DHS border security projects still in peril

In July, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told lawmakers securing the border couldn't be done without a fiscal 2009 budget.

Now, less than three weeks before the start of 2009, DHS may have to shut down its highest profile border security program, the Secure Border Initiative, if Congress doesn't help with funding.

DHS submitted a request Sept. 9 to the appropriations committees to reprogram funding from other accounts.

And Ralph Basham, Customs and Border Protection commissioner, today told the House Homeland Security Committee that work will stop on SBI unless they get money.

Jayson Ahern, the CBP's deputy commissioner, told lawmakers that the technology piece of the Secure Border Initiative, known as SBInet will run out of funds by the end of October, further delaying the problematic program.

The potential funding shortfalls adds to the already stunted SBInet program.

The Government Accountability Office found that two years into the project, DHS still has not fully addressed basic program management requirements.

Randy Hite, GAO's director of information technology, architecture and systems issues, says DHS has not effectively managed or defined SBInet's requirements or testing strategy, and not defined what capabilities are to be delivered and by when.

"SBInet scope and schedule as well as its lifecycle management approach for far too long have been in a state of flux," Hite says.

"To the point that it is still unclear what technology capabilities will be delivered when and where and how they will be delivered."

He adds that lower level requirements such as those that govern the common operating picture are not fully defined and approved.

And DHS's own assessment of higher level operating requirements, which is what should drive the lower level requirements, are unverifiable and unaffordable.

"Without well defined and managed requirements, the chance of delivering a system solution that performs as intended are not good," Hite says.

"The overall SBInet test management approach is missing key information such as an accurate up-to-date test schedule and roles and responsibilities for all entities involved in testing."

Hite says he is cautiously optimistic because GAO says DHS agrees with 7 of 8 the audit agency's recommendations to fix SBInet.

Additionally, GAO found that land acquisition issues of more than 300 properties and the increased costs of fuel and construction material have further placed the SBI program in peril.

Richard Stana, GAO's director of homeland security and justice, told lawmakers that all land projects are in jeopardy if the land acquisition issues are not settled in three weeks.

"Construction of fencing segments usually take 90 to 100 days to complete," Stana says. ....