Project Description

The leadership of the U.S. Secret Service has initiated a multi-pronged effort to address concerns and begin transforming the agency.  To assess progress and expected effectiveness of actions underway, the Secret Service requested that the National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) conduct an independent review of recent enhancements to its organizational management and business support functions in response to  recent recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Protective Mission Panel (PMP), the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s (HOGR), and several DHS Inspector General investigations and reports.

The Academy formed a five-member expert Panel with support from a professional study team to

1. evaluate the U.S. Secret Service’s management and operational policies, protocols, and practices and
2. recommend modifications to those reforms or additional steps to most effectively and efficiently meet the agency’s objectives and recommendations of the PMP and HOGR. 

The Panel’s independent review examined the agency’s actions to address organizational culture and leadership; human capital issues, including hiring, training, staffing, attrition, morale, and discipline; budget; and technology.

Key Findings

The Academy Panel determined that the U.S. Secret Service has taken significant, wide-ranging, and important actions.  Specifically, the agency has made a substantial number of organizational, policy, and process changes to transform the way it does business; professionalize administrative, technical, and management functions; and address numerous staffing and employee issues.  Agency leadership has made these changes in a relatively short time, demonstrating a strong commitment to change.  The efforts underway are at various stages of implementation and crosswalk to concerns raised in the PMP and HOGR reports.