Intelligence Community

Information Environment (IC IE)

Data Strategy

2017-2021

IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021 i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ii MESSAGE FROM THE DNI

iii MESSAGE FROM THE IC CDO AND IC ISSE 

1 INTRODUCTION

2 VISION, MISSION, OPERATING PRINCIPLES

3 STRATEGIC GOALS

4 Goal 1: Develop and Institutionalize a Strategic Data Framework Across the Multifabric IC Information Environment 

6 Goal 2: Ensure Data is Appropriately Protected, Shared, and Handled Across All Fabrics

7 Goal 3: Create, Resource, and Leverage Secured, Scalable and Shared Data Services 

that Meet the IC’s Needs for Variety, Velocity, Volume, and Veracity

8 Goal 4: Champion a Culture that Encourages and Rewards Data-Centric Behaviors that 

Effectively Balance Sharing and Safeguarding

11 THE WAY AHEAD FOR STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION
ii IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021

MESSAGE FROM THE DNI
IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021 iii

MESSAGE FROM THE IC CDO AND IC ISSE

In today’s “big data” world, the Intelligence Community is acquiring, collecting, creating, and 

disposing of more data1 than ever. For this information to be useful, we must rely less on our 

historic approach of using bilateral sharing agreements that constrain its use along organizational 

boundaries, and more on leveraging data services as the means to enforce all data handling and 

usage requirements for authorized IC personnel. We must no longer replicate data for different 

missions or disparate systems constrained by individual programs of record, but take advantage 

of our big data platforms to leverage all data that will help us gain insights. 

This strategy describes a new approach to managing Data as an IC Asset – that is, maximizing 

use of data that may be relevant to one or more IC element for intelligence purposes. 

Interdisciplinary use of the IC’s vast collection of intelligence information is critical to produce 

timely, accurate, thorough, and integrated intelligence positions. To do this, we will “free the data” 

by removing its current dependencies on IC element applications, systems, and databases, thus 

allowing it to be cataloged, self-described, and discoverable by automated means. Just as 

important, we will ensure that we apply safeguards and applicable legal and policy requirements 

for handling, use, and dissemination consistently across the enterprise.

This strategy document describes the overarching vision, mission, and objectives to make the 

right data available to the right people, at the right time and, in the right form to enable data- and 

analytic-driven decisions for our intelligence mission. This IC Information Environment (IC IE) 2

Data Strategy is grounded in public and private sector best practices and the principles presented 

by IC Directive (ICD) 501, Discovery and Dissemination or Retrieval of Information within the IC; 

ICD 121, Managing the IC Information Environment; and the National Intelligence Strategy. The 

goals and objectives described in the strategy will be used to guide the creation of implementation 

plans.

The IC CDO and the IC ISSE partner with IC elements to realize an IC-wide strategic direction is 

set forth for IC enterprise data and information sharing. Through the IC CDO Council and the 

Information Sharing Steering Committee, we will oversee and prioritize implementation of the 

principles described in this IC IE Data Strategy.

Stephen D. Prosser James A. Smith

Intelligence Community Chief Data Officer Intelligence Community Information

Sharing and Safeguarding Executive

1 Within this document, the term, “data” means data and information categorized as either mission or business.

2 Within this document, the IC IE refers to individuals, organizations and Information Technology capabilities that 

collect, process or share Sensitive Compartmented Information, or that, regardless of classification, are operated by 

the IC. 
iv IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021

The proposals and improvements in this document will materially improve the 

intelligence value extracted from all the data we acquire, create, collect, process, 

disseminate, use, store, and archive.
IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021 1

INTRODUCTION

Informed decisions based on accurate, timely, insightful, and objective analysis are critical to 

provide the front-line of defense against threats to the U.S. and its global partners. The IC is a 

critical component of the national security structure that provides the information necessary to 

address those threats. The intent of this IC IE Data Strategy is to guide the IC toward a common, 

more secure, and more integrated enterprise by leveraging the vision and framework of the IC IE 

to operationalize a data-centric community. The Strategy sets out goals and objectives for datacentricity that call upon IC elements to place mission and business data at the center of every 

plan to drive mission success. 

The goal of the IC IE Data Strategy is to ensure the right data gets to the right people at the right 

time in the right form. Today’s challenges require new approaches to IC operations and mission 

support. Our nation continues to confront challenges posed by globalization, the blurring of foreign 

and domestic threats, and demand for speed-of-decision required by the overlap of intelligence 

and operations. Evolving cyber threats have also focused attention on the need to protect 

personal identifiable information, regardless of source, from unauthorized users. The challenges 

of delivering data must be addressed in a dynamic environment characterized by differing 

approaches to both formal and informal interagency collaboration, and different authorities to 

acquire, collect, curate, retain, and share data. These processes operate against a backdrop of 

unabated growth in information. A majority of IC data is also tightly coupled with the data 

management and mission-analytic capabilities of IC element-specific systems. Ultimately, 

achieving data-centricity will require separation of the data from these applications. 

ICD 501 directs that IC elements have the “responsibility to provide” and authorized IC personnel 

have the “responsibility to discover and request” data that can contribute to their assigned 

mission. This sharing imperative also applies to law enforcement, the rest of government, and our 

international partners. To instill these disciplines in the IC, we must foster a culture where our 

people maximize the value of data across the IC, and have the tools and abilities to effectively 

use it. In a data-driven culture, data is the concern of every employee, not just data architects, 

scientists, and providers; it further requires placing data sharing at the center of all forms of 

decision-making. 

Expanding the overall value of IC data that may be relevant to one or more IC elements for 

intelligence purposes requires a common operating model that describes and incentivizes the 

adoption of rules for acquisition, sharing, discovery, access, and use. A secure, fully data-centric 

environment will separate data from applications, and make data available to a broad range of 

tools and analytics within and across security domains for enrichment and discovery. The 

environment must embrace a more disciplined approach to intelligence integration by ensuring 

that data is sharable, discoverable, accessible, retrievable, and protected. Finally, the IC needs 

to evolve its governance process to manage policy, standards, and prioritization of shared data 

management resources. Rather than individual sharing agreements, IC elements should utilize 

multilateral arrangements where appropriate, and rely more on data services as a means to 

enforce all of the legal and policy requirements governing access, use, dissemination, or retention 

of information. 

Intelligence integration is more important than ever, and establishing an IC framework for realizing 

the principle of Data as an IC Asset will enable a full range of data and mission uses.
2 IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021

VISION:

The right data to the right people

at the right time.

MISSION:

Make IC data discoverable, accessible,

and usable at the speed of mission.

OPERATING PRINCIPLES:

Mission First

Make decisions based on intelligence mission needs.

Leadership

Provide strategic leadership across the IC.

Partnership

Achieve unity of effort through teamwork, collaboration, and transparency.

Innovation

Leverage technology to increase effectiveness and drive efficiency.

Achievement

Deliver an integrated, secure enterprise to satisfy the highest mission priorities.
IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021 3

STRATEGIC GOALS

Develop and institutionalize a strategic data framework across the multi-fabric IC 

Information Environment

Free data so it can be discovered, accessed, linked, and used independently by 

mission applications and common IC services. Align and strengthen policies and 

practices toward a shared vision to leverage Community investments to increase 

standardization, efficiency and interoperability. 

Ensure data is appropriately protected, shared, and handled across all fabrics

Promote a common approach for security and privacy that advances secure, cross 

domain sharing of data.

Create and resource scalable shared data services that meet the IC’s needs for 

variety, velocity, volume, and veracity

Provide leadership on strategic needs for shared data services throughout the data 

life cycle. Develop integrated governance and management processes that promote 

standards-based services that are technical enablers for new and innovative methods 

for using data to accelerate the pace and quality of analytic insight. Free our data 

scientists to do data science, not data wrangling.

Foster a culture that champions, encourages, and rewards data-centric behaviors that 

effectively balance sharing and safeguarding

Advocate for information sharing across the IC and reduce unnecessary barriers that 

impede discovery, access, trust, and usability. Promote effective data stewardship by 

shaping education, awareness, training, and development to reinforce data-centric 

behavior. Strengthen and leverage industry, academia, and government partnerships 

to accelerate innovation in tradecraft to meet mission needs.
4 IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021

STRATEGIC GOAL

Develop and institutionalize a Strategic Data Framework across the multi-fabric IC 

Information Environment

The reliance of IC element analysts and users on incomplete or constrained sets of data precludes 

the discovery of contrary, supportive, or enhanced information held by others. This limits fullyinformed analysis and decision-making. Historically, IC elements have protected their data by 

isolating it in silos, and managing it for IC element-specific missions. Freed data can be 

discovered, accessed, linked, and used independently by mission applications and common IC 

services that leverage multiple databases and analytic environments. Removing unnecessary 

barriers to sharing will allow the IC to realize the full potential of the data it acquires, collects, or 

creates. As the data applied to intelligence problems continues to increase in volume, variety, and 

velocity, the IC has a tremendous opportunity to improve the scope and scale of discoverability 

to enable greater information sharing that leads to intelligence insights. Engaging with 

stakeholders, to include collectors, analysts, data scientists, and IT professionals, will allow the 

Community to understand its challenges. Engagement also allows the IC to develop processes, 

standards, and techniques to integrate diverse sources of data that can have unique handling, 

safeguarding, and intelligence oversight needs. 

OBJECTIVES:

Establish a common reference data architecture

Develop and reach Community agreement on a data architecture that provides detailed 

architectural information in compatible formats to enable solutions to be repeatedly designed and 

deployed in a consistent, high-quality, and supportable fashion. The architecture will establish 

standards that are scalable and agile, built on the concept of data-centricity to facilitate extraction 

of data in multiple formats, and apply to a range of uses as internal and external needs change.

Create a common data management lexicon 

Connect the language of data management across the IC through agreed-upon understanding of 

the terms and definitions for data management. Encourage the use of best practices and widelyused industry standards to improve the fidelity of terminology so that activities inherent to, and 

supporting, the IC can communicate effectively.

Develop ontology strategy

The diversity of data sources used by the IC creates a challenge to the process of managing or 

aggregating data. Adopting consistent ontologies mitigates this challenge by providing a 

mechanism to enhance the available descriptions for IC data assets into domains or subject 
IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021 5

areas. The IC will develop an ontology strategy that includes goals, evaluation criteria, processes, 

and success factors to achieve greater mission effectiveness from combined data. The IC 

ontology strategy will guide formal naming conventions and the definition of common data types, 

properties, and interrelationships, which will serve as the basis for processing IC data for 

integration. Resulting outcomes will balance fidelity, accuracy, and completeness against 

practical constraints and resources.

Leverage and enhance common standards to enable discovery, access, and use 

of data 

Champion efforts across the IC to achieve an agreed-upon, interoperable, comprehensive datatagging methodology that complies with IC standards for core data-management functions, and 

can be tailored to mission-specific uses. Incorporated data tagging and metadata standards are 

essential to data interoperability. 

Align IC policies and practices with the IC IE Data Strategy

Ensure the tenets laid out in this data strategy are incorporated consistently into new or modified 

policies and practices. Govern and manage IC enterprise data, and evaluate IC element policies, 

procedures, and practices needed to achieve success. Standardize policies, procedures, and 

practices to the extent possible, consistent with the foundation formed by the common data 

management lexicon. The IC should also provide maximum transparency and coordination with 

relevant oversight bodies regarding the collection and use of data.

Map data management rules to authorities and policies and ensure the rules are 

machine-executable 

Agree on and synchronize a core set of data management rules or standards among IC elements. 

This core set would establish a foundation to automate effective capabilities and business 

processes that control and protect data in accordance with all relevant authorities and policies.

Ensure the achievement of mandated IC-wide sharing objectives through the 

adoption of multilateral agreements in place of bilateral sharing arrangements

Replace historical reliance on bilateral data sharing agreements with more transparent, reliable, 

replicable, and manageable multilateral agreements to support sharing among IC elements, and 

between elements and Non-Title 50 Agencies. For acquired data, implement the principles 

described in ODNI Executive Correspondence 2017-00342, Guiding Principles to Enable IC 

Sharing of Acquired Data.
6 IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021

STRATEGIC GOAL

Ensure data is appropriately protected, shared, and handled across all fabrics 

Data should be available to any IC employee who is cleared for access and has an appropriate 

need-to-know, and enable the IC employee to assess if the information is of possible relevance 

to their assigned mission. At the same time, data must be safeguarded, sources and methods 

protected, and the civil liberties and privacy of U.S. persons respected. As appropriate, the IC will 

identify and mitigate technical, operational, and policy barriers to data access for those who 

support and conduct IC missions. The IC will promote policies and practices that enhance cross 

domain discovery and attribute-based access controls for both individuals and non-person 

entities, with a consistent focus on both information sharing and protection. Effective intelligence 

support for the nation’s security requires a resilient, documented, and scalable foundation 

comprised of shared best practices, common standards, and innovative technologies.

OBJECTIVES:

Establish and guide secure data access across multiple security fabrics 

Ensure a common understanding and implementation of access control rules, including use, 

policy, and safeguards. Better resolve mission challenges with data discovery and access by 

making more informed decisions that consider both mission needs and information protection 

concerns. Provide guidance for the authority, classification, and use of data and information that 

is integrated, aggregated, compiled, or fused.

Advocate common access control and auditing frameworks

Resolve present bilateral and multilateral sharing impediments based on differences in auditing 

requirements and controls. Automate controls that establish a common approach for access and 

handling controls for authorized users to protect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The 

ODNI will collaborate with IC elements to build a durable framework for use, policy, and security 

that can be applied uniformly.

Drive adoption and integration of a common attribute architecture 

IC elements will work through the Identification, Authentication, and Authorization (IAA) Program 

Office and attribute providers (entitlement management, etc.) to drive common adoption for a 

given security fabric and consistent integration across security fabrics.

Champion the development and adoption of an IC data risk mitigation approach 

Adopt a common data risk mitigation framework to identify and help manage areas of risk 

throughout the complete data life cycle. An approach to associating risk and safeguarding 

requirements to specific types of intelligence information will be critical to ensure the IC IE 

provides the desired automation to benefit mission.
IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021 7

STRATEGIC GOAL

Create and resource scalable shared data services that meet the IC’s needs for 

variety, velocity, and volume

Data services are critical to ensuring access to data for appropriate use, wherever it is located. 

Data services must mature in order to provide services such as ingesting, conditioning, 

cataloging, and indexing to maximize sharing and appropriate use of capabilities. The IC will 

provide an interoperable set of end-to-end data services to maximize efficiency and utility for data 

consumers. IC elements should rely more on data services as a means to enforce all of the legal 

and policy requirements governing access, use, dissemination, or retention of information.

OBJECTIVES:

Drive the implementation of shared data services and supporting governance 

Direct the development and implementation of IC IE core data services that enable full life cycle 

management to meet data provider and consumer needs. Provide guidance for critical, strategic 

data capabilities to promote, manage, expose, and sustain interoperable, platform-independent 

enterprise services. Establish an integrated governance process to identify and prioritize data 

service requirements gathered from the Community. Ensure services adhere to IC data standards 

of consistency, interoperability, and maximum utility. 

Advocate for data services that support cross domain solutions 

Traditional cross domain processes have been challenging and time-consuming, with limited 

capabilities. Seek, develop, and advocate for secure, scalable, low-latency cross domain services 

for near-real-time transfer of bulk data and service requests across all fabrics.

Ensure IC data is cataloged 

Ensure all IC datasets are discoverable unless exempted from discovery by ODNI in accordance 

with IC Policy Guidance 501.1, Exemption of Information from Discovery. Designate mechanisms 

to centrally catalog all IC data in an authoritative, machine-interpretable repository. Ensure the 

catalog enables dataset-level discovery, de-confliction of data acquisition efforts and duplication, 

and tags reflecting legal, security, data sharing, and use policies. As data is further disseminated 

and as access rules change, data stewards will update the catalog to reflect updated policies 

associated with each data set. 

Foster sharing and reuse of validated algorithms, analytics, and related tradecraft

Champion the cataloging, sharing, and reuse of proven analytics, algorithms, and tradecraft 

across the IC IE. Expose and share procedures and capabilities that act on IC data whenever 

possible. Leverage emerging best practices in the IC, government, industry, and academia to 

support innovation in advanced analytics.
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STRATEGIC GOAL

Champion a culture that encourages, and rewards data-centric behaviors that 

effectively balance sharing and safeguarding

The IC must evolve a culture that serves the best interests of the Community and maximizes 

information sharing, while ensuring appropriate protections and safeguards are in place. Rooted 

in the principle of Data as an IC Asset, cultural and structural barriers that inhibit data sharing 

must be overcome. Embrace data stewardship as a shared responsibility across the entire data 

life cycle, and apply consistent data management to lower barriers to data access. Educate the 

IC workforce to meet these mission needs in a data-centric environment. Accelerate the 

development of innovative methods and technologies with strategic partnerships among industry, 

academia, and government that will foster experimentation and innovation.

OBJECTIVES:

Place data at the center of conversations about mission success 

Recognize that making data the foundation of all activities is a major Community transformation. 

Accept that meeting the challenges of cultural and process change depends on higher levels of 

cooperation and trust among IC elements. Develop and execute a strategic communications 

campaign based on stakeholder needs. Convey the need for sharing data across the IC in support 

of intelligence integration, and acknowledge the need to break down cultural and structural 

barriers that impede data-centricity. Build awareness of the entire data life cycle. Promote 

processes that consider their life cycle impact to data prior to its collection or acquisition to reduce 

duplication and realize economies of scale. Bring IC personnel at all levels to view data-centric 

concepts as shared responsibilities, and communicate this new strategic viewpoint as essential 

for fully realizing the potential of Data as an IC Asset.

Establish a common operating model that incentivizes and rewards sharing and 

adoption of rules for discovery, access, and subsequent use of data

Identify and reduce unnecessary cultural and structural barriers that prevent data sharing and/or 

data integration that no longer serve the best interests of the Community. Define a common 

operating model that supports the IC’s needs for discovery, access, and use. Promote 

organizational behaviors that support data-centricity for collected, processed, and acquired data. 

Encourage IC elements to incentivize and reward leadership and workforce behaviors that 

observe IC data-centric management principles, practices, and standards.
IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021 9

Establish data-related roles and responsibilities to support the complete data life 

cycle

Create and leverage standards for roles and responsibilities that guide the execution of data life 

cycle activities across the IC, in accordance with relevant guidance. Align data-related roles and 

responsibilities to a common data lexicon that encompasses data science, data management, 

information security, civil liberties and privacy, and information management by the workforce. 

Establish and sustain relationships with data providers and consumers to understand the 

challenges they face, and define the skills and competencies required. Drive the integration of 

roles and responsibilities into the workflows of consumers, producers, analysts, information 

technologists, and policy professionals.

Shape data-related education, awareness, training, and development 

Advance the data-related knowledge and skills of the IC workforce by facilitating the development 

and sustainment of education, training, and awareness programs for collectors, data stewards, 

data engineers, data scientists, library scientists, archivists, and others who play a role in the data 

life cycle. Identify specific competencies, occupations, and career paths, and guide career 

development to support the data workforce. Leverage academic and industry partnerships, and 

IC centers of excellence, to develop data-related workforce training and awareness programs. 

Use the results of stakeholder needs analysis to improve strategies to promote awareness and 

understanding of effective stewardship behaviors across the data life cycle. 

Harness expertise of government, industry, academia, and international partners 

Enhance partnerships with government, industry, academia, and the international community so 

that the variety and availability of data meets the national security challenges now and in the 

future. Develop new relationships and feedback loops with data providers and consumers to 

improve the IC’s ability to accurately understand and measure mission user needs. When 

appropriate, collaborate with partners across the whole of government to align data-related 

initiatives that harmonize polices, standards, guidelines, and technical specifications while 

minimizing barriers and maximizing data sharing to intelligence missions.
10 IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021
IC IE DATA STRATEGY – 2017-2021 11

THE WAY AHEAD FOR STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION

Implementing the IC IE Data Strategy is an evolving process that requires collaboration across a 

range of policy, governance, management, mission engagement, and technical needs. This 

evolution consists of consensus building focused on championing IC element successes into 

Community successes. IC elements help drive successes in areas of common concern guided by 

the leadership of the DNI, IC CDO, and IC ISSE with support from ODNI components. IC elements 

will continue to implement agency-level data life cycle-related activities in accordance with all 

applicable legal and policy requirements, including those pertaining to the protection of privacy 

and civil liberties.

Even though IC data is dispersed across the IC IE, and in IC element-unique environments, it 

must nevertheless be discoverable, accessible, retrievable, and protected for a full range of uses. 

As the demand for integrated intelligence continues to expand, the Community’s achievement of 

a data-driven culture will better enable the insights essential to overcoming our most pressing 

challenges. 

Across its workforce, the IC must evolve and promote training and awareness to produce dataliterate employees who can identify trends, visualize results, and communicate about how 

commingled data supports a particular analysis or intelligence insight. Success demands that the

IC build and incentivize agility and flexibility into how the workforce responds to changes in 

technology and mission needs, which will drive changes to how the IC adapts, collaborates, 

creates, and adopts a data-centric culture.

Strategic partnerships between data providers and consumers are a cornerstone of this strategy, 

enabling a shared understanding of the unique mission challenges users face in every analytic 

and decision-making environment. Fully realizing a data-driven culture will require the strong 

foundation of a continuing commitment from senior leadership across the IC to drive the 

transformation necessary to achieve shared responsibility for the data life cycle.

The execution of this strategy requires consistent governance, collaborative assessment, and 

continuous process improvement to demonstrate progress against the goals and objectives. The 

IC CDO and the IC ISSE collaborate with IC elements to realize an IC-wide strategic direction for 

enterprise data and information sharing. The IC CDO Council and the Information Sharing 

Steering Committee are the two primary governance bodies who will oversee and prioritize 

implementation of the principles in the IC IE Data Strategy.
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IC IE DATA STRATEGY

2017-2021