Measuring the Effects of Homeland Security

by Steve Cooperman

Since 9/11, Canada, the United States and other countries have moved to implement wide-ranging security and counter-terrorism strategies. Today, the US Department of Homeland Security’s budget is estimated at US$34 billion. It is focused on protecting Americans at home and abroad, through aggressive security measures covering five major directorates. In Canada, similar security measures are being developed and implemented as part of the National Security Policy, overseen by Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada and Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan.

The absence of terrorist incidents indicates that these security measures are working and that the expenditure is providing a return on our collective investment. In the current political environment, this is enough to justify continued spending.

However, it is human nature to ease into a sense of complacency over time. If we continue to see little or no terrorist activity, the urgency with which the public views the need for these programs may fade. Without regular, visible proof there is a danger the public may even begin to question the size and scope of the investment in homeland security, especially as other issues (such as health care) rise to the forefront of the public agenda and place demands on the public purse.

For funding to continue at levels appropriate for ongoing protection, governments and agencies must constantly measure the effectiveness of these programs. They then need to establish a way to communicate that effectiveness to citizens. Many government agencies have set their own internal measurements, but these measurements are often not visible to the public. Just as the leaders of public education programs demonstrate their effectiveness through rising literacy rates and national test scores, national security programs must use and communicate the results of similarly meaningful measurements.

Governments also need to communicate the benefits of security investments that fall outside the realm of public safety. Unquestionably, the safety and well-being of citizens is the top priority.
But there are many other important benefits that will be realized.

Take port security, for example. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology exists today that falls under the auspices of homeland security, which identifies a shipping container as secure and unaltered as it passes through ports on the way to its final destination. The original exporter can embed an RFID chip into the container, which monitors whether the container is opened or in any way altered throughout its journey. As the container travels to its final destination, moving through multiple countries, waterways and ports, it is at risk of being tampered with; the RFID chip can monitor the viability of the container’s seal and confirm whether it has remained uncompromised during its journey. With the seal intact, the port authority at the country of import can then clear the container through its system quickly, knowing the container is safe and not carrying any possible chemical, biological, mechanical or other threats.

The benefit of this type of security process is two-fold. First, there is the immediate assurance of safety. Second, there is a wider economic benefit as goods are processed through borders quickly, easily and more cost effectively. The long-term societal benefits of security programs abound, whether it is faster response and better coordination between neighbouring countries on human or animal disease outbreaks, improvement in sharing criminal records between law enforcement agencies, or swifter action by first responders dealing with civic emergencies.

The need for continuous improvement breeds innovation, which leads to new operating standards within specific disciplines. These operating standards inevitably trickle down to broader, everyday applications that are then embraced for a wider societal benefit.

Just as NASA’s programs have offered society longer-term benefits outside of space exploration – in healthcare technology, satellite technology, computer technology and materials technology, among other inventions – global security efforts will also provide wide-reaching, long-term benefits.

Some of the metrics that governments are using to internally validate and measure the success of security programs may not be appropriate for public dissemination because of risks to national security, and that will not change. However, if governments are to maintain a high level of public support for these programs, they need to put in place measurements for public consumption that clearly illustrate the success and benefits for society.



Steve Cooperman is director of Homeland Security Programs for Oracle Corporation.