|
The harrowing attacks of 9/11 affected Americans in many ways. Five years later we continue to be affected; from increased security in air travel to growing immigration issues to daily terror alert updates. Naturally it also had a monumental impact on our Intelligence Community. The 9/11 investigations and resulting commission reports spurred Congress to create the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) through the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA). Though the concept of a central intelligence office originated in numerous intelligence studies stretching back to 1955, it was not until April 21, 2005 that the President swore in Ambassador John D. Negroponte as the first Director of National Intelligence and the ODNI began operating April 22.
ODNI’s role is to serve as the central head of the Intelligence Community. The ODNI also acts as the primary advisor to the President, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council on issues relating to national security. In short, the ODNI is charged with overseeing and coordinating the diverse foreign and domestic activities of the US Intelligence Community.
To more effectively combat terrorism, information must be shared between agencies, not maintained in insulated silos. Therefore under the IRTPA, the President directed resources and information to be shared across federal, state, local, tribal governments and the private sector. The Program Manager responsible for information sharing across the federal government is also designated by the President and housed under the ODNI, further consolidating and integrating the Intelligence Community.
Today the ODNI has 16 US intelligence agency members which are composed of approximately 100,000 employees (military and civilian). One result of this intelligence reform is an unprecedented renewal of the Intelligence Community civilian workforce and a resulting surge in hiring, training and deployment. The growth has been so rapid and urgent that more than 30% of the workforce has only five or less years of service. This startling statistic necessitated a new approach and view of leadership within the Intelligence Community. According to Ambassador Negroponte, intelligence agencies are increasing their leadership expectations of all new employees and are departing from the more traditional “command and control” format of leadership. In addition, a more modernized performance-based pay system is being developed to replace the more dated longevity-based compensation system.
ODNI reports, strategic plans, and speeches by Ambassador Negroponte consistently emphasis the need for organizational agility; individual accountability; recruiting and rewarding the brightest talent; and collaboration between agencies and the public, private and governmental entities that feed and inform the Intelligence Community.
By pushing the US Intelligence Community to do
more and to do it differently, The ODNI is striving
to ensure the safety and freedoms of the American
people are better protected.
|
