Information Sharing Environment: Definition of the Results to Be Achieved in Improving Terrorism-Related Information Sharing Is Needed to Guide Implementation and Assess Progress
Highlights
The attacks on 9/11 underscored the federal government's need to facilitate terrorism-related information sharing among government, private sector, and foreign stakeholders. In response, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 mandated the creation of the Information Sharing Environment (ISE), which is described as an approach for the sharing of terrorism-related information. A presidentially appointed Program Manager oversees ISE development with assistance from the Information Sharing Council (ISC), a forum for 16 information sharing officials from federal agencies and departments. GAO was asked to report on (1) what actions have been taken to guide the design and implementation of the ISE and (2) what efforts have been made to report on progress in implementing the ISE. To perform this work, GAO reviewed related laws, directives, guidance, and ISE planning and reporting documents and interviewed officials from the Program Manager's office and key agencies who serve on the ISC.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Office of the Program Manager--Information Sharing Environment | To help ensure that the ISE is on a measurable track to success, the Program Manager, with full participation of relevant stakeholders (e.g., agencies and departments on the ISC), should more fully define the scope and specific results to be achieved by the ISE along with the key milestones and individual projects or initiatives needed to achieve these results. |
In 2008, we reported that to guide the design and implementation of the Information Sharing Environment (ISE), the Program Manager for the ISE had issued an implementation plan, completed a number of tasks therein, and identified related information sharing initiatives, but the plan did not include some important elements to implement the ISE. Since then, the Program Manager and other stakeholders have taken steps to more fully define the scope and specific results to be achieved by the ISE along with the key milestones and individual projects or initiatives needed to achieve these results. Specifically, the Program Manager has defined the vision, mission, and priorities for the ISE within the ISE 2012 and 2013 annual reports to Congress. In addition, the Program Manager has defined milestones within the ISE Implementation Guidance, which outlines the actions and initiatives assigned to specific federal agencies that are needed to improve information sharing. Based on these actions, we consider this recommendation to be closed as implemented.
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| Office of the Program Manager--Information Sharing Environment | To help ensure that the ISE is on a measurable track to success, the Program Manager, with full participation of relevant stakeholders (e.g., agencies and departments on the ISC), should develop a set of performance measures that show the extent to which the ISE has been implemented and sharing improved--including, at a minimum, what has been and remains to be accomplished--so as to more effectively account for and communicate progress and results. |
The Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE) released the 2012 ISE Annual Report to Congress in July 2012. The report provides ISE Performance Data that assesses ISE agency performance within the areas of community, process, and technology. Twenty agencies participated in the ISE Performance Assessment Questionnaire, including the five key ISE agencies. The performance data illustrates the maturity level of several key ISE priority areas, including what areas are meeting expectations and what areas are below expectations. In addition, the performance data provides a maturity score to indicate what percent of agencies are participating in the ISE, complying with ISE processes during agency planning, and complying with ISE technical guidance during agency acquisitions. The percentages provided gives the PM-ISE and other stakeholders an understanding of the extent to which the ISE is being implemented across ISE agencies and how much remains to be done. Based on these actions, we consider this recommendation to be closed as implemented.
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