"DHS will coordinate the establishment of a national level structure and process for the ongoing management and maintenance of the Guidelines. This will be closely coordinated with similar structures and processes for the NIMS, NRP, NIPP, and other elements of the National Preparedness System in order to help ensure national policy and planning for operations and preparedness are mutually supportive. DHS is committed to working with its homeland security partners in updating and maintaining the Guidelines and related documents as part of a unified National Preparedness System, which will help ensure coordinated strategies, plans, procedures, policies, training, and capabilities at all levels of government. Implementation of the National Preparedness System is well under way. It is building on assessments of risk, development of management policies and strategies, identification of specific missions and supporting tasks in comprehensive plans, and matching of capabilities against requirements to execute these policies, strategies, and plans. Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial governments will participate in assessments of readiness on a regular basis. The National Preparedness System will emphasize feedback and periodic reassessment to ensure the current state of preparedness is based on readiness metrics and is used as the basis for policy and programmatic decisions". (DHS, 2007, National Preparedness Guidelines, p.23)