TO:	All State Administrative Agency Heads
FROM:	Tim Beres
	Director, State and Local Operations Directorate
SUBJECT:	Data Review Project

On March 1-2, 2004, the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) conducted a Data Review Stakeholders Conference to solicit key stakeholder feedback on the need to review and verify critical homeland security assessment data that was submitted as a component of ODP's State Homeland Security Assessment and Strategy (SHSAS) Program. Time constraints of the homeland security assessment process, as well as performance issues of the Data Collection Tool (DCT) impacted the ability of states and urban areas to verify assessment data prior to submission to ODP.

ODP Information Bulletin # 96 invited all states to attend ODP's Data Review Stakeholders Conference. Representatives from Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, and the National Emergency Management Agency attended the conference.

During the conference, ODP personnel reviewed national data findings and identified areas that indicate that jurisdictional needs and requirements may not have been reviewed in terms of regionalization, mutual aid, state and federal assets, and jurisdiction-specific planning factors (based on existing threats and vulnerabilities). Representatives from South Carolina and Pennsylvania presented their assessment and strategy processes and findings. Conference participants also discussed reasonable timelines for the data review process, and what technical assistance may be required from ODP for states to successfully complete data review.

Discussions at the Data Review Stakeholders Conference focused on the importance of the homeland security assessment data that states and urban areas submit to ODP as part of the SHSAS Program. Through the submission of accurate homeland security assessment data, states and urban areas have the opportunity to shape the national homeland security strategy and influence the national threat profile.

Key findings from the Data Review Stakeholders Conference included the need for ODP to:

• Provide specific guidance on federal expectations for assessment data
• Focus only on specific areas for data review (i.e., equipment, training, etc.)
• Define reasonable timelines for data review at the state level
• Specify areas of concern with assessment data for each state and urban area.

As you were unable to attend the Data Review Stakeholders Conference and are a valued contributor to the national homeland security effort, your feedback on the upcoming data review process would be greatly appreciated. Please review the enclosed draft ODP Homeland Security Data Review Project Information Sheet and provide your comments and feedback to ODP by March 31, 2004. Your comments can be provided to Kate Henderson, Information Management Branch Chief, at 202-514-7888 or Kathryn.Henderson@dhs.gov. Thank you.

 

Attachment: Data Review Project Sheet