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(U) Chef's Choice: SIGINT and the Question of Governance
FROM: Charlie Meals
Signals Intelligence Deputy Director
Run Date: 05/05/2004
(U//FOUO) By now, you are all aware that the Director wants us to make significant changes to
the way NSA operates. (See related article .) His vision has us operating as a worldwide
organization with headquarters and extended enterprise functions being performed without
necessarily linking them to a location. For the purpose of this note, we will simply refer to these
functions as "governance." I'd like to let you know how we envision the new model working for
the SIGINT Directorate at this time, and our thoughts on roles that will be exercised at Ft Meade
and in the rest of the Extended Enterprise. By Extended Enterprise, I mean all elements of the
U.S. Cryptologic System, wherever they may be in the world.
(U//FOUO) When you look at the whole of our worldwide enterprise, the complexity of the
SIGINT System (USSS) is an amazing thing. There are few enterprises anywhere that bring
together such a diverse array of vocations (cryptography, language analysis, liaison work, just
to name a few) ... and on top of that, we ply our trades literally all over the globe! Deserved or
not, NSA has a reputation for being an enormously effective but not terribly efficient
organization. By adopting and nurturing the Director's vision, we hope to significantly improve
our effectiveness and move toward garnering the same sort of reputation for our efficiency.
(U//FOUO) While the SIGINT Directorate has always implemented the Director's operational
control over the entire USSS, it has historically focused the lion's share of its attention on NSAW
and, as a result, the USSS has failed to operate as effectively and efficiently as it might in
accomplishing its mission. Effectively and efficiently managing the entire enterprise as a unified
whole is the desired end state towards which we will be working. Our business has become so
complex and interdependent that we can no longer allow it to operate as separate entities. The
distinction between national and theater as well as strategic and tactical is increasingly
meaningless and we will work hard to ensure that the corporation is managed in accordance
with that in mind.
(U//FOUO) Both the headquarters and the extended enterprise have long produced outstanding
SIGINT as virtually separate entities. The time has now come for us to operate as a global,
wholly integrated network and fully exploit the latent power our failure to function as a unified
whole has denied us. To get this right, both headquarters and the remote elements must each
carry out the role for which it is best suited and seek opportunities to create and nurture
synergy.
(U//FOUO) What are those roles? The SIGINT Director will function primarily as the CEO of the
SID, responsible for SIGINT issues worldwide. He will provide the overarching intent, assign
missions, and provide guidance on SIGINT issues to the entire USSS. Operational elements,
regardless of location, will execute the mission. Furthermore, detached elements will feed back
unique information and insights to Headquarters, to help them make the right decisions.
(U//FOUO) We recognize that two-way communication and a collegial, cooperative attitude will
be key. We should have the attitude that a good idea can originate anywhere, and we must take
advantage of it. This means that we all will be doing much more coordination with people in
distant locations than we once did. It is important that those in the field not be disadvantaged
by a lack of access to the SIGINT Director or his leadership team, once again, wherever they are
located. They need to be able to participate in town meetings virtually, see/display viewgraphs
via computer, and in general have the connectivity to be fully engaged.
(U//FOUO) Although the technology already exists to communicate in this way, we need
additional IT capacity that can handle the scale and scope we require. It is also true that there
are times when nothing can replace a face-to-face meeting, so SID needs to allocate enough
TDY money so that personnel can get together when they ought to do so. We will need not only
more money but also more managers and leaders who focus on the entire network. If necessary
we will adjust our priorities, but we cannot fail if we are to truly take SIGINT to the next level.
(U//FOUO) SID Governance is about everyone fully understanding the Director's intent and the
missions assigned, and working together as a unified whole to execute those missions in a
manner which ensure that America has ubiquitous information superiority. It's about
collaboration, constant interaction, and synchronization of all components regardless of location.
Most important of all, I think, is that we in the SIGINT Enterprise, and especially its leadership,
think differently about how we do business. When we make "SIGINT a team sport" our state of
mind, the rest will follow.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108