DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office Strategy 2020-2024.pdf

COUNTERING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION OFFICE

STRATEGY 2020-2024

On December 21, 2018, President Trump signed into law the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 2018. The Act established the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (the Office) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Office was created to elevate and streamline DHS efforts to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) against the homeland and promote readiness for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN), and health security threats. The President’s National Security Strategy discusses the growing prospect of terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction, as well as the increased biological risk to the United States—whether as a deliberate attack, accident, or a naturally occurring outbreak. Likewise, the DHS Strategic Plan for Fiscal Year 2020-2024 highlights the profound risks posed by WMD and how these dangers are elevated when combined with emerging technologies. The threat to the homeland is real, and the establishment of the Office better prepares the United States to face current and emerging WMD, CBRN, and health security hazards.

I am proud to deliver the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office Strategy 2020-2024, which represents the shared vision for the Office over the next 5 years. It defines our mission and sets forth goals and objectives to guide how the Office will enable its operational partners to prevent the use of WMD against the homeland and remain ready for the dangers posed by CBRN threats. I look forward to working with all of you to make the goals and objectives set forth in the strategy a reality.

MESSAGE FROM THE

ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Mr. Gary Rasicot Acting Assistant Secretary, DHS CWMD

MISSION STATEMENT

Enable operational partners to prevent WMD use against the Homeland and promote readiness for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and health security threats.

VISION STATEMENT

DHS CWMD is the leader in preventing WMD attacks through timely, responsive support to operational partners.

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT

T he threat of state and non-state adversaries attempting to acquire or use chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons is real and on the rise. From the Syrian civil war, in which norms against the use of chemical weapons have been severely eroded, to targeted assassinations in Europe and Asia; from terrorist production and use of chemical agents and toxic industrial materials, to reoccurring instances of smuggling of weapons-grade nuclear material around the globe, the United States faces grave dangers across the spectrum of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related threats.

Technological advances and the dynamics of the global economy compound the difficulty of restricting terrorist access to WMD and preventing its proliferation among potential state adversaries. Clandestine chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons programs around the world create the potential for unwitting or malign state actors to serve as sources for material and knowledge for terrorists seeking to harm the United States or its interests. Advances in biotechnology raise the specter of a single individual being able to engineer pathogens with cataclysmic global effects. Commercial technologies such as unmanned aerial systems, additive manufacturing, and genome editing technologies could be weaponized to deliver devastating human and economic costs. Naturally occurring outbreaks of viruses such as Ebola and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), combined with trends in diseases spreading through regional instability and mass migration, demonstrate the impact of biological threats to homeland security even outside the possibility of terrorist or malign state use.

In this dynamic threat environment, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plays an integral role in defending the homeland from WMD and health security threats. Through its Operational Components, DHS denies terrorist access to CBRN materials, screens for threats at the border, secures maritime approaches, and safeguards transportation systems. Through collaboration with other federal agencies, the intelligence community, and international partners, DHS fulfils global roles and responsibilities for countering proliferation of WMD. However, the threats from WMD cannot be countered exclusively by federal authorities. Law enforcement, first responders, medical professionals, and private sector stakeholders also play key roles in detecting and disrupting terrorist plots, identifying vulnerabilities, and serving as the first responders and receivers in an incident if prevention fails. DHS’s ability to provide operational capabilities and technical assistance to these state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) frontline operators is a crucial aspect of the homeland security mission to counter WMD.

The National Security Strategy (2017), National Biodefense Strategy, National Strategy for Countering WMD Terrorism (2018), and National Strategy for Counterterrorism (2018) all elevate the WMD and biodefense missions as some of the highest priorities of the U.S. Government. To address these growing threats, Congress established the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (the Office) by passing the CWMD Act of 2018, centralizing the WMD, CBRN, and health security missions within DHS.

This Strategy outlines the approach the Office will take to mature and develop as a DHS Operational Support Component. It defines our mission and sets forth a vision, goals, and objectives to guide the Office over the fiscal year 2020 to 2024 timeframe. In doing so, it forms a framework for how the Office will enable operational partners within DHS and the Federal Government, as well as SLTT, international, and private sector communities, to prevent WMD use against the homeland and remain ready for the dangers posed by CBRN threats.

VIGILANCE. We are alert to current and emerging threats because we must succeed in helping the Nation stop every WMD attack.

INNOVATION. We counter current threats with advanced capabilities while planning for an uncertain future.

EXPERTISE. Our partners rely on us for mission knowledge, subject matter expertise, and best practices in the highly technical CBRN fields.

VALUES

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Goal 1: Anticipate, identify, and assess current and emerging WMD threats.

● Objective 1.1: Aggregate and analyze CBRN related data and disseminate actionable information to DHS operational partners.

● Objective 1.2: Facilitate common threat understanding and enable collaboration with operational components and key interagency, state, local and private sector partners.

● Objective 1.3: Anticipate emerging CBRN threats and avoid technological surprise through transformational research and development (R&D).

Goal 2: Strengthen detection and disruption of CBRN threats to the homeland.

● Objective 2.1: Rapidly deliver sustainable solutions to fulfill DHS Component CWMD requirements.

● Objective 2.2: Enhance domestic law enforcement and first responder detection, interdiction, response, and reporting of CBRN threats.

● Objective 2.3: Improve national biodefense and biosurveillance

Goal 3: Synchronize homeland counter-WMD and health-security planning and execution.

● Objective 3.1: Lead policy and strategy formulation and coordination for DHS on WMD and health security related topics.

● Objective 3.2: Integrate strategic and operational planning related to WMD and health security issues with DHS Components, DHS Joint Task Forces, and interagency partners.

● Objective 3.3: Develop and provide subject matter expertise to assist senior leaders and partners, particularly during crisis situations.

● Objective 3.4: Enhance coordination of the Department’s medical operational activities across the Components to ensure a unified approach.

Goal 4: Mature and strengthen the CWMD Office as an Operational Support Component.

● Objective 4.1: Attract, develop, and retain a performance-driven workforce.

● Objective 4.2: Enhance organizational agility and decision-making.

● Objective 4.3: Optimize financial operations, human resource management, information technology, facilities, and security to enable CWMD mission success.

GOAL 1: ANTICIPATE, IDENTIFY,

AND ASSESS

CURRENT AND EMERGING WMD THREATS

Dangers posed by WMD and other CBRN threats are constantly evolving through scientific advancement, a shifting adversarial environment, and the increasing pervasiveness of dual-use technologies. This dynamic environment requires diligence and anticipation of future threats and looking over technological and geopolitical horizons to ensure adversaries do not gain the upper hand. The Office will lean forward, working to ensure operators have the current threat picture to deal with the problems of today, while providing them with the intelligence, data, and tools to ensure they are equipped to mitigate the problems of tomorrow.

GOAL 1: OBJECTIVES

Objective 1.1: Aggregate and analyze CBRN-related data and disseminate actionable information to DHS operational partners.

The Office will develop capabilities for global information awareness of CWMD capabilities and WMD threats by taking a data-driven approach to connect our partners with the information they need to execute our collective mission. By employing novel data-mining and analytical methods and integrating disparate data sources, from domestic commercial databases and streams of commerce to real-time intelligence reporting from abroad, we will provide early warning of WMD threats emerging within the homeland or those with the potential to reach our shores. We will provide the full spectrum of the information needed by operators to execute their missions, from strategic and threat analysis through early warning of and adjudication support for CBRN and other health-related alarms.

Objective 1.2: Facilitate common threat understanding and enable collaboration with Operational Components and key interagency, state, local, and private sector partners.

The Office will embed analysts into operational federal partners to facilitate common WMD and CBRN threat understanding and improve interoperability between DHS and its operational partners. We will facilitate a steady, two-way flow of intelligence and threat reporting to partner organizations to increase awareness and drive requirements, resource allocation, and operational decision making.

Sharing threat and risk information with federal, first responder, private sector, and international partners ensures that the most up-to-date information is in the hands of the people best positioned to counter or respond to WMD and health security threats.

Objective 1.3: Anticipate emerging CBRN threats and avoid techno-logical surprise through transformational research and development (R&D).

The Office, in collaboration with interagency and private sector partners, will identify technological trends and advancements relevant to CBRN security and act quickly to counter them. Through R&D, the Office will identify and pursue transformational advancement opportunities in data analytics, screening and detector technologies, and other scientific areas to ensure that operators have the equipment and tools needed to address incipient threats and are always at least one step ahead of potential adversaries.

The Office provides DHS Operational Components, federal agencies, and SLTT operational users a wide range of capabilities to increase the probability of detecting threats to the homeland, ranging from thousands of personal radiation detectors to complex data analytic systems. This requires the development and acquisition of a wide array of capabilities as well as implementation of the tactics, techniques, and procedures needed to employ them effectively. Our partners operate in diverse, unique environments ranging from austere conditions in the field to network nodes with vast amounts of commercial and shipping data. We must be able to understand each of these environments and the requirements to operate in them effectively in order to be responsive to those needs.

Recognizing the key role deterrence plays in preventing WMD attacks, the Office will publicize its successes and demonstrate through exercises that our partners have the proficiency to prevent and, if necessary, respond to attacks.

GOAL 2: STRENGTHEN DETECTION

AND DISRUPTION

OF CBRN THREATS TO THE HOMELAND

Objective 2.1: Deliver rapid, sustainable solutions to fulfill DHS Component CWMD requirements.

As an Operational Support Component, the Office provides the capabilities to enable DHS Operational Components to carry out their missions. The Office will document, assess, and facilitate prioritization of requirements based on identified gaps in DHS Component and other supported partner capabilities. Where a technical solution is not at hand, the Office, in conjunction with DHS and other federal agencies, will develop technology solutions and seek to transition them through acquisition and commercialization. This includes establishing and effectively employing the capability to rapidly acquire material and nonmaterial solutions for urgent operator requirements and conducting robust test and evaluation to ensure capabilities work as needed. Additionally, CWMD will work to develop concepts of operations, training, and regular exercises and assessments to ensure effectiveness and long-term sustainability.

Objective 2.2: Enhance domestic law enforcement and first responder detection, interdiction, response, and reporting of CBRN threats.

Working with SLTT partners is an important part of the CWMD/CBRN Homeland Security Enterprise. The Office enhances the ability of the United States to detect and prevent nuclear or radiological attacks in communities through grants such as Securing the Cities, training programs, exercises, and technical assistance, enhancing partner proficiency with existing and new capabilities and the skills to employ them as part of the national architecture. The Office will also provide direct support to national radiological/nuclear detection capabilities through deployment of detection systems at special events and in support of surge operations, operating side by side with first responders where needed.

Objective 2.3: Improve national biodefense and biosurveillance.

Biodefense and biosurveillance are fundamentally whole of community efforts, relying on national public health systems, disease surveillance, and food and agricultural defense to protect the United States from the most dangerous biothreats. Through our National Biosurveillance Integration Center, the Office rapidly identifies, characterizes, localizes, and tracks biological events of national concern and ensures our partners have the information they need to prepare and respond. The Office will improve biodetection systems fielded nationwide, expanding the detection of potential threat agents and facilitating timely, localized response by first responders within the community. Our systems will provide early warning of bioterrorism and other threats while concurrently building on the capability of operational partners through modeling, subject-matter reachback, and rapidly deployable special event support.

GOAL 2: OBJECTIVES

The Office plays a central role in the counter- WMD and health security decision making at the national level. Through the Assistant Secretary for CMWD and Chief Medical Officer, the Office serves as the primary source of subject matter expertise for departmental senior leaders on WMD, CBRN, and health security topics, and represents the Department on these issues at the White House and, through reports and assessments, with Congress. The Office will lead strategy and plans development for the homeland CWMD enterprise, forming the foundation upon which requirements are determined and capabilities are developed and exercised.

GOAL 3: SYNCHRONIZE

HOMELAND COUNTER-WMD AND HEALTH-SECURITY

PLANNING AND EXECUTION

Objective 3.1: Lead policy and strategy formulation and coordination for DHS on WMD and health-security-related topics.

The Office leads DHS WMD, CBRN, and health security policy and strategy formulation and coordination. Through engagement with DHS Components, senior leaders, and the broader homeland CWMD enterprise, the Office will ensure our equities are reflected in national policy and strategy documents and will initiate and update the foundational documents that form the basis for long-term departmental and national CWMD and health security planning processes.

Objective 3.2: Integrate strategic and operational planning related to WMD and health security issues with DHS Components, DHS Joint Task Forces, and interagency partners.

As an Operational Support Component, the Office serves at the intersection of headquarters, intelligence, and field operations. Through operational planning support, we will leverage this unique vantage point to help lead and coordinate the development of plans to ensure DHS Components and other operational partners have the situational awareness needed to ensure their resources are postured against the current threat picture. Integrating planning across mission areas within DHS and with interagency partners ensures coordination with interagency partners and optimal deployment of limited resources, and provides the basis for exercising and assessing operational effectiveness.

Objective 3.3: Develop and provide subject matter expertise to assist senior leaders and partners, particularly during crisis situations.

The Office serves as the DHS subject matter expert on WMD, CBRN, and health security threats. Both the Assistant Secretary and Chief Medical Officer serve as principal advisors to the DHS Secretary and serve to ensure this subject matter expertise is engrained throughout the organization and mission. The Office will further develop this expertise and ensure senior leaders and operational partners have seamless access to CWMD assistance 24/7.

Objective 3.4: Enhance coordination of the Department’s medical operational activities across the Components to ensure a unified approach.

The Office, primarily through the office of the Chief Medical Officer, is actively involved in assisting and coordinating departmental medical issues related to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters. This responsibility includes serving as the principal advisor on medical and public health issues to the Secretary, the FEMA Administrator, and DHS leadership and supporting the operational medical needs of DHS Components, such as providing advice and guidance related to the provision of medical screening to people in DHS custody.

GOAL 3: OBJECTIVES

As a new organization, the Office has accomplished much to integrate the legacy organizations and personnel into one Office team and to unify CWMD roles and responsibilities across the Department. Hand in hand with advancing the accomplishment of our mission, the Office must enable our staff to maximize the impact of their expertise and experience to carry out the work needed to support DHS Operational Components and ultimately protect the homeland from WMD, CBRN, and health security threats.

GOAL 4: MATURE AND STRENGTHEN

THE OFFICE AS AN OPERATIONAL

SUPPORT COMPONENT

Objective 4.1: Attract, develop, and retain a performance-driven workforce.

The most important asset of the Office is the people who make up its ranks.

Retaining and developing the staff while strengthening morale is of utmost importance for mission success. The Office will advance employee engagement by increasing opportunities for cross-training activities, development and rotational assignments, and mentoring and coaching. We will regularly use employee feedback and best practices from across the Federal Government to act on employee input and increase engagement, focusing on rewarding high-performing team members and ensuring accountability.

Objective 4.2: Enhance organizational agility and decision making.

To be successful in a dynamic and unpredictable strategic environment, the Office must have a lean, agile, and effective decision-making structure. To achieve this, we will eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy to bolster organizational agility and enhance information-sharing and decision-making frameworks to integrate operations and support, and mature our organizational processes to ensure that actions taken by individual employees align with larger organizational priorities.

Objective 4.3: Optimize financial operations, h uman resource management, information technology, facilities, and security.

As a new support Component, the Office has the opportunity to build its business operation functions from the ground up while taking advantage of the lessons learned from its legacy organizations. By right sizing these functions and leveraging agile decision support systems, the Office can serve as an exemplar within DHS and ensure we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

GOAL 4: OBJECTIVES