PUBLIC SAFETY ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Technology Management Certificate

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.INTRODUCTION
2. WHO WILL BENEFIT
3. PROGRAM CORNERSTONES
4. COHORT PROGRAM CONCEPT
4.1. Program Courses
4.2. INDE 6332 Engineering Project Management
4.3. Cohort Concentration Areas
4.4. Laboratory experience

ABSTRACT

The following paper is a working document for the proposed Technology Management Certificate for the University of Houston Public Safety Leadership Engineering Program. The objective of this program is to bring non-technical trained, social science degreed mid and upper level managers up to technological speed. This will enable Homeland Security and Public Safety professionals to make better operational and cost effective technology acquisition and implementation decisions. The paper consists of introduction, who will benefit, program cornerstones, cohort program concept, calendar scheduling, course scheduling, program expenses, and other logistical issue sections.

1. INTRODUCTION

This is a 4 week intensive program, designed to bring promising non-technically trained mid and upper level managers up to technological speed. This objective is achieved by providing both a rigorous academic education and practical hands on experience with public safety and security related technology.

2. WHO WILL BENEFIT

Graduates of the certificate program will find themselves technologically and managerially prepared to take leadership roles in the post 9-11 world. Graduates of the program will no longer have to defer to vendor recommendations for specific technologies, nor be dependent on consultants’ expertise for technology integration. Public Safety and Homeland Security professionals will now be able to control the technology rather than being controlled by the technology. With increased control will come improved operational and more cost effective technology implementations. Examples of homeland security and public safety professionals who can benefit from this education include:

• Public Safety Directors
• Chiefs of Police
• Fire Chiefs
• Emergency Management Directors and Coordinators
• Transportation Security Administrators
• Corporate Security Managers

An important advantage to this program is that all graduates will receive 9 graduate course credits. These credits can be later transferred to the Public Safety Engineering master’s program to reduce the total number of credits needed for that program. In addition, these credits may also be transferable to other graduate level programs in which the graduates may enroll in the future.

3. PROGRAM CORNERSTONES

The program is structured to offer both a flexible and a comprehensive solution to non-technically trained management professionals in the Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Security workforce. The program is based on the cornerstones of:

Awareness
Access
Analysis
Adoption

Awareness focuses on insuring that the program participants are exposed to both cutting edge and general public safety and security technology issues. Awareness is primarily achieved through the Leadership Issues in Public Safety Engineering and Technology seminar series.

Access means that program students are able to access the latest in public safety technology from a hands-on standpoint. This access is provided through the Shared Technology Laboratory.

Analysis means that the program students will have the ability to properly analyze the public safety and security situation and determine effective proactive and reactive responses. This ability is achieved through focused education in selected Public Safety Security Technology subject areas.

Adoption refers to the ability of students to properly manage the technical implementation process. This will help insure that the needed technology is effectively deployed through engineering project management principles.

4. COHORT PROGRAM CONCEPT

The Public Safety Technology Management program is designed to be completed in a intense four week period. Students proceed through the program as one cohort. Rather than just meeting for each class, students have the opportunity to closely interact with each other both in and out of the classroom, as they progress through each phase of the program. The long term networking, professional relationships, and friendships developed through this approach cannot be overemphasized.

While all cohorts receive common education, each cohort is also unique in that it emphases a particular area of technology. The program includes the following components:

Leadership Issues in Public Safety Engineering and Technology Seminar series
Engineering Project Management
Selected Public Safety Security Technology cohort subject area course
Laboratory or internship field project

4.1. Program Courses

INDE 7397 Leadership Issues in Public Safety Engineering and Technology Seminar

The first stage of the Public Safety Technology Management Certificate is the Leadership Issues in Public Safety Engineering and Technology Seminar. The purpose of the seminar is to expose students to a broad spectrum of homeland security, public safety technology, security, and management practices. The seminar series will include both:

Cutting Edge Public Safety Technology
Widely used Public Safety Technology

These topics closely follow the National Institute of Justice’s Research and Development Portfolio, specifically including:

• Communications Interoperability and Information Sharing
• Crime Prevention Technologies
• Critical Incident Technology
• Electronic Crime
• Learning Technologies
• Less-Lethal Technologies
• Investigative & Forensic Sciences
• Mapping & Analysis
• Protective Systems Technologies
• Standards and Testing

4.2. INDE 6332 Engineering Project Management

The second major component of the Public Safety Technology Management Certificate is the Engineering Project Management course. This course provides students with the skills necessary to successfully implement different types of Public Safety Technology.

Principles of engineering project management
Project selection
Project planning
Project leadership
Project control
Issues, skills associated with interdisciplinary and multi-jurisdictional projects.

4.3. Cohort Concentration Areas

Each certificate cohort will focus on one particular Public Safety Technology subject area. The purpose of the focus is to help insure that, beyond the seminar survey knowledge, the student is thoroughly conversant in one sampling of Public Safety and security technology. The gamut of concentration subject areas includes:

Interoperability
Operations Analysis
Crisis Management
Information Systems
Physical Infrastructure

4.4. Laboratory experience

The laboratory experience is an integral part of the program learning experience. Here, small groups of students will utilize their knowledge from the seminar series, the Project Management course, and the Concentration course to participate in the development of an actual homeland security or public safety related project. The exact nature of the project will depend on the cohort Concentration course, as well as, the interests of each project group.