Sharing Your Perspectives and Resources

Why Collaborative Problem Solving?

There are several reasons why the field of homeland security has evolved from individual tasks to work done in group, which includes at least the following:

• The tasks assigned and the problems confronted by homeland security professionals have become more complex – so called “wicked problems” – and require the perspectives that come from the collaboration of individuals with differing backgrounds, knowledge, skills, and values.
• The boundaries between organizations and sectors in society have broken down. More and more work is done in collaboration and partnership between organizations (or units within complex organizations) or in networks of shared interest.
• The professions have valued specialization over general knowledge and skills. This has produced great dividends in the acquisition of increasingly detailed knowledge, but the downside is the need to find ways to combine and integrate such micro-analytical work to address broad and complex policy domains such as economic development, health care, environmental policy, and so on.
• Organization theory no longer puts formal hierarchy and chains of command in the exalted position they once held in the 20^th century. More loosely coupled approaches to organizing and managing provide the opportunities for collaborative work to fit into the way organizations are structured and incentivized. As the emphasis moves more toward performance and outcome achievement and away from compliance with rules as the goal of organizational life, it is more and more common for work to be assigned to teams. It is also more common for the structure and leadership of such efforts to be based on the dynamics of the group and the expertise that group members bring to the work rather than on formal or hierarchical authority. Organizations are becoming flatter, and their internal dynamics based less on formal roles than on where skills and knowledge reside and can be made useful to achieve the goals of the organization.
• The homeland security mission framework is evolving and overarching single organizations, departmental components, or agencies. The strategic priorities for homeland security require working across ‘stovepipes’ and with a variety of partners, as also described in the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review:

• As noted in the U.S. National Security Strategy (2015), innovation and workforce enhancement (to both of which research and education are important contributors) are at the cornerstone of a cooperative and comprehensive approach to national security and to homeland security:

• The current National Security Strategy of 2017 continues to, among other things, capitalize on the role of collaboration and research to underpin U.S. national and homeland security efforts. 

To illustrate the above points, in the following video, former U.S. Department of Homeland Security Chief of Staff Christian Marrone, as mentioned before, a Penn State alumn, explains how important cooperation in the homeland security enterprise is, citing examples from DHS and commenting on the practical value of undertaking graduate studies in Homeland Security at Penn State:

Problem Solving Process

In this challenge, emphasis will be given to the ability of groups to deal with complex problem and issues that require multiple perspectives. It is critical to lay out the problem solving process so that the group have an idea of where they are headed.

With case analyses and forward-looking scenarios derived from critical thinking on cases and lessons learned, students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. The problem solving process can be broken down into the following steps:

1. Research the background - Identify the most important facts surrounding the case.
2. Define the problem - Identify the key issue or issues.
3. Brainstorm solutions - Specify alternative courses of action.
4. Select solutions - Evaluate each course of action.
5. Develop the action plan - Recommend the best courses of action.

Working in Scenario Foresight and Analysis Teams 

As discussed previously, homeland security as a professional field, in line with what has been happening throughout the professions but added to by the specifics of the mission space, has moved away from an emphasis on individual tasks to work done in group, team, or network approaches.

Research has shown small groups, like the team your are going to work as a member of in this scenario foresight challenge, go through typical pre-collaboration stages before they are actually able to deliver. Therefore, be prepared to go thorough this process with you team here, too. Assignments such as the GANTT project chart are also designed to help you effectively navigate thorough the small group setup process. Specifically, small groups go through the regular stages of forming, storming, norming and – ultimately – performing (see Bruce W. Tuckman, "Developmental Sequence in Small Groups." Psychological Bulletin 63 (6) [1965]: 384-399).

So, let’s use the fourth challenge as an opportunity to share thoughts on effective collaboration in research and reporting by encouraging you to communicate with one another in the Challenge 4 Perspectives and Resources Discussion Forum. Please share with your classmates:

• Your thoughts, starting with reflection on the above quotes from the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review and the National Security Strategy (2015), on the importance of collaborative research and reporting skills in homeland security in general and in relation to the particular job or profession you are engaged in;
• Homeland security-specific sources of expert information sources of information that you find useful to guide scenario development and scenario report writing for homeland security policy studies and/or preparedness assessment. Identify at least two resources – at least one of those resources must be a resource from either the "Journals and Articles" or the "Books and Papers" section in the Penn State University Libraries Homeland Security Research Guide; and
• Your practical experience and thoughts as they relate to group work, based on your answers to the Challenge 4 Questions to Consider.

This is your chance to share thoughts with your colleagues. It is important for everyone to contribute thoughts and to respond to at least two other students – the more the better. This assignment will be part of your overall course participation grade. Complete your discussion (own posting plus a minimum of two replies to others' postings) by the deadline stated in the syllabus.