An Integrative Risk Management/Governance Framework for Homeland Security Decision Making

Abstract

National leaders, federal legislation, and the Department of Homeland Security all endorse the adoption of a risk management framework as an application for homeland security decision makers. Risk Management Frameworks developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) contain the elements for building a robust risk management framework for homeland security decision-making. Yet no single framework is perfect or perfectly applicable to homeland security, mainly because of the uncertainty and complexity of terrorism. This leaves the decision-maker with a series of challenges, the most pressing of which is to manage risk in the ever evolving arena of homeland security. This paper analyzes the principles of decision making and links them with the risk management processes illustrated in each of the frameworks. The final product is an integrative risk management/governance framework and an evaluation of its utility in a sample context: the nation's passenger rail system. This study narrows the focus even further by conducting a threat analysis on the passenger rail system for the New York and New Jersey region, and applying the integrative risk management/governance framework against a hypothetical terrorist threat on that system.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA479912

Entities

People

  • Albert M. Ponenti

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Cyber
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accidents
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Employment
  • Geographic Regions
  • Homeland Security
  • Intelligence Collection
  • Intelligence Cycle
  • Man Borne Improvised Explosive Devices
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Risk
  • Risk Analysis
  • Surveillance
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • United States Government

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
  • Systems Analysis and Design