Competitive Technologies for National Security
Remaining competitive is important for America to endure the Long War. New technologies are emerging that will have long term effects on America’s national security. It is imperative, therefore, to examine what steps America needs to take in order to continue to promote the development of new technology and what role funding should play in support of technological competitiveness.
National Institute of Standards and Technology: Assessing Face Acquisition
US-VISIT requested that the biometrics usability team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) examine the current US-VISIT face image collection process to identify any usability and human factors that may improve the existing face image capture process. This report presents the results of a study that examined five usability and human factors enhancements to the current US-VISIT collection process. 10.30.08
Secure Border Initiative: DHS Needs to Address Significant Risks in Delivering Key Technology Investment
GAO was asked to determine whether DHS (1) has defined the scope and timing of SBInet capabilities and how these capabilities will be developed and deployed, (2) is effectively defining and managing SBInet requirements, and (3) is effectively managing SBInet testing. To do so, GAO reviewed key program documentation and interviewed program officials, analyzed a random sample of requirements, and observed operations of a pilot project.
GAO-Veterans Affairs: Additional Details Are Needed in Key Planning Documents to Guide the New Financial and Logistics Initiative
GAO was asked to determine (1) the department’s overall plan for developing FLITE, (2) the status of its development efforts, (3) VA oversight of this initiative, and (4) whether lessons learned from the CoreFLS initiative have been considered and incorporated into the plan for developing FLITE. To achieve these objectives, GAO analyzed program documentation against relevant policies and best practices and interviewed program and project officials.
Defense Science Board, Mission Impact of Foreign Influence on DoD Software
Software has become the central ingredient of the information age, increasing productivity, facilitating the storage and transfer of information, and enabling functionality in almost every realm of human endeavor.However, as it improves the Department of Defense's capability, it increases DoDs dependency.
Defense Science Board, High Performance Microchip Supply
DoD needs a focused, tailored acquisition plan, driven by a long-term vision of its semitconductor needs, to establish the basis, policy and operating guidelines for DoD-enabled access to trusted foundry services by the defnse department, it contractor and others.
Defense Science Board, Mission Impact of Foreign Influence on DoD Software
The task force was asked to assess the Department's dependence on software of foreign origin and the risks involved. The task force considered issues with supply chain management; techniques and tools to mitigate adversarial threats; software assurance within current Defense programs; and assurance standards within industry, academia, and government.
Defense Science Board Task Force on High Performance Microchip Supply
This report makes recommendations that help ensure the long term, leading edge U.S. performance of microchip design, development, and manufacturing.
DOD Business Systems Modernization: Planned Investment in Navy Program to Create Cashless Shipboard Environment Needs to Be Justified
GAO recommends that investment of modernization funding in Navy Cash be limited until a basis for informed decision making is established, and that other program management weaknesses be corrected, as appropriate. DOD agreed with most of GAO’s recommendations and described actions underway or planned to address them, while FMS committed to supporting DON in implementing them. Both provided other comments that GAO addresses in the report.
DOD Business Systems Modernization: Important Management Controls Being Implemented on Major Navy Program, but Improvements Needed in Key Areas
The Department of Defense (DOD) has long been challenged in implementing key information technology (IT) management controls on its thousands of business system investments. For this and other reasons, GAO has designated DOD’s business systems modernization efforts as high-risk. One of the larger business system investments is the Department of the Navy’s Enterprise Resource Planning (Navy ERP) program. Initiated in 2003, the program is to standardize the Navy’s business processes, such as acquisition and financial management. It is being delivered in increments, the first of which is to cost about $2.4 billion over its useful life and be fully deployed in fiscal year 2013. GAO was asked to determine whether key IT management controls are being implemented on the program. To do this, GAO analyzed, for example, requirements management, economic justification, earned value management, and risk management.
GAO Telecommunications: Agencies are Generally Following Sound Transition Planning Practices, and GSA is Taking Action to Resolve Challenges
GAO has evaluated the actions being carried out by the General Services Administration (GSA) in transitioning to a new telecommunications program, Networx.
U.S. Competitiveness in Science and Technology
Many have expressed a concern that the United States is losing its lead in Science and Technology, a problem that could hurt national security among other things. The National Defense Research Institute (NDRI) at the RAND Corporation has published a paper addressing these concerns and their possible policy implications.
OSTP 2.0 Critical Upgrade- Enhanced capacity for White House Science and Technology Policymaking: Recommendations for the Next President
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the
MacArthur Foundation, The Rockefeller Brothers
Fund, the Richard Lounsbery Foundation and the
Golden Family Foundation released this report calling for enhancements in the nation's science and technology capabilities, with regards to energy, national security, etc, in the next administration.
The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder: The Pentagon's Robots: Arming the Future
America's capability to seize and maintain a strategic advantage in robotic national security applications could be lost without sustained and focused commitment from the Administration and Congress. Congress should provide adequate funding, encourage increased coordination, and craft policies that encourage prudent investment in robotic technology.
The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder: Competitive Nuclear Energy Investment: Avoiding Past Policy Mistakes
Nuclear power is a proven, safe, affordable, and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels that can offset America's growing dependence on foreign energy. Federal, state, and local governments will have a role to play, especially in building confidence with investors, but the best long-term subsidy that they could give the industry is the freedom to succeed.
The Heritage Foundation WebMemo: Grading Cybersecurity Initiatives: Six Necessary Components
Such initiatives should meet all of the nation's priorities: enhancing security, promoting economic growth, and preserving liberty and privacy.
The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder: Nanotechnology and National Security: Small Changes, Big Impact
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, leaders in both the legislative and executive branches essentially discarded public diplomacy as a Cold War relic. Since 9/11, the situation has improved only marginally if at all. To restore America's voice, government leaders should draw on the nation's Cold War legacy to lay the foundation for the next generation of public diplomacy.
The Heritage Foundation WebMemo: The Air Force's Cyber Command: Combating Electronic and Network Threats
Congress and the President must fully support the effort to thwart America's adversaries in the cyber domain.
GAO Report: Comparison of U.S. and Recently Enacted European Union Approaches to Protect Against the Risks of Toxic Chemicals
The EU has recently revised its chemical control policy through legislation known as Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) in order to better identify and mitigate risks from chemicals. GAO was asked to review the approaches used under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and REACH for (1) requiring chemical companies to develop information on chemicals’ effects, (2) controlling risks from chemicals, and (3) making information on chemicals available to the public.
AAAS Report: Research and Development FY 2008
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Report XXXII: Research and Development FY 2008 is a comprehensive look over President Bush’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2008. This year’s budget is a continuation of the previous years with proposed increases for agencies in the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), increases for weapon and human spacecraft development, and declined funding for the R&D field. Overall, it is a proposed budget that continues to restrain domestic spending and increases defense spending.
A 21st Century Model for Communication in the Global War of Ideas: From Simplistic Influence to Pragmatic Complexity
In this paper, the Consortium for Strategic Communication (CSC) explains why message influence strategies fail and what must be done to break the cycle of communication dysfunction. Changing communication systems requires, first, understanding the dynamics at work; and, second, using communication as a strategy to disrupt and perturb existing systems such that they can begin to organize around new meaning-making frameworks. After describing a new pragmatic complexity model, CSC offers four principles of effective communication in the global war of ideas based on this model: (1) Deemphasize control and embrace complexity; (2) replace repetition with variation; (3) consider disruptive moves, and (4) expect and plan for failure.
“Breaching the Fortress Wall: Understanding Terrorist Efforts to Overcome Defensive Technologies.”
Technical countermeasures are a key component to our nation’s ability to combat terrorism. However, terrorists have adapted capabilities to overcome these countermeasures and continue on with their plans. This document looks at a series of case studies on terrorist’s counterefforts, and how the United States can defeat such efforts.
Management of Middle East Broadcasting Services Could be Improved
The GAO made a review of the progress and problems of the start-up Middle East Broadcasting Network, Inc. (MBN). The results of this review revealed issues regarding long-term strategy, the need for stronger administrative control and lack of standardized program review and editorial procedures. These comments and recommendations by the GAO have been reported to the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ (BBG) for implementation.
The Army’s Future Combat Systems Program and Alternatives
This document contains the testimony of Army Assistant Director J. Michael Gilmore before the House Committee on Armed Services to discuss the Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) program and possible alternative approaches to modernizing the Army’s forces.
The Manufacturing Technology Program: A Key to Affordably Equipping the Future Force
This report underscores the longstanding concern of rising weapon systems costs and the need to reduce these costs in light of tighter economic constraints anticipated in the years ahead. The Task Force concluded that the Manufacturing Technology Program can address critical acquisition challenges associated with advanced weapon systems, and identified specific actions that will enhance and expand the impact of the ManTech program.
