First Take
Comment and commentary on events in government and technology
DNI collection chief describes new approach
At the Industry Advisory Council’s conference earlier this week, a typical conference dynamic occurred. Checked out of their hotels, many dashed for their cars once the first morning session was over to drive back from Williamsburg, Va.
It looked as if the last speaker would have no audience; luckily she ended up with a couple of hundred (out of a reported attendance of 850). She was Mary Margaret Graham, the deputy director of National Intelligence for collection. Graham’s office is one of four such DDNIs; the others are analysis (know it), requirement (want it) and management (build it). Graham is the “get it” person.
In some ways, she was the most original speaker at this year’s ELC conference.
Graham described DNI as a conglomeration of 16 agencies that haven’t melded into one, sort of a Homeland Security Department in miniature. Well, not so miniature: 100,000 people. She described a few of the measures the intelligence conglomerate is taking to try and unify.
These include publishing a catalog of analytic resources across the whole DNI. Or restricting promotions to people who have had their ticket punched in at least two components, in order to foster a more corporate culture.
Graham also said DNI is working to fix a broken-down procurement system.
“The intelligence community adds on requirements like candy bits on an ice cream cone,” Graham said. Instead of big, complicated, 15-year projects with endless change orders, the agency will be taking an incremental approach. She cited DNI CIO Dale Meyerrose’s philosophy, held since his Air Force IT days, saying, “Think big, start small, scale fast.”
| Post a Comment
If you are currently registered, click here to login and post your comment. If you are new to GCN, click here to register and post your comment. |
![1105 Government Information Group [justice]](/images/1105logo_website.gif "Government Computer News [justice]")
