The Role of the Office of Homeland Security in the Federal Budget Process. Recommendations for Effective Long-Term Engagement

Abstract

This RAND-sponsored study is intended to inform the discussion of the Office of Homeland Security's (OHS's) engagement in the federal budget process. Our recommendations for interagency strategy and funding coordination are based on an analysis of expert opinion, institutional analogy, and congressional interest and involvement, as reflected in funding streams, committee hearings, and referrals of legislative proposals. The research for this study was initiated in December 2001 and completed in February 2002. Our analysis suggests that OHS can engage effectively in the budget process in its current institutional form, but it must build on the strength of its relationship with the President over the longer term. Defining efficacy as the ability of OHS to secure department and agency funding for agreed programs and activities in support of the President's policy agenda, we identify key points of leverage inside and outside government and also recommend specific mechanisms for participating in the executive branch and congressional phases of the budget process. It is our view that OHS will be most effective if it treats interagency strategy and funding coordination in tandem, through an integrated framework that focuses on core cross-cutting policy issues and that is tied to the budget cycle. We develop a framework that starts with policy priorities and objectives and then flows to strategy formulation and funding requests, clearly mapping budget proposals to specific programs and activities. This report should be of interest to those involved in the debate on the coordination of homeland security strategy and funding, including policymakers in the executive branch, members of Congress, and their staff.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2002
Accession Number
ADA403311

Entities

People

  • Victoria A. Greenfield

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Border Security
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Congress
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Department Of Veterans Affairs
  • Emergency Response
  • Federal Budgets
  • Foreign Relations
  • Homeland Security
  • House Of Representatives
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Law
  • National Security
  • Security
  • United States
  • United States Government

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Systems Analysis and Design