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Learning to See the Opportunities in Crisis and Catastrophe: A Decision Maker's Guide to the Issue-Attention Cycle
From the thesis abstract: "Emerging problems often surprise lawmakers and agency officials and result in rapid, reactive governance. The political attention an issue receives may or may not be sufficient to resolve the emergent problem and in many cases may be an over-reactive auto-response dictated by public opinion and issue salience. This thesis examines the emergence of congressional post-crisis attention and uses statistical analysis to demonstrate the primary characteristics that influence the emergence of attention pertaining to a crisis. Furthermore, this thesis has established a repeatable model whereby an emerging crisis can be evaluated by its characteristics to predict the likely reaction of government. This thesis uses quantitative methods to simplify the complexity posed by future crises in an effort to avoid sporadic governance. Recognition of the potential for reactiveness in decision making may be the key step to creating a culture of controlled, proactive agenda setting. The merits of this research transcend the organizational or political future of a single entity or specific stakeholder. Ideally, this work will provide an alternate method to observe and study the dynamics of emerging crises and episodic attention, providing an opportunity to analyze, comprehend, and then react differently."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Kimrey, Christopher M.
2015-09
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Millennial Generation As an Insider Threat: High Risk or Overhyped?
From the thesis abstract: "Cyber security experts agree that insider threats are and will continue to be a threat to every organization. These threats come from trusted co-workers who, for one reason or another, betray their organizations and steal data, disrupt information systems, or corrupt the data. Millennials are commonly thought of as entitled, high maintenance, and less trustworthy than the older generations; in other words, they have personality traits associated with insider threats, making the insider threat and the Millennial a dangerous combination. But are the Millennials truly any more likely to become insider threats than members Generation X (GenX) or Baby Boomers? This study shows that, contrary to conventional wisdom and societal belief, Millennials are no more likely to become insider threats than other generations; in fact, data shows they are less likely to do so than members of GenX."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Fisher, David J.
2015-09
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Case Studies of Predictive Analysis Applications in Law Enforcement
From the thesis abstract: "Law enforcement executives and policy makers continuously seek out effective strategies to reduce crime. Reducing crime reduces social harm, improves community resilience, and therefore improves homeland security. Before investing in a crime control strategy, police leaders must know if the effectiveness of that strategy has been validated. Predictive policing is one such strategy in use that relies on mathematical algorithms to forecast probable future crime locations and the application of interventions to interdict or prevent crime in those locations. In this thesis, theories and methodologies behind predictive policing are described, and the case study method is used to review current predictive policing practices. The research finds that despite the conventional wisdom that a correlation exists between the implementation of a predictive policing program and a reduction in crime, no evidence indicates that a direct cause and effect relationship exists. This thesis provides law enforcement executives and policy makers with objective research on the effectiveness of predictive analysis in reducing crime and provides recommendations for those evaluating whether to invest time and resources into a predictive policing program."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Hayes, William J.
2015-12
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Quantifying a Negative: How Homeland Security Adds Value
From the thesis abstract: "Currently, fire department performance is measured in terms of tangible loss reduction, meaning lower dollar losses of tangible structures and contents equate with greater performance. This metric is flawed because it ignores the unmeasured performance of a fire department that saves nearby at-risk properties and businesses. Therefore, this thesis proposes a new metric: the saved ratio metric. It includes damages and business losses that may have occurred but did not, thanks to the suppression actions of an effective fire department. The saved ratio is defined as the ratio of the value that was saved at an incident versus the value of what was at risk. The total value of what was saved is defined as the total amount of what was at risk minus the total amount of what was lost, and total at risk is quantified using a new network model of at-risk property. Adjacent at-risk property is cast into a network model whereby structures are nodes and adjacency or direct contact is represented by links. Three major conclusions can be drawn from this study. First, the methodology of the real estate and economic industries can be used to quantify tangible and intangible value for structure fires. Second, network theory can be used to map the potential spread of a fire, allowing the user to identify which structures were saved or lost. Third, it is possible to estimate the return on investment added to the community from a fire suppression response model."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Saylors, Eric
2015-12
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Enhancing Recruitment and Retention of Volunteers in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
"The U.S. Coast Guard lacks the personnel and resources to fill critical gaps in its safety and security missions without help from its volunteer arm, the Coast Guard Auxiliary. It is for this reason that Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard leaders have become dependent on the Auxiliary to achieve a number of Coast Guard missions, a reliance that has become more tenuous as Auxiliary membership dropped 20.61% since 2003 to the current 28,635. This trend is in sharp contrast to membership trends in other large volunteer groups in the U.S. Further, at its current strength, the Auxiliary is far from the 48,000 member goal declared mission-critical by 2000 in the 1987 Coast Guard report to the U.S. Congress. This thesis describes the Auxiliary's 69-year history and examines the reasons for the organization's decreasing membership. In this process, the thesis also revealed the absence of a systematic, quantitative tool to assess Auxiliary recruiting and retention practices. This thesis proposes the use of the Coast Guard Organizational Assessment Survey, already administered to all other components of the Coast Guard and which, tailored to the Auxiliary, would be extremely effective in stimulating a genuinely useful approach to increasing Auxiliary membership."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Dooris, Matthew D.
2008-12
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Considerations to Enhance the Florida Domestic Security Strategic Plan
From the thesis abstract: "The Florida Domestic Security Strategic Plan 2009 to 2011 does not prioritize, assign or use metrics to define its goals, objectives or subobjectives thereby making it less effective. The research found prioritization to be a necessary element for achieving results that in turn lead to funding, which is the most significant determinant of progress. Priorities should be kept to a manageable number and remain flexible to adapt to changing threats. Assignment of responsibility was determined to be an important aspect especially in regards to the attainment of accountability. To be effective, assignment must also come with authority. Metrics were determined to be important to accountability. They should be clearly defined, measurable in a quantifiable way and define an end state. A tracking and reporting system was found to be necessary to enhance assignment and metrics accountability. The research suggests that a state homeland security strategy and a single statewide gap analysis should guide all federal grant funding sources with a nexus to domestic security issues and not just the distribution of DHS [Department of Homeland Security] grant funding. Implementation steps are included for Florida to integrate the primary findings of this research into its future homeland security strategies."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Donaway, Steven
2011-03
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How Should Municipal Police Agencies Participate in America's Homeland Security Strategy?
"The majority of municipal law enforcement agencies in the United States are not proactively contributing to America's homeland security, counterterrorism or domestic intelligence efforts. These agencies -- the country's most critical domestic security assets -- sit idle on the homeland security sidelines as terrorism becomes increasingly prolific, lethal, asymmetric, transnational, and closer to our hometowns. Seven years after 9/11, there is no nationwide, municipal-level network of homeland security professionals across the United States. There is no preventative-based, forward-thinking system for domestic intelligence collection. And the vast majority of police departments lack homeland security or terrorism specialists. Furthermore, neither federal nor state strategy has clearly defined specific homeland security roles and responsibilities for municipal police departments. And, as of this writing, there is no municipal-level homeland security strategy. Most importantly, no realistic federal or state strategy has been put forth that integrates all of America's homeland security assets-- including municipal police officers - into a single synergistic design. This thesis examines three policy options and arrives at a conclusion as to which option America should implement to effectively protect our citizenry from terrorists. This thesis introduces the concept of 'municipal homeland security' and defines the specific roles and responsibilities of municipal police agencies."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Andreas, Michael D.
2008-12
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Sandbox Strategy: The Why and How of Federal Law Enforcement Integration
"This thesis examines the interoperability of federal law enforcement's Big Six investigative agencies, to include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration, Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service-CID and the United States Secret Service-Investigations. The main issue is whether in the post-9/11 environment of transnational and terrorist criminal threats the current administrative and jurisdictional configuration of the Big Six within three executive departments with overlapping duties, marginalizes the nation's investigative work-product. This discussion includes the establishment of metrics used to gauge the functionality of the Big Six and, thus, to determine whether Negative Characteristics are present that materially affect the 'total' mission. Ultimately, the conclusion is drawn that the integration of the Big Six into a single agency, namely the FBI, would better serve the nation's federal investigative law enforcement needs. This leads into the next area of discussion, which is how to integrate the Big Six. Lastly, is an analysis of what the federal investigative mission means and whether it should include a domestic intelligence product."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Mandoli, Gregory R.
2006-09
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Transportation Security Leadership: The Right Stuff?
"This thesis focuses on the evolving concepts of network leadership, and managing by network. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the agencies that make it up have daunting, complex challenges to face in protecting the homeland. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), as a part of DHS, similarly has complex challenges in protecting the U.S. transportation systems from terrorist threats. With the growing complexity and global nature of the terrorist networks, it requires leadership that is collaborative, integrative, and able to take a holistic leadership approach. In the TSA, the Federal Security Director (FSD) position has a field leadership role in developing and supporting transportation security and anti-terrorism plans and activities with stakeholders across the nation. The FSD's mission is to build effective multi-modal transportation security networks. The findings support that network leadership is seen by FSDs, stakeholders, and TSA executives to be the future leadership model for transportation security. The issue focuses on which skills, paradigms, education, organizational strategies and structures will allow FSDs to become skillful network leaders. Areas with the potential to strengthen network leadership in the TSA's Federal Security Director cadre include FSD role clarification, leadership culture and capacity, organizational structure and strategies, and a stakeholder collaboration framework."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Burke, Karen
2008-12
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Planning For Success: Constructing a First Responder Planning Methodology for Homeland Security
"The planning methodologies used today by most U.S. fire departments are excellent for traditional missions, but wholly inadequate for the threats posed by terrorism. Planning in the fire service and the rest of the first responder community historically has relied on a one-dimensional approach that uses a scenario-based planning (SBP) methodology. This thesis argues that the fire service and others in the first responder community will be able to contribute to homeland security missions much more effectively, and efficiently, by switching to specially adapted versions of capabilities-based planning. This thesis proposes a new integrated planning methodology that combines the planning strengths of scenario-based planning, threat-based planning, and capabilities-based planning. The new method identifies capabilities that could be used to manage and mitigate the consequences of the different types of contingencies within the various response spectrums. It allows an organization to perform analysis and efficiency studies to evaluate the different spectrums of contingencies against existing capabilities and create a menu of capabilities necessary for the first responder to respond to all its missions, including immediate threats and terrorism, in the most efficient and cost-effective manner."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Jankowski, Thaddeus K., Sr.
2005-03
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Prison Radicalization: The New Extremist Training Grounds?
"As a nation with the largest prison population in the world, the United States has all the ingredients for criminals, extremists, and religious radicals to collaborate in producing a new breed of homegrown terrorist. Although there are documented cases where homegrown prison converts have conducted or provided material support for terrorist operations both domestically and internationally, the phenomenon is still a relatively new concern for U.S. homeland security. This thesis uses survey and interview methodologies to assess the opinions of correctional officers and experts as to the extent of the problem, as well as identifying gaps in intelligence, training, and strategy. The results suggest that prisons are fertile recruiting grounds for disaffected inmates that may be influenced by charismatic extremists acting under the guise of religion or politics. However, the results also point to a disconnect between corrections and other homeland security disciplines that prevents the creation of a robust information sharing environment. This study's conclusions indicate that a comprehensive and effective strategy cannot be developed without first acknowledging that the problem exists, understanding the rudimentary contributing factors, and initiating discussion on a multi-faceted approach to counter the radical influence."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Coffin, McKinley D., Jr.
2007-09
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Compstat 2.0: An Innovative Police Strategic Management Plan That Facilitates Performance in the All Crimes and All Hazards Environment
"The delivery of police services has been governed by various strategic management plans. Flaws exposed in the professional model gave rise to the development of community policing (COP). Eventually, dissatisfaction with COP gave rise to Compstat. Today, Compstat is the dominant strategic model for the provision of police services in the U.S. and, has been credited with significantly improving the delivery of police services. The practical implementation of Compstat has however, exposed certain flaws, paradoxes and gaps in the model that impede crime fighting effectiveness, and diminish public trust. The threats and challenges of the twenty-first century call for the police to develop a strategic management plan that facilitates not only crime fighting but also enhances the ability to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the harm caused in the all hazards environment. This thesis provides evidence and arguments from a body of strategic management literature, and the lessons learned from prior police management practices, to suggest an innovative adaptation of Compstat. Compstat 2.0 is a hybrid that builds on what has been shown to work best in Compstat, COP and other models while diminishing or eliminating what has been shown to be dysfunctional."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Squires, David G.
2011-03
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Operating in Uncertainty; Growing Resilient Critical Infrastructure Organizations
From the thesis abstract: "Publicly owned utilities as natural monopolies have historically operated in a relatively controlled environment. As they have become increasingly networked and interdependent with similar enterprises, the level of management complexity has increased dramatically within their operating environment. The leadership skills and worldview of the management of public utilities, based on the Newtonian paradigms of the last century, have not kept pace with these rapidly changing environmental conditions. A gap exists today among leaders of public utilities in understanding that their environment and organization are part of complex adaptive systems and that the implications of operating in a complex environment are substantive. The findings developed through a research process based on written questionnaires and interviews of industry leaders confirmed and expanded the emergent theory of the current situation facing utilities. The findings further support a framework to assess where utilities are today regarding growing resilience into their organization. As utilities' management teams develop a clearer understanding of their current position and the nature of complexity, they can cultivate a strategy using a variety of methods developed in the research to begin the process of adjusting the tacit values, norms and assumptions that comprise the organizational culture to improve resiliency within their enterprise."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Schaefer, Michael L.
2011-03
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Braving the Swarm: Lowering Anticipated Group Bias in Integrated Fire/Police Units Facing Paramilitary Terrorism
From the thesis abstract: "The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) has responded to the consequences of terrorist incidents for decades, but global trends in active-shooter terrorism may force firefighters to operate in an active, hostile environment, and not just in the aftermath of attacks. In assault-style terrorism, a swift-moving, networked enemy combines small-arms with explosives or accelerants, causing extensive fires and smoke conditions, further endangering victims or hostages. To continue its position as a lead innovator in the national fire service, the FDNY must create new strategies and collaborations to frame its participation in swarm-like terrorist attacks, requiring a plurality of expertise from the across the emergency-responder spectrum. In light of this emerging threat, the all-hazards approach is no longer adequate. The answer to Mumbai-style attacks may require combined fire/police units. The units can only succeed with an understanding of group bias, which must be attenuated or managed for the integrated unit to function effectively."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Newman, Sean S.
2011-03
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Mitigating Decision-Making Paralysis During Catastrophic Disasters
"As experienced on 9/11 and learned from the Katrina Report, catastrophic disasters produce environments where situational awareness is low and high levels of uncertainty and equivocality exist. As a result, due to decision-making limitations and an environment wrought with information inadequacies, decision making can become paralyzed. Using grounded theory methodology on disaster cases, and leveraging the theories and processes of Drucker's business model, the military decision-making process (MDMP), the observe orient decide act (OODA) loop, and recognition-primed decision (RPD), making model from the fields of cognitive, social, and decision sciences, a descriptive decision process model emerged. Catastrophic disaster decision-making model (CAT D²M²) is a simple and flexible process that can assist emergency managers in mitigating decision-making paralysis so that lives, the environment, and the economy can be sustained during catastrophic disasters. It is anticipated that the findings and process model from this thesis will contribute further to the research on decision-making; specifically during catastrophic disasters."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Winters, Terrence J.
2011-03
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Less You Know: The Utility of Ambiguity and Uncertainty in Counter-Terrorism
From the thesis abstract: "Terrorism is a complex issue without any clear or simple solutions. Much of the problem space around counterterrorism is amorphous, and most of the vast literature attempting to impose clarity on terrorism studies fails to do so. This thesis takes a different approach by exploring how ambiguity and uncertainty might be leveraged as a tool for Western liberal democracies in the fight against terrorism. Strategies of Cold War nuclear deterrence are examined and specific instances of the advantages of uncertainty are identified. Ambiguity and uncertainty are defined and described in detail, and examples of how they might be used are discussed. This thesis concludes that greater terror threats warrant greater use of strategies employing uncertainty on the part of one's enemies and oneself."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Schumacher, Justin M.
2015-03
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Airmanship on the Ground: How the Aviation Industry Can Fundamentally Change the Way First Responders Manage Complex Emergencies
From the thesis abstract: "Police and fire departments today are challenged with an increasing frequency of complex emergencies and a continuing cultural divide. Devoted people from both agencies are actively working to improve their response capability. Rather than solving the problem solely in house, other disciplines may be able to help. This thesis investigated what the aviation industry could teach the emergency services field about how to approach complex life-sensitive problems. A structured focused comparison model was used to evaluate aviation's use of Crew Resource Management, the pre-flight briefing, and the concept of airmanship in relation to how they may benefit the response capability of police and fire commanders at a combined emergency response. The research concludes that police and fire departments in the United States would immediately benefit from instituting joint pre-shift briefings and discipline training. It is recommended that FEMA amend its ICS [Incident Command System] procedures to reflect the benefit of instituting a pre-shift briefing. By building relationships with a police or fire counterpart during briefings and showing discipline on an emergency scene, the public at large will immediately benefit."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Fields-Spack, Ryan
2015-03
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Prison Radicalization in County Jails: Disrupting Terrorist Acts Through Information Sharing
From the thesis abstract: "Prisons have long been recognized as an environment ripe for radicalization. In some cases, individuals radicalized while in prison have later committed acts of terrorism. While many countries employ deradicalization programs in their prisons, the United States relies on the timely reporting of terrorism-related intelligence from prison officials, in hopes of disrupting the terroristic acts. In 2011, California Governor Jerry Brown enacted a law that prospectively directed thousands of convicted persons to county jails instead of state prison. Inmates can now spend decades in the county jails, where the possibility of traditional prison radicalization may now occur. Evidence indicates that many jails are not prepared to identify and report this activity. Jails typically have no programs or measures in place to counter radicalization. This thesis examines the programs in the federal Bureau of Prisons, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Los Angeles County jail system. Data from these entities was collected and examined for 'smart practices' that could be employed in county jails. Recommendations are made that will assist county jail personnel with developing a program to ensure the timely, accurate, and lawful reporting of radicalization efforts that may take place in their facilities."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Lee, Douglas R.
2014-12
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Vulnerability of Social Networking Media and the Insider Threat: New Eyes for Bad Guys
From the thesis abstract: "Social networking media introduces a new set of vulnerabilities to protecting an organization's sensitive information. Competitors and foreign adversaries are actively targeting U.S. industry to acquire trade secrets to undercut U.S. business in the marketplace. Of primary concern in this endeavor is an insider's betrayal of an organization, witting or unwitting, by providing sensitive information to a hostile outsider that negatively impact an organization. A common existing technique to enable this breach of sensitive information is social engineering--the attempt to elicit sensitive information by obscuring the true motivation and/or identity behind the request. Social engineering, when coupled with the new and widespread use of social networking media, becomes more effective by exploiting the wealth of information found on the social networking sites. This information allows for more selective targeting of individuals with access to critical information. This thesis identifies the vulnerabilities created by social networking media and proposes a mitigation and prevention strategy that couples training and awareness with active surveys and monitoring of critical persons within an organization."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Lenkart, John J.
2011-09
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Risk, Politics, and Money: The Need for A Value-Based Model for Financing Public Health Preparedness and Response
From the thesis abstract: "Our federal, state, and local governments are not investing in the design and improvement of strategies for evaluating the costs associated with natural and man-made disasters and events. In this era of fiscal conservatism, one of the biggest challenges in designing and funding public health preparedness is deciding exactly how much to invest and determining the impact of those investments. This thesis developed a rigorous scientific model to evaluate the benefit of using value-based tools to enhance the effectiveness of public health preparedness programs. The key question that framed this research was: Are public health departments that use value-based decision-making more likely to demonstrate and document higher levels of preparedness competencies? Although this research failed to demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between preparedness competency and value-based decision-making [VBDM], there were some findings to indicate that VBDM may be useful in decisions that determine the financing of public health preparedness. The ability to analytically demonstrate the benefit of public health preparedness might prove beneficial in attracting additional public funding as well as private funding."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Pilkington, William F.
2014-12
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Protecting Those Who Protect Us: Federal Law Enforcement Deconfliction
From the thesis abstract: "Police-on-police encounters, also referred to as Blue-on-Blue, are serious occurrences that can compromise investigations, cause physical injuries, or worse--result in death to officers, informants and/or innocent bystanders. Law enforcement deconfliction is the protocol that was developed to address this specific issue. This research focuses on the scope and breadth of federal law enforcement deconfliction processes within the United States. An examination of these processes uncovered complex organizational issues and human factors that undermine complete and consistent reporting of both failed and successful deconfliction events. With national oversight and accountability, however, gaps and vulnerabilities in deconfliction operations could be addressed, and a repository to archive and evaluate these efforts could be formed. This thesis proposes that the Blue Diamond Deconfliction Division (BD3) should be established within the United States Attorney's Office to provide deconfliction oversight and reporting, reduce federal law enforcement organizational and fiscal inefficiencies, and most importantly, save lives."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Mapel, Monica
2014-03
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Policy Options Analysis and the National Fire Operations Reporting System
From the thesis abstract: "Effectively managing a fire department requires leaders to understand that allocation adjustment to resources will impact the outcome of structure fire incidents. It is important that fire service leaders and politicians understand how resources deployed impact firefighter and civilian injuries, death, and property loss. Additionally, fire service leaders must have reliable data to understand the complexities and apply the correct resources. The National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) is a voluntary system and only describes the cause of a fire, its origin, and how a fire spreads within a structure. Information submitted into the NFIRS database does not provide real-time information. Despite recent advances in technology, fire departments do not have a method to determine the availability of resources able and ready to respond or the capability of those resources to manage the event. This thesis will identify those specific definitions and describe the operational effectiveness of fire department resources deployed to a structure fire incident. Operational effectiveness states the match between the resources deployed to the incident type and management of the events. Explaining these terms empowers the leader to allocate the correct resources-- reducing firefighter and civilian injury, death, and property loss."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
McAdams, Michael A.
2015-06
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Effective Electronic Security: Process for the Development and Validation from Requirements to Testing
From the thesis abstract: "An electronic physical security system will often fail to meet user expectations or even basic needs. The inability to easily determine if the system is effective is a key symptom of this failure. This paper explored the process for development, implementation and testing of an electronic security solution. This was accomplished by asking 'What is a simple and repeatable systems engineering process that promotes an effective electronic physical security system?' An effective solution was not identified within the literature review process. The Requirements, Alternative, Design, Implementation, Testing and Commissioning (RADITC) process was developed as an alternative solution for the development and validation, from requirements to testing, of an effective physical security solution. The new process is based on two existing processes. The first is a commercial best practice as articulated by Thomas J Whittle. This provides a good foundation of activities. A second more complex life cycle management process used by the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provided steps and concepts that are missing from the commercial best practices in use today. This resulted in an effective, easy to use and repeatable process."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Prokop, James A.
2013-06
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Mission Command: Retooling the Leadership Paradigm for Homeland Security Crisis Response?
From the thesis abstract: "Homeland security leaders faced with managing a crisis event, such as a terrorist attack, will invariably be exposed to tremendous decision-making pressure. Typically, these leaders are working within the confines of hierarchically configured response organizations. Crisis response is complex, requiring flexibility and the collaboration of multiple homeland security response partners to be effective. Mission command and the tools used to communicate a leader's intent provide an alternative approach to hierarchical leadership norms. Decentralization of mission authority and promotion of self-initiative can increase the tempo of decision making and execution. The intent of this thesis is to examine the applicability of mission command for use in managing homeland security crisis response. Several perspectives are considered. First, the origins of mission command and the efforts by a military organization to implement this ethos are reviewed. Second, parallels between both the military and the homeland security response environments are examined. Finally, implementation challenges, implementation examples using the wildland fire experience, and opportunities for implementation within the homeland security enterprise are considered."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Cocker, Philip A.
2015-03
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Department of Homeland Security's Pursuit of Data-Driven Decision Making
From the thesis abstract: "Lack of management integration is hindering the Department of Homeland Security's ability to conduct oversight and perform accurate assessments of its mission support functions. The DHS Under Secretary of Management and the Department's Management Directorate have been tasked with creating a 'unity of effort' aimed at integrating the department's management functions via technology strategies that capture data and use it to make informed decisions. This thesis explores these strategies as the Department makes strides towards removing itself from the GAO's [Government Accountability Office] classification of DHS as high-risk--a categorization due in part to DHS's inability to integrate the disparate management information systems in existence during its creation in 2001. The author conducted interviews with past and present senior executives in an effort to comprehensively explore the various strategies used to accomplish the goal of implementing true data-driven decision-making. The result is identification of impediments and facilitators associated with the ability to drive enterprise-wide change. These findings are then applied against a change management analytical framework, Leavitt's Diamond. Recognizing that change cannot happen in a vacuum, the findings are analyzed across the dimensions of Leavitt's Diamond to determine which strategies are most consistently aligned. Ultimately, the results of this thesis are considerations for how the Management Directorate can position and mature its technology strategies in accordance with other organizational dynamics."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
King, Robert C., III
2015-12
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Ontology of Power: Perception and Reality in Conflict
From the thesis abstract: "Strategy is a problematic yet often-invoked concept. This thesis explores the 2015 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS), philosophy, and social theory to develop an alternative framework for the formulation of strategy in the security domain. The 2015 NSS is analyzed for consistency in its concepts and categories. A model of strategic agency is proposed as an alternative framework for developing security strategy. The strategic agency model draws upon actor-network theory and utilizes a novel approach whereby ontology is conceived as a network of power relations. Strategic agency provides a mechanism whereby a perceiving self-observer (Strategos, the strategic agent) may identify, describe, and explain the behavior of other actors in the strategic environment. This thesis relates how the perspective of Strategos moves along a continuum of ontology and epistemology in framing its world, with implications for accurate modeling of social systems. A model for analytical use in strategy development is presented along with insights into how such a model might be employed for analytical, planning, and operational purposes."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Gaddy, Jonathan W.
2016-12
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In Harmony with the Population: Ethnomusicology as a Framework for Countering Violent Extremism in the Sahel
From the thesis abstract: "Through continued efforts like the Pan-Sahel Initiative of 2002 and subsequent Trans- Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership initiated in 2005, the State Department and Department of Defense struggle to leverage interagency partnerships and multinational cooperation within the Sahel region to wage war on terrorism and enhance regional peace and security. While these programs have made modest progress through mil-to-mil engagements and U.S.-led military exercises in the region, they fail to understand and address the full scope of regional security issues in the Sahel to include transnational organized crime and centuries-old regional sovereignty disputes. If policy makers hope to achieve and maintain true situational awareness in such a dynamic environment, they must leverage all available tools. In a region like the Sahel, where music is a foundational component of the cultural heritage and modern communication channels, ethnomusicology becomes a valuable tool with which to build situational awareness and enhance engagement with the population. This thesis draws from ethnomusicology research theory, intergroup psychology principles, and network convergence and communications theory to create a framework for regional security studies in order to better understand intergroup dynamics in the Sahel, and works as a tool to map networks in the region. Using Mali as a case study, it recommends the application of ethnomusicological analysis to identify and address legitimate grievances within the population that provide exploitable leverage points for regional bad actors. Further, it suggests using the existing peer-to-peer cell phone music sharing network in the Sahel to identify convergence nodes to target illicit networks in the region."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Wenthe, Mathew C.
2016-12
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(Un)convinced to Kill
From the thesis abstract: "Miscategorization of perceived enemies has plagued the United States since September 11, 2001. With the rise and decline of the Islamic State, this thesis seeks to determine how preparations to handle those suspected of terrorism have changed. Since the Islamic State entered the Western psyche, American foreign fighters have left home only to return from the battlefield disillusioned. Informed by needs theories, this thesis explores idiosyncratic radicalization trajectories of American foreign fighters between 2011 and 2017. Eight foreign fighter cases are examined to determine the individual causes of radicalization and defection. It is evident that the U.S. may be miscategorizing returnees. Through empathetic inquiry, this research found that many Americans traveled to Syria and Iraq to fulfill moral needs, rather than out of bloodthirst. Despite moral reasoning and eventual moral objection to acts witnessed in the self-proclaimed caliphate, misadventures have continually been met with prosecution. Hard power remains the U.S. defacto returnee policy. Consideration of the benefits of soft power in counterterrorism strategies has been largely neglected by U.S. authorities. It is recommended that categorization and treatment of returning American foreign fighters be reevaluated. Soft power may prove an indispensable tool in curtailing the threat of long-term, generational terrorism on U.S. soil."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Minor, Morgan M.
2018-09
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911 and the Area Code from Which You Call: How to Improve the Disparity in California's Emergency Medical Services
From the thesis abstract: "Thirty-three local emergency medical services (EMS) authority agencies serve the 58 counties in California. A local EMS authority (LEMSA) in California governs either EMS providers in a single county or several counties combined. Each LEMSA dictates widely different treatment and transport protocols for its paramedics. Preliminary data for this thesis substantiate previously published literature, which shows broad disparities in prehospital care and patient outcomes among LEMSA jurisdictions in California. Although previous research has established the problem of geographic EMS disparities, nothing definitively explains their cause. This thesis contends that the decentralized LEMSA system is the chief culprit for EMS disparities in California, based on an analysis of the available California EMS performance-measure data. Regression analysis does not identify a single factor to explain the problem; the only constant across all LEMSAs in California is that their treatment protocols and training standards to maintain local accreditation vary widely. Unfortunately, the striking lack of performance-measure data--a data desert--for EMS throughout the United States limits the scope of research seeking to explain the inconsistency in EMS care."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Covitz, Jeffrey A.
2018-09
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Creating a Better End Game Strategy: Fully Exploiting the Capabilities of Multiple Disciplines
From the thesis abstract: "The United States' strategy to combat the terrorism threat has been widely debated since the attacks on 9/11. These attacks spurred many opinions on the best method to counter terrorism, whether through the military, law enforcement, intelligence, or diplomacy. The United States Intelligence Community has highly motivated agencies with specialized tools and techniques which have been effectively used to thwart terrorist plots and engage in offensive actions. Unfortunately, there is no singular answer to terrorism. It requires the assimilation and strategic usage of these disciplines to be successful. The United States government must advance beyond mere coordination as it is not the optimal standard. Collaboration is the defining difference to achieve the best strategic advantage. An analysis of the best practices identified in business and government to form cohesion within a unit will be conducted and compared to the current structures within the Intelligence Community. The strengths and limitations of existing units are carefully analyzed, and a model is proposed and examined using the same methodology. This research suggests that through a highly collaborative unit engaging all the relevant disciplines the United States can move toward a more effective strategy to counter the terrorist threat."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Sowers, Troy A.
2013-09
