From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov Transcript for: Southwest Border Security Description: Customs and Border Protection, under Homeland Security, is planning to construct barriers along our southwest border. We discuss their efforts in this podcast. Related GAO Work: GAO-18-614: Southwest Border Security: CBP is Evaluating Designs and Locations for Border Barriers but Is Proceeding Without Key Information Released: August 2018 [ Background Music ] [ Rebecca Gambler: ] One key factor that CBP did not consider was costs associated with locations or segments. [ Matt Oldham: ] Welcome to GAO's Watchdog Report, your source for news and information from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. I'm Matt Oldham. Last year, President Trump ordered Homeland Security to plan, design, and build physical barriers along our southwest border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, has funding for the planning, design, and construction, but that funding is limited to previously used designs. I'm with Rebecca Gambler. She's a director on our Homeland Security and Justice team, and she's here to talk about a GAO report reviewing CBP's barrier-building efforts. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Rebecca. [ Rebecca Gambler: ] Thank you, Matt. [ Matt Oldham: ] So what did your report find? [ Rebecca Gambler: ] Our report found that DHS has been planning for construction and deployment of barriers along the southwest border. And there's certain actions that they've been taking as part of those planning efforts. So, for example, Matt, CBP has contracted for the design and construction of 8 barrier prototypes. CBP tested and evaluated those prototypes and is using the information gleaned from those tests and evaluations to identify barrier attributes that could inform future deployments. And we found that there are areas where DHS can improve and strengthen its planning processes to ensure that the department has the information it needs to monitor both planning and deployments over time. [ Matt Oldham:] What are some of the difficulties CBP has been running into? [ Rebecca Gambler: ] With regard to CBP's methodology for identifying and prioritizing locations or segments for barrier deployments, we found that, while CBP considered a range of factors in that prioritization methodology, 1 key factor that CBP did not consider was costs associated with locations or segments. And we found that that was problematic because, without assessing costs for specific segments or locations, CBP really does not have full information for assessing its prioritization decisions. [ Matt Oldham: ] So why is it important for Customs and Border Protection to have the key information that we say they're missing? [ Rebecca Gambler: ] To make sure that they understand costs associated with individual segments or locations that they may prioritize for future barrier deployments to ensure that the resources are being used cost effectively. [ Background Music ] [ Matt Oldham: ] So it sounds like CBP is taking the first steps toward building these barriers along our southwest border, but they could stand to gain from assessing costs when prioritizing future barrier deployments. So Rebecca, what recommendations did your team have? [ Rebecca Gambler: ] We made 2 key recommendations to DHS. First, we recommended that the department analyze costs as part of its process for prioritizing segments for future barrier deployments. And secondly, we recommended that the department document its plans for ensuring that 1 of 2 plan segments goes through the DHS acquisition management process. [ Matt Oldham: ] And finally, what do you believe is the bottom line of your report? [ Rebecca Gambler: ] Matt, the bottom line of our report is that DHS has been taking actions toward planning for the deployment of border barrier segments, but there are 2 key areas where they need to strengthen those planning efforts, and that relates to the analysis of costs as part of its prioritization methodology, and, secondly, ensuring that it has documented plans for following the acquisition management process for 1 of 2 key plan segments. [ Background Music ] [ Matt Oldham: ] Rebecca Gambler is a GAO director on the Homeland Security and Justice team, and she was talking about the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's efforts toward building barriers along our southwest border. Thank you for your time, Rebecca. [ Rebecca Gambler: ] Thank you, Matt. [ Background Music ] [ Matt Oldham: ] And thank you for listening to the Watchdog Report. To hear more podcasts, subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. [ Background Music ] [ Matt Oldham: ] For more from the congressional watchdog, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, visit us at gao.gov.