Advancing Management of Homeland Security: Managing Intergovernmental Relations for Homeland Security

Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the Bush Administration and Congress created the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to prevent and mitigate future terrorist attacks on the United States. Homeland Security unified 22 separate agencies—arguably the most complex and difficult federal reorganization ever—with the possible exception of the creation of the Department of Defense.

As part of this epic reengineering effort, Department policymakers face two daunting, integrally-related tasks:

• establishing a new set of intergovernmental relationships that tie together federal, state, and local governments; international organizations; quasi-governmental organizations; and the private sector into complex yet coordinated networks; and
• creating a federal regional office structure that will allow the Secretary of Homeland Security to present his/her policies to states, counties, and cities, and in return to hear and respond to their concerns, issues and views