| Summary/Abstract |
Intelligence services—among other entities—must organize information in ways that facilitate their operations. The information technology (IT) that agencies develop follows the contours of how agencies use data in furtherance of their objectives. Therefore, it can be read as a microcosm of agencies writ large. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s use of IT provides a case study of this. IT evolved to serve the needs of individual programs (e.g., counterintelligence, criminal investigations) and only once this had occurred did the FBI begin to develop a corporate enterprise architecture aimed at integrating the organization’s multiple facets. Examining the evolution of the FBI’s IT serves multiple purposes. From a historical perspective it provides insights into the institutional thought process, reflected in IT decisions, that drove operations. It also provides a lens through which to assess future development of IT systems—specifically, how an IT decision will impact the FBI’s culture and ability to effectively carry out its mission.
|