Homeland Security National Risk Characterization: Risk Assessment Methodology
Abstract
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Policy Strategy, Plans, Analysis, and Risk (SPAR), asked the RAND National Defense Research Institute (NDRI) to design and implement a homeland security national risk assessment to help inform DHS strategic planning by identifying and characterizing natural hazards and threats to the nation. This assessment can be used by DHS to assist in identifying the greatest risks to homeland security and to support prioritization of DHS mission elements. This report responds to SPARs request. It describes the risk assessment methodology developed by the RAND Corporation and presents summary sheets of threats and hazards intended to inform discussion of DHS risk management priorities. The methodology is also designed to address important critiques made by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its assessments of the 2010 and 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Reviews (QHSRs). To address the GAO critiques, the approach described in this report describes a set of threats and hazards that is strategically relevant and does so in a consistent way. Furthermore, the process for selecting and characterizing the hazards uses a methodology that is repeatable and transparent.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1061595
Entities
People
- Andrew Lauland
- Daniel M. Gerstein
- Henry H. Willis
- John G. Rivers
- Kristin J. Leuschner
- Liisa Ecola
- Mary Tighe
- Meagan L. Smith
- Shoshana R. Shelton
- Terry Marsh
Organizations
- RAND Corporation