FEMA put the updates on hold due to the need to shift resources to the 2004 

hurricane response and recovery activities.   

Further, the misalignment of DHS and FEMA strategic plans complicates 

efforts to link IT initiatives to overarching mission direction.  According to 

the 

Paperwork Reduction Act

10

 and the supporting Office of Management and 

Budget Circular A 130

11

, each federal agency is required to develop an 

Information Resource Management Plan to demonstrate how IT management 

activities help accomplish an agency's mission.  The EP&R CIO 

accomplished an important step by implementing FEMA's first IT strategic 

plan for FY 2005.  However, the CIO's IT plan maps to FEMA's outdated 

strategic plan rather than to the more recent DHS strategic plan.  For example, 

the IT plan identifies six strategic management initiatives, which it aligns to 

the goals identified in the FEMA strategic plan; however, the initiatives do not 

align completely to goals and metrics identified in DHS level planning.  As a 

result, the initiatives defined by the CIO organization may not support the 

achievement of the response and recovery goals and metrics established by 

DHS. 

Performance Data Not Available from Systems 

Federal regulations, including the 

Paperwork Reduction Act

, require agencies 

to use information resources to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of 

their operations to fulfill their missions.  However, EP&R's IT systems do not 

provide the data needed to support the response and recovery metrics 

established by DHS effectively.  Some of the metrics are IT dependent, reliant 

upon automated systems to capture quantifiable information with which to 

measure performance in specific response and recovery activities.  Where IT 

systems do not provide the data for measuring performance, it is not possible 

successfully to measure progress toward the achievement of specific goals, 

and ultimately the agency's mission. 

Response Metrics 

With regard to disaster response, DHS' strategic plan identifies specific 

performance indicators, such as the time it takes to deploy personnel and 

assets to aid in a disaster.  In 2004 DHS allotted 72 hours for providing both 

10

 Public Law 104 13, May 22, 1995. 

11

 Circular A 130, 

Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Establishments

,

 Management of Federal 

Information Resources

, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, February 8, 1996. 

Emergency Preparedness and Response Could Better Integrate Information Technology  

with Incident Response and Recovery 

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