This isn’t to say that there is a credibility problem here, but if things hold true to form, the script for this debacle has already been written.

I think we all wish them well, but we a lesson can be learned from a recent comment about another kind of software deployment. In fact, following such an approach is probably more important in the national security realm, where a complex system doesn’t help deal with complex problems; it just adds more complexity chaos to the situation.

Some of these suggestions may be OBE, but if you have had any interaction with Hoover’s boys and girls you know this was not always the case (in no particular order):

1. Pick the same productivity suite everyone else in the community is using if you want to move beyond exchanging .txt files
2. Ditto for the email system
3. Bring your bandwidth up to info-age standards
4. Deploy the MOST BASIC Web-enabled database you can (names, crimes/activities, locations, POCs). Add features after a shake-down run.
5. Buy a Google Search Appliance and deploy it

Moving big and fast is only smart if you’ve got the wherewithal to bring the effort to fruition. The turn-over of senior IT pros is indication enough that motivation alone (it certainly isn’t the money) isn’t enough to overcome some significant hurdles. Might as well move slow and smart; odds are time isn’t the most important factor here.

About the Author

Michael Tanji

Michael Tanji spent nearly 20 years in the US intelligence community. Trained in both SIGINT and HUMINT disciplines he has worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the National Reconnaissance Office. At various points in his career he served as an expert in information warfare, computer network operations, computer forensics, and indications and warning. A veteran of the US Army, Michael has served in both strategic and tactical assignments in the Pacific Theater, the Balkans, and the Middle East.