Strategy and Structure

DHS consists of several components, each with a distinct mission as well as with a mutually supportive mission of sustaining the homeland security enterprise with its own unique activities. In each component there are specific policies and programs which are carried out on a daily basis.  Each component has mission requirements has critical operations within the department’s overall objectives. 

For a complete overview, see the following listing of all Operational and Support Components that currently make up the Department of Homeland Security.

All of the DHS components contribute, within the vision of "ensuring a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards" to realizing the currently six core missions of homeland security (see Department of Homeland Security: "Our Mission", as already addressed in the Definitions section of Lesson 1):

1. Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security Threats
2. Secure U.S. Borders and Approaches
3. Secure Cyberspace and Critical Infrastructure
4. Preserve and Uphold the Nation's Prosperity and Economic Security
5. Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience
6. Champion the DHS Workforce and Strengthen the Department

Some of the operational DHS components to examine include:

• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency [CISA]
• Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA]
• Transportation Security Administration [TSA]
• U.S. Customs and Border Protetion [CBP]
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services [USCIS]
• U.S. Coast Guard  [USCG]
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement  [ICE]
• U.S. Secret Service [USSS]

Further, the Secret Service, National Protection Programs Directorate, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, Science and Technology Directorate, Office of Health Affairs, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Office of Operations Coordination and Planning and the Office of Policy are all DHS components, and thus parts of the department’s internal structure. In each case the strategies, programs, and policies of each of these components must align themselves with the overall DHS approach towards homeland security and daily coordination to ensure smooth integration of these efforts without overlap, duplication, lapse or error falls on the cabinet agency itself.  The components must work collaboratively to share information, leverage resources and develop useful relations with state, local and tribal governments, as well as with key private sector organizations, and work with international partners.

There are several other U.S. Departments and collaborative venues at different tiers of government contributing to realizing homeland security, as explained in the textbook readings for this lesson. 

The overall structure and organization of DHS must adhere to a sensible strategy which directs and focuses all of the programs which the department sponsors into a coherent and well organized national effort aimed to enhance domestic protection and preparedness and to enhance the United States’ ability to prevent future terrorist attacks. We understand from the simple elements of the following DHS organizational chart that the sheer diversity of operational missions and the subdivided nature of individual agency activities must work collaboratively, constructively, and in unison:

The reality is that sometimes this does not happen with gaps, errors and shortfalls outweighing any positive or productive achievements which DHS can point to as indicative of its overall success. The President, the Congress and the general public have a right to expect DHS will perform its daily activities within the scope of professionalism and do in ways which actually make the nation more secure and in particular reduce the risks of new terror attacks. We routinely expect this but seldom do we grasp how DHS attempts to do this as it addresses the twin mandate which governs its policies and programs.

The way forward requires sensible policies and programs as well as budgeted resources to match program threats and requirements, staffing DHS with well-educated and skilled personnel, conducting collaborative activities with other federal agencies, state, local and tribal governments, forming useful partnerships with the private sector, energizing and equipping DHS leaders to move the agency forward and the application of strategic thinking.  Let’s take a closer look at what strategic thinking entails and requires.