DHS Integrated Strategy for High-Risk Management

DHS has published the March 2022 Integrated Strategy for High-Risk Management (Integrated Strategy). The Integrated Strategy provides an overview of progress made to address the Strengthening Department of Homeland Security Management Functions area on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) High-Risk List. The Integrated Strategy includes goals and corrective action plans that directly address 30 GAO outcomes (i.e., desired end-states of maturation for DHS management functions).

The Department has been recognized by GAO as a model for managing High-Risk List issues. As of March 2022, GAO rated DHS as Fully Addressed or Mostly Addressed for 73% (22 of 30) of the outcomes, up from 70% in 2017 and 47% in 2015, demonstrating the Department’s significant progress in strengthening management functions.

In the 2021 High-Risk Series, GAO remarked the Department has continued its efforts to strengthen and integrate its acquisition, information technology, financial, and human capital management functions. The report also indicated DHS’s top leaders have continued to demonstrate commitment and support for addressing the department’s management challenges. Moving forward, DHS will continue to build on this progress by continuing to implement the Integrated Strategy and working with GAO to remove the Department’s management functions from the High-Risk List.