The annual Fusion Center Assessment is a major component of the broader Fusion Center Performance Program (FCPP) which is designed to evaluate the performance of the National Network of Fusion Centers (National Network).
The Assessment collects information to:
- Communicate the fusion centers’ value in contributing to national information sharing and homeland security outcomes;
- Assess and monitor performance measures within fusion centers; and,
- Identify opportunities to improve the quality and effectiveness of federal government support to fusion centers.
Assessment data allows the federal government and other partners to better target resources to:
- Improve performance over time.
Assessment data also forms the basis for fusion center-related Homeland Security Grant Program Investment Justifications.
Beginning with the 2012 Assessment, evaluation evolved to measure Network-wide performance by concentrating on specific performance measures.
As defined in the Performance Measures Definitions Guide (PMDG), the five performance measure capstones include:
- Intelligence & Information Products and Services;
- Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Protections;
- Strategic Plans and Budgets;
- Communications Policies and Systems; and,
- Security Policies and Systems.
Gap mitigation leverages data acquired from the FCPP’s Annual Assessment to identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to advance the National Network of Fusion Centers (National Network).
More specifically, the federal government supports fusion centers through the delivery and deployment of performance enhancing resources, which provide fusion centers with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to execute the fusion process.