**GAO-08-672**                      Published: Jun 20, 2008. Publicly Released: Jun 20, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

The safety and economic security of the United States depends on the secure use of the world's seaports and waterways. Homeland Security Presidential Directive-13 (HSPD-13, also referred to as National Security Presidential Directive-41) directs the coordination of U.S. maritime security policy through the creation of a National Strategy for Maritime Security and supporting implementation plans. GAO was asked to evaluate this strategy and its eight supporting plans. This report discusses: (1) the extent to which the strategy and its supporting plans contain desirable characteristics of an effective national strategy, and (2) the reported status of the implementation of these plans. To conduct this work, GAO evaluated the National Strategy for Maritime Security and its supporting plans against the desirable characteristics of an effective national strategy that GAO identified in February 2004, reviewed HSPD-13 and supporting plans, and reviewed documents on the status of the plans' implementation.

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## Topics

Homeland Security

Contingency plansCounterterrorismEmergency preparednessHomeland securityInteragency relationsMaritime securityMonitoringNational policiesPerformance measuresPolicy evaluationPort securityProgram evaluationRisk assessmentRisk managementSecurity threatsStrategic planningTerrorismTransportation securityProgram coordinationProgram goals or objectivesProgram implementation