“Integrating intelligence will continue to be the organizing principle for the future,” according to the FY2013 Congressional Budget Justification Book for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.  “The takedown of Usama Bin Ladin provided a prime example of what can be accomplished when the IC [intelligence community] works together toward a single goal, but every day the benefits of integration are visible throughout the IC.”

Unclassified portions of the FY 2013 ODNI budget book, which was submitted to Congress in February 2012, were released by ODNI last week under the Freedom of Information Act.

While most programmatic information and almost all quantitative data were withheld, the redacted document still contains a few points of interest.  For example:

“While we can never eliminate all risk of unauthorized release of classified information,” it states, “structural reforms have been implemented to improve technical security capabilities and information access policies” (p. 2).

ODNI support to the Nuclear Command and Control System is noted (p. 83), as is its support to continuity of government activities (p. 84).

This year the IC Inspector General expects to “develop an IC-wide Whistleblower Protection process and program as required under the National Security Act” (pp. 99-100).

ODNI will “develop and implement an enterprise approach to foreign intelligence liaison relationships” (p. 109) and will “continue to leverage trade associations, key industry partners, NGOs, and academic institutions to improve lines of communication to the IC” (p. 110).

In addition to the FY 2013 document, ODNI also released heavily redacted versions of its budget justification books for FY 2011 and FY 2012.

In his capacity as Security Executive Agent, the DNI is preparing a policy to govern the use of polygraph testing throughout the intelligence community. Judging from an October 2012 draft obtained by Marisa Taylor of McClatchy Newspapers, the new policy consolidates existing practices more than it charts a new course.  See “After criticism, Obama officials quietly craft new polygraph policy,” January 24.

As Security Executive Agent, the DNI is also now responsible for classified information non-disclosure agreements, foreign travel reporting requirements, and other security clearance-related matters.  Last week, ODNI invited public comment on the contents of Standard Form 714, the Financial Disclosure Report which government employees and contractors must submit as a condition of access to certain types of classified information.