Andrew Lauland

This report examines climate adaptation strategies for 25 National Critical Functions (NCFs) at risk of disruption from climate change. The focus is on impact pathways, each of which is a combination of climate drivers (such as drought and flooding) and impact mechanisms (such as physical damage and workforce shortages) affecting a given NCF. The emphasis is on strategies that owner-operators of critical functions might implement.

As countries around the world develop countering violent extremism (CVE) programs to prevent homegrown terrorism, there is a dearth of understanding about what types of CVE programs exist and which CVE approaches are most effective. This report documents an effort to help CVE program directors and policymakers place their efforts in context and identify promising approaches internationally.

The Defense Logistics Agency's Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) provides excess Department of Defense property to law enforcement agencies across the United States. The authors of this report find that LESO manages an efficient program that effectively reuses excess property. But these efforts are unlikely to resolve perceptions that the program contributes to the militarization of police. This report presents three optional paths ahead.

This report reviews strategies to mitigate the risk that climate changes poses to four National Critical Functions: Maintain Supply Chains, Provide Insurance Services, Prepare for and Manage Emergencies, and Provide Public Safety. Such strategies can reduce a function's vulnerability to or the consequences it would experience from direct or indirect effects of climate change.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency requires two assessments for communities participating in certain grant programs. It requested a thorough review of the assessment processes and potential improvements. In this report, authors provide their findings and recommend a framework to foster collective decisionmaking using the results of these assessments.

Researchers assessed the risk that eight climate hazards--drought, extreme cold, extreme heat, flooding, sea-level rise, severe storm systems, tropical cyclones and hurricanes, and wildfire--will pose to National Critical Functions by 2050 and 2100 under current and higher emissions scenarios, as well as potential for cascading risk due to interdependencies between these functions.

The United States has a long history of preparing for and responding to large-scale incidents affecting public safety and homeland security. However, it does not have comparable experience in responding to cyber incidents. This report examines U. S. processes for non-cyber emergency management and whether U. S. officials can learn from these events to help public and private sector stakeholders improve preparations for response to cyber attacks.

The Criminal Justice Technology Forecasting Group (CJTFG) deliberated on the effects that major technology and social trends could have on criminal justice in the next two to five years and identified potential responses. This report captures the results of the group's meetings and initiatives, presents the emerging trends and highlights of the group's discussion, and presents the results of analyses to assess connections between the trends.

Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center experts assessed Hurricanes Irma and Maria's effect on Puerto Rico's municipalities' ability to govern, deliver services, and recover from the damage they incurred. They created a framework for assessing municipalities' recovery and developed courses of action to address damage and improve municipal capacity.

In Puerto Rico's post-hurricane reconstruction, the 78 municipal governments will be responsible for an estimated $4 billion in reconstruction funds and will need to manage complex projects while coordinating with the government of Puerto Rico and federal government. The authors recommend ways to target federal and Puerto Rico government technical assistance where it is needed most to help the municipalities in their reconstruction efforts

To provide transparency into the decisionmaking process surrounding its planning processes, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asked RAND to develop a risk assessment methodology that can be used to identify the greatest risks to homeland security and support prioritization of DHS mission elements. The methodology is presented in this report.

This report presents the results a 2016 workshop in which a panel of law enforcement experts identifies high-priority needs for innovation in law enforcement, covering advances in technology, policy, and practice. The needs discussed in this report can help prioritize research, development, and dissemination efforts in ways that will provide the greatest value to law enforcement practitioners.