Comments on: Clocks, clouds and homeland security http://www.hlswatch.com/2009/03/11/clocks-clouds-and-homeland-security/ News and analysis of critical issues in homeland security today. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:03:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: William R. Cumming http://www.hlswatch.com/2009/03/11/clocks-clouds-and-homeland-security/comment-page-1/#comment-134553 William R. Cumming Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:33:49 +0000 http://www.hlswatch.com/?p=2065#comment-134553 Postscript! Great article and posting. Note that DHS Regional Office issue direct subject of Congressional mandate to come up with a fix. Neither Ridge nor Chertoff did. Guest just a wicked problem. But hey its a big country and DHS should have strong, effective, and efficient regions. Proper risk management seems to me. Postscript! Great article and posting. Note that DHS Regional Office issue direct subject of Congressional mandate to come up with a fix. Neither Ridge nor Chertoff did. Guest just a wicked problem. But hey its a big country and DHS should have strong, effective, and efficient regions. Proper risk management seems to me.

]]> By: Adam Richardson http://www.hlswatch.com/2009/03/11/clocks-clouds-and-homeland-security/comment-page-1/#comment-134550 Adam Richardson Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:05:03 +0000 http://www.hlswatch.com/?p=2065#comment-134550 Definitely agree that DHS problems (along with most of the big problems the administration is facing these days) are wicked problems. You might be interested in some of the writing I've done on wicked problems -- this is in a business innovation context, but many of the necessary approaches are similar I think. http://designmind.frogdesign.com/articles/fall/wicked-problems.html http://www.richardsona.com/main/category/wicked-problems Definitely agree that DHS problems (along with most of the big problems the administration is facing these days) are wicked problems. You might be interested in some of the writing I’ve done on wicked problems — this is in a business innovation context, but many of the necessary approaches are similar I think.

http://designmind.frogdesign.com/articles/fall/wicked-problems.html
http://www.richardsona.com/main/category/wicked-problems

]]> By: William R. Cumming http://www.hlswatch.com/2009/03/11/clocks-clouds-and-homeland-security/comment-page-1/#comment-134549 William R. Cumming Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:17:54 +0000 http://www.hlswatch.com/?p=2065#comment-134549 WOW! So much possible energy and reform riding on the QHSR! Not likely to happen in my opinion. And where exactly does it stand bureacratically and funding wise and who is making sure it gets done and who will be helping? Glad thoughtful people are still even paying attention to Homeland Security because clearly except for contractors hoping to make a bunch there has been a huge fall off in attention and interest in Congress, the Executive Branch (including programs, functions and activities in both DHS and non-DHS Executive Branch orgs) and STATE and LOCAL governments, NGO's and the average Joe Citizen. Let's call it the way it is--little in the way of effective WMD preparedness, little in the way of other than plans for large-scale catastrophic events--the 12 or 15 key scenarios are still not fleshed out through the full gamut of response and recovery--EPA cutbacks on technical response issues still occuring--as has DOE funding and staffing for many highly difficult technical response issues. Executive Branch org doing the best overall since 9/11 in my judgement is the FCC. Perhaps Juliette Kayyem can update some of the key communications deficiency finds done for Belfer Institute at Kennedy Center early spring 2002. Some of the key reports really need systematic review with report cards to find out where we are. Curiousity--how does DHS generally get technical information out and recieve it on proliferation issues? Again where is Congress? Dining out on the lobbyists I guess. Still little in the way of effective oversight and clear that GAO baseline reports are largely ignored. Too bad because doing quality work given their staff levels and funding. Remarkable really. WOW! So much possible energy and reform riding on the QHSR! Not likely to happen in my opinion. And where exactly does it stand bureacratically and funding wise and who is making sure it gets done and who will be helping?
Glad thoughtful people are still even paying attention to Homeland Security because clearly except for contractors hoping to make a bunch there has been a huge fall off in attention and interest in Congress, the Executive Branch (including programs, functions and activities in both DHS and non-DHS Executive Branch orgs) and STATE and LOCAL governments, NGO’s and the average Joe Citizen. Let’s call it the way it is–little in the way of effective WMD preparedness, little in the way of other than plans for large-scale catastrophic events–the 12 or 15 key scenarios are still not fleshed out through the full gamut of response and recovery–EPA cutbacks on technical response issues still occuring–as has DOE funding and staffing for many highly difficult technical response issues. Executive Branch org doing the best overall since 9/11 in my judgement is the FCC. Perhaps Juliette Kayyem can update some of the key communications deficiency finds done for Belfer Institute at Kennedy Center early spring 2002. Some of the key reports really need systematic review with report cards to find out where we are. Curiousity–how does DHS generally get technical information out and recieve it on proliferation issues? Again where is Congress? Dining out on the lobbyists I guess. Still little in the way of effective oversight and clear that GAO baseline reports are largely ignored. Too bad because doing quality work given their staff levels and funding. Remarkable really.

]]> By: Claire Rubin http://www.hlswatch.com/2009/03/11/clocks-clouds-and-homeland-security/comment-page-1/#comment-134544 Claire Rubin Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:40:54 +0000 http://www.hlswatch.com/?p=2065#comment-134544 Hi Chris: I liked your article -- useful to have a precise definition of "wicked problems," since we face so many of them in this business. Hi Chris:

I liked your article — useful to have a precise definition of “wicked problems,” since we face so many of them in this business.

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