New DHS Technology Task Force Underway
DHS has formed a new Task Force under the Advisory Council Act to assess the ways in which the Department of Homeland Security can improve its acquisition of essential technologies. Under the auspices of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, the Essential Technologies Task Force, as it is called, is sponsored mainly by Under Secretary for Management Paul Schneider, TSA Administrator Kip Hawley, and Chief Information Officer Scott Charbo.
With very explicit terms of reference, and a very short amount of time to do its work, this may be one of the better run advisory councils yet for DHS. The topics under discussion ranged into critical areas of strategy, process, and leadership during the Task Force's first hearing this past Thursday.
Both Scott Gould, VP of Strategy & Change at IBM Public Sector, and I were invited to testify before the Task Force to address a number of issues we believe ought to inform the process of improving DHS decision making in this area, as well as a number of options for immediate, near term, and long term improvements to DHS technology acquisition. The hearing was closed and so I’ll refrain from uploading our comments here or those of others who appeared before the panel. However, the Task Force’s final report will be made public. Following are the members of the Essential Technologies Task Force for DHS.
George A. Vradenburg III, President, Vradenberg Foundation - Chairman
Joseph White, CEO, American Red Cross, St. Luis MO - Co-Vice Chair
John L. Skolds, President, Exelon Energy Delivery and Exelon Generation - Co-Vice Chair
Dr. Richard Andrews, Senior Director, National Center for Crisis and Continuity Coordination
Nelson Balido, President and CEO, Balido &Associates
Elliott Broidy, Commissioner, Los Angeles City Fire and Police Pension Fund
Dan Corsentino, Former Sheriff, Pueblo County, Colorado
Dr. Ruth David, President & CEO, Analytic Services, Inc. (Arlington, VA)
Dr. Victoria F. Haynes, President, Research Triangle Institute (Research Triangle, NC)
Phillip E. Keith, Former Chief of the Knoxville Tennessee Police Dept. (Knoxville, TN)
Stephen Payne, President of Worldwide Strategic Partners and Worldwide Strategic Energy
Richard “Rick†Stephens, Senior VP, Human Resources and Admin., The Boeing Company
Dr. Lydia C. Thomas, President and CEO (Ret.), Noblis
David Wallace, Mayor of Sugarland, Texas
Allen Zenowitz, Retired General and FEMA Senior Official
Ex-Officio: Judge William Webster, HSAC Chair, Partner, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, LLP
Ex-Officio: Dr. James Schlesinger, HSAC Vice Chair, Chairman, Board of Trustees, The MITRE Corporation
