The Obama Administration has launched two new series of Presidential directives on national security policy. Presidential Policy Directives (PPDs) will define and direct the implementation of new presidential policies. Presidential Study Directives (PSDs) will initiate policy review and development procedures.
Presidential Study Directive-1 (pdf), issued February 23, 2009, is entitled “Organizing for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.”
The new PPD and PSD documents will succeed and replace directives known as National Security Presidential Directives (NSPDs) in the previous Administration.
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.