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DHS S&T Test & Evaluation and Standards

The Director of Test & Evaluation and Standards is responsible for establishing policies and programs to support the development, coordination, and operational management of Test & Evaluation Standards for assigned infrastructure.  

Technical standards are essential for effective, coordinated response to incidents that span numerous jurisdictions and diverse emergency-responder disciplines and needs. They are essential for crafting and then testing and evaluating homeland security technology solutions that are integral to systems comprising  multiple components and must link together seamlessly in a “plug-and-play” environment.

The Science and Technology Test & Evaluation and Standards Division (TSD) works across all DHS elements and entities to support Test & Evaluation (T&E) programs and Standards Development efforts. TSD integrates T&E and Standards into the entire development and acquisition cycle via early and continuous evaluation of system test requirements, planning, and execution. TSD coordinate with other federal agencies as required to adopt appropriate standards and implement effective T&E programs.

DHS Office of Test and Evaluation

To establish and manage DHS T&E policy and procedures and to efficiently, effectively & objectively coordinate T&E resources to verify attainment of technical performance specifications and operational effectiveness and suitability.

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DHS Office of Test and Evaluation Strategic

  • Develop and institute T&E architecture/policy that is centrally managed and is uniformly implemented across DHS.
  • Improve the technology development and acquisition process to accelerate the delivery of technologies, assure performance requirements are met, and reduce the development risk.
  • Integrate, coordinate, and optimize public and private sector T&E infrastructure to meet current and future technology development thrusts.
  • Develop and implement an overarching strategy for the qualification and certification of technologies and accreditation of facilities and programs.

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DHS Office of Standards Mission

Develop and coordinate the adoption of national standards and appropriate evaluation methods to meet homeland security mission needs.

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DHS Office of Standards Objectives

  • Lead the development and adoption of national standards for countermeasures against threats that pose the greatest challenge for homeland security—specifically, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive countermeasures.
  • Encourage investments and competition in home-land security technologies by fostering standardization of performance metrics and quality measures for first responder technologies. (Enhance DHS Grants and Training and state and local official’s procurement decisions making process by adopting standards for first responder technologies).
  • Assist with the coordination, development and adoption of interoperability standards for integrated homeland security communications and sensor networks.

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This page was last reviewed/modified on September 18, 2008.