Turf Wars Get In Way Of Innovation, Government Panel Says

“Homeland security is not just a cabinet agency –- it&s the integration of an entire country of more than 200 units and 180,000 people,” said Tom Ridge, former secretary of homeland security, during a keynote discussion last night at the Commonwealth of Virginia Information Technology Symposium (COVITS). “It&s [a] risk-management business, not risk elimination. The best we can do is set priorities, and drive [them] down through states to the private sector.”

The risks associated with homeland security go well beyond terrorism. There&s the proliferation of chemical, biological and nuclear threats; the development of military forces and weaponry by enemy governments; cyberattacks; global organized crime; and economic espionage.

“The world hasn&t gone soft and fuzzy outside the scope of terrorism,” said Robert Gates, former director of the CIA. “There are other challenges.”

Technology like sensors, tracking devices, and biometrics reduces those risks, and integration initiatives that incorporate secure networks and data-sharing capabilities can streamline processes to keep agencies and departments connected.

So, why is it taking so long to happen at the national level?

“The underlying factor is turf,” Gates said. Decision-makers with conflicting priorities can leave government in a stalemate as far as technology is concerned -– even when integrators are ready and waiting with the necessary solutions. “I&ve always said, if you identify a need, the private sector will identify a fix; the real issue is having the [leadership] to push political squabbles out of the way, [and] heads of agencies forming alliances. But those relationships in Washington are rare.”

Ultimately, there&s only so much the private sector can do to get all decision-makers on the same page. Those able to bring solutions that help multiple agencies collectively meet objectives have the best shot. And, of course, the better the solution, the better chance of receiving the support needed to push it through.

“We need increasing sophistication, and we need you to march with us to the end goal of interoperability,” said Suzanne Peck, chief technology officer of the District of Columbia. “Understand what we need, then come with your piece and with [either] a link to the money or a product so motivating that we&ll help you get to it.”