General U.S. Policy Documents

"The Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act (PRO-IP Act) directs the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) to coordinate the development of a Joint Strategic Plan against counterfeiting and infringement. To prepare this Joint Strategic Plan, my office worked closely across numerous Federal agencies and departments and with significant input from the public. We heard from a broad array of Americans and received more than 1,600 public comments with specific and creative suggestions. Federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Commerce (DOC), Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS), Justice (DOJ), and State (DOS), the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Copyright Office participated in the development of this Joint Strategic Plan. An appendix to this Joint Strategic Plan further details public and government input. Through this process, we identified a number of actions the Federal government will take to enhance the protection of American intellectual property rights: (1). We will lead by example and will work to ensure that the Federal government does not purchase or use infringing products. (2). We will support transparency in the development of enforcement policy, information sharing and reporting of law enforcement activities at home and abroad. (3). We will improve coordination and thereby increase the efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement efforts at the Federal, state and local level, of personnel stationed overseas and of the U.S. Government's international training efforts."

"The purpose of the 2010 National Vaccine Plan is to provide strategic direction for the coordination of the vaccine and immunization enterprise for the NVP. The Program's goals are to prevent infectious diseases and their sequelae and reduce adverse reactions to vaccines in the U.S. The Plan will achieve this through coordinated implementation of a strategic vision implemented by vaccine and immunization stakeholders across and outside of the federal government."

"Like electricity a century ago, broadband is a foundation for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness and a better way of life. It is enabling entire new industries and unlocking vast new possibilities for existing ones. It is changing how we educate children, deliver health care, manage energy, ensure public safety, engage government, and access, organize and disseminate knowledge. […]. A broadband-enabled Smart Grid could increase energy independence and efficiency, but much of the data required to capture these benefits are inaccessible to consumers, businesses and entrepreneurs. And nearly a decade after 9/11, our first responders still lack a nationwide public safety mobile broadband communications network, even though such a network could improve emergency response and homeland security. Government can influence the broadband ecosystem in four ways: 1. Design policies to ensure robust competition and, as a result maximize consumer welfare, innovation and investment. 2. Ensure efficient allocation and management of assets government controls or influences, such as spectrum, poles, and rights-of-way, to encourage network upgrades and competitive entry. 3. Reform current universal service mechanisms to support deployment of broadband and voice in high-cost areas; and ensure that low-income Americans can afford broadband; and in addition, support efforts to boost adoption and utilization. 4. Reform laws, policies, standards and incentives to maximize the benefits of broadband in sectors government influences significantly, such as public education, health care and government operations."

From the document's Executive Summary: "This Plan details a series of coordinated actions to strengthen the reach and effectiveness of services provided to all victims of human trafficking, regardless of the victims' race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, gender, immigration status, sexual orientation, or the type of trafficking they endured. The purpose of this Plan is to describe the steps that federal agencies will take to ensure that all victims of human trafficking in the United States are identified and have access to the services they need to recover. This includes steps to create a victim services network that is comprehensive, trauma-informed, and responsive to the needs of all victims. While prevention and prosecution activities fall outside the scope of this document, the Administration recognizes that addressing human trafficking through prevention, exploring and implementing demand reduction strategies, and using prosecution to hold offenders accountable are critical elements in the U.S. Government's comprehensive approach to combating all forms of human trafficking. The Plan focuses on providing and coordinating support for victims and it aligns with all other efforts of the Federal Government to eliminate human trafficking and prevent further victimization, particularly as outlined in the 'Attorney General's Annual Report to Congress and Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons.' […] Finally, the quality of the services, not merely the quantity, must be addressed to ensure that victims are supported throughout their long-term journey as survivors." The Plan includes introductory letters by President Barack Obama and Planning Co-Chairs Eric H. Holder, Jr. (Attorney General), Kathleen Sebelius (Secretary of Health and Human Services), and Jeh Charles Johnson (Secretary of Homeland Security).

"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2012-2016 presents the Department's goals, derived from the conclusions of the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) and the Bottom-Up Review (BUR). The goals include objectives and key performance indicators that are essential for implementation and execution of the Department's responsibilities. This Plan, like the QHSR process that preceded it, reflects the core principles identified in the Open Government Plan. These three principles--transparency, public participation, and collaboration--are the basic tenets of Open Government. This Strategic Plan describes the Department's Strategic Performance Plan Measures in the context of the QHSR and the homeland security missions. The Plan continues the Department's efforts to prioritize frontline operations while maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of every taxpayer dollar the Department receives. The Plan also describes the Department's efforts to provide essential support to national and economic security, and to mature and strengthen DHS [Department of Homeland Security] as an institution."

"The strategy that follows outlines how the Federal Government will support and help empower American communities and their local partners in their grassroots efforts to prevent violent extremism. This strategy commits the Federal Government to improving support to communities, including sharing more information about the threat of radicalization; strengthening cooperation with local law enforcement, who work with these communities every day; and helping communities to better understand and protect themselves against violent extremist propaganda, especially online. Most of all, this strategy reaffirms the fundamental American principles that guide our efforts."

From the Introduction: "President Obama signed Presidential Policy Directive (PPD)-8 in March 2011. PPD-8 is aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of the United States through systematic preparation for the threats that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation. PPD-8 defined five mission areas-- Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery--and directed the development of a series of policy and planning documents to enhance national preparedness. As part of this effort, PPD-8 required the development of a National Planning System to integrate planning across all levels of government and with the private and nonprofit sectors around key capabilities that can be mixed and matched, as needed, to provide an agile, flexible approach to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond, and recover. […] This FIOP [Federal Interagency Operational Plan] builds upon the National Mitigation Framework (NMF), which sets the strategy and doctrine for how the whole community builds, sustains, and delivers the Mitigation core capabilities identified in the National Preparedness Goal. This FIOP describes the concept of operations for integrating and synchronizing existing national-level Federal capabilities to support local, state, tribal, territorial, insular area, and Federal plans, and is supported by Federal department-level operational plans, where appropriate. […] The Mitigation FIOP describes how the Federal Government delivers core capabilities for the Mitigation mission area. The purpose of this FIOP is to establish a joint system for supporting local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area partners and delivering public resources in a coordinated, effective, and proficient manner."

"The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) establishes a common platform and forum for how the whole community builds, sustains, and coordinates delivery of recovery capabilities. Resilient and sustainable recovery encompasses more than the restoration of a community's physical structures to pre-disaster conditions. Through effective coordination of partners and resources, we can ensure the continuity of services and support to meet the needs of affected community members who have experienced the hardships of financial, emotional, and/or physical impacts of devastating disasters. The primary value of the NDRF is its emphasis on preparing for recovery in advance of disaster. The ability of a community to accelerate the recovery process begins with its efforts in pre-disaster preparedness, including coordinating with whole community partners, mitigating risks, incorporating continuity planning, identifying resources, and developing capacity to effectively manage the recovery process, and through collaborative and inclusive planning processes. Collaboration across the whole community provides an opportunity to integrate mitigation, resilience, and sustainability into the community's short- and long-term recovery goals."

"Experience with recent disaster recovery efforts highlights the need for additional guidance, structure and support to improve how we as a Nation address recovery challenges. This experience prompts us to better understand the obstacles to disaster recovery and the challenges faced by communities that seek disaster assistance. The National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) is a guide to promote effective recovery, particularly for those incidents that are large-scale or catastrophic. The NDRF provides guidance that enables effective recovery support to disaster-impacted States, Tribes and local jurisdictions. It provides a flexible structure that enables disaster recovery managers to operate in a unified and collaborative manner. It also focuses on how best to restore, redevelop and revitalize the health, social, economic, natural and environmental fabric of the community and build a more resilient Nation."

This document presents the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's national emergency communications plan. "Every day in cities and towns across the Nation, emergency response personnel respond to incidents of varying scope and magnitude. Their ability to communicate in real time is critical to establishing command and control at the scene of an emergency, to maintaining event situational awareness, and to operating overall within a broad range of incidents. As numerous after-action reports and national assessments1 have revealed, however, there are still communications deficiencies that affect the ability of responders to manage routine incidents and support responses to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other incidents. Recognizing the need for an overarching emergency communications strategy to address these shortfalls, Congress directed the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) to develop the first National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP). Title XVIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 United States Code 101 et seq.), as amended, calls for the NECP to be developed in coordination with stakeholders from all levels of government and from the private sector. In response, DHS worked with stakeholders from the Federal, State, local, and tribal levels to develop the NECP-a strategic plan that establishes a national vision for the future state of emergency communications." This document was updated on August 7, 2008 and the revised version can also be found in the Homeland Security Digital Library collection.

"The tropical cyclone warning service is an interdepartmental effort to provide the United States and designated international recipients with forecasts, warnings, and assessments concerning tropical and subtropical weather systems. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the Department of Commerce (DOC) is responsible for providing forecasts and warnings for the Atlantic and Eastern and Central Pacific Oceans while the Department of Defense (DOD) provides the same services for the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean (see Figure 1-1). NOAA, along with other Federal agencies such as the U.S. Navy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), also conducts supporting research efforts to improve tropical cyclone forecasting and warning services. The bottom line--this interdepartmental cooperation achieves economy and efficiency in the provision of the tropical cyclone forecasting and warning services to the Nation. The National Hurricane Operations Plan provides the basis for implementing agreements reached at the Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference (IHC), which is sponsored annually by the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research. The goal of the IHC is to bring together the responsible Federal agencies to achieve agreement on items of mutual concern related to tropical cyclone forecasting and warning services for the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans."

This document is a revised version of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's 'National Incident Management System' as of December 2008. "On February 28, 2003, the President issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5), 'Management of Domestic Incidents,' which directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS). This system provides a consistent nationwide template to enable Federal, State, tribal, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity. [...] This document was developed through a collaborative intergovernmental partnership with significant input from the incident management functional disciplines, NGOs, and the private sector. Originally published on March 1, 2004, the document was revised in 2008 to reflect contributions from stakeholders and lessons learned during recent incidents."

"The National Infrastructure Protection Plan provides the unifying structure for the integration of a wide range of efforts for the enhanced protection and resiliency of the nation's critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) into a single national program. The overarching goal of the NIPP is to build a safer, more secure, and more resilient America by preventing, deterring, neutralizing, or mitigating the effects of deliberate efforts by terrorists to destroy, incapacitate, or exploit elements of our nation's CIKR and to strengthen national preparedness, timely response, and rapid recovery of CIKR in the event of an attack, natural disaster, or other emergency. The 2009 NIPP replaces the 2006 version and reflects changes and updates to program elements and concepts. It captures the evolution and maturation of the processes and programs first outlined in 2006 without changing the underlying policies. The revised NIPP integrates the concepts of resiliency and protection, and broadens the focus of NIPP-related programs and activities to an all-hazards environment."

"Threats and hazards present long-term risks to people and their property. Mitigation is risk management action taken to avoid, reduce, or transfer those risks. By reducing the impact of disasters, mitigation supports protection and prevention activities, eases response, and speeds recovery to create better prepared and more resilient communities. The National Mitigation Framework establishes a common platform and forum for coordinating and addressing how the Nation manages risk through mitigation capabilities. This Framework describes mitigation roles across the whole community. The Framework addresses how the Nation will lessen the impact of disaster by developing, employing, and coordinating core mitigation capabilities to reduce loss of life and property. Building on a wealth of evidence-based knowledge and community experience, the Framework seeks to increase risk awareness and promote resilience building by leveraging mitigation enhancing products, services, and assets across the whole community."

"The National Mitigation Framework establishes a common platform and forum for coordinating and addressing how the Nation manages risk through mitigation capabilities. Mitigation reduces the impact of disasters by supporting protection and prevention activities, easing response, and speeding recovery to create better prepared and more resilient communities. This Framework describes mitigation roles across the whole community. The Framework addresses how the Nation will develop, employ, and coordinate core mitigation capabilities to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. Building on a wealth of objective and evidence-based knowledge and community experience, the Framework seeks to increase risk awareness and leverage mitigation products, services, and assets across the whole community."

"The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy are pleased to announce the release of the 2011 NNI Strategic Plan. As called for by the 21st Century Nanotechnology R&D Act, the NNI plan is updated every three years. The February 2011 NNI Strategic Plan retains the overall vision, the four goals, and the eight program component areas outlined in the previous edition of the plan (released in December 2007). For the first time the 2011 plan includes specific objectives under each goal, outlining the concrete steps that the NNI member agencies will take toward collectively achieving the NNI vision and goals. Developed under the auspices of the National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology, the plan will be used by the NNI member agencies to guide the coordination of their research, training programs, and resources. The plan benefits from and builds upon recommendations from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and the National Academies, and incorporates a broad rage of stakeholder input obtained through NNI-sponsored workshops."

"President Bush has led a committed effort to strengthen the Nation's preparedness capabilities. The national preparedness architecture encompasses the full spectrum of prevention, protection, response, and recovery efforts to prepare the Nation for all hazards -- whether terrorist attack or natural disaster. Homeland Security Presidential Directive-8 (HSPD-8) of December 17, 2003 ('National Preparedness') directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a national domestic all-hazards preparedness goal. As part of that effort, in March 2005 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the Interim National Preparedness Goal. Publication of the National Preparedness Guidelines (Guidelines) finalizes development of the national goal and its related preparedness tools. The Guidelines, including the supporting Target Capabilities List, simultaneously published online, supersedes the Interim National Preparedness Goal and defines what it means for the Nation to be prepared for all hazards."

"The National Prevention Framework describes what the whole community--from community members to senior leaders in government--should do upon the discovery of an imminent threat to the homeland. An imminent threat is intelligence or operational information that warns of a credible, specific, and impending terrorist threat or ongoing attack against the United States. This Framework helps achieve the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient Nation that is optimally prepared to prevent an imminent terrorist attack within the United States.1 The processes and policies described in this document will be conducted in accordance with existing laws and regulations. This Framework provides guidance to individuals and communities, the private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and all levels of government (local, regional/metropolitan, state, tribal, territorial, and Federal) to prevent, avoid, or stop a threatened or actual act of terrorism by [1] Describing the core capabilities needed to prevent an imminent act of terrorism; [2] Aligning key roles and responsibilities to deliver Prevention capabilities in time-sensitive situations; [3] Describing coordinating structures that enable all stakeholders to work together; and [4] Laying the foundation for further operational coordination and planning that will synchronize Prevention efforts within the whole community and across the Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery mission areas."

"The National Prevention Framework describes what the whole community--from community members to senior leaders in government--should do upon the discovery of intelligence or information regarding an imminent threat to the homeland in order to thwart an initial or follow-on terrorist attack. This Framework helps achieve the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient Nation that is optimally prepared to prevent an imminent terrorist attack within the United States. The processes and policies described in this document will be conducted in accordance with existing laws and regulations. This Framework provides guidance to leaders and practitioners at all levels of government; private and nonprofit sector partners; and individuals to prevent, avoid or stop a threatened or actual act of terrorism by: [1] Describing the core capabilities needed to prevent an imminent act of terrorism[;] [2] Aligning key roles and responsibilities to deliver Prevention capabilities in time-sensitive situations[;] [3] Describing coordinating structures that enable all stakeholders to work together [;] [4] Laying the foundation for further operational coordination and planning that will synchronize Prevention efforts within the whole community and across the Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery mission areas."

"The National Preparedness System outlines an organized process for the whole community to achieve the National Preparedness Goal. The National Preparedness System integrates efforts across the five preparedness mission areas--Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery-- in order to achieve the goal of a secure and resilient Nation. The National Protection Framework, part of the National Preparedness System, sets the strategy and doctrine for how the whole community builds, sustains, and delivers the Protection core capabilities identified in the National Preparedness Goal in an integrated manner with the other mission areas. This second edition of the National Protection Framework reflects the insights and lessons learned from real-world incidents and the implementation of the National Preparedness System."

"The National Response Framework is a guide to how the Nation responds to all types of disasters and emergencies. It is built on scalable, flexible, and adaptable concepts identified in the National Incident Management System to align key roles and responsibilities across the Nation. This Framework describes specific authorities and best practices for managing incidents that range from the serious but purely local to large-scale terrorist attacks or catastrophic natural disasters. The National Response Framework describes the principles, roles and responsibilities, and coordinating structures for delivering the core capabilities required to respond to an incident and further describes how response efforts integrate with those of the other mission areas. This Framework is always in effect and describes the doctrine under which the Nation responds to incidents. The structures, roles, and responsibilities described in this Framework can be partially or fully implemented in the context of a threat or hazard, in anticipation of a significant event, or in response to an incident. Selective implementation of National Response Framework structures and procedures allows for a scaled response, delivery of the specific resources and capabilities, and a level of coordination appropriate to each incident."

"The National Response Framework is a guide to how the Nation responds to all types of disasters and emergencies. It is built on scalable, flexible, and adaptable concepts identified in the National Incident Management System to align key roles and responsibilities across the Nation. This Framework describes specific authorities and best practices for managing incidents that range from the serious but purely local to large-scale terrorist attacks or catastrophic natural disasters. The National Response Framework describes the principles, roles and responsibilities, and coordinating structures for delivering the core capabilities required to respond to an incident and further describes how response efforts integrate with those of the other mission areas. This Framework is always in effect, and elements can be implemented at any time. The structures, roles, and responsibilities described in this Framework can be partially or fully implemented in the context of a threat or hazard, in anticipation of a significant event, or in response to an incident. Selective implementation of National Response Framework structures and procedures allows for a scaled response, delivery of the specific resources and capabilities, and a level of coordination appropriate to each incident."

"This report responds to Section 102 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, which directs the Committee on Technology of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to develop a strategic plan to guide Federal programs and activities in support of advanced manufacturing research and development. Advanced manufacturing is a matter of fundamental importance to the economic strength and national security of the United States. Our analysis of patterns and trends in U.S. advanced manufacturing reveals both opportunities for Federal policy to accelerate the development of this vital sector and challenges to its continuing health. The acceleration of innovation for advanced manufacturing requires bridging a number of gaps in the present U.S. innovation system, particularly the gap between research and development (R&D) activities and the deployment of technological innovations in domestic production of goods. This strategic plan lays out a robust innovation policy that would help to close these gaps and address the full lifecycle of technology. It also incorporates intensive engagement among industry, labor, academia, and govern¬ment at the national, state, and regional levels. Partnerships among diverse stakeholders, varying by location and objective, are a keystone of the strategy. The strategy seeks to achieve five objectives. These objectives are interconnected; progress on any one will make progress on the others easier. A large number of Federal agencies, coordinated through the NSTC, have important roles to play in the implementation of the strategy."

This U. S. Department of Homeland Security Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2008-2013 discusses the department's vision, strategy and goals for the coming years listed. The following is taken from the report: "The 2008 Strategic Plan serves to focus the Department's mission and sharpen operational effectiveness, particularly in delivering services in support of Department-wide initiatives and the other mission goals. It identifies the goals and objectives by which we continually assess our performance. The Department uses performance measures at all levels to monitor our strategic progress and program success. This process also keeps the Department's priorities aligned, linking programs and operations to performance measures, mission goals, resource priorities, and strategic objectives. Faced with the challenge of strengthening the components to function as a unified Department, DHS must coordinate centralized, integrated activities across components that are distinct in their missions and operations. Thus, sound and cohesive management is the key to Department-wide and component-level strategic goals. We seek to harmonize our efforts as we work diligently to accomplish our mission each and every day."

"Since the first day of his Administration, President Barack Obama has made Open Government a high priority. The Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government was the first executive action to bear the President's signature, and the President has pledged his Administration to work toward 'an unprecedented level of openness in Government.' Over the past two and a half years, Federal agencies have done a great deal to make government more transparent and more accessible, to provide people with information that they can use in their daily lives, to solicit public participation in government decision-making, and to collaborate with all sectors of the economy on new and innovative solutions. These Open Government efforts are now entering a new phase, as we collaborate with other countries in the global Open Government Partnership (OGP). President Obama has emphasized three independent reasons to support Open Government: 1) Open Government promotes accountability, which can improve performance. In the words of Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis: 'Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.' 2) Transparency enables people to find information that they 'can readily find and use.' For this reason, the President has asked agencies to 'harness new technologies' and 'solicit public feedback to identify information of greatest use to the public.' 3) In many domains, government should develop policies, rules, and plans with close reference to the knowledge, expertise, and perspectives of diverse members of the public. As the President has said, '[k]nowledge is widely dispersed in society, and public officials benefit from having access to that dispersed knowledge' and hence to 'collective expertise and wisdom.'"

"The legacy of success in space and its transformation also presents new challenges. When the space age began, the opportunities to use space were limited to only a few nations, and there were limited consequences for irresponsible or unintentional behavior. Now, we find ourselves in a world where the benefits of space permeate almost every facet of our lives. The growth and evolution of the global economy has ushered in an ever-increasing number of nations and organizations using space. The now-ubiquitous and interconnected nature of space capabilities and the world's growing dependence on them mean that irresponsible acts in space can have damaging consequences for all of us. For example, decades of space activity have littered Earth's orbit with debris; and as the world's space-faring nations continue to increase activities in space, the chance for a collision increases correspondingly. As the leading space-faring nation, the United States is committed to addressing these challenges. But this cannot be the responsibility of the United States alone. All nations have the right to use and explore space, but with this right also comes responsibility. The United States, therefore, calls on all nations to work together to adopt approaches for responsible activity in space to preserve this right for the benefit of future generations. From the outset of humanity's ascent into space, this Nation declared its commitment to enhance the welfare of humankind by cooperating with others to maintain the freedom of space. The United States hereby renews its pledge of cooperation in the belief that with strengthened inter¬national collaboration and reinvigorated U.S. leadership, all nations and peoples--space-faring and space-benefiting--will find their horizons broadened, their knowledge enhanced, and their lives greatly improved."

"While no single step can reverse the effects of climate change, we have a moral obligation to future generations to leave them a planet that is not polluted and damaged. Through steady, responsible action to cut carbon pollution, we can protect our children's health and begin to slow the effects of climate change so that we leave behind a cleaner, more stable environment. In 2009, President Obama made a pledge that by 2020, America would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels if all other major economies agreed to limit their emissions as well. Today, the President remains firmly committed to that goal and to building on the progress of his first term to help put us and the world on a sustainable long-term trajectory. Thanks in part to the Administration's success in doubling America's use of wind, solar, and geothermal energy and in establishing the toughest fuel economy standards in our history, we are creating new jobs, building new industries, and reducing dangerous carbon pollution which contributes to climate change. In fact, last year, carbon emissions from the energy sector fell to the lowest level in two decades. At the same time, while there is more work to do, we are more energy secure than at any time in recent history. In 2012, America's net oil imports fell to the lowest level in 20 years and we have become the world's leading producer of natural gas -- the cleanest-burning fossil fuel."

From the Introduction: "President Obama signed Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 8: National Preparedness in March 2011. PPD-8 is aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of the United States through systematic preparation for the threats that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation. PPD-8 defined five mission areas--Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery--and directed the development of a series of policy and planning documents to enhance national preparedness. As part of this effort, PPD-8 required the development of a National Planning System to integrate planning across all levels of government and with the private and nonprofit sectors around key capabilities that can be mixed and matched, as needed, to provide an agile, flexible approach to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond, and recover. […] This FIOP [Federal Interagency Operational Plan] builds upon the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF), which sets the strategy and doctrine for how the whole community builds, sustains, and delivers the Recovery core capabilities identified in the National Preparedness Goal. This FIOP describes the concept of operations for integrating and synchronizing existing national-level Federal capabilities to support local, state, tribal, territorial, insular area, and Federal plans, and is supported by Federal department-level operational plans, where appropriate. […] The Recovery FIOP describes how the Federal Government delivers core capabilities for the Recovery mission area. It is an all-hazards plan that provides guidance for the implementation of the NDRF. The mission of the Recovery FIOP is to provide guidance to enable more effective delivery of recovery support to disaster-impacted local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area jurisdictions."

From the Introduction: "This FIOP [Federal Interagency Operational Plan] builds upon the National Response Framework (NRF), which sets the strategy and doctrine for how the whole community builds, sustains, and delivers the Response core capabilities identified in the National Preparedness Goal. This FIOP describes the concept of operations for integrating and synchronizing existing national-level Federal capabilities to support local, state, tribal, territorial, insular area, and Federal plans, and is supported by Federal department-level operational plans, where appropriate. The concept of operations and supporting tasks contained in the Response FIOP are scalable, flexible, and adaptable, allowing the FIOP to be used regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity. Concepts of operations and/or tasks may be modified, added, or deleted depending upon the incident. […] This FIOP describes how the Federal Government delivers core capabilities for the Response mission area. Specifically, the Response FIOP is an all-hazards plan that describes how the Federal Government, pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) or other appropriate non-Stafford Act legal authority, supports local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area efforts to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs following an emergency or disaster. The Response FIOP outlines delivery of Federal support to address the impacts of natural disasters or other emergencies."

"The Target Capabilities List describes the capabilities related to the four homeland security mission areas: Prevent, Protect, Respond, and Recover. It defines and provides the basis for assessing preparedness. It also establishes national guidance for preparing the Nation for major all-hazards events, such as those defined by the National Planning Scenarios. The current version of the TCL contains 37 core capabilities. A 'Consensus of the Community' approach was used to develop the Target Capabilities List. Stakeholders from Federal, State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations came together in four national workshops and capability working groups to define the capabilities. The Guidelines will serve as a framework to guide operational readiness planning, priority-setting, and program implementation at all levels of government. The Guidelines provide a call to action by all Americans as they consider their personal and shared responsibility to be part of A Nation Prepared. The Target Capabilities List provides guidance on building and maintaining capabilities that support the Guidelines."

"This strategic plan describes and prioritizes several research themes worthy of further inquiry, and end-states and capabilities that must be achieved in order to fundamentally improve cyberspace. The Plan does not focus on specific technical problems and challenges, e.g., developing better firewalls or more secure operating systems. Rather, by articulating desired end-states and capabilities, the themes reveal important underlying causes of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. By defining the end-states, rather than the paths to get there, the themes invite a diversity of approaches and encourage innovation across disciplines and sectors. Of course, along the way to achieving these larger solutions, many perennial problems and technical challenges will have to be solved."

"Presidential Policy Directive 18 (PPD-18)1 established United States Government policy on Maritime Security and provided for the development of scalable, flexible frameworks on specific maritime issues to guide and clarify roles and responsibilities for strategic goals of the United States. This document: [1] Affirms the vital national interest in global maritime security and articulates United States Government policy for countering piracy, robbery at sea, and related maritime crime; [2] Provides the overarching guidance to develop objectives to enhance maritime security in other regions of the world as required based on evolving and emerging threats; and [3] Supersedes the Countering Piracy off the Horn of Africa: Partnership and Action Plan."

"This ASPR Strategic Plan represents the culmination of a six-month strategic planning process. Our goal is to provide direction for the entire ASPR Office over the next five years. This is a dynamic document, but it is built on a lasting foundation; our mission, vision, and core values. Our strategy map and portfolio of strategic measures and initiatives are evolving to meet the needs of a public health emergency and medical response environment that continues to change. Our path forward will be guided by this strategy, but our success will be driven by the people who make up the ASPR organization. I would like to thank ASPR's team of exceptional professionals for their commitment and hard work to date in meeting ASPR's mission, and for the leadership and vision they contributed to this Plan, It is these individuals, working with our partners and colleagues in public health emergency preparedness and response, who will determine the Plan's success."