US National Preparedness Report Essay & Discussion Research and report on the status of one of the three tasks below. You do not need to explain what PPD8

US National Preparedness Report Essay & Discussion Research and report on the status of one of the three tasks below. You do not need to explain what PPD8 is, instead explain what is going on with one of the three tasks assigned within the PPD.

1. How did the DHS structure the NPR and what principle tools were used to develop the Key Findings?

2. Select any one of the 31 core capabilities and address your own assessment of the key findings and data within that capability with special attention to the weakness[es] described. You should try to connect this weakness to your own deductions about DHS weakness[es] you revealed in Week 1.

Weaknesses from week 1

The weaknesses that I have noted within the homeland security framework are the failure to come up with a sustainable cybersecurity strategy. This has been exacerbated by the fact that vulnerability is not necessarily caused by a lack of policy, but by its failure to implement the policy effectively (Cybersecurity, 2020). As the number of digital threats rises, the agencies with the responsibility, have failed to protect the base of attacks, which is mostly the soft and vulnerable targets. In addition, cyberspace is fast evolving, and so is the threat, which means that the counter strategies need to evolve just as fast.

Secondly, the national strategy to enhance homeland security under the DHS is becoming too vague and undefined as threats evolve and become broader and require different levels of priority. Despite a viable strategy to counter threats, there lacks a concise implementation plan to operate certain missions that require specific-agency action (Alperen, 2017). This may affect the accountability of the various agencies tasked to detect and mitigate threats. There needs to be a seamless integration of roles and responsibilities moving forward.

3. How will the DHS measure progress in fixing the NPR’s identified weaknesses?

Required Readings

Presidential Policy Directive-8: https://www.dhs.gov/presidential-policy-directive-8-national-preparedness

National Preparedness Report 2017: https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1503926640648-0b64216b808eb42a93ba96fe8888d113/2017NationalPreparednessReport_508_COMPLIANT.pdf

DHS Strategic Plan FY2014-2018: https://lgapi-us.libapps.com/widgets.php?site_id=1192&widget_type=10&output_format=1&widget_embed_type=2&course_id=52855&enable_navigation=1&config_id=1583954905727#

Instructions: Fully utilize the materials that have been provided to you in order to support your response. Please respond to at least two other students and provide substantive comments that contribute something new and important to the discussion. You may challenge, support or supplement another student’s answer using the terms, concepts and theories from the required readings. Also, do not be afraid to respectfully disagree where you feel appropriate; as this should be part of your analysis process at this academic level.

Minimum word count of 300 for post and 150 for each student response.

Student Responses:

Student # 1 Jeffrey

Select any one of the 31 core capabilities and address your own assessment of the key findings and data within that capability with special attention to the weakness[es] described. You should try to connect this weakness to your own deductions about DHS weakness[es] you revealed in Week 1.

Within last week’s forum I wrote about how the relationship between the public and privates sectors of homeland security are inherently weak. I believe that this can be clearly observed within the core capability Economic Recovery. As stated by the Department of Homeland Security (2017), “This core capability focuses on returning economic and business activities to a healthy state and on developing new business and employment opportunities that result in economically viable communities” (p. 13). Economic Recovery has been identified as the second lowest rated core capability for the second year in a row and has also had the largest reported decreases in proficiency (Department of Homeland Security, 2017). These effects have been identified in many past National Preparedness Reports which have identified that emergency management professionals have struggled to communicate and share information (Department of Homeland Security, 2017). As stated by the Department of Homeland Security (2017), “insufficient inclusion of economic development experts in pre- disaster planning continues to hinder post-disaster economic recovery efforts and suggests a similar disconnect between the emergency preparedness community and local economic-development experts” (p. 97). With that being said, local communities’ economies are primarily made up of private sector entities. For example, over 85 percent of the United States’ national critical infrastructure is under private sector control (Busch & Givens, 2012). These companies play major roles in the economic recovery of local communities throughout the United States. One can clearly see the weaknesses of the public and private sector relationships within the core capability of Economic Recovery.

This can clearly be observed through disaster recovery efforts throughout the past couple of years. Nongovernmental and private organizations undoubtedly play a major role in the wake of a major disaster. However the National Preparedness Report has discovered that although they are able to provide critical support in economic recovery efforts, they are often unable to sustain these efforts (Department of Homeland Security, 2017). For example, recovery efforts from private organizations are often financially rewarded throughout their responses. However, these forms of support are not stable over time. This can be viewed through programs such as the Bridge to Recovery Coalition. During this program in 2015 the Disaster Philanthropy gave 31 grants totaling $1.6 million (Department of Homeland Security, 2017). However, the private sector’s ability to sustain recovery operations remained a challenge. One can clearly see the many challenges the public and private sector relationship faces in the core capability of Economic Recovery.

References

Busch, N. & Givens, A. D. (2012). Public-private partnerships in homeland security: Opportunities and challenges. Homeland Security Affairs.

Department of Homeland Security. (2017). 2017 National preparedness report. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

Student #2 Douglas

This week I have chosen to discuss question number one. I believe that how something is evaluated is key to a successful program. Understanding the principle tools will help understand the findings.

How did the DHS structure the NPR and what principle tools were used to develop the Key Findings?

The National Preparedness Report evaluates annual preparedness progress and challenges facing the whole community. The 2019 National Preparedness Report highlights the diverse range of preparedness challenges the Nation faces; from terrorism and active shooter incidents, to cyber-attacks, to natural disasters, as well as how stakeholders across the nation are using preparedness grant funding to invest in preparedness improvements. The 2019 Report also presents cross-cutting trends from the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) and Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR), which provide insights into preparedness progress and gaps (FEMA, 2019).

Several criteria contribute to the identification of findings including quantitative data that show trends over time, demonstrated progress in establishing or implementing national-level strategies and policies, and significant shifts in resources to support preparedness (DHS, 2017). Evaluation of emergency preparedness is not an easy task and the National Preparedness Report is all-encompassing, which allows for evaluation of a wide range of topics around preparedness. It is important to recognize that tools, such as quantitative data, provide a window into the processes that make up preparedness and lay the groundwork for evaluating what is and is not working along the way.

Understanding the data that is presented in the National Preparedness Report is as important as implementing the processes. If agencies are receiving the data and trying to implement changes and follow better preparedness procedures, it is important to understand what the data is telling them beforehand. The layout of the Report provides detailed but intelligible information that can be followed by various entities to be better prepared for emergencies.

Doug

References

DHS. (2017). 2017 National Preparedness Report. Retrieved from DHS: https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1503926640…

FEMA. (2019, Dec 3). National Preparedness Report. Retrieved from FEMA: https://www.fema.gov/national-preparedness-report