The Department of Homeland Security recently announced the creation of a new office of Intergovernmental Affairs, an office proposed by PNSR in a white paper distributed to DHS leadership in the spring of 2009. The aim of the office is to better coordinate homeland security initiatives between state, local, territorial, and tribal authorities, and their DHS home base.

Led by PNSR homeland security expert Josh Filler, PNSR proposed the creation of an office with this mission in a white paper distributed to Secretary Janet Napolitano, Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute, Under Secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate Rand Beers, and Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental Affairs Juliette Kayyern, along with representatives from some twenty homeland security and emergency management stakeholder associations. Important to the necessary establishment of this office, the paper emphasizes, is “the [current] absence of a robust department-level intergovernmental coordination office… [as it] impedes the ability to ensure national success in meeting homeland security imperatives.” This view was shared by DHS in housing this office within the Executive Office of the Secretary.

Further, In in establishing an Office of Intergovernmental Affairs as PNSR’s Homeland Security team proposed, a key element to success is that the office is viewed as credible by state, local, and tribal authorities. The Office of Intergovernmental Affairs “must have effective, consequential ‘in-reach’ within DHS and across the component agencies,” the paper asserts.

In commenting on the new office, Secretary Napolitano said, “The new DHS Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) reflects my commitment to strengthening the Department’s engagement with state, local and tribal partners across the country. As a former Governor, I understand the importance of close coordination between all levels of government as we work to ensure the safety and security of all Americans. The new IGA office will integrate outreach efforts across the Department under a single, primary point of contact at DHS headquarters—enhancing our capabilities as we work to create a national culture of readiness and resilience.”

To read more about PNSR’s proposals, download the paper here. We invite your comment and feedback to info@pnsr.org

WASHINGTON — PNSR is pleased to announce a new addition to its Guiding Coalition, retired four-star Marine General Anthony ‘Tony’ Zinni. General Zinni most recently served as interim President and CEO of BAE Systems and is respected for his foresight and informed opinion on national security affairs.

Possessing a storied military career, General Zinni’s service was highlighted by his tour as Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command from 1997-2001. General Zinni has also led or been key to several presidential and other diplomatic missions involving conflicts in Somalia, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Israel-Palestine, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

General Zinni’s expertise and vision is a powerful addition to PNSR’s Guiding Coalition, which is comprised of former senior federal officials and others with extensive national security experience. The bipartisan group is helping to communicate to the government, policy community, and public the urgency of national security reform in an ever-expanding world of national security issues. The Guiding Coalition also helps orient PNSR reports, most recently the Project’s update on national security reform, Turning Ideas Into Action.

In welcoming General Zinni, PNSR President and CEO James R. Locher III said, “General Zinni’s impressive military career, first-hand knowledge, and experience in the very problems we are working to solve will prove invaluable to PNSR. I am excited that Tony has joined our effort, and I look forward to harnessing his intellect and energy in pushing our mission forward.”

CONTACT

Michael Drohan
michael.drohan@pnsr.org

The Project on National Security Reform (PNSR) would like to recognize The Center for American Progress (CAP) for their new report, Integrating Security: Preparing for the National Security Threats of the 21st Century, and to congratulate the Center for its ongoing effort to promote national security reform.

The CAP report rightly highlights some of the most serious threats to our national security and makes excellent recommendations that are congruent with the Project on National Security Reform analysis and recommendations in Forging a New Shield and Turning Ideas Into Action. Among other recommendations, we strongly concur on the importance of issuing an integrated national security strategy and creating a unified national security budget.

Creating and publishing a National Security Strategy is a key task of the Obama Administration. As retired Marine General Anthony Zinni, who is a new member of PNSR’s Guiding Coalition, says in the CAP report, this document “will be the follow-up to the initial speeches and communication and it will be the authority for our own government structure, all the way down because from the strategy cascades the actions and the organization and the allocation of resources to make that [strategy] happen.” It indeed will help in ensuring that the U.S. Government can consider and bring to bear all elements of national power.

American leadership is at the core of many international concerns. Having a strong systemic approach to our own security and having a unified and coherent national security plan only enhances our leadership. Reports, such as Integrating Security, and other related research documents produced by CAP, PNSR, and others, mutually strengthen and promote national security reform efforts.

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/11/integrating_security.html

Last week, PNSR was afforded a great opportunity by World Politics Review, a forum we hold in high regard for its writers’ insight and depth of analysis of important issues. WPR hosted three op-eds authored by PNSR President and CEO, James R. Locher III, adapted from PNSR’s recently released report, Turning Ideas Into Action. Each piece focused on a significant initiative discussed or recommendation made in TIIA, and explained their objective.

The first in the series focused on PNSR’s call for a Next Generation State Department, one that “possesses [and] exercises sufficient authority to manage the full range of international civilian programs effectively:”

http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/Article.aspx?id=4648

The second explains the need for empowered interagency teams. In an era of “czars,” the president still runs high-risk with this unchecked, informal set up, and institutionalization of stand-up issue teams would be beneficial to the way national security is managed:

http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/Article.aspx?id=4663

The third op-ed deals with the need of improvement to high-level, national security strategic planning. “With the National Security Staff consumed with day-to-day priorities, and without comprehensive strategies for the medium- and long-term timeframe in place, planning and budgeting inevitably lack coordination and coherence,” Locher said.

http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/article.aspx?id=4673

Please follow the links to read each op-ed at World Politics Review, and download the whole Turning Ideas Into Action report here. Also, please share your thoughts in the comments section of our blog, or by emailing info@pnsr.org.

WASHINGTON — In a speech on the changed nature of warfare, Army Vice Chief of Staff, General Peter Chiarelli, singled out the Project on National Security Reform’s work on comprehensive reform across the interagency. Addressing the annual interagency symposium sponsored jointly by National Defense University and the Army Combined Arms Center last week, General Chiarelli said that there has been no real progress over the past five years in reforming the interagency to meet the demands of the new strategic environment. However, he noted that work on the issue done by PNSR could stand up to naysayers.

General Chiarelli said that PNSR’s recommendations are authoritative because of the experience of project leader Jim Locher. Locher was a principal architect of the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 that modernized the military along joint lines. The Army Vice Chief of Staff said that PNSR had prepared a new report for the President recommending what can and should be done to achieve needed reform in the days ahead.

On the subject of the military, Chiarelli said that his experience as a former commander in Iraq had taught him that, “Warfare – as we know it- has changed forever. The new nature of warfare requires that soldiers today be versed and agile enough to operate across the continuum – from high intensity conflict or major combat operations to counterinsurgency, peacekeeping, and humanitarian efforts. Simply put, every soldier must be a utility player.”

General Chiarelli called on Americans to work together–soldiers, government civilians, the NGO community, contractors and volunteers–to maximize the full measure of the elements of national power. He said the security and stability of the nation and world depend on it.

WASHINGTON — PNSR is pleased to welcome to its Guiding Coalition, former Director of National Intelligence, Mr. John M. “Mike” McConnell. McConnell is currently Senior Vice President at Booz Allen and a member of the firm’s leadership team.

Mr. McConnell’s distinguished career includes having served as Director of National Intelligence, Director of the National Security Agency, and as an intelligence officer for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of Defense.

PNSR’s Guiding Coalition is comprised of former senior federal officials and others with extensive national security experience. The bipartisan group is helping to communicate to the government, policy community and public the urgency of national security reform and the findings of PNSR’s report, Forging a New Shield.

In welcoming Mr. McConnell, PNSR Executive Director James R. Locher III said, “Mike’s keen intellect, distinguished career and understanding of organizational issues make him a valuable addition to the Guiding Coalition. I am very pleased to have him on board as PNSR works towards implementation of its recommendations for reforming national security.”

WASHINGTON — Today PNSR commemorates the eighth anniversary of the most devastating attack on the United States since Pearl Harbor. We remember the victims and their families, and honor the heroism of the fire fighters, police officers, emergency workers and everyday Americans who rushed to help those in need after the unprecedented attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Over the past eight years, the United States has reacted to the tragedy by making progress towards strengthening our nation’s security. In 2007, with bipartisan support, Congress enacted legislation to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, in both its domestic and foreign-policy dimensions. By so doing, Congress addressed major vulnerabilities in the system and improved our homeland security across the board. But there is much more work to be done.

It is widely understood that the security environment of the 21st century differs significantly from that which the national security system was created to address following World War II. Regrettably, the system is still organized to combat the last challenge, not those that lie before it. Despite the shock of 9/11, we have failed to keep pace with the rapidity and scope of change in the world. While the U.S. government has made incremental modifications, it has failed to produce an integrated, agile, and anticipatory system that can adequately meet today’s challenges.

One of the basic problems that led to 9/11 and plagues us still is that the system does not know what it knows. Information is not shared between agencies, knowledge is neither captured nor leveraged, and collaboration across the interagency is close to impossible. For example, according to the 9/11 Commission report, “NSA information that would have helped identify Nawaf Al Hamzi [one of the hijackers of the plane flown into the Pentagon] in January 2000” was not properly shared with relevant agencies. Although the information was accessible, someone would have had to ask for it first before it could have been widely disseminated. Quoting the report again, “Agencies uphold a ‘need-to-know’ culture of information protection rather than promoting a ‘need-to-share’ culture of integration.” Eight years after the attacks and five since the landmark report was published, this still remains the case.

These problems are more a reflection of prevailing mindsets and outdated processes than technological challenges. The technology exists in the private-sector; government needs to adapt that technology to its needs, and shift to the information-sharing culture that current generation technology enables. PNSR is currently involved in creating an on-line, real-time, national security collaboration environment that will be the foundation for making information-sharing a reality.

Improved information sharing is part of the bold, carefully crafted plan of comprehensive reform the United States needs in order to institute a national security system that can manage and overcome the challenges of our time. In its 2008 report, Forging a New Shield, PNSR laid out recommendations that begin to resolve the problems affecting the current system. If implemented, PNSR’s recommendations would constitute the most far-reaching governmental design innovation in national security since the passage of the National Security Act in 1947. PNSR has a singular focus: to be a valuable resource for holistic reform of the national security system so that the nation can successfully address 21st-century challenges and opportunities.

Perhaps the victims of that horrific day in 2001 can best be honored by transforming the system to ensure such an event never occurs again. PNSR stands ready to help.

Contact:
media@pnsr.org
Michael Drohan
(703) 387-7608 (o)
(703) 470-3202 (c)