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(U//FOUO) Governance: What We've Accomplished
FROM: MG Richard J. Quirk, USA
SIGINT Director
Run Date: 09/06/2006
(U//FOUO) Together, we've made great progress over the last four years, both in terms of
"building out" our SIGINT System to locations worldwide and in terms of managing how that
global system operates. Last year I stated that " The US SIGINT System continues to grow as a
worldwide venture. As it expands, we need a thread that connects all the pieces... Governance is
that thread. " Let's review what we've accomplished to date in the governance arena and
consider what lies ahead.
(U//FOUO) In the last few years, we have taken the following steps to give clear and unified
direction to all of our Extended Enterprise operations around the world:
(S//SI) What are our top missions? For the first time ever, we now have a process for
weighing the varied and conflicting national-level requirements levied on the SIGINT
System and prioritizing them in a systematic way. This is the Mission Discernment
process. The results of this process are published in our monthly Strategic Mission
Lists*.
(S//SI) How are we doing? Having settled on which missions to work through Mission
Discernment, we saw a need to regularly evaluate our performance against those targets
and to look for ways to improve. So, we created the Mission Assessment process. The
results (i.e. how well are we doing against each target, and the prognosis) are regularly
posted in Mission Assessment Briefings.*
(S//SI) How do we distribute our available resources? The third major piece of the
puzzle was the creation of a Mission Apportionment process, by which we decide how
to allocate our limited resources to where they are most needed.
(U//FOUO) The above processes give us an enduring mechanism for steering the SIGINT
System, but there's one area still remaining to be addressed: longer-term US Cryptologic
System (USCS) planning. NSA has been working hard to put in place a Future Mission List to
prioritize those strategic cryptologic missions we believe will be of greatest importance in the
future, and to allow us to start now in acquiring the essential capabilities we will need if we're to
be effective against emerging threats.
(U) Thanks, and Keep Up the Good Work!
(U//FOUO) As you know, I've focused much of my efforts as SIGINT Director on governance
issues, and I'm convinced that the results are worth the effort. It was essential that we
institutionalize a global SIGINT governance system, and many of you -- SIGINT leadership, staff
and analysts - have overcome many obstacles to make this a reality. You have my sincerest
thanks. I urge you to continue to improve and refine these processes as we move into the
future, so that SIGINT will play an ever-more-important role in safeguarding our nation.
*(U//FOUO) Note: The Strategic Mission Lists and Mission Assessment Briefings are available at
the following website: USSS Governance .
(U//FOUO) You may also want to review an earlier series of SIDtoday articles about governance.
"(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