The Challenge

The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) established the School Safety Task Force (SSTF) to address the growing need for coordinated, actionable, and scalable safety solutions for K–12 schools across the United States. Following tragic events like the Parkland school shooting, the Federal government recognized the urgency of creating a unified approach to school safety. The SSTF was tasked with building capacity across school districts, developing guidance and tools, and managing the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse and its public-facing platform, https://www.schoolsafety.gov.

However, SSTF faced challenges in:

• Coordinating efforts across DHS, HHS, DOJ, and ED
• Delivering timely and effective communications and resources
• Managing large-scale events and outreach campaigns
• Ensuring consistent performance tracking and stakeholder engagement.

Chevo’s Solution

Chevo provides strategic, operational, and communications support to the SSTF. Our solution spans all four SSTF branches, Partnerships and Engagements, Communications, Product and Training, and Program Support.

Program Management: Our team performs oversight across all SSTF branches, ensuring alignment with mission goals. Chevo's Program Integration support enabled SSTF to successfully establish an external advisory board on schedule, fulfilling a requirement mandated by the Luke and Alex School Safety Act. The board includes representatives from state, local, and Tribal governments, as well as sector organizations, NGOs, and school-parent groups.

• Impact: We expanded the reach and relevance of SSTF's school safety guidance by integrating diverse perspectives from multiple stakeholder groups. This broad stakeholder representation ensured that safety recommendations and resources reflect the varied needs, contexts, and challenges facing schools nationwide, from rural to urban settings, resulting in more actionable and widely adopted school safety practices.

Resource & Program Analysis: We support internal and collaborative initiatives across the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse intergovernmental advisory board (DHS, HHS, DOJ, and ED). Chevo develops integrated business requirements across all four agencies, manages scheduling plans that accommodate each Clearinghouse partner's needs and review timetables, and implements contingency plans to address shifting priorities and project timelines.

• Impact: We enable coordinated whole-of-government approach to school safety, ensuring that best practice resources, guidance, and tools developed and promoted by SSTF reflect the combined expertise and priorities of all federal Clearinghouse partners. Chevo's integration of Clearinghouse partner priorities contributed to SchoolSafety.gov's 250% increase in page views over two years, successfully delivering comprehensive school safety resources to state and local governments, school systems, parents, and students nationwide.

Performance Management & Process Improvement: We develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), templates, and streamlined workflows to enhance operational efficiency. Chevo assisted SSTF leadership in developing policies, Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), and SOPs. Chevo created the Performance Management CONOPS, and associated SOP using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) framework to identify and measure relevant performance metrics and tie them to organizational goals. Our Goal Development SOP and program data dictionary standardize measurement across all SSTF branches, providing consistent tracking of outputs and outcomes.

• Impact: Our team has improved operational efficiency with documented processes and governance tools that support long-term sustainability and program growth. Chevo's SMART framework-based SOPs and program data dictionary enable consistent performance tracking through quarterly performance reports and monthly dashboards that guide strategic decision-making. Through our support, the program expanded from limited task force status to delivering 60+ monthly deliverables across 170+ formal tracked partners, growing state partnerships from 0 to 49 partnerships with states and territories, and securing additional funding and staffing. Data captured from these performance goals enabled CISA to demonstrate program effectiveness, contributing to CISA being selected as the winner of the DHS Secretary's Award for Innovation and allowing SSTF to play a larger role in helping to make schools safer across the country.

Strategic Communications: Our team creates and publishes over 50 publicly facing safety resources, managing social media, and supporting the development and maintenance of the SchoolSafety.gov website. Chevo maintains a resource library of over 600+ approved and curated resources on SchoolSafety.gov. All program collateral materials and fact sheets developed by Chevo become part of the site's pool of resources. Once approved by the Clearinghouse, Chevo improves service delivery by scheduling, uploading, and promoting new resources to the School Safety stakeholder community through partner newsletters, community bulletins, social media posts, and GovDelivery messages. These resources cover topics ranging from targeted violence and cybersecurity best practices to school safety funding opportunities, enabling state and local governments, school districts, schools, parents, and students to effectively find and share school safety resources and best practices.

• Impact: Through our team’s effort, SSTF has expanded the reach and accessibility of evidence-based school safety guidance to educators, administrators, and the K-12 community nationwide. The 600+ curated resources on SchoolSafety.gov, combined with Chevo's strategic newsletter distribution via GovDelivery (25% open rate exceeding the 14% federal benchmark and driving significant click-throughs), ensure that schools across all 50 states can access timely, actionable information on emerging threats, best practices, and funding opportunities. The comprehensive resource library enables schools to make informed decisions about security measures, respond quickly to new safety challenges, and implement proven strategies to create safer learning environments for students.

Event Management: We plan and execute major engagements, including the 2022 and 2023 National Summits on K–12 School Safety and Security.

• Impact: We provide enhanced stakeholder engagement through high-impact events, webinars, and targeted outreach campaigns. Chevo planned and executed the 2022 and 2023 National Summits on K–12 School Safety and Security, which drew nearly 8,000 registrations and over 5,000 attendees representing all 50 states, with 96% of participants indicating they are likely to apply resources or strategies presented during the event to make their schools safer.

Product Development: We support the development and publication of the CISA K–12 School Security Guide and accompanying tools designed to inform safety and security planning for schools across the U.S. These tools include vulnerability assessments and layered physical security implementation guidance, and collaboration with National Laboratories to develop additional guidance and resources that help schools strengthen their protection and mitigation capabilities.

• Impact: We equip schools nationwide with comprehensive, actionable guidance for conducting vulnerability assessments and implementing layered physical security measures. The K-12 School Security Guide and accompanying tools provide schools with standardized frameworks for security planning that are applicable across diverse geographical contexts from rural to urban settings and schools at various levels of security maturity. These resources enable schools to identify vulnerabilities, prioritize cost-effective security solutions, and implement protection measures tailored to their specific needs and contexts, strengthening their overall safety posture.

Chevo Services Performed:

Integrated Program Support

• Communications
• Training
• Compliance
• Performance Management

Mission Acceleration

• Strategy Development & Implementation
• Intelligent Process Automation
• Data Analytics / Business Intelligence