DoJ National Security Division Oversight Initiative
The Department of Justice National Security Division (NSD) “has dramatically broadened the scope of its national security oversight role,” according to a Department news release.
“The National Security Division plays a vital role in ensuring that national security investigations are conducted properly and with respect for the civil liberties and privacy interests of Americans,” said Matt Olsen, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Intelligence. “Our enhanced oversight efforts over the past year represent a solid foundation from which we will continue to build as we work with the FBI and other intelligence agencies to achieve this goal.”
The news release is silent on the results, if any, of the new oversight reviews performed by NSD personnel.
But Division spokesman Dean Boyd told Secrecy News generally that “These reviews were designed to identify compliance issues and they have served that purpose. Where they have identified issues, the reviews have helped provide the factual basis to take appropriate follow-up action.”
In a year when management issues like human capital, IT modernization, and improper payments have received greater attention from the public, examining this PMA tells us a lot about where the Administration’s policy is going to be focused through its last three years.
Congress must enact a Digital Public Infrastructure Act, a recognition that the government’s most fundamental responsibility in the digital era is to provide a solid, trustworthy foundation upon which people, businesses, and communities can build.
To increase the real and perceived benefit of research funding, funding agencies should develop challenge goals for their extramural research programs focused on the impact portion of their mission.
Without trusted mechanisms to ensure privacy while enabling secure data access, essential R&D stalls, educational innovation stalls, and U.S. global competitiveness suffers.