Collaboration Among Federal Agencies

When working under the Defense Production Act (DPA), coordination among federal agencies is crucial.

This guide explains the role of these agencies and how they work together to enhance national defense and emergency preparedness.

Executive Order 13603 - National Defense Resources Preparedness assigns the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) the responsibility to:

“...provide for the central coordination of the plans and programs incident to authorities and functions delegated under this order and provide guidance to agencies assigned functions under this order, developed in consultation with such agencies.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refers to these agencies as its Defense Production Act (DPA) collaboration partners.

The Secretary of Homeland Security delegates these responsibilities to the Administrator of FEMA, who then delegates further to the Associate Administrator for the Office of Policy and Program Analysis (OPPA).

• Develop and carry out voluntary agreements and plans of action under DPA authority.
• Provide guidance and coordinate the National Defense Executive Reserve (NDER) program, focusing on recruitment, training, and activation.

• The Defense Production Act Committee (DPAC), chaired by the FEMA Administrator, oversees the use of priorities and allocations authorities under the DPA. It meets as needed to discuss and resolve significant issues.
• The DPAC also prepares annual reports on DPA activities, which are essential for keeping Congress informed.

Interagency Working Groups (IWGs) are the primary method for coordinating and consulting among DPA collaboration partners. They handle tasks such as:

• Amending the DPA in line with congressional reauthorizations.
• Developing a consistent set of Federal Priorities and Allocations System (FPAS) regulations.
• Preparing for DPAC meetings and developing annual reports to Congress.

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Full Guidance

For details on DPA collaboration partners' regulations and processes, view the full guidance.

Agencies that identify cross-cutting DPA issues that could benefit from an IWG are encouraged to contact the FEMA DPA Division. This proactive approach helps address national security threats effectively.