The Program Manager of the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE) conducted the 2010 Baseline Capabilities Assessment (BCA)—the first nationwide, in-depth assessment of its kind—used to evaluate fusion center capabilities and establish strategic priorities for federal government support.
The objectives of the BCA were to:
- Assess fusion centers’ capabilities in an effort to understand the overall maturity of the National Network of Fusion Centers (National Network);
- Use the data to help the federal government better plan and prioritize resource allocation in support of fusion centers’ efforts to achieve and maintain Baseline Capabilities;
- Establish strategic priorities and help identify gaps in capabilities at individual fusion centers and across the National Network; and,
- Aid fusion centers in reaching their full potential to serve as focal points within the state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) environment for the receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing of threat-related information.
The 2010 BCA focused entirely on measuring Critical Operational Capabilities (COCs). Subsequent Assessments evaluate the Network by focusing on both COCs and Enabling Capabilities (ECs) as outlined in the Baseline Capabilities for State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers document and beginning in 2013, the it also began to measure performance in addition to capability.