Dhs Operating Agencies

Introduction to Homeland Security

CJUS254-1602B-01

Connor Tibbetts

6/5/16

Unit 3 – Individual Project

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the third largest department in the government. Its stated missions involve antiterrorism, border security, cybersecurity, immigration and customs, and disaster prevention and management. (Wikipedia.org) With an operating budget in the billions, the DHS is constantly scrutinized to ensure that there is as little overlap or waste of funds as possible, in order to make sure that the DHS stays manageable, yet also powerful enough to accomplish its wide-ranging goals. This paper will identify potential overlaps, both in mission areas and responsibility, within the DHS operating agencies. It will also identify possibilities for consolidation of agencies and sub-categories in the DHS.

In 2002, when the DHS was created, 22 federal agencies were combined into the DHS. As of July 2014, DHS employees were scattered in 94 buildings, 50 locations, and accounted for almost 9 million square feet of government-occupied office space. The DHS has been planning consolidation since 2005 (GAO.gov). DHS consolidation is critical to “improve mission effectiveness, create a unified DHS organization, increase organizational efficiency, size the real estate portfolio accurately to fit the mission of the DHS, and reduce real estate occupancy costs” (GAO.gov). One of the easiest ways to cut costs, as found by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), is simply that “Congress should consider making future funding for the St. Elizabeth’s project contingent upon DHS and GSA developing a revised headquarters consolidation plan, for the remainder of the project, that conforms with leading practices and that (1) recognizes changes in workplace standards, (2) identifies which components are to be colocated at St. Elizabeth’s and in leased and owned space throughout the NCR, and (3) develops and provides reliable cost and schedule estimates”...