Chapter Appendix A - Recommendations
Section Homeland Security Professional Development and Education
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Critical Challenge: Homeland Security Professional Development and Education
Lesson Learned: The Department of Homeland Security should develop a comprehensive program for the professional development and education of the Nation’s homeland security personnel including Federal, State and local employees as well as emergency management persons within the private sector, non-governmental organizations, as well as faith-based and community groups. This program should foster a “joint” Federal Interagency, State, local, and civilian team.
Recommendations:
112. Each Federal department and agency assigned specific homeland security roles should establish a homeland security professional development program that encompasses career assignments, education, exercises, and training. All departments and agencies assigned specific homeland security roles should establish professional development programs to insure they have the skilled personnel necessary to execute these responsibilities. These personnel must have the requisite professional credentials and experiences, knowledge of their organization’s emergency responsibilities, and understanding of other organizations’ related emergency responsibilities. Homeland security professional development programs should include interagency and intergovernmental (i.e., Federal, State, and local governments) perspectives. Further, the scope of homeland security requires that these programs focus on all hazards: terrorism, natural disasters, accidents, and other disasters. Departments and agencies must determine which offices are assigned homeland security roles and responsibilities, and should also determine the education, training, and technical expertise required for homeland security senior leaders and crisis managers. Each should establish education, exercise, and training requirements for personnel assigned to offices with homeland security responsibilities throughout all levels of government.
113. OPM should establish, and Federal Departments and agencies should implement a career development process that mandates interagency and intergovernmental assignments as well as professional education. These career development processes must require and reward interagency and intergovernmental homeland security assignments. Such assignments will enable homeland security professionals to understand the roles, responsibilities, and cultures of other organizations and disciplines. Interagency and intergovernmental assignments will build trust and familiarity among homeland security professionals from differing perspectives. These assignments will also break down barriers between organizations, thus enhancing the exchange of ideas and practices. The need for intergovernmental assignments should be determined on a case-by-case basis.
a. Each career development program should require that homeland security personnel complete interagency or intergovernmental assignments, and professional education, prior to assignment to senior managerial positions, including the Senior Executive Service (SES). Interagency and intergovernmental assignments should be designed to build a cadre of homeland security professionals across all levels of government who possess common knowledge of operational roles and responsibilities. Career development programs must reward strong academic performance in professional education programs.
b. Departments and agencies should establish fellowships that allow State and local homeland security professionals to serve in a related Federal department or agency for a limited period of time. This can promote the development of a common planning culture and foster collaboration among Federal, State, and local governments. Further, these fellowships can enhance partnerships that result in more effective and efficient emergency responses.
c. The White House should consider if legislative or regulatory changes are required to facilitate interagency and intergovernmental assignments. The Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 transformed the Department of Defense (DOD) into a truly integrated department by requiring an assignment in another branch of the Armed Forces as a prerequisite for promotion to flag or general officer. Similar legislation should be considered for the Federal government to achieve the same sort of integration across Executive Branch departments and agencies.
114. The Department of Homeland Security should establish an interagency working group to establish specific goals with objective standards against which Department and Agency progress toward full implementation of effective professional development programs can be measured. The interagency working group should ensure consistency and uniformity among Federal homeland security professional development programs. The interagency working group should provide quarterly reports to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism on the status of Federal homeland security professional development programs.
115. DHS should provide training, technical, and other assistance in support of other departments’ and agencies’ homeland security professional development programs. DHS should expand its use of innovative techniques and technologies to enhance the quality and dissemination of homeland security education and training. This may include the use of distance learning programs and interactive computer methodologies. DHS must expand its efforts to promote awareness and implementation of the NIMS and the NRP throughout Federal, State, and local governments, and private sector.
116. DHS should establish a National Homeland Security University (NHSU) for senior officials that serves as a capstone to other educational and training opportunities. An NHSU should be established to provide a strategic perspective of homeland security and counterterrorism that transcends organizations, levels of government, response disciplines, and the private sector. This requires that the NHSU faculty and student body include interagency, intergovernmental, and private sector representatives. NHSU programs should prepare officials for senior homeland security and counterterrorism assignments in Federal, State, and local governments. To achieve this, the NHSU curriculum should focus on all hazards and all phases of emergency preparedness and response. It should expand students’ understanding of the strategic aspects of homeland security and counterterrorism planning, policy development, incident management, and support functions, among other topics. NHSU educational programs must be scalable and portable in order to reach the widest audiences. NHSU should offer traditional in-residence courses in Washington, DC. It should also offer regional and virtual educational programs, and utilize innovative educational methodologies, such as simulation centers, for use by faculty, students, and government officials. The NHSU should serve as a center of homeland security and counterterrorism strategic thought and expertise for the nation. DHS should consider leveraging the infrastructure and expertise at the National Defense University by partnering with DOD to have the NHSU be a joint DHS/DOD initiative that focuses on both Homeland Security and Homeland Defense.
117. Federal departments and agencies should strengthen their existing homeland security educational and training programs. The Emergency Management Institute, the Naval Postgraduate School, the National Defense University, and other university programs are critical national resources for developing skilled and knowledgeable homeland security professionals. Departments and agencies should ensure that these and other similar homeland security educational programs have the greatest impact. This should include requiring State and local participation in such programs through Federal fellowships. This will provide the Nation with a cadre of trained homeland security professionals. DHS should support these educational and training programs by providing them with curricula and other technical assistance. DHS should pursue opportunities to replicate innovative educational programs, such as the joint New York City Fire Department-U.S. Military Academy’s Counterterrorism Leadership Program.
118. The White House should consider establishing a Presidential Board to review the national security, homeland security, and counterterrorism professional development programs of Federal departments and agencies to identify opportunities for further integration. The Nation can no longer view national security, homeland security, and counterterrorism independently. Federal professional development programs must recognize the interdependencies among all three and adjust their respective career assignments, education, exercises, and training accordingly. The Board should provide a roadmap for uniting the efforts of DHS, DOD, and other departments and agencies in educating, training and preparing our leaders for their crucial roles in safeguarding the Nation. Further, this review should promote the establishment of a common security paradigm that integrates national security, homeland security, and counterterrorism. This review should also identify opportunities for greater collaboration and integration. Importantly, this vision is not to eliminate the departments’ own professional development programs, each of which serves an important role and is tailored to meet the needs of their respective organizations.
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