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Recent Events
New Voluntary Certification for Business Preparedness Continues Development Under U.S. Homeland Security
February 4, 2008 3:07 PM
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been progressing with its charge under recent legislation to initiate a new voluntary private sector preparedness certification program and continues to reach out for stakeholder input. A forum of key stakeholders was held in December to promote private sector input on the certification and related issues. The forum was sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and hosted by InterCEP at NYU. Approximately 50 representatives participated from business, key professional and industry associations, government and other stakeholders. Summary proceedings are available here.
InterCEP's research suggests that key to creating an effective, efficient and valuable program will be direct involvement by businesses and their associations in forming the program to assure that it meets the real operational needs of business and direct involvement by stakeholders from potential incentive areas such as supply chain management, insurance, rating agencies, and legal liability community to assure that their perspective is reflected in the ultimate program structure, thereby facilitating potential future acknowledgement by these groups of the ultimate certification.
This involvement must occur now, early in the process while the program and its processes are still in development. Acting independently but in support of DHS's ongoing efforts, InterCEP is currently seeking to expand stakeholder involvement in the program. Toward that end, InterCEP is contemplating two immediate initiatives:
1. Creation of Targeted Work Groups
2. Establishment of an Online Clearinghouse for Information and Perspective the Program