DHS Releases New Strategic Plan
DHS released its update Strategic Plan on Tuesday. Attempting to solidify its core missions of immigration, customs and border control, critical infrastructure, and preparedness, this document covers 2008-2013. That’s quite a reach. I’m guessing the next Administration might ant to revisit a document slated to guide the Department for the next five years.
The impetus for updating the DHS Strategic Plan could have been simply to give the first one something a little more actionable. Round one of the Department’s Plan – released in 2004 – read like a PR document rather than a plan. This new version emphasizes risk analysis and management techniques as well as an all-hazards approach to operations.
The new Strategic Plan reasserts Secretary Chertoff’s priorities of protecting against “bad people,” “dangerous goods,” and failing infrastructure and strengthening emergency preparedness and response, as well as management responsibilities. And the basic philosophy remains:
Vision: A secure America, a confident public, and a strong and resilient society and economy.
Mission: We will lead the unified national effort to secure America. We will prevent and deter terrorist attacks and protect against and respond to threats and hazards to the Nation. We will secure our national borders while welcoming lawful immigrants, visitors, and trade.
Core values:
• Duty: Embodying Integrity, Responsibility, and Accountability
• Respect: Honoring Our Partners and One Another.
• Innovation: Creating Opportunities
• Vigilance: Safeguarding America
Today is also the roll-out event at the Press Club of HLS 3.0. This is the follow-up report to DHS 2.0, which influenced much of the reforms that took place at DHS in 2004 and 2005. As with the first, James Carafano and David Heyman co-chaired the task force that wrote this new report. I served on the team that developed the international issues for DHS. For a preview of the content, see this post.
