Transportation Security Administration: Surface Transportation Inspector Activities Should Align More Closely With Identified Risks
Released: 2017-12-14T00:00:00


Highlights: section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: The global terrorist threat to surface transportation – freight and passenger rail, mass transit, highway, maritime and pipeline systems – has increased in recent years, as demonstrated by the 2017 London vehicle attacks and a 2016 thwarted attack on mass transit in the New York area. TSA is the primary federal agency responsible for securing surface transportation in the United States.

GAO was asked to review TSA surface inspector activities. This report addresses (1) how TSA surface inspectors implement the agency's surface transportation security mission, and (2) the extent to which TSA has used a risk-based approach to prioritize and implement surface inspector activities. GAO analyzed TSA data on surface inspector activities from fiscal year 2013 through March 24, 2017, reviewed TSA program and risk documents and guidance, and observed surface inspectors conducting multiple activities. GAO also interviewed TSA officials in 17 of 49 surface field offices and 15 industry stakeholders.

section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: Transportation Security Administration (TSA) surface transportation security inspectors—known as surface inspectors—conduct a variety of activities to implement the agency's surface security mission, including:

Regulatory Inspections: Surface inspectors enforce freight rail, passenger rail, and maritime security regulations. GAO found that, according to TSA data, surface inspectors reported spending approximately 20 percent of their time on these activities from fiscal years 2013 to 2017.

Non-regulatory assessments and assistance: Surface inspectors conduct voluntary assessments and provide training to surface transportation entities, among other things. GAO found that, according to TSA data, inspectors reported spending approximately 80 percent of their time on these activities.

In addition to mission-related activities, surface inspectors can assist with aviation-related activities. However, GAO found that TSA has incomplete information on the total time surface inspectors spend on these activities because of limitations in TSA's data system. Addressing these limitations would provide TSA with complete information when making decisions about inspector activities.

GAO also found that TSA prioritized inspector activities in the surface transportation mode with the lowest risk because TSA did not incorporate risk assessment results when planning and monitoring activities. Specifically, in fiscal year 2016, the last full year for which data on inspectors' activities in the surface modes was available, surface inspectors reported spending more than twice as much time on the lowest risk surface transportation mode according to TSA risk assessments than on the highest risk surface transportation mode. Incorporating risk assessment results when prioritizing inspector activities would help TSA ensure that its surface security resources address the highest risks.

In fiscal year 2017, TSA fully implemented a new risk mitigation program—Risk Mitigation Activities for Surface Transportation (RMAST)—intended to focus time and resources on high-risk surface transportation entities and locations. However, GAO found that TSA has not identified or prioritized these high-risk entities and locations, or defined the RMAST program's objectives and associated activities in a measurable and clear way. According to TSA officials, they have not done so because there are too many potential entities to list them all for prioritization and TSA has not identified an approach for determining the effectiveness of activities under the program. However, prioritizing high-risk entities, such as by type, characteristics, or location does not require a complete list of entities. By identifying and prioritizing high-risk entities and locations for RMAST, and clearly defining the program's activities and objectives, TSA would be better able to implement RMAST activities in a risk-based manner and measure their effectiveness.

This is a public version of a sensitive report that GAO issued in October 2017. Information that TSA deemed sensitive has been omitted.

section_title: What GAO Recommends
paragraphs: GAO recommends that TSA (1) address limitations in its data system to collect complete information, (2) ensure inspector activities more closely align with the results of risk assessments, (3) identify and prioritize entities and locations for its risk mitigation program, and (4) define measurable and clear objectives for the program. TSA concurred with these recommendations.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: Mass transit bombings and vehicle attacks in cities such as Brussels,  London and St. Petersburg, as well as planned attacks in the New York  area and other U.S. cities demonstrate terrorist persistence in targeting  surface transportation. The surface transportation network includes  passenger rail, mass transit, freight rail, highway, pipeline, and maritime  modes. Surface transportation systems generally rely on an open  infrastructure that is difficult to monitor and secure due to its multiple  access points, hubs serving multiple carriers, and in some cases, lack of  access barriers. Securing these systems is further complicated by the  number of private and public stakeholders involved in operating and  protecting the system and the need to balance security with the  expeditious flow of people and goods. According to the Mineta Institute  for Transportation, terrorist attacks against surface transportation are  becoming more frequent and the overall risk for a surface transportation  attack has increased over the past 40 years. According to the  Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an attack on a surface  transportation system in the United States could potentially lead to  significant casualties and economic damage and disruption worth billions  of dollars.

TSA, within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is the  primary U.S. federal agency responsible for securing all four general  modes of land-based transportation – mass transit and passenger rail,  freight rail, highway and motor carrier, and pipeline – and supports  maritime security efforts by deploying 222 surface transportation security  inspectors, known as surface inspectors, in 49 locations throughout the  country. TSA’s surface domain includes nearly 140,000 miles of railroad  track, over 2.5 million miles of pipeline, and 4 million miles of roads, that  facilitate 10 billion annual passenger trips on mass transit systems,  school bus transport for 24 million students riding school buses each day,  and nearly 800,000 daily shipments of hazardous material. TSA has an  annual surface security operating budget of around $111 million, which  represents approximately 3 percent of TSA’s total budget, while the  remainder of the budget is dedicated primarily to aviation operations,  according to TSA. TSA’s role in surface transportation security varies by  mode. For example, TSA plays a regulatory role in freight rail, passenger  rail, and maritime facility security. TSA also provides guidance and  encourages voluntary implementation of security best practices to surface  transportation entities, and relies on cooperation from system operators,  and local, state, and federal security partners.

DHS and TSA officials have stated that they use risk-based security to  deliver the most effective security in the most efficient manner. We have  previously reviewed TSA surface transportation initiatives, and in March  2009 reported that TSA had not conducted a comprehensive risk  assessment for securing mass transit and passenger rail. We  recommended that TSA conduct a risk assessment that included all  elements of risk, and TSA took actions to implement the  recommendation, including developing the Transportation Sector Security  Risk Assessment (TSSRA) in 2010, which examines and assesses the  terrorism risk for all transportation modes for which TSA is responsible.

You asked us to review the activities that TSA surface inspectors perform  in support of TSA’s surface security mission. This report examines (1)  how TSA surface inspectors implement the agency’s surface  transportation security mission and (2) the extent to which TSA has used  a risk-based approach to prioritize and implement surface inspector  activities.

This report is a public version of a prior sensitive report that we issued in  October 2017. TSA deemed some of the information in the prior report  sensitive security information, which must be protected from public  disclosure. Therefore, this report omits sensitive information regarding  the specific risks facing particular surface transportation modes as  determined by TSA. However, the report addresses the same questions  as the sensitive report and the overall methodology used for both reports  is the same.

To collectively address these objectives, we reviewed relevant statutes,  regulations, and strategic documents, such as provisions in the  Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007  (9/11 Commission Act), TSA surface security and related regulations, and  TSA’s National Strategy for Transportation Security 2016, among others.  We also analyzed TSA data from the surface module of TSA’s  Performance and Results Information System (PARIS) from fiscal years  2013 through March 24, 2017, the most recent data available, to identify  the time surface inspectors reported spending on regulatory and non- regulatory activities and in each transportation mode. We analyzed data  from fiscal years 2013 through March 2017 to compare multiple years of  data for purposes of identifying any trends or variances in the data over  time, as well as to capture data after program reorganizations.

We assessed the reliability of data from the surface module of PARIS by,  for example, interviewing TSA officials responsible for entering, reviewing,  or using PARIS data and electronically testing the data, among other  steps. We determined that PARIS surface module data on inspector  activities were sufficiently reliable for our purposes – to describe how  surface inspectors reported spending their time using summary-level data  – with some limitations. Specifically, the aviation data we report from the  surface module represents the minimum aviation activities surface  inspectors conducted, and the inspection counts and compliance rates we  report for fiscal year 2013 represent partial year data. See appendix I for  more information on how we assessed the reliability of these data and the  limitations we identified.

Additionally, we conducted interviews with TSA officials in 17 of 49  surface field offices, selected based on a variety of factors including their  unique surface transportation environments; all 6 TSA Regional Security  Inspectors (RSIs) and 15 industry stakeholders in the freight rail,  passenger rail/mass transit, highway, and maritime modes. For more  information on how we selected field offices and industry stakeholders for  our interviews, see appendix I. Our interviews with TSA officials and  industry stakeholders are not generalizable, but provided us with  important insights into the implementation of TSA surface transportation  security programs, the challenges surface inspectors may face, and the  transportation industry’s interaction with TSA surface inspectors.

To further address our first objective and describe how TSA surface  inspectors implemented the agency’s surface transportation security  mission, we examined TSA strategic and program documents. We also  observed inspectors conducting program activities including a Baseline  Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) review, a regional  Intermodal – Security Training and Exercise Program (I-STEP) exercise,  and an Exercise Information System (EXIS) exercise. We used the results  of our analysis of PARIS data to describe the number of each type of  regulatory inspection surface inspectors conducted from fiscal years 2013  to 2017, regulatory compliance rates for those inspections, and how  surface inspectors reported spending their time on all activities in the  surface module of PARIS. To evaluate the effects of this limitation on  TSA’s implementation of its surface activities, we compared the results of  our data analysis and our interviews with TSA officials to Standards for  Internal Control in the Federal Government.

To further address our second objective, we analyzed TSA risk guidance  and examined TSA’s cross-modal risk assessments in the TSSRA from  fiscal years 2013 to 2016. To evaluate the extent to which TSA  considered risk when it staffed TSA surface inspectors, we reviewed  TSA’s fiscal year 2017 surface inspector staffing model—the only model  TSA used during the period we examined—and interviewed TSA officials  responsible for developing and executing staffing, and compared that  process to TSA risk guidance. To determine the extent to which TSA  prioritized surface inspector activities based on risk we compared surface  inspector work plan requirements and the work plan development  process, as described by TSA officials, to risk information, including  results from the TSSRA and TSA risk guidance. See appendix I for more  information on the risk information we used to assess the surface  inspector work plans. To determine the extent to which TSA’s  implementation of surface inspector activities aligned with risk, we  compared the results of our analysis of PARIS surface module data on  the time surface inspectors spent in each surface mode to the results of  the TSSRA cross-modal risk assessments from fiscal years 2013 to 2017.  We also identified the types of information TSA used in its fiscal year  2015 analysis of surface inspector time and activities to determine what  TSA considered when it monitored how surface inspector activities were  implemented. Furthermore, to evaluate the extent to which TSA’s Risk  Mitigation Activities for Surface Transportation (RMAST) program was  risk-based and TSA had established measurable goals for the program,  we compared the results of our analysis of PARIS surface module data,  program descriptions, and interviews with TSA officials responsible for  planning and implementing the program to TSA’s risk guidance and  Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government.

The performance audit upon which this report is based was conducted  from April 2016 to October 2017 in accordance with generally accepted  government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan  and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide  a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit  objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable  basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We  subsequently worked with TSA from September 2017 to December 2017  to prepare this nonsensitive version of the original report for public  release. This public version was also prepared in accordance with these  standards. More details about the scope and methodology of our work are  contained in appendix I.
subsections: section_title: Background
subsections: section_title: TSA Roles and Responsibilities
paragraphs: The Aviation and Transportation Security Act designated TSA as the  primary federal agency responsible for securing all modes of  transportation. In fiscal year 2005, Congress appropriated funds for  surface transportation security, and the accompanying conference report  directed that some of those funds go to rail compliance inspectors, the  predecessors to today’s surface transportation security inspectors— referred to as surface inspectors.

Public and private transportation entities have the principal responsibility  to carry out safety and security measures for their services. As such, TSA  coordinates with public and private transportation entities to identify  vulnerabilities, share intelligence information, and work to mitigate  security risks to the system. See table 1 for examples of the entities TSA  works with to secure the various surface transportation modes.

section_title: TSA Surface Security Budget and Regulations
paragraphs: In fiscal year 2005, $10 million of TSA’s surface transportation security  appropriation was to hire and deploy up to 100 rail compliance inspectors.  TSA assigned inspectors to oversee security and provide oversight and  assistance to railroads, and subsequently, other surface transportation  modes, including mass transit and passenger rail, freight rail, highway,  and pipeline sectors. TSA has since increased the number of surface  inspectors, and since 2013 has maintained more than 200 Full Time  Equivalent (FTE) positions. See table 2 for additional details on the  number of TSA surface inspector FTEs from fiscal years 2013 through  2017.

In August 2007, the 9/11 Commission Act was signed into law and  required TSA to issue security regulations for freight and passenger rail,  among other requirements. TSA also issued regulations governing  surface transportation security on its own initiative. As of July 2017, TSA  has issued the following regulations related to surface transportation:

Rail Inspections: Issued in November 2008, 49 C.F.R. part 1580  requires certain freight railroad carriers and passenger rail operations  (passenger railroad carriers and rail transit systems) to designate a  rail security coordinator, notify the Transportation Security Operations  Center regarding any significant security concerns, and, if applicable,  ensure a secure chain of custody of rail cars containing certain  hazardous materials, and be able to provide location and shipping  information for certain rail cars, among other things. The hazardous  materials subject to this regulation include certain explosives, toxic  inhalation hazardous materials (TIH), and radioactive materials. See  appendix II for additional details.

Maritime Inspections: TSA also partners with the U.S. Coast Guard  (USCG) in securing maritime ports, facilities and vessels. TSA’s  responsibilities include enrolling Transportation Worker Identification  Credential (TWIC) applicants, conducting background checks to  assess the individual’s security threat, and issuing TWICs. In  addition, TSA is authorized to conduct inspections of persons using  TWIC to access the secured area of a regulated maritime facility.

section_title: TSA Organizational Structure for Managing Its Surface Inspectors
paragraphs: Surface inspectors work under the direct command authority of the  Federal Security Director (FSD) in the field. As of fiscal year 2017, TSA  used a staffing model to allocate surface inspector staff to 49 different  field offices, separated into seven geographic regions around the country.  According to TSA, all but one surface field office locations are at or near  major airports. Figure 1 depicts surface field office locations by region.

Surface inspector policies and procedures, and operational oversight are  managed separately.

Program Guidance: Within TSA’s Office of Security Operations, the  Surface Compliance Branch plans surface transportation security  activities and programs, and develops an annual work plan that lays  out the minimum required activities to be completed for surface  inspectors in the field. The Office of Security Policy and Industry  Engagement (OSPIE) collects and analyzes data on certain surface  inspector activities such as the Baseline Assessment for Security  Enhancement (BASE) program, TIH attendance rates, and freight rail  compliance rates; coordinates with industry stakeholders, and;  develops strategic plans, among other things.

Operational oversight: The Assistant Federal Security Director for  Inspections (ASFD-I) in each field office manages surface inspectors  on a day-to-day basis, oversees the scheduling of surface inspector  work plan activities, and reviews inspectors’ documentation of  activities in PARIS, TSA’s system of record. FSDs are ultimately  responsible for ensuring that surface inspectors complete their annual  work plan requirements.

In 2010, TSA created the Regional Security Inspector (RSI) position in an  effort to improve oversight of surface inspectors in the field and  standardize inspections across field offices. One RSI is assigned to each  of the seven geographic regions and serves as a liaison between TSA  headquarters staff and surface inspectors in the field. Each RSI is also  assigned to be the lead liaison between TSA and the Class I railroads  within their assigned geographic region. See figure 2 for surface  inspectors’ command structure as of 2017.

section_title: TSA Risk-Based Security for Surface Transportation
paragraphs: TSA documents state that it employs a risk-based approach for securing  transportation modes and identifies managing risk as one of its strategic  goals to help identify and plan security priorities and activities. According  to TSA officials, TSA uses the National Infrastructure Protection Plan  (NIPP) risk management framework and the DHS Risk Management  Fundamentals as its primary risk guidance. In June 2006, DHS issued  the NIPP which established a six-step risk management framework to  establish national priorities, goals and requirements. Most recently  updated in 2013, the NIPP defines risk as a function of three elements:  threat, vulnerability and consequence. Threat is an indication of the  likelihood that a specific type of attack will be initiated against a specific  target or class of targets. Vulnerability is the probability that a particular  attempted attack will succeed against a particular target or class of  targets. Consequence is the effect of a successful attack. TSA uses the  TSSRA, a bi-annual risk assessment that considers the three elements of  risk to measure the risk of various terrorist attack scenarios, evaluate  transportation modes, and identify surface security priorities.

section_title: Surface Inspectors Conduct Regulatory Inspections and Voluntary Security Assessments but TSA Has Incomplete Information on Their Activities
subsections: section_title: Surface Inspectors Enforce Regulations through Inspections and Assist Surface Transportation Entities on a Voluntary Basis
paragraphs: Surface inspectors conduct a variety of activities to implement TSA’s  surface transportation security mission, including (1) regulatory  inspections for freight and passenger rail systems, (2) regulatory TWIC  inspections, and (3) non-regulatory security assessments and training  which surface transportation entities participate in on a voluntary basis.  Surface inspector activities are, in part, determined by an annual surface  work plan that lays out the minimum required number of surface inspector  activities to be completed by each field office. Specifically, the work plan  requirements are designed to take up about one-third of inspectors’  available working hours, with the expectation that the other two-thirds of  inspectors’ time will be used for related activities, such as documentation  and follow-up, or other tasks as determined by local AFSD-Is and FSDs in  the field.

To develop the annual surface work plan, officials from Office of Security  Operation’s Surface Compliance Branch and OSPIE meet with each of  the RSIs once a year to determine the requirements for each office.  According to TSA officials, they rely on the previous year’s requirements  as well as data on surface inspectors’ past activities as logged in PARIS  as a starting point to develop the requirements, and adjust the work plan  based on their professional judgment of the unique environment in each  field office’s area of responsibility. TSA officials stated that they consider  variables such as the compliance rates for inspections, the amount of TIH  materials being shipped through an area, and any other relevant risk- related information when they develop the work plan.
subsections: section_title: Regulatory Rail Inspections
paragraphs: Surface inspectors conduct inspections to enforce several freight and  passenger rail security requirements. Table 3 provides descriptions of  these inspections and appendix II provides a complete listing of TSA’s  regulatory activities.

TSA also tracks the rate at which the inspected entities comply with the  regulations discussed in table 3. According to TSA data, on average,  overall compliance rates for inspections have remained relatively high,  and the compliance rates have generally improved over the years as  entities have become more familiar with the processes and expectations  of each type of inspection.

section_title: Regulatory Maritime Inspections
paragraphs: Surface inspectors work with the USCG to conduct inspections of TWIC  card holders attempting to access the secured area of maritime facilities  regulated by the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA).  TSA first issued the TWIC regulation in 2007 in cooperation with the  USCG, and according to TSA officials, began nationwide implementation  of TSA inspection of TWICs at maritime facilities in fiscal year 2017.  Surface inspectors scan cards using a TWIC card reader to verify that the  card presented is valid and belongs to the card holder. TSA may pursue  civil enforcement and can refer violators for criminal proceedings through  the USCG. TSA officials stated they set the total minimum required TWIC  inspections at 1,315 combined across all surface inspector field offices for  fiscal year 2017 as a starting point, and would modify the requirements in  subsequent years, as discussed below. According to TSA, it is too soon  to determine compliance rates for TWIC inspections.

section_title: Non-regulatory Security Activities
paragraphs: Surface inspectors perform a variety of non-regulatory surface-related  activities, such as various types of assessments, which require surface  entities’ voluntary participation. Table 4 provides a list of key non- regulatory activities surface inspectors perform. For a full list of activities  surface inspectors perform see appendix II.

section_title: TSA Has Taken Steps to Expand the BASE Review Program and Address Implementation Challenges
paragraphs: Since 2006, TSA has made adjustments to the BASE program to expand  its use to more surface modes and address implementation challenges.  To conduct a BASE review, surface inspectors use a standardized  checklist to evaluate and score an entity’s security policies and  procedures for areas such as employee security training, cybersecurity,  and facility access control, among other items. According to TSA officials,  the results of the BASE reviews are intended to help track the entity’s  progress in implementing specific security measures over time and  improve overall security posture among surface transportation entities, as  well as inform transportation security grant funding. Surface inspectors  also use entities’ BASE review scores to help inform Exercise Information  System (EXIS) training programs inspectors facilitate for transportation  entities.

Initially, the BASE program was designed to assess large mass transit  entities in major metropolitan areas that transported 60,000 riders or more  daily. TSA officials stated in 2017 that TSA has completed initial and  follow up BASE reviews for the top 100 mass transit agencies in the  country which comprise approximately 80 percent of the ridership in the  United States. In 2012, TSA expanded the BASE reviews to the highway  mode to include trucking, motor coach, and school bus operators.

Additionally, TSA has taken steps to address challenges related to the  implementation of the BASE reviews, including an initial lack of training  and guidance for surface inspectors in conducting and evaluating the  BASE reviews and difficulty applying the BASE template for smaller mass  transit entities and highway entities. For example, surface inspectors we  interviewed at six field offices indicated that they received limited to no  training to conduct the initial BASE reviews. Office of Security Operations  officials acknowledged that the BASE program initially lacked scoring  guidance to allow surface inspectors to make objective evaluations.  Additionally, two industry entities we spoke with stated that some BASE  questions, as initially developed, seemed inappropriate or irrelevant given  the scope of their operation, and that their scores reflected areas that  they were not able to modify based on their limited size and resources.  Further, in 2010, the DHS Office of Inspector General reported that TSA  needed to provide increased training and guidance for inspectors to  ensure that BASE assessments gather effective, objective data.

In response, officials from TSA’s Surface Compliance Branch stated that  they established a BASE Advisory Panel and held a series of training  workshops throughout the country on how to conduct BASE  assessments. Specifically, in fiscal year 2014, TSA established a panel  comprised of mass transit experts to adjust the BASE tool by modifying  topics and removing outdated questions in an effort to improve the quality  and applicability of the assessments for the industry stakeholders. TSA  has also modified the BASE template over time to include areas such as  cybersecurity and active shooter training, among others. TSA reported  that it held a series of 16 workshops in 2015 around the country where  headquarters officials met with inspectors to train them on how to conduct  BASE assessments and correctly apply scoring guidance to help ensure  inspectors applied the BASE criteria consistently. Moreover, in fiscal year  2016, TSA developed a targeted BASE that focuses only on an entity’s  areas of concern as identified by surface inspectors in a previous BASE  review. Further, TSA is piloting a modified BASE template in fiscal year  2017 that eliminates questions that may not apply for smaller mass transit  and highway entities. According to Surface Compliance Branch and  OSPIE officials, these changes have led to more consistent and more  reliable results in the BASE scores. We believe that TSA efforts to  improve training and guidance as well as establishing the BASE Advisory  Panel will help address the agency’s previous concerns related to the  implementation of the BASE review.

section_title: TSA Has Incomplete Data on Surface Inspector Activities because It Cannot Account for All Aviation-related Activities
paragraphs: According to TSA headquarters and field officials, in addition to surface  inspection activities, surface inspectors are tasked, to varying degrees,  with aviation activities. However, TSA officials told us that they are unable  to identify the total time surface inspectors spend on aviation activities  because of data limitations. For example, surface inspectors may perform  aviation activities on a regular basis as a “duty agent,” or on an as- needed basis as determined by their local manager—their AFSD-I. TSA  guidance directs surface inspectors to report the time they spend on all  activities into TSA’s PARIS database. TSA officials responsible for  managing PARIS told us that it has two independent modules – aviation  and surface – and that surface inspectors enter aviation-related activities  in both the aviation and surface modules. Specifically, TSA guidance  directs surface inspectors to document their time serving as “duty agent”  in the surface module of PARIS, but to document time spent on aviation  inspections, incidents, or investigations – including those that take place  during an inspector’s time serving as the duty agent – into the aviation  module of PARIS. See table 5 for examples of the types of aviation  activities surface inspectors record in each separate PARIS module.

TSA officials told us that it is not possible to identify the time surface  inspectors document in the aviation module of PARIS because there is no  efficient, reliable way to distinguish surface inspectors from aviation or  cargo inspectors in the data.

Since TSA cannot reliably identify activities surface inspectors have  entered into the aviation module of PARIS, TSA is only aware of the  portion of time surface inspectors spent on aviation activities that was  logged in the surface module. As a result, TSA does not have complete  information on how surface inspector resources are being used or the  extent to which surface inspectors are being used to perform aviation  activities. According to some surface inspectors we spoke to, these  resources can be substantial. Surface inspectors we interviewed at 16 of  the 17 TSA field offices contacted stated that they perform aviation duties.  One inspector stated she had received calls to respond to 12 different  aviation incidents in one shift as duty inspector, and other inspectors  stated that each incident report could subsequently take between 2 and  12 hours to complete. Surface inspectors from another office located near  a major airport told us they have to work overtime to complete aviation  incident reports and still meet their required surface activities. Further, we  met with surface inspectors stationed at four different major airports who  each estimated spending 20 percent, 25 percent, 30 percent, and 50  percent of their total working hours on aviation tasks, respectively.

Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government states that  agencies should use complete information to make informed decisions  and evaluate the agency’s performance in achieving key objectives. As  stated previously, one of TSA’s key objectives is to employ a risk-based  approach to all operations to identify, manage, and mitigate risk.  Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government also states that  agencies should clearly document all activities in a manner that allows the  documentation to be readily available for examination. Without having  access to complete information on all inspector activities, including  aviation activities, TSA cannot monitor how frequently surface inspectors  are being used to support aviation. In addition, by not using complete  information on how much time surface inspectors spend working in  support of aviation, TSA is limited in its ability to make informed future  decisions on annual resource needs for surface inspectors, which will be especially important as TSA takes steps to expand its inspection activities  with the promulgation of new surface security regulations. By addressing  the limitations in the aviation module of PARIS, TSA would be able to  more reliably access complete information on all inspector activities. Also,  it would have the information it needs to make fully informed decisions  about surface inspector resources and activities, and to evaluate surface  inspectors’ performance in achieving key surface security objectives.

Since there is no way to identify surface inspectors in the aviation module  of PARIS at the aggregate level, we were unable to conduct our own  analysis of all surface inspector activities. However, we were able to  analyze data on how surface inspectors reported spending their time in  the surface module of PARIS, including time spent on aviation activities  as documented in this particular module. Our analysis showed that from  fiscal years 2013 to 2017, surface inspectors reported spending  approximately 80 percent of their time on non-regulatory activities, while  spending approximately 20 percent on regulatory inspections. Figure 3  shows a breakdown of the time surface inspectors recorded spending in  the surface module of PARIS for fiscal year 2016, the most recent  complete year of data available. See appendix III for similar breakdowns  for each fiscal year from 2013 to 2017.

section_title: TSA Used a Risk- Informed Process to Allocate Surface Inspector Staff, But Inspector Activities Did Not Align With Risk
subsections: section_title: TSA Used a Risk-Informed Model to Allocate Surface Inspectors to Field Offices
paragraphs: In fiscal year 2017, TSA’s Surface Compliance Branch implemented an  updated staffing model to redistribute 222 surface-funded positions  across its 49 surface field offices based on the factors described in table  6 below.

TSA considered four of these factors – HTUA/Urban Area Security  Initiative (UASI), Mass Transit, TWIC, and TIH – to be related to risk. For  example, TSA derived its list of HTUAs based on risk assessments  conducted under the UASI program. We have previously reported that the  UASI methodology for determining risk scores and distributing grant funds  is reasonable, and that UASI grant allocations are strongly associated  with a city’s current relative risk score. Additionally, according to TSA,  inspectors focus on entities within surface transportation modes or  shipments of certain hazardous materials the agency determines could  pose the greatest security vulnerability and which could potentially be  more likely to be targeted by terrorists.

The DHS Risk Lexicon 2010 and the 2013 NIPP risk management  framework, which are TSA’s primary risk guidance, define risk-informed  decision-making as the determination of a course of action predicated on  the assessment of risk, the expected impact of that course of action on  that risk, as well as other relevant factors. The DHS Risk Lexicon 2010  further states that risk-informed decision-making may also take into  account multiple sources of information not included specifically in the  assessment of risk. Because TSA considered multiple risk factors in  addition to other information, such as the number of regulated entities in  an area and the number of required activities, in its staffing model, we  determined that TSA used a risk-informed model to allocate surface  inspector staff to its 49 offices.

section_title: Between Fiscal Years 2013 and 2017 Surface Inspector Activities Did Not Align With Identified Risks for Surface Transportation Modes
paragraphs: TSA surface inspectors perform a wide range of regulatory and non- regulatory activities to fulfill the agency’s objective of employing risk- based security, but we found that between fiscal years 2013 and 2017  surface inspector activities did not align with the risks TSA identified for  surface transportation. To inform its security strategy, TSA assesses risk  within and across the aviation, freight rail, passenger rail/mass transit,  highway, and pipeline modes approximately every 2 years using the  TSSRA. According to the TSSRA’s cross-modal risk assessments  between fiscal years 2013 and 2017, one particular surface mode  consistently posed the highest risk, and another consistently posed the  lowest risk out of all surface transportation modes. For example, in fiscal  year 2016, TSA found that the lowest risk mode posed approximately 6  percent of domestic total risk while the highest risk mode posed 27  percent of domestic total risk. However, our analysis of data from the  surface module of PARIS showed that inspectors reported spending  between 35 and 45 percent of their time on the lowest risk mode between  fiscal year 2013 and fiscal year 2016 – the most time spent on any  surface mode. Of the time reported in the surface module of PARIS in  fiscal year 2016, surface inspectors reported spending 38 percent of their  time on the lowest risk transportation mode while they reported spending  approximately 16 percent of their time on the highest risk surface mode  according to the TSSRA. See figure 4 for a comparison between the  percent of time inspectors recorded spending on each mode and the  percent of risk identified in the TSSRA.

We found that TSA did not use the results of risk assessments that  measure threat, vulnerability, and consequence, like the TSSRA, when it  developed surface inspector work plans, or when it monitored activities  inspectors conducted, including those in addition to the minimum work  plan requirements. While TSA officials told us that they considered the  results of the TSSRA, TSA officials could not provide evidence that they  incorporated the results of the TSSRA or other risk assessments when  developing the work plan and monitoring inspector activities, as required  by DHS risk management guidance. For example, TSA officials could not  provide documentation of how and why they selected certain work plan  activities to address lower risk modes, or how they monitored the extent  to which implemented activities aligned with or addressed risks.
subsections: section_title: Monitoring Activity Implementation
paragraphs: We found that TSA did not incorporate the results of the TSSRA or other  risk assessments when it monitored how surface inspector activities were  implemented beyond the minimum requirements laid out in the work plan.  Specifically, we found that between fiscal years 2013 and 2017,  inspectors spent about half their working hours fulfilling work plan  requirements. Surface Compliance Branch officials told us that they  reviewed PARIS data on all surface inspector activities, as reported in the  surface module of PARIS, annually to inform staffing decisions and  conducted detailed analysis of surface inspector time starting in fiscal  year 2015. However, this analysis did not evaluate the extent to which  surface inspector time beyond the work plan requirements corresponded  to surface transportation risks as identified by the TSSRA or other risk  assessments. Further, TSA officials told us that they did not think surface  inspector time should be compared to risks identified in cross-modal risk  assessments like the TSSRA because required regulatory inspections are  unpredictable and can take a significant amount of time. However, as  previously discussed, we found that, of the time reported in the surface  module of PARIS, inspectors reported spending approximately 20 percent  of their time on regulatory inspections, with the remaining 80 percent  spent on non-regulatory activities.

More than half of the industry representatives we spoke to (9 of 15)  identified benefits from inspectors’ activities in surface transportation  modes other than freight rail. For example, two of the three  representatives of MTSA-regulated companies we spoke to said that  TSA’s TWIC inspections had significant benefits for the security of their  facilities, and stated that they wanted more TWIC inspections and civil  enforcement activities from inspectors because these activities  discourage misuse of TWICs at their facilities. Representatives from two  maritime companies, one highway company, and three public  transportation systems told us that they wanted TSA surface inspectors to  do more. Additionally, a representative for one national industry  organization stated that his organization was concerned that TSA is  mainly focused on freight rail when the principal threat resides in the  passenger and mass transit modes, and suggested that TSA deploy  inspection resources from the freight rail mode to support more non- regulatory initiatives in the passenger rail/mass transit mode.

According to TSA, the agency employs a risk-based approach – which  the DHS Risk Lexicon defines as using the assessment of risk as the  primary decision driver – to all operations to identify, manage, and  mitigate risk in all TSA lines of business. One TSA risk strategy document  specifically emphasizes the importance of linking the TSSRA, among  other risk assessments, to the identification of risk-reduction activities as  part of a risk-based approach to security. Moreover, the NIPP risk  management framework and the DHS Risk Management Fundamentals  Doctrine, which TSA officials told us are TSA’s primary risk management  guidance documents, also state that entities should systematically  prioritize and implement activities and resources to mitigate and manage  risks identified in risk assessments. These documents also state that  monitoring implemented decisions and comparing observed and expected  effects to influence subsequent risk management decisions are key steps  in the homeland security risk management process. The DHS Risk  Management Fundamentals Doctrine further states that agencies should  document the development and selection of alternative risk management  actions, including assumptions and risk strategies such as the decision to  not take action and accept risk, in order to provide decision-makers with a  clear picture of the benefits of each action. It also explains that the risk  management process allows organizations to clearly explain the rationale  behind resource decisions.

TSA did not use the results of risk assessments – such as the TSSRA –  or other risk information when it developed its surface inspector work plan  requirements. Instead, TSA prioritized the lowest-risk surface  transportation mode, reducing the amount of surface security resources  available to address identified risks in other, higher-risk surface  transportation modes. As a result, TSA’s limited surface transportation  security resources were not used in a risk-based way. By incorporating  the results of its risk assessments when it plans and monitors surface  inspector activities, including those not required by the work plan, TSA  would be better able to ensure that its limited surface transportation  security resources are being used to effectively and efficiently address  the highest risks to surface transportation, especially as risks evolve.  Incorporating risk assessment results in planning and monitoring surface  inspector activities will also allow TSA to ensure that its surface  inspectors are making progress toward achieving TSA’s objective of risk- based security. Additionally, by documenting its risk mitigation decisions  and strategies, TSA would be able to more clearly explain the rationale  for its resource decisions, including when TSA decides to accept risk or  prioritize lower-risk activities for any reason.

section_title: TSA Cannot Ensure That New Risk Mitigation Efforts Address High-Risk Entities and Locations
paragraphs: In fiscal year 2012, TSA began developing the Risk Mitigation Activities  for Surface Transportation (RMAST) program in support of TSA’s risk- based security initiative. According to TSA’s fiscal year 2017 work plan,  the RMAST program incorporates specific risk reduction measures and  focuses time and resources on high-risk locations through (1) public  observation, (2) site security observations, and (3) stakeholder  engagement activities. Though TSA field officials told us that inspectors  have been conducting these activities in some format in the past, TSA  began piloting this particular program in fiscal year 2014 and made  RMAST a work plan requirement for each office starting in fiscal year  2017.

In addition to TSA demonstrating its commitment to the RMAST program  by adding it as a required work plan activity, we found that inspectors  reported spending an increasing amount of time conducting RMASTs  since fiscal year 2014, and that RMASTs now comprise a larger  percentage of inspector time (see table 7).

Although surface inspectors reported spending an increasing amount of  time on RMAST activities, we found that TSA has not identified or  prioritized the high-risk entities and locations on which the RMAST  program is intended to focus time and resources. For example, the fiscal  year 2017 surface inspector work plan states that the required number of  RMASTs each office should conduct was developed based on the  presence of applicable stakeholders in each office’s area, but we found  that TSA did not identify any such stakeholders in its work plan.  Specifically, while the work plan guidance directed surface inspectors to  conduct RMASTs with entities that fit “listed” criteria, this list consisted of  all surface modes of transportation for which TSA has authority and did  not include any criteria surface inspectors could use to identify the  highest-risk and most critical locations, such as by type, characteristics,  or location of high-risk entities. TSA officials told us that they have not  identified high-risk entities for RMAST because there are too many  potential entities and stated that there is no way to provide a full list of all  entities in each office’s area. However, the intent of the RMAST program  is to focus time and resources on high-risk entities and locations, which  precludes the need to provide a complete list of all surface transportation  entities in each area. Further, TSA officials told us that TSA has not  provided any guidance to the field beyond the work plan on how to  identify appropriate entities for RMASTs, but that they rely on surface field  offices to identify the highest-risk entities in their own areas. Officials from  three field offices told us that inspectors try to conduct RMASTs based on  threat information or previous BASE scores, but inspectors in one of  those offices said that the intelligence information they receive from TSA  is insufficient to help them identify threats and conduct outreach for  RMASTs. As previously discussed, the NIPP risk management framework  and the DHS Risk Management Fundamentals Doctrine both state that  entities should identify and assess risks and prioritize resources to  mitigate those risks. If TSA identified and prioritized the types of high-risk  entities and locations it intends the RMAST program to reach, surface  inspectors would have information that would enable them to implement  these activities in a more risk-based manner.
subsections: section_title: Defining Measurable and Clear Objectives
paragraphs: While TSA has identified broad objectives for the RMAST program, it has  not defined these objectives – and associated program activities – in a  measurable and clear way. Specifically, in its description of RMAST in the  fiscal year 2017 work plan implementation guidance, TSA stated that the  RMAST program will be risk-based, intelligence-driven, and mitigate  current threats and vulnerabilities, but did not provide further information  that would allow TSA to measure progress toward achieving these  objectives. Similarly, in its budget justifications for fiscal years 2014,  2015, and 2016 TSA stated that RMAST is intended to improve security  and reduce the need for stakeholders to stretch limited resources to  harden security at their most critical and high-risk locations, but TSA did  not describe how it would measure whether security had improved, or if  stakeholders’ resource needs were reduced. While our review of the fiscal  year 2017 work plan guidance showed that TSA identified general  categories of activities – public observation, site security observation, and  stakeholder engagement – TSA did not identify what specific activities  within each of these categories constitute an RMAST, or describe how  those activities would help TSA achieve its objectives for the RMAST  program. Some inspectors told us that the purpose of RMAST was  unclear, that they had not been given the tools to perform RMAST in an  effective and efficient way, or that the observation component of RMAST  was not a valuable activity. TSA has not defined the RMAST program’s  objectives and associated activities in a measurable and clear way  because, according to TSA officials, TSA has not identified an approach  for determining the effectiveness of activities conducted under the  program.

Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government states that  management should establish proper controls – including the  establishment and review of clearly defined objectives and performance  measures – so that program objectives and processes are understood at  all levels and progress toward achieving objectives can be assessed. By  defining the program’s objectives and associated activities in a  measurable and clear way, TSA would be better positioned to measure  progress toward achieving the program’s goal of mitigating current threats  and vulnerabilities, and surface inspectors may better understand how to  effectively carry out the program.

section_title: Conclusions
paragraphs: TSA has employed surface inspectors for a variety of regulatory and non- regulatory activities intended to mitigate risks to surface transportation  and enhance the security of the United States’ surface transportation  systems and networks. Working with surface transportation entities, who  have the primary responsibility for securing their respective entities, TSA  surface inspectors enforce security regulations for the freight and  passenger rail modes, but spend the majority of their time conducting  non-regulatory activities such as security assessments, exercises, and  observations. While TSA uses information on some surface inspector  activities to monitor and make decisions on these activities, limitations in  the PARIS data system prevent TSA from readily accessing complete  information on how much time inspectors spend working in support of  aviation. Without addressing these limitations TSA is limited in its ability to  make informed future decisions on annual resource needs for surface  inspectors, which will be especially important as TSA take steps to  expand its inspection activities with the promulgation of new surface  security regulations. Given that TSA spends only about 3 percent of its  budget on surface activities, it is crucial that the agency have complete  information on how resources are being used in order to best allocate  these limited federal surface transportation security resources.

According to TSA, the agency implements risk-based security – security  activities that are driven primarily by the assessment of risk – to deliver  the most effective security in the most efficient manner. While TSA has  implemented a risk-informed process to allocate surface inspectors to its  field offices, it has not taken steps to ensure that surface inspector  activities align more closely to the risks TSA has identified in its risk  assessments. As a result TSA could continue to prioritize its limited  resources to lower risk surface modes, leaving fewer resources available  for higher risk modes. By using the results of risk assessments like the  TSSRA when it plans and monitors surface inspector activities, TSA  would be better able to ensure that limited surface transportation security  resources are used to effectively and efficiently address the highest  surface transportation security risks. Additionally, by documenting its risk  mitigation decisions and strategies, TSA would be able to more clearly  explain the rationale for its resource decisions, including when TSA  decides to accept risk or prioritize lower-risk activities for any reason.

Furthermore, by identifying and prioritizing highest risk entities and  locations for its new RMAST program, surface inspectors would have  information that would enable them to implement risk mitigation activities  in more of a risk-based way. In addition, by clearly defining the program’s  goals and activities, TSA would be better able to measure whether  RMAST activities are achieving the program’s goal of increasing surface  transportation security.

section_title: Recommendations for Executive Action
paragraphs: We are making the following four recommendations to TSA:  The Administrator of TSA should address limitations in TSA’s data  system, such as by adding a data element that identifies individuals as  surface inspectors, to facilitate ready access to information on all surface  inspector activities. (Recommendation 1)

The Administrator of TSA should ensure that surface inspector activities  align more closely with higher-risk modes by incorporating the results of  surface transportation risk assessments, such as the TSSRA, when it  plans and monitors surface inspector activities, and that TSA documents  its rationale for decisions to prioritize activities in lower-risk modes over  higher-risk ones, as applicable. (Recommendation 2)

The Administrator of TSA should identify and prioritize high-risk entities  and locations for TSA’s Risk Mitigation Activities for Surface  Transportation (RMASTs). (Recommendation 3)

The Administrator of TSA should define clear and measurable objectives  for the RMAST program. (Recommendation 4)

section_title: Agency Comments and Our Evaluation
paragraphs: We provided a draft of this report to DHS for their review and comment.  DHS provided written comments, which are noted below and reproduced  in full in appendix IV, and technical comments, which we incorporated as  appropriate.

DHS concurred with all four recommendations in the report and described  actions underway or planned to address them. With regard to the first  recommendation that TSA address limitations in its data system to  facilitate ready access to information on all surface inspector activities,  DHS concurred and stated TSA’s Compliance Division will maintain a  staffing tool that identifies the modal assignments of transportation  security inspectors that can be used to more effectively analyze all  surface inspector activities. If fully implemented, such that data on all  activities surface inspectors perform are readily accessible, this system  should address the intent of the recommendation.

With regard to the second recommendation that TSA align surface  inspector activities more closely with higher-risk modes by incorporating  the results of surface transportation risk assessments, such as the  TSSRA, when it plans inspector activities, and document its rationale for  decisions to prioritize activities in lower-risk modes, TSA concurred and  stated relevant risk information would be more clearly incorporated into  the Surface Work Plan development process. Further, TSA plans to  explain decisions and rationale for deviating surface inspector planned  activities from mirroring the TSSRA in its program guidance  documentation. TSA estimates it will complete this process by January  31, 2018. If TSA is able to fully incorporate risk assessment results, such  as the TSSRA, into its decisions for assigning surface inspector tasks  across surface transportation modes, and document its rationale if  planned inspector activities do not align with risk assessment results,  TSA’s planned actions would address the intent of the recommendation.

With regard to the third recommendation to identify and prioritize high-risk  entities and locations for TSA’s Risk Mitigation Activities for Surface  Transportation (RMAST), TSA concurred and stated the Surface  Compliance Branch will prioritize entities for RMAST activities within the  Surface Work Plan or other applicable program guidance documents  using results from the TSSRA and using high threat urban area  designations. TSA estimates this process will be completed by January  31, 2018 and if fully implemented, this process should address the intent  of the recommendation.

With regard to the fourth recommendation that TSA define clear and  measurable objectives for the RMAST program, TSA concurred and  stated the Surface Compliance Branch has clarified in program guidance  documents how to apply and measure certain security outcomes resulting  from RMAST activities to security vulnerabilities identified from a previous  BASE assessment or other security assessment program. Documentation  corroborating these actions was not provided to GAO before the issuance  of this report. However, if TSA is able to clearly state the purpose and  objectives of RMAST activities, and track the extent to which these  objectives have been met, this additional program guidance should  address the intent of the recommendation.

We are sending copies of this report to interested congressional  committees, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Administrator of  the Transportation Security Administration. In addition, the report is  available at no charge on the GAO website at http://www.gao.gov.

If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact  me at (202) 512-7141 or groverj@gao.gov. Contact points for our Offices  of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last  page of this report. GAO staff who made key contributions to this report  are listed in appendix V.

section_title: Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology
paragraphs: Our objectives were to examine (1) how Transportation Security  Administration (TSA) surface inspectors implement the agency’s surface  transportation security mission, and (2) the extent to which TSA has used  a risk-based approach to prioritize and implement surface inspector  activities.

This report is a public version of a prior sensitive report that we issued in  October 2017. TSA deemed some of the information in the prior report  sensitive security information, which must be protected from public  disclosure. Therefore, this report omits sensitive information regarding  the specific risks facing particular surface transportation modes as  determined by TSA. However, the report addresses the same questions  as the sensitive report and the overall methodology used for both reports  is the same.

To obtain background information and answer both questions we (1)  reviewed background documents, including TSA strategic documents and  previous GAO and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector  General reports, (2) analyzed TSA data on surface inspector activities,  and (3) conducted non-generalizable interviews of surface inspectors,  their supervisors, and industry stakeholders.

To understand TSA’s roles and responsibilities for surface security, as  well as its mission, we examined statutes and regulations, including the  Aviation and Transportation Security Act, the Implementing  Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, and TSA surface  security and related regulations. We also reviewed DHS and TSA  strategic documents including TSA’s National Strategy for Transportation  Security 2016, the DHS National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP)  2013, and the fiscal years 2016 to 2018 strategic plans for TSA’s Office of  Security Operations and the Office of Security Policy and Industry  Engagement. Additionally, we reviewed previous GAO and DHS Office  of Inspector General reports on TSA’s surface security efforts and surface  inspector programs.

To evaluate how surface inspectors implemented TSA’s surface security  mission and the extent to which this implementation was based on risk,  we analyzed data from the surface module of the Performance and  Results Information System (PARIS) on the activities of surface  inspectors from fiscal year 2013 through March 24, 2017, the most recent  data available. Based on TSA documents, regulations, and interviews  with TSA data and program officials, we categorized surface inspector  activities according to regulatory and non-regulatory activities and by  mode, and calculated the total time surface inspectors reported spending  for each category. We analyzed data from fiscal years 2013 through  2017 to ensure that we could compare several years of data and analyze  data obtained after reorganizations of the surface inspector command  structure in fiscal year 2010 and offices in mid-fiscal year 2013. We did  not review data from the aviation module of PARIS because, as  discussed below, it was not feasible to identify the data surface inspectors  entered into this module, and, based on our interviews with TSA data  officials and our review of related documentation, we determined that all  other surface inspector activities were documented in the surface module  of PARIS.

To determine the reliability of data from the surface module of PARIS we  (1) reviewed related documentation such as data dictionaries, schema,  PARIS reliability assessments from previous GAO audits, TSA analyses  of PARIS data, and data entry guidance, (2) interviewed TSA officials  responsible for entering, reviewing, or using PARIS data, including  headquarters officials, field office supervisors, and surface inspectors, (3)  electronically and manually tested the data for completeness and obvious  errors, such as duplicates and consistency with secondary sources, and  (4) conducted internal logic tests on certain time-related fields in the data.  Through these steps, we identified some inconsistencies in the data  including incomplete data on surface inspectors’ aviation activities and  non-specific data elements for inspection activities in fiscal year 2013,  among others. However, we determined that for our purposes – to  describe how surface inspectors reported spending their time at the  summary-level – these inconsistencies did not affect the reliability of the  PARIS surface module data and these data were reliable with some  limitations.

Specifically, based on interviews with TSA data officials and our review of  TSA data entry guidance, we determined that the data in the surface  module of PARIS did not represent the complete activities conducted by  surface inspectors because they enter some aviation activities separately  in the aviation module of PARIS. Further, we determined that it was not  feasible to distinguish aviation activities documented by surface  inspectors in the aviation module from aviation activities documented by  cargo or aviation inspectors in this module at the aggregate level.  However, based on our testing, review of related documentation, and interviews with TSA data officials, we determined that the data surface  inspectors entered into the surface module of PARIS, including data on  some aviation activities, were reliable for our purposes. As a result, we  reported data on surface inspectors’ aviation activities as documented in  the surface module of PARIS, with the limitation that these data represent  the minimum aviation activities surface inspectors actually conducted.

Additionally, through our analysis of PARIS data on regulatory inspections  surface inspectors conducted in fiscal year 2013 and interviews with TSA  data officials, we found that 25 percent of the total inspections in fiscal  year 2013 (1,990 of 8,083) were documented under data elements that  did not specify the type of inspection conducted. According to TSA  officials, there are no additional data elements that would allow us to  identify the specific type of inspection surface inspectors conducted for  these 1,990 inspections. As a result, we determined that this portion of  the fiscal year 2013 data was not reliable for our purposes of identifying  the number of specific inspection types surface inspectors conducted.  However, we found that the remaining 78 percent of inspection data for  fiscal year 2013 was reliable for our purposes. As a result, the inspection  counts and compliance rates we reported for fiscal year 2013 represent  partial year data.

To obtain the perspectives of a wide sample of TSA officials on both  surface inspector activities and TSA’s use of risk, we conducted semi- structured interviews with surface inspectors and/or their supervisors in  17 of 49 field offices. We also interviewed the 6 Regional Security  Inspectors (RSIs), who cover all seven TSA regions. We interviewed  inspectors and supervisors from at least 2 offices in each region and  selected the offices based on a variety of factors including geographic  dispersion, staff level, surface transportation environment, and whether  the office was co-located with a major airport. We physically visited 6  offices and conducted the remainder of our interviews remotely. We  selected the offices we traveled to based on the location of GAO staff, the  availability of industry representatives in the area, and the opportunity to  observe surface inspector assessments, tabletop exercises, and other  activities. The results of our interviews are not generalizable, but provide  insight into how surface inspectors and their supervisors implement TSA  surface programs and the challenges they may face, if any.

To gain insight into the experience surface transportation industry  stakeholders have had with TSA surface inspectors, we interviewed 15  industry stakeholders in four surface modes including 3 freight rail  stakeholders, 3 maritime stakeholders, 3 highway stakeholders, and 6  passenger rail/mass transit stakeholders. We selected industry  stakeholders based on their involvement and familiarity with TSA surface  inspectors, the surface mode in which they operate, their ridership, and  TSA recommendation. Three of these stakeholders consisted of national  trade associations representing the highway, freight rail, and mass transit  modes of transportation. As with our interviews with TSA surface  inspectors and supervisors, our interviews with industry stakeholders are  not generalizable but provided us with valuable information on the  transportation industry’s interaction with TSA surface inspectors.

To further address our first objective and describe how TSA surface  inspectors implemented the agency’s surface transportation security  mission, we examined TSA strategic and program documents including  surface inspector work plans and implementation guidance from fiscal  years 2013 to 2017, the TSA Inspector Compliance Manual, and TSA  surface security regulations, and reviewed public testimony by TSA  leadership. To understand how TSA has implemented the Baseline  Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) program in particular, we  reviewed TSA program documents and guidance for the BASE program,  including the BASE workbook, and observed a BASE review on a mass  transit entity. We also observed a regional Intermodal – Security Training  Exercise Program (I-STEP) exercise and an Exercise Information System  (EXIS) exercise, and interviewed TSA officials in headquarters, and  inspectors and supervisors in the field.

We used the results of our analysis of PARIS surface module data,  specifically the number of each type of regulatory inspection TSA  inspectors conducted from fiscal years 2013 to 2017, and PARIS data on  the violations found during those inspections, to calculate regulatory  compliance rates. We also used the results of our analysis of PARIS  surface module data to describe how surface inspectors reported  spending their time. As previously stated, we found the PARIS surface  module data to be reliable for this purpose, with the limitation that TSA  data on the time surface inspectors reported spending on aviation  activities was incomplete because we could not identify surface inspector  activities entered into the aviation module of PARIS. To evaluate the  effects of this limitation, we compared the results of our data analysis, our  reviews of PARIS documentation, and our interviews with TSA officials to  Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government.

To further address our second objective, the extent to which TSA has  used a risk-based approach to prioritize and implement surface inspector  activities, we analyzed TSA’s risk guidance as contained in the NIPP risk  management guidance, the DHS 2010 Risk Lexicon, and the DHS Risk  Management Fundamentals to understand how TSA should assess and  use risk information. To understand the risks TSA has identified for  surface transportation modes during the time period we examined, we  analyzed TSA’s cross-modal risk assessments in three Transportation  Security Sector Risk Assessments (TSSRA) published between May  2013 and July 2016.

We reviewed TSA’s fiscal year 2017 surface inspector staffing model and  supporting documents and data and interviewed TSA officials responsible  for developing and executing staffing. We compared that process to TSA  risk guidance to evaluate the extent to which TSA considered risk when it  staffed TSA surface inspectors for fiscal year 2017. We assessed only the  fiscal year 2017 staffing model because TSA’s previous staffing model  was last used in fiscal year 2011, which is outside our scope.

To determine the extent to which TSA prioritized surface inspector  activities based on risk when it planned these activities, we identified,  compiled and analyzed activity requirements from surface inspector work  plans and associated implementation guidance from fiscal years 2013 to  fiscal year 2017. We (1) compared them to each other to identify changes  in planned surface inspector activities over time and (2) compared them  to results from the TSSRA, as well as other risk information including  unattended rates for Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH) rail cars and the  presence of Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002-regulated  facilities in each office’s area. We also interviewed TSA officials in  headquarters and the field who were responsible for developing the  surface inspector work plan about the process and information they  considered during work plan development, and compared this information  to TSA risk guidance.

To determine the extent to which TSA’s implementation of surface  inspector activities aligned with risk, we compared the results of our  analysis of PARIS surface module data on the time surface inspectors  spent in each surface mode to the results of the TSSRA cross-modal risk  assessments from fiscal years 2013 to 2017. As previously discussed,  we determined the data to be reliable for our purposes. We also  compared the results of our analysis of PARIS surface module data to our  analysis of work plan requirements to identify the amount of time surface  inspectors reported spending on work plan activities. In addition, we  identified the types of information TSA used in its fiscal year 2015  analysis of surface inspector time and activities to determine what TSA  considered when it monitored how surface inspector activities were  implemented.

Additionally, we used the results of our analysis of PARIS surface module  data to determine the percent of total time surface inspectors reported  spending on Risk Mitigation Activities for Surface Transportation  (RMAST) between fiscal years 2013 and 2017. To understand TSA’s  objectives for the RMAST program, we analyzed program descriptions in  TSA congressional budget justifications and TSA’s fiscal year 2017 work  plan and work plan implementation guidance. We also conducted  interviews with TSA officials in headquarters, and inspectors and  supervisors in the field, and observed an RMAST activity to understand  how TSA has implemented the program. We compared the results of our  analysis and interviews to TSA’s risk guidance and Standards for Internal  Control in the Federal Government to evaluate the extent to which the  program was risk-based and to which TSA had established measurable  goals for the program.

The performance audit upon which this report is based was conducted  from April 2016 to October 2017 in accordance with generally accepted  government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan  and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide  a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit  objectives. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable  basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We  subsequently worked with TSA from September 2017 to December 2017  to prepare this nonsensitive version of the original report for public  release. This public version was also prepared in accordance with these  standards.

section_title: Appendix II: Surface Inspector Activities
paragraphs: Appendix II: Surface Inspector Activities 2005  High-visibility activities, such as patrols, passenger and baggage screening, and  canine activities to introduce unpredictability, increase security, and deter potential  terrorist actions on multiple modes of transportation. Managed by the U.S. Federal  Air Marshal Service and conducted by TSA personnel, which may include surface  inspectors.  2006  A voluntary review in which surface inspectors evaluate the security programs of  transportation entities, offer technical assistance, and share best practices. TSA  uses BASE to, among other things, determine priorities for allocating mass transit  and passenger rail security grants, such as those provided through the  Transportation Security Grant Program.  2006  Local field assessments of critical infrastructure, station and other facilities for mass  transit, passenger rail, and commuter rail and bus systems. Station profiles provide  detailed information of specific station-related intelligence, such as the locations of  exits, telephones, CCTV, electrical power, station mangers etc.   2007  Inspectors verify that Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH) rail cars at rail yards within high- threat urban areas that transport TIH on a regular and reoccurring basis are being  attended by railroad personnel. Inspectors also conduct “wildcard” RRS, during  which they observe locations which do not normally handle TIH on a regular and  recurring basis to determine if TIH cars are present, and if they are being attended  by railroad personnel.   2008  Detailed assessments that focus on the vulnerabilities of high-population areas  where TIH materials are moved by rail in significant quantities, and that provide site- specific mitigation strategies and lessons learned.  2008  I-STEP, which is managed through the Office of Security Policy and Industry  Engagement, consists of contractor-facilitated exercises designed to help multimodal  surface transportation entities closely examine their security programs and  operational efforts. TSA facilitates I-STEP exercises across all surface transportation  modes to help operators, law enforcement, first responders, and related entities test  and evaluate their security plans, including prevention and preparedness  capabilities, ability to respond to threats, and interagency coordination. TSA updates  I-STEP scenarios as new threats emerge, helping industry partners prepare to  implement the most appropriate countermeasures.  2014  Quality assurance assessments of Transportation Worker Identification Credential  (TWIC) enrollment centers to, according to TSA officials, review contractor  performance.  2015  EXIS consists of exercises facilitated by surface inspectors that utilize software  developed by TSA for stakeholder use, generally focus on one entity, and are  intended to build on the findings of a previously completed BASE assessment.
subsections: section_title: Start Date (fiscal year)
paragraphs: 2017  A program intended to focus time and resources on high-risk and critical assets,  facilities and other infrastructure through the following activities: (1) public  observation to identify suspicious activities, security vulnerabilities and/or suspicious  behaviors that could be indicative of pre-operational planning related to terrorism; (2)  site security observation to determine if the physical security measures and  operational deterrence components are in place to effectively mitigate risk, and (3)  stakeholder engagement including TSA’s public security awareness programs and  improvised explosive device (IED) and intelligence briefings.

In this table, passenger rail and rail transit systems consist of: each passenger railroad carrier,  including each carrier operating light rail or heavy rail transit service on track that is part of the  general railroad system of transportation, each carrier operating or providing intercity passenger train  service or commuter or other short-haul railroad passenger service in a metropolitan or suburban  area (as described by 49 U.S.C. § 20102), and each public authority operating passenger train  service; (b) each passenger railroad carrier hosting an operation described in paragraph (a) of this  section; (c) each tourist, scenic, historic, and excursion rail operator, whether operating on or off the  general railroad system of transportation; (d) each operator of private cars, including business/office  cars and circus trains, on or connected to the general railroad system of transportation, and (e) each  operator of a rail transit system that is not operating on track that is part of the general railroad  system of transportation, including heavy rail transit, light rail transit, automated guideway, cable car,  inclined plane, funicular, and monorail systems. 49 C.F.R. § 1580.200.

section_title: Appendix III: Surface Inspector Time Spent on Activities Reported in the Surface Module of PARIS for Fiscal Years 2013 to 2017

section_title: Appendix IV: Comments from the U.S Department of Homeland Security

section_title: Appendix V: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgements
subsections: section_title: GAO Contact
paragraphs: Jennifer Grover (202) 512-7141 or groverj@gao.gov.

section_title: Staff Acknowledgments
paragraphs: In addition to the contact named above, Christopher E. Ferencik,  Assistant Director; Brendan Kretzschmar, Analyst in Charge; Nanette  Barton, and Katherine Blair made key contributions to this report. Also  contributing to the report were, Charles Bausell, Katherine Davis, Eric  Erdman, Anthony Fernandez, Eric D. Hauswirth, Paul Hobart, Tracey  King, Christopher Lee, Mara McMillen, Amanda Miller, Claudia  Rodriguez, Christine San, McKenna Storey, Natalie Swabb, Michelle  Vaughn, Adam Vogt, Johanna Wong.


Question-summary annotations: questions: question: What did GAO find about TSA inspector activities?
answer: GAO also found that TSA prioritized inspector activities in the surface transportation mode with the lowest risk because TSA did not incorporate risk assessment results when planning and monitoring activities.
child_questions: question: What anecdote backs up this finding?
answer: Specifically, in fiscal year 2016, the last full year for which data on inspectors' activities in the surface modes was available, surface inspectors reported spending more than twice as much time on the lowest risk surface transportation mode according to TSA risk assessments than on the highest risk surface transportation mode.

question: Why should TSA incorporate the results of risk assessments when prioritizing activities?
answer: Incorporating risk assessment results when prioritizing inspector activities would help TSA ensure that its surface security resources address the highest risks.

questions: question: What is the focus of RMAST?
answer: In fiscal year 2017, TSA fully implemented a new risk mitigation program—Risk Mitigation Activities for Surface Transportation (RMAST)—intended to focus time and resources on high-risk surface transportation entities and locations.
child_questions: question: At present, what makes it difficult to enact RMAST?
answer: However, GAO found that TSA has not identified or prioritized these high-risk entities and locations, or defined the RMAST program's objectives and associated activities in a measurable and clear way.
child_questions: question: Why have TSA officials failed to prioritize these high-risk entities?
answer: According to TSA officials, they have not done so because there are too many potential entities to list them all for prioritization and TSA has not identified an approach for determining the effectiveness of activities under the program. However, prioritizing high-risk entities, such as by type, characteristics, or location does not require a complete list of entities.

question: Why would it be beneficial for TSA to identify and prioritize high-risk entities for RMAST?
answer: By identifying and prioritizing high-risk entities and locations for RMAST, and clearly defining the program's activities and objectives, TSA would be better able to implement RMAST activities in a risk-based manner and measure their effectiveness.

questions: question: What was asked of GAO regarding TSA surface inspector activities?
answer: GAO was asked to review TSA surface inspector activities.
child_questions: question: What does GAO's report address?
answer: This report addresses (1) how TSA surface inspectors implement the agency's surface transportation security mission, and (2) the extent to which TSA has used a risk-based approach to prioritize and implement surface inspector activities.

question: What data was included in GAO's analysis?
answer: GAO analyzed TSA data on surface inspector activities from fiscal year 2013 through March 24, 2017, reviewed TSA program and risk documents and guidance, and observed surface inspectors conducting multiple activities.

question: How else did GAO collect information in preparing this report?
answer: GAO also interviewed TSA officials in 17 of 49 surface field offices and 15 industry stakeholders.