Homeland Security’s Agencies Need Morale Boost, Watchdog Says

The Department of Homeland Security needs to improve several key areas before a federal watchdog can take the agency off its list of “high-risk” government operations, an official said.

The Government Accountability Office put DHS on its high-risk list in 2003, shortly after the agency was created. It’s still struggling to improve its financial management and acquisitions, Chris Currie, director of GAO’s homeland security and justice team, said Thursday in an update before the House Homeland Security oversight panel.

Low morale among workers also remains an problem, despite agency leaders’ efforts to improve engagement, Currie said.

“More focused oversight and ...