Transportation Security Information Sharing: Results of GAO's Survey of Stakeholder Satisfaction with TSA Products and Mechanisms (GAO-14-488SP, June 2014), an E-supplement to GAO-14-506

Background

This e-supplement presents the results of GAO's web-based survey of transportation stakeholders from the aviation, freight and passenger rail, highway, public transit (i.e., mass transit), and pipeline modes about their satisfaction with the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) information-sharing efforts during calendar year 2013. Section 1203 of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 mandated GAO to survey transportation stakeholders regarding the security-related information products they receive [Pub. L. No. 110-53, § 1203(a), 121 Stat. 266, 383-85 (2007) (codified at 49 U.S.C. § 114(u)(7)).].

The survey asks questions about (1) satisfaction with TSA transportation security-related products, including reports, assessments, briefings, posters, and Encounter Reviews; (2) satisfaction with the mechanisms TSA uses to distribute its security-related products, including the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN), TSA e-mail alerts, and Aviation Web Boards; and (3) ways in which stakeholders provide feedback to TSA on its security-related information-sharing efforts and satisfaction with TSA's responsiveness to stakeholders' security-related information needs.

The survey was sent to security officials at commercial passenger air carriers, Category X and I commercial airports, air cargo carriers, Amtrak, Class I freight rail carriers, short line and regional railroads that carry toxic inhalation hazards or operate in high-threat urban areas, public transit agencies, pipeline companies, and members of two groups that are composed of key highway stakeholders: the Highway and Motor Carrier Sector Coordinating Council and the Peer Advisory Group. Category X and I airports represent the nation's largest and busiest airports as measured by the volume of passenger traffic and are potentially attractive targets for criminal and terrorist activity. As defined by revenue, for 2009, Class I railroads are freight rail carriers having an operating revenue of $379 million or more. We sent the survey to the entire known population of these aviation and rail organizations, as well as all members of highway groups; no sampling was conducted. We surveyed 46 of the 896 U.S. public transit agencies, which represent about 84 percent of total 2011 ridership. We also surveyed the 52 energy companies that operate the 100 most critical pipeline systems. We administered this web survey to 481 transportation stakeholders and received completed questionnaires from 337 organizations, for a response rate of 70 percent.

This e-supplement contains the questionnaire administered to survey respondents, along with summary statistics for each numeric question and the number of valid responses to each question. Responses to open-ended questions are not included in this e-supplement to minimize the risk of disclosing the identity of respondents.

We administered the survey from November 2013 through January 2014 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. A more detailed discussion of our objectives, scope, and methodology, and agency comments on the draft report are contained in our report entitled Transportation Security Information Sharing: Stakeholder Satisfaction Varies; TSA Could Take Additional Actions to Strengthen Efforts, GAO-14-506 (Washington, D.C.: June 2014).

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