DHS technology chief to reduce number of programs.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Position: HOMELAND DEFENSE - Department of Homeland Security's Tara O'Toole

Tara O'Toole, the undersecretary of DHS' science and technology directorate, said the department's research arm will be cutting down on the number of programs it funds.

Eight months after taking over the division, O'Toole's conclusion is that there are too many technologies in the pipeline, with most of them never reaching the hands of the agents, officers and first responders in the field who need them.

"We need to do fewer projects and load more resources on those projects we do so we can transition them into use," she told National Defense.

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"Much of the work that S & T is going to be doing is not on innovative technologies, which as we know take years--five to 10 on average--to go from conception to use," she said. Items with higher technology readiness levels or that can be bought "off the shelf will be a priority, she said.

The department has conducted a top-to-bottom review of all its technology development programs in order to find out where it should invest its limited resources. There has not been a final decision announced on the winners and losers, but she indicated that many programs will be coming to an end.

The directorate has about twice as many projects under way as its research and development counterparts in other departments, O'Toole said. That should not be surprising. DHS has an "extraordinary span of control" with 22 agencies that all have unique technology needs, she said.

And yet, its technology development wing comprises only 2 percent of the department's budget, at a little more than $1 billion in 2010, and a slightly higher amount requested for 2011. A typical U.S. corporation that relies on innovation, such as a pharmaceutical company, would spend similar amounts of money, she said.

"I want to basically make sure we're not spending all our ammunition shooting squirrels. I want a few bullets to take down antelopes," she said.

O'Toole acknowledged that DHS has had a poor record developing new technologies since its creation in 2002.

Her predecessor, retired Navy Adm. Jay Cohen did a good job improving coordination between the directorate and the 22 agencies it serves, she said. She intends to build on that by helping the components write requirements and strengthen their program management. The directorate will be investing its money in more strategic as opposed to tactical technologies, she said.

These high priority technologies will be called APEX projects. They will not be able to proceed...