Homeland Security Fusion Center Programs
Executive Services
The creation and administration of a fusion center is complex. And if your state or region requires a network of fusion centers, the challenges are multiplied.
Our Executive Services can help. When the California fusion center system was built in the mid-2000s, SRA Fusion Center Programs was there on the ground floor. We were instrumental in developing the documents, policies, procedures, and funding mechanisms, and have been at the center of the California fusion center program ever since.
Let us put our experience to work for you.
The Executive Services Toolbox
The Executive Services Toolbox is your conceptual resource for building your fusion center. With these tools, you can intellectually map-out your fusion center or fusion center network. You can design its structures. You can clarify its relations, both with external partners and stakeholders, and with internal personnel and operational elements.
At the heart of our Executive Services Toolbox is a set of integrated document tools. These tools are unique hybrids, which serve two key functions:
- First, they are actual templates for you to use to create your own executive documents.
- Second, and most important, they are intellectual blueprints to guide your thinking and help you envision what your own fusion center should look like.
Our tools include the initial agreement to establish a fusion center and document its mission; protocols for routine operations; emergency response procedures; and a methodology for writing grant proposals, both for initial and sustaining funds.
We developed these tools drawing on the best practices of nationally recognized fusion centers. The layout for each is comprehensive, and may be modified to meet the needs and resources of your individual fusion centers.
Following are some examples.
Memorandum of Understanding
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a formal agreement between multiple entities to establish and support a fusion center. The MOU outlines the fusion center mission; the primary parties offering resources and oversight to the fusion center; and high-level guidance on legal, personnel, and liability issues. Entities assuming primary responsibility for the fusion center should collaborate on the MOU and provide an Executive Steering Committee for the fusion center. MOUs may be amended as needed through unanimous agreement.
Standard Operating Procedures
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are step-by-step, written instructions for carrying out the fusion center's daily tasks. SOPs should be created for each organizational level of the fusion center, i.e., section, branch, and unit, and reviewed to ensure all tasks contribute to the fusion center's overall mission. SOPs help ensure quality and consistency among services and products, and often improve efficiency as new approaches are explored and new initiatives introduced. Managers and team members will discover many other uses for SOPs, e.g., as training guides or baseline performance requirements.
Concept of Operations
The Concept of Operations (CONOPS) is a detailed account of the fusion center's operations and functions. It defines the roles of the stakeholders, states the mission and goals for the fusion center, and offers a clear plan to realize the mission and goals. The CONOPS describes the organizational structure of the fusion center, the roles and responsibilities of the various branches and units within the fusion center, and defines metrics to measure overall success. The CONOPS must align with the MOU and any SOPs.
Grant Writing
Most fusion centers receive grant funding to help sustain or enhance their operations, so writing successful grant proposals is essential. Grant applications must focus on key issues facing the fusion center's area of responsibility and clearly state how funds will be applied to address those issues. Selecting grant makers who share the goals and priorities of a fusion center, successful demonstration of a fusion center's capabilities, and detailed documentation will also bolster a grant application's chance for success.