The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) established an Operations and Requirements Analysis (ORA) Division to use its technical and analytic expertise to enhance innovation, research, and development (IRD) coordination across DHS, identify DHS capability gaps, perform mission/requirements analysis, and perform operations analysis to improve Component operations. The goal is to help DHS Components save money and time while meeting their critical missions and to transition needed technologies to operational use.
Mission
Provide DHS components with analytical tools and services, enhance innovation, research, and development (IRD) coordination across DHS, lead Phase I of the S&T Operational Blueprint to understand customer needs and priorities, and work with S&T matrix partners through Phases II and III to ensure customer needs are addressed and solutions are effectively and efficiently delivered.
Vision
A more secure and resilient homeland, based on the systematic application of knowledge gained through observation, experimentation, and analysis.
ORA is a customer-driven organization focused on:
- Portfolio Management: S&T’s Portfolio Managers (PfMs) have the primary responsibility for customer engagement, acting as the customer’s champion within S&T, supporting customers throughout the R&D process, and ensuring that S&T remains focused on customer needs with an eye toward future technologies and capabilities. The PfMs lead and coordinate the Integrated Product Team (IPT) process with customers to identify, validate, and prioritize capability gaps, and maintain awareness of S&T’s portfolio for each customer.
- Requirements Analysis: Conducts gap decomposition to better understand Component customer needs. After Component capability gaps are identified through the IPT process, the requirements analysts provides detailed analyses of capability gaps and mission needs.
- Operations Analysis: Provides critical support services to ORA, DHS Headquarters, and Components through a “systems thinking” approach to program planning and execution, requirements management, and decision support.
- IRD Coordination: Facilitates department-wide information sharing on DHS IRD activities, investments, and strategic priorities. Informs DHS Leadership decision-making on long-term coordinated resourcing of IRD in support of cross-Component capabilities. Develops and maintain the strategies, policies and procedures that support DHS-wide IRD Coordination.