Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR)

Participate in the National Dialogue on the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR)

The National Dialogue is a conversation between you, other homeland security stakeholders, and the Department on the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR). Over the next three months, the Department is conducting a series of Web-based, interactive dialogues around the key questions and topics in the review. Internal agencies, external partners—including federal agencies, state, local and tribal governments, first responders, business leaders, academics, and other policy experts—and the concerned public will be engaged.

The second phase of the National Dialogue begins on August 31 and will continue through September 6. Sign up at http://www.homelandsecuritydialogue.org to be notified when the upcoming dialogue goes live. And please help the Department spread the word about this dialogue; we want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate.

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Secretary Janet Napolitano QHSR Video Message

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What is the QHSR?

The Department of Homeland Security is conducting the first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR). This congressionally mandated, top-to-bottom review of homeland security will guide the Department for the next four years and inform the nation’s homeland security policies, programs, and missions. The Secretary will provide her conclusions from the comprehensive review to Congress in a final report by December 31, 2009.

The QHSR includes five principal study areas, based on the Department’s responsibilities:

• Counterterrorism and Domestic Security Management: This study area includes transportation system security, critical infrastructure/key resource protection, cybersecurity, domestic WMD/CBRN protection, and protection of leadership and visiting heads of state.
• Securing our Borders: This study area includes facilitating lawful flow of people and goods in and out of our ports of entry (air, land, and sea) and securing our borders and approaches (air, land, and sea) against smuggling and trafficking.
• Smart and Tough Enforcement of Immigration Laws: This study area includes administering the lawful immigration system, preventing entry of dangerous people and pursuing smart and tough enforcement.
• Preparing for, Responding to, and Recovering from Disasters: This study area includes emergency preparedness, response, and recovery, continuity of operations/continuity of government, and individual and community preparedness.
• Maturing and Unifying the Department of Homeland Security. This study area includes three separate studies:
  • Department of Homeland Security Strategic Management
  • Homeland Security National Risk Assessment
  • Homeland Security Planning and Capabilities

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When Can You Participate in the National Dialogue?

All homeland security partners and stakeholders are invited to register, log on, and participate at any stage of the National Dialogue on the QHSR, taking place over the next three months via three week-long sessions between August and October 2009:

First Dialogue: August 3-9
The first dialogue session presented the initial output generated by six QHSR study groups. Over 8,000 people—stakeholders and partners from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and 68 other countries—joined in the conversation about homeland security. This engagement from a wide variety of homeland security stakeholders provided hundreds of comments to the QHSR Study Groups. This invaluable input is assisting them as they continue to develop their recommendations. See the archived results at http://www.homelandsecuritydialogue.org/dialogue1. 

Second Dialogue: August 31-September 6
The second dialogue is about to begin. You will be asked to prioritize and comment on proposed strategic objectives (what we want to achieve) for the homeland security missions and to discuss what must be done to achieve the objectives. At this point, the work of the QHSR study groups will have benefited from stakeholder and partner input from the first dialogue. The continued participation by the homeland security stakeholder and partner community throughout the National Dialogue is critical to the QHSR process. To learn more go to: www.homelandsecuritydialogue.org

Third Dialogue: September 28-October 4
The third dialogue will seek your final review of the mission goals, objectives, key strategic outcomes, and final proposed enhancements to the two key processes.

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What You Can Do in the Dialogues

• View, prioritize, and comment on proposals made by QHSR study groups in six different study areas

• Suggest your own ideas and proposals for the six study areas

• Comment on the proposals of other participants

• Tag comments and ideas that you believe are important with one- or two-word descriptors

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