Devon Hill

Attacks on soft targets and crowded places are a significant challenge. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security requires research and development to assess methods for reducing the propensity and loss of life from these types of attacks. Researchers conducted a comprehensive landscape assessment of the threat and corresponding security measures in order to identify needs for improvement, and they recommended research and investment priorities.

The Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Reform asked the RAND Corporation for an independent analysis of PPBE-like functions in selected countries and non-Department of Defense federal agencies. This executive summary distills key insights from nine case studies of budgeting processes across comparative organizations, as detailed in three companion volumes.

The U.S. Coast Guard is determining how many facilities handle certain dangerous cargoes and whether, according to a risk analysis, requiring those facilities to biometrically verify the Transportation Worker Identification Credential of every person accessing a secure area of such a facility would be cost-effective. This report answers those questions.

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) conducts background investigations for federal personnel. It collects criminal history record information (CHRI) from federal and state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement and criminal justice agencies that may be unaware of DCSA's role, responsibilities, and authorities. This report presents research and materials to promote more effective and efficient CHRI sharing.

The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) is designed to enhance security at U.S. ports. It demonstrates that the holder has passed a Transportation Security Administration security threat assessment and is required of anyone with unescorted access to a secure area at a regulated facility. This report provides the findings from an assessment of the TWIC program, along with the assessors' recommendations.

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) manages the acquisition workforce as a whole in the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and the U.S. Air Force (USAF). The authors assess whether the DAF's current acquisition workforce management and development structures can meet the needs of both services. They pinpoint potential misalignments and make recommendations to address them.

The Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Reform asked the RAND Corporation for an independent analysis of PPBE-like functions in selected countries and other federal agencies. In this second volume of four reports on this subject, RAND researchers conducted case studies of the defense budgeting processes of Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

This report, part of a four-volume set, presents case studies of planning, programming, budgeting, and execution (PPBE) functions in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to provide insights for improving the U.S. Department of Defense's PPBE processes.

The authors examined retention of racial-ethnic minorities in the Regular Army's enlisted and officer ranks and how racial-ethnic composition changes as soldiers progress in their careers. The authors also explored reasons that individuals stay in the Army or leave at given points, how unit leader decisionmaking affects such decisions, and what influences promotion decisions.

Technological superiority is vital to U.S. national security. New RAND research models and assesses the challenges and gaps in the Department of Defense (DoD) commercial technology pipeline, from concept to fielding. To better harness commercial technologies, DoD needs policies that incentivize and improve information sharing, coordination, and collaboration between defense innovation organizations and traditional acquisition stakeholders.

Researchers sought to identify the root causes of underrepresentation for women and members of racial/ethnic minority groups in the U.S. Coast Guard; factors shaping representation at each phase of the career life cycle; and facilitators of and barriers to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Attempts by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to address persistent challenges with software development have been hampered by an inability to identify the many software professionals working within DoD's programs. In this report, the authors identify and characterize a subset of DoD's software workforce, the types of software developed within DoD, and the variety of methods DoD programs use when employing that workforce to develop software.