Homeland Security: DHS's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Program Consolidation Efforts

Abstract

GAO's prior work has shown that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should complete, document, and make available analyses of key questions related to its chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) consolidation proposal. In August 2016, we reported that several key factors were not included when DHS evaluated its organizational consolidation of CBRNE functions. For example, DHS did not fully assess and document potential problems that could result from consolidation or include a comparison of benefits and costs. Further, DHS conducted limited external stakeholder outreach, thus the proposal may not sufficiently account for stakeholder concerns. Attention to these key areas, identified from GAO's analysis of previous organizational consolidations, would help provide DHS, Congress, and other stakeholders, such as DHS components with assurance that important aspects of effective organizational changes are addressed as part of the agency's CBRNE reorganization decision-making process. GAO previously recommended that DHS complete, document, and make available analyses of key questions related to its consolidation proposal, including: (1) what problems, if any, consolidation may create; (2) a comparison of the benefits and costs the consolidation may entail; and (3) a broader range of external stakeholder input including a discussion of how it was obtained and considered. DHS did not concur, asserting that the recommendation did not acknowledge the extent to which these questions were discussed both internally within DHS and externally with Congress and that DHS's decision to consolidate CBRNE functions had already been made which would make additional analysis redundant.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 07, 2017
Accession Number
AD1175382

Entities

People

  • Chris Currie

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter WMD

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accountability
  • Acquisition
  • Chemical Biological Radiological And Nuclear Defense
  • Chemical Warfare Agents
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Congress
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Electronic Mail
  • Governments
  • Homeland Security
  • House Of Representatives
  • Lessons Learned
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Security
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Weapons
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Readers

  • Critical Infrastructure Protection in CBRN and WMD Threats.
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management