The Sector-Specific Agency Executive Management Office (SSA EMO) is the division within the Office of Infrastructure Protection that carries out Sector-Specific Agency responsibilities, as  specified by the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) for six of the 18 critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) sectors.

Mission

As authorized by Homeland Security Presidential Directive-7 and the NIPP, SSA EMO coordinates the national program to protect CIKR and build resiliency within the following six sectors:

• Chemical Sector
• Commercial Facilities Sector
• Critical Manufacturing Sector
• Dams Sector
• Emergency Services Sector
• Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste Sector

SSA EMO leads the Department’s programs to unify public and private sector operations to secure and prepare these six sectors for impacts from such events as terrorist attacks or natural disasters. SSA EMO is responsible for working with both public and private sector partners in these sectors to develop protective programs and resiliency strategies. Each of these sectors has built sustainable partnerships with sector stakeholders, including facility owners and operators; federal, state, and local government agencies; the law enforcement community; trade associations; and state homeland security advisors. These efforts help to prevent and mitigate the effects of such events as terrorist attacks or natural disasters.

More about the six SSA EMO Sectors

Leadership and Organization

The Sector-Specific Agency Executive Management Office is led by Director Craig Conklin. SSA EMO executes SSA functions for its six CIKR sectors through six separate branches within the division, corresponding with sector.

SSA EMO's Responsibilities for its Six Critical Infrastructure Sectors

Although each sector within SSA EMO has unique characteristics that require specialized knowledge and security expertise, they share core mission processes, goals, and objectives, as outlined in the NIPP. SSA EMO works with sector partners to:

• Align priorities, goals, and strategic planning within the sector, including international CIKR issues, and to facilitate development and implementation of risk mitigation initiatives.
• Foster education, training, and outreach.
• Conduct security-focused exercises
• Facilitate risk and security information sharing throughout the sector.
• Identify CIKR research and development needs.
• Execute risk management actions designed to prevent, deter, and mitigate threats.
• Support steady-state (normal) security operations and incident management activities.
• Identify the nation's most critical infrastructure within each respective sector.
• Identify dependencies and interdependencies between sector assets and other critical infrastructure sectors.

Each of these sectors, led by the SSAs within SSA EMO, establishes strong and sustainable partnerships among key stakeholders, including owners and operators; federal, state, and local government agencies; law enforcement personnel; trade associations; state homeland security advisors; and private sector representatives to identify and implement protection and resilience programs.

SSA EMO sector subject matter experts also address overlapping responsibilities within the Government Facilities and National Monuments and Icons sectors. For example, working with the Department of Interior, SSA EMO helps develop security plans for protecting dams within national parks.

SSA EMO's Responsibilities for Federal Civilian Building Security

SSA EMO also maintains the Interagency Security Committee. The ISC has a mandate under Executive Order 12977 to enhance protection of U.S. government non-Department of Defense facilities through published security standards and best practices. These are developed in collaboration with public and private homeland security partners.