Wiley Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security, 4 Volume Set

POLICY DEVELOPMENT FOR HOMELAND SECURITY

JEFFREY HUNKER

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1 INTRODUCTION

In science and technology, five factors make effective and consistent Policy Development for Homeland Security difficult [1].

• The definition and goals of Homeland Security continue to evolve.
• Multiple decision makers and high levels of organizational complexity diffuse decision-making authority and responsibility and make policy prioritization difficult.
• Policy prioritization is further challenged because of the breadth and ambiguity of Homeland Security threats. This, together with highly differentiated interests and levels of support for different projects from the research community challenge policy makers ability to distinguish and invest in the important, not just the interesting.
• Metrics for judging project contribution frequently are difficult to create.
• Distinct roles for key Homeland Security functions—intelligence, prevention, response and reconstruction, and “defend and respond”—overlap with and can be difficult to distinguish from the Nation’s overall National Security agenda.

For the practicing policy maker, these characteristics—shifting goals, complex and competing interests, and difficulty in measuring results—are not uncommon. It is the mark of good policy development to overcome these challenges and to produce results that benefit the nation.

2 OVERVIEW OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT

Policy development, in any field, is an art, not a science.