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(U//FOUO) New NSA Foreign Affairs Corporate Board Kicks Off
FROM:
FAD's SIGINT Operations Group (DP1)
Run Date: 11/30/2005
(U//FOUO) On 4 October, Gary Grantham, NSA's Principal Director for Foreign Affairs (PDFA),
chaired the inaugural meeting of the new NSA/CSS Foreign Affairs Corporate Board. Gary set up
this Board at the request of the SIGINT Director to:
address strategic issues in our foreign affairs programs,
ensure that our corporate leaders understand our goals and objectives, and
identify the necessary support structures and processes to improve our performance.
(U//FOUO) The Board will meet at least quarterly and includes the leadership of SID, IAD, ITD,
OGC, ADET, SAE, CFM, ADS&CI, ADHRS, NCSC, and NTOC**.
(S) With nearly 100 percent representation at the first meeting, the Board members affirmed
the value of this forum for facilitating holistic resources synchronization, developing strategies,
and integrating corporate approaches to major issues. DP1/Strategic Directions briefed the
Board on its initiative with SID to develop foreign partner metrics. As background, Gary stated
that, in FY2005, FAD's budget was $33 million. Last quarter, foreign partners contributed
to 44.63 percent of the SIGINT product. But reporting and collection metrics only go so far.
Strategic Directions noted that they are concentrating on how to capture all facets of partner
contributions, such as aspects of enabling through access, processing and training, for more
accurate measurements.
(S) These metrics will help form a more complete picture of a partner's contributions, as well as
project potential. This, in turn, supports strategic planning that complements SID's desires
to move foreign partners "up" the reference model, maybe even to the point of
disseminating product directly to customers. Charlie Meals, Deputy Director of SID, echoed
that sentiment, noting that most of our relations with Third Parties have tended to focus on
collection. SID wants more partners doing reporting. One idea is to embed a small number of
Agency analysts at partner locations to help the partner develop analytic and reporting skills.
Implementing this idea would necessitate addressing security, finance, and other issues.
(S) After presenting the FAD-SID metrics project, FAD asked attendees to consider what metrics
are meaningful in their lines of business and what topics should be considered for future
meetings. Dan Wolf, IAD Director, voiced a need to talk about the information assurance piece
and metrics that relate to IAD, as well as issues that affect both SIGINT and IA. As an example,
he mentioned the work IAD is doing on cryptography and the EU vs NATO balance and the
tradeoffs that need to be discussed. Deputy General Counsel Vito Potenza suggested the Board
look at our options in handling government-government vice industry-industry technology
transfer issues. Gary noted there is still no national policy on computer network operations.
People in FAD are asking what they can say to partners. Charlie observed that, if NSA does not
address the CNO needs of our partners, they will go elsewhere.
(U//FOUO) PDFA wrapped up discussions with an observation that each of the issues discussed
at the Board's first meeting involves the organizations at the table. Everyone who has a role
needs to understand the issues the Agency needs for a corporate way ahead. So, by acclamation
of those present, the members returned to the need for corporate planning for partnerships that
contribute to cryptologic knowledge space and the purpose of this new Board. Together the
Board will develop corporate measurements, strategies and objectives for decision making and
the execution of plans that will ultimately improve partner support to the NSA/CSS mission.
** (U//FOUO) Notes:
IAD = Information Assurance Directorate
ITD = Information Technology Directorate
OGC = Office of the General Counsel
ADET = Associate Directorate for Education and Training
SAE = Senior Acquisition Executive
CFM = Chief Financial Manager
ADS&CI = Associate Directorate for Security and Counterintelligence
ADHRS = Associate Directorate for Human Resources
NCSC = NSA/CSS Commercial Solutions Center
NTOC = NSA/CSS Threat Operations Center
(U//FOUO) This article is reprinted from the Foreign Affairs Digest, October edition.
"(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