Authored By: Stacy Marcott, Acting Chief Financial Officer
For the eleventh consecutive year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proud to announce our acceptance of the Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR) Award. This milestone achievement serves as a testament to the Department’s unwavering commitment to financial transparency and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
The CEAR Award, sponsored by the AGA, is the highest form of recognition in federal government financial reporting. The award acknowledges agencies that demonstrate exemplary standards in publishing informative, high-quality Agency Financial Reports (AFRs) that offer insight into spending and program performance.
Much like the Department’s diverse set of missions, DHS’s financial reporting requirements are similarly vast and diverse. Annually, DHS is required to report on many different complex financial activities including fee collection programs, duties and taxes, grants, loans, seized and forfeited property, flood insurance, debt, pensions, environmental liabilities, and disaster relief programs. Producing the DHS AFR requires consolidating financial and programmatic data from all the DHS components into a single report.
The DHS Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 AFR was a collaborative effort led by the Management Directorate’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). In partnership with the Department’s Components, the OCFO team produced a document that highlights how DHS efficiently managed over $116 billion in operating costs for FY 2023. The CEAR Award is a well-deserved recognition for all the DHS offices that contribute to the production of the report annually.
DHS is one of the largest and most complex departments to receive the CEAR award on a sustained basis. The Department’s consistent receipt of the CEAR Award underscores our dedication to transparency and accountability. Through teamwork, we will continue to uphold the highest standards while fulfilling our vital missions to safeguard the nation. As the Department looks ahead, we remain steadfast in our pledge to fiscal responsibility.
For more information on the Department's budget and performance reporting, please visit the Budget & Performance page.