of specific programmatic or resource tradeoffs—either within DHS or across the broader homeland security enterprise—had to be firmly rooted within a comprehensive strategic understanding of homeland security. For example, “What is homeland security?” “How is the homeland best made secure?” “What does it mean to be prepared?” Eight years after 9/11, these questions still echo widely among the many homeland security stakeholders. The QHSR marks the beginning of a multi-step process to answer these questions. It offers a vision for a secure homeland, specifies key mission priorities, outlines goals for each of those mission areas, and lays the necessary groundwork for subsequent analysis and recommendations. As an immediate follow-on and complement to the QHSR, an important “bottom-up” review of DHS was begun in November 2009 that will look to align the Department's programmatic activities and organizational structure with the mission sets and goals identified in the QHSR.While the primary purpose for the QHSR is to outline the strategic framework to guide the activities of participants in homeland security toward a common end, it is equally important to note what the QHSR is not. The report is not a resource prioritization document, although in identifying key mission areas for priority focus, it is highly indicative of where those priorities should lie. Nor does the QHSR detail the roles and responsibilities of Federal or other institutions for each mission area. Instead, the QHSR functions as a strategic document that seeks to answer the most fundamental questions that many Americans still ask about homeland security. By describing a forward-looking homeland security vision for the Nation and the requisite set of key mission areas, goals, objectives, and outcomes, integrated across the breadth of the homeland security landscape, it also will serve as a roadmap to keep America safe, secure, and resilient in the years ahead.

Homeland security threats continue to evolve and include challenges ranging from terrorist attacks to natural disasters, emphasizing the need for DHS to periodically examine and strengthen the nation's homeland security strategy. Further, the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 requires DHS to conduct such a review every 4 years. GAO reported in 2011 on DHS's first QHSR and recommended DHS provide sufficient time for stakeholder consultations and examine how risk information could be used to prioritize mission efforts. DHS issued its second QHSR in 2014. GAO was asked to assess the QHSR. This report addresses the extent to which DHS (1) examined and used risk information to inform the QHSR and its implementation, (2) aligned its budget and performance measures to QHSR mission goals, and (3) collaborated with stakeholders to develop the QHSR. GAO analyzed relevant statutes and QHSR documentation; conducted a nongeneralizable survey of DHS-identified federal and nonfederal QHSR stakeholders, receiving responses from 93 of the 182 QHSR stakeholders it contacted; and interviewed officials from DHS, federal, and nonfederal entities.

This homeland security review addresses both the threats presented and the framework for our strategic response. The QHSR identifies the importance of what we refer to as the homeland security enterprise--that is, the Federal, State, local, tribal, territorial, nongovernmental, and private-sector entities, as well as individuals, families, and communities who share a common national interest in the safety and security of America and the American population. The purpose of this QHSR is to outline the strategic framework to guide the activities of participants in homeland security toward a common end. With respect to DHS specifically, the QHSR has led directly to an examination of DHS's own activities from the bottom up in order to make recommendations regarding programs, assets, and capabilities, as well as policies, authorities, and organizational effectiveness, in its fiscal year 2012 budget submission.

The quadrennial Homeland Security review : hearing before the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, second session, July 30, 2008.

The first-ever Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) comes amid much expectation and interest. Homeland security encompasses the most sweeping reform in government in nearly half a century, and makes explicit the realization that the evolving international security landscape bears directly on our domestic security. But we have also learned that security is not an end in itself; rather, it is an important means to a vital end: preserving the values, principles, and way of life we pursue as Americans.

"The United States continues to face arange of evolving threats, such as the2010 attempted attack on the nation'sair cargo system, that underscore whyhomeland security planning efforts arecrucial to the security of the nation.The Implementing Recommendationsof the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007required the Department of HomelandSecurity (DHS) to provide acomprehensive examination of theU.S. homeland security strategy every4 years. In response, DHS issued itsfirst Quadrennial Homeland SecurityReview (QHSR) report in February2010 and a Bottom-Up Review (BUR)report in July 2010, to identifyinitiatives to implement the QHSR. Asrequested, this report addresses theextent to which DHS (1) consulted withstakeholders in developing the QHSR,(2) conducted a national riskassessment, and (3) developedpriorities, plans, monitoringmechanisms, and performancemeasures for implementing the QHSRand BUR initiatives. GAO analyzedrelevant statutes and DHS documentson the QHSR and BUR processes and,in response to a request for commentson the processes, received commentsfrom 63 of the 85 federal andnonfederal stakeholders it contacted.Their responses are not generalizable,but provided perspectives on theprocesses. "