"The Office of Grants and Training [DHS] is developing a National Capabilities Assessment through iterative pilot testing. Objectives: (1) Facilitate understanding of regional preparedness through: (1.a) Extensive participation of Federal, State, territory, local, and tribal multidisciplinary partners (1.b) Regional collaboration (1.c) Measuring preparedness through 'real-world' performance (1.d) Identifying capability gaps to be closed, and programs to sustain (1.e) Findings that can be used to update strategies and program plans (2) Develop a national picture of preparedness to: (2.a) Support strategic decision-making on delivery of preparedness programs (2.b) Measure progress in preparedness (2.c) Evaluate and update national priorities (2.d) Identify research and development requirements (3) Create a better assessment that: (3.a) Incorporates feedback to improve the assessment's usefulness (3.b) Helps refine to Target Capabilities List (TCL) (DHS, Development of the CAPS, 2006, slide 9) (4) What the Assessment IS (4.a) Translation of thee TCL from policy to application of a National Capabilities Assessment (4.b) Focused on capability outcomes (4.c) Mechanism to encourage regional collaboration (4.d) Focused on state and local preparedness (4.e) Enhances 'culture of preparedness' (4.f) Leverages experience of previous assessments (avoiding pitfalls) (5) What the assessment is NOT (5.a) A detailed accounting of individual assets (5.b) A internal jurisdiction or departmental analysis (DHS, Development of the CAPS, 2006, slide 10)