APPENDIX D

Data Capacity

The measures used to assess progress toward strategic goals and objectives are collected systematically as part of normal work processes. Protective activity and investigative work is documented and systematically reported through automated systems. These systems include data edits to ensure that erroneous information is not entered. Because these measures have been incorporated into ongoing management processes and are widely disseminated, all data are monitored to identify aberrations and undergo monthly and year-end verification processes before being published.

• Protective Measures - The protective program performance measures originate from the Agent Management and Protection Support System (AMPS). AMPS is used to assign and track the travel associated with all protective and support details, as it occurs, for the President and family, the Vice-President and family, former presidents and their spouses, and all protected foreign and domestic dignitaries, and presidential candidates. AMPS has several levels of security to limit and control access to authorized users, and to assure the accuracy of data. Protectee travel data can only be entered after a headquarters controlled "trip number" is assigned. This procedure assures that only valid protectee stops are counted. Because AMPS is a "live" database, issues of data entry timing and corrections can affect it. Audits are routinely conducted to assure that the AMPS data is accurate. Past audits indicate that the data are more than 99 percent accurate.
  
  
• Investigative Measures - Investigative program measures are collected from the Master Central Index (MCI) System used by all Secret Service investigative field offices, and provide a means of record keeping for all case and subject information. MCI has many features built into it in order to provide the most accurate data possible. Along with the mainframe security features, there are many edit checks built into the application to ensure the accuracy and validity of the data. Only authorized headquarters and field personnel have access to the application, and they are governed by specific procedures to input case and offender data. Audits of MCI indicate that data accuracy averages better than 97 percent. Exception: The Actual and Potential Dollar Amount measures are relatively new measures and open to a degree of subjectivity. These measures are believed to be reasonably accurate. However, controls are being refined to ensure and test for accuracy.
  
  
• Needs Assessments - Needs assessments are used to collect information from knowledgeable professionals on the perceived nature and extent of financial crime, industry's ability to counter financial crime, and the need for Secret Service investigative intervention. Assessments are based upon purposeful samples of individuals from the financial industry who can provide informed responses. Assessment instruments are developed by a cross section of working professionals to ensure content validity. Other aspects of the assessment instrument's reliability and validity will be tested and reported as data become available.
  
  

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