Department of Homeland Security: Continued Progress Made Improving and Integrating Management Areas, but More Work Remains

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has updated and strengthened its strategy for how it plans to address GAOs high-risk designation and resolve the departments management challenges. In January 2011, DHS provided GAO with its Integrated Strategy for High Risk Management, which summarized the departments preliminary plans for addressing the high-risk area. GAO found that this strategy, which was later updated in June and December 2011, was generally responsive to the actions and outcomes needed to address GAOs high-risk designation. For example, the January 2011 strategy generally identified multiple, specific actions and target completion time frames consistent with the outcomes GAO identified. However, the strategy did not address the root causes of problems, among other things. In its June 2011 strategy, DHS, among other things, identified 10 root causes that cut across the management areas and their integration. GAO identified ways the strategy could be strengthened, including consistently reporting the progress of its initiatives and corrective actions. In its most recent update, DHS better positioned itself to address its management challenges. For example, for the first time, DHS included ratings of the departments progress addressing its high-risk outcomes. However, GAO believes that DHS could more consistently report on available resources and corrective actions, establish measures and report on progress made for all initiatives, and stabilize its methodology for measuring progress. These changes, if implemented and sustained, provide a path for DHS to address GAOs high-risk designation.