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Office of Budget

Fiscal Year 2005 Performance and Accountability Report
Published November 15, 2005

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GAO9. ESTABLISHING APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE INFORMATION-SHARING MECHANISMS TO IMPROVE HOMELAND SECURITY: A HIGH-RISK AREA

This is a new governmentwide high-risk area for 2005. To address potential barriers to information sharing, strategies should be developed to address information-sharing challenges, including establishing clear goals, objectives, and expectations for participants in information-sharing efforts; consolidating, standardizing, and enhancing federal structures, policies, and capabilities for the analysis and dissemination of information, where appropriate; and assessing the need for public policy tools to encourage private-sector participation. (Note: GAO feedback here is not VA-specific.)

VA's Program Response to GA09:

VA recognizes the critical importance of establishing appropriate and effective information-sharing mechanisms to improve the Nation's homeland security. In 2005, VA initiated and completed several initiatives. Memoranda of understanding have been established between VA, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, DoD, and the Department of Health and Human Services to improve information exchange and sharing arrangements. The goal of these arrangements is to facilitate data standardization and service delivery to those commonly served by VA and the other respective organizations. VA's large medical centers have also entered into a number of cooperative agreements with local community first-responder organizations.

VA is planning for the next generation of telecommunications services that will more closely adhere to national standards-based programs such as the Land Mobile Radio Narrowband conversion, Internet Protocol, and SAFECOM. These programs are designed to produce higher levels of interoperability and more universal information exchange standards.

VA actively participated in drafting the National Response Plan (NRP) and interacts regularly with the NRP lead agencies. VA also maintains a full-time presence at the Homeland Security Operations Center. The Department completed installation of the Disaster Management Interoperability Service (DMIS) in its two primary readiness operations centers. DMIS allows all levels of government to collaborate even while retaining use of their own emergency management software/hardware investments. VA continues to collaborate with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure as much interoperability as is practicable.