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(U//FOUO) Addressing Major Gaps and Shortfalls in DA's Capabilities
FROM:
SID/Deputy Director for Data Acquisition (S3)
Run Date: 12/02/2004
S3 to gather subject-matter experts from across the SIGINT system to think of creative
solutions. (U//FOUO)
(U//FOUO) In one of my recent Data Acquisition Notes to the Workforce, we talked about
various initiatives intended to connect efforts in our line organizations. Today, I want to focus on
the new Data Acquisition (DA) Requirements Process.
(U//FOUO) If you are at all like me, the term "requirements process" itself does not sound like a
tool for creativity and inclusiveness. Nonetheless, that is the goal. This activity is designed to
address major gaps and shortfalls in DA capabilities, ones which can't be handled easily at a
lower level in the organization. It will shepherd development of creative, cross-organizational
strategies for dealing with these issues in an open but disciplined fashion. The resulting plans
will be levied on the appropriate organizations for implementation.
(U//FOUO) The Collection Strategies and Requirements Center (CSRC, S3C) will serve as
Executive Agent for the Requirements Process. In this capacity, the CSRC will work with
appropriate technical leaders to bring together subject-matter experts from across the SIGINT
system and our many partnerships to examine capability gaps and develop a range of options.
Participants are specifically tasked to be open to input and ideas from as wide a field as makes
sense, given the specific problem being addressed. The options they develop will be presented to
the DA Leadership Team for final approval. Approved plans will generally involve multiple
organizations and will be managed in various ways, depending on complexity and scale.
(S//SI) As a pilot project, the first subject-matter experts group, which was assembled in early
October, will address the challenges associated with Pick-Your-Own-Number VOIP services . The
group has been meeting biweekly to create a strategy to deal effectively with this technology in
the SIGINT system. The alternatives and recommendations will be presented to the DA
Leadership for approval and tasking. Additional topics are currently being consolidated and will
be presented to a board of DA Technical Directors for vetting in early December.
(U//FOUO) Formal documentation of requirements and the transparent reporting of the status
and progress of their development is an integral element of this disciplined approach. Webenabled applications are the perfect tools for providing visibility into key requirements actions.
Even in this early stage, you can view the requirements process online on the CSRC web page
"go CSRC."
(U//FOUO) Each DA group has invested considerable time and resources in establishing its own
requirements processes. The Data Acquisition process is designed to dovetail with, not
supersede, the group-level requirements processes. It will dovetail equally well with Extended
Enterprise requirements processes throughout the SIGINT system.
(U//FOUO) In summary, we hope this will help us bring coordinated SIGINT power to bear on
our hardest and most complex problems. Participation and feedback are encouraged!
"(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