Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans
In general
Head of Office
Functions
The Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans shall—
lead, conduct, and coordinate Department-wide policy development and implementation and strategic planning;
develop and coordinate policies to promote and ensure quality, consistency, and integration for the programs, components, offices, and activities across the Department;
develop and coordinate strategic plans and long-term goals of the Department with risk-based analysis and planning to improve operational mission effectiveness, including consultation with the Secretary regarding the quadrennial homeland security review under section 347 of this title;
manage Department leadership councils and provide analytics and support to such councils;
manage international coordination and engagement for the Department;
review and incorporate, as appropriate, external stakeholder feedback into Department policy; and
carry out such other responsibilities as the Secretary determines appropriate.
Deputy Under Secretary
In general
The Secretary may—
establish within the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans a position of Deputy Under Secretary to support the Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans in carrying out the Under Secretary’s responsibilities; and
appoint a career employee to such position.
Limitation on establishment of Deputy Under Secretary positions
Definitions
For purposes of paragraph (1)—
the term “career employee” means any employee (as such term is defined in section 2105 of title 5), but does not include a political appointee; and
the term “political appointee” means any employee who occupies a position which has been excepted from the competitive service by reason of its confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.
Coordination by Department components
Homeland Security statistics and joint analysis
Homeland Security statistics
The Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans shall—
establish standards of reliability and validity for statistical data collected and analyzed by the Department;
be provided by the heads of all components of the Department with statistical data maintained by the Department regarding the operations of the Department;
conduct or oversee analysis and reporting of such data by the Department as required by law or as directed by the Secretary; and
ensure the accuracy of metrics and statistical data provided to Congress.