What Is HS SEDI?

The Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute—or HS SEDI—is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through its Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). DHS established the HS SEDI FFRDC to serve as its primary systems engineering resource and to meet DHS-wide demand for rapid access to deep technical expertise.

What Makes SEDI Different?

• As an FFRDC strictly governed by federal acquisition regulations, HS SEDI does not manufacture products or compete against commercial firms.
• HS SEDI is free from the organizational conflicts of interest and the pressures of competition that face commercial contractors.
• HS SEDI has long-term, trusted relationships across DHS. We have been working across DHS since its inception to support acquisitions, provide advice for critical programs, and contribute to decision making.
• HS SEDI provides institutional memory and helps to further mature and integrate capabilities across the organization.

How Does Systems Engineering Help Homeland Security?

Systems engineering employs analytic practices and tools to address complex problems holistically. It is essential to integrate people, processes, and technology across DHS, which is a complex organization working with numerous stakeholders and partners in a global mission space. HS SEDI systems engineers focus on the entire DHS enterprise and the systems that enable that enterprise. By using systems engineering, DHS can:

• Shape programs and align technology to support the operational and mission needs of CBP, USCIS, USCG, FEMA, ICE, SS, TSA, and Headquarters Offices.
• Determine how individual systems in the enterprise perform and affect each other.
• Evaluate alternative technologies and processes that can enhance cost-effectiveness and performance.
• Identify ways in which capabilities can be acquired and deployed faster, better, and less expensively.
• Analyze, explain, and justify costs.
• Identify mission and operational risks and assess mitigation approaches.
• Develop and implement the processes and governance required to make investment decisions and to support business planning and policy making.
• Provide oversight bodies with rationale, supported by analyses, for budget requirements.
• Assess situations, identify problems early, and select alternatives before problems escalate.