Intelligence Community 

Information Technology Enterprise 

Strategy

2012-2017

Office of the Intelligence Community Chief Information Officer

Leading Intelligence Integration

Table of Contents

Letter from the DNI ..............................................................ii

Letter from the CIO .............................................................iii

Introduction........................................................................ 1

Vision, Mission, Operating Principles....................................... 3

Strategic Goals.................................................................... 4

Goal 1: Fortify the Foundation............................................. 5

Goal 2: Deliver User-Focused Capabilities ............................. 6

Goal 3: Operate as an IC Enterprise..................................... 7

Goal 4: Establish Effective Governance and Oversight ............ 8

Goal 5: Forge Strategic Partnerships .................................... 9

Way Ahead for Strategy Implementation................................11

IC IT Enterprise Strategy 2012 - 2017

Leading Intelligence Integration
Message from the DNI

As members of the IC, we protect the homeland by providing critical information to our customers, 

from the White House to the foxhole. We enable our customers to make informed critical policy decisions 

across the spectrum of our national interests, in a rapidly shifting international security landscape.

The core function of ODNI is intelligence integration; everything else we do revolves around, supports, 

and enables that function. Successful integration requires a global IT infrastructure through which the 

IC can rapidly and reliably share intelligence with those who need it.

This IC ITE Strategy directly supports the ODNI strategic initiative of delivering world-class global 

services that are always functioning, accessible, and take full advantage of agile and efficient mission 

capabilities. However, this infrastructure is much more than hardware, software, data, and networks. It also 

encompasses the policies, procedures, and strategies that drive responsible and secure information sharing.

This strategy lays the groundwork that will enhance our ability to share information – through improved 

infrastructure, capabilities, business operations, governance, oversight, and strategic partnerships.

I have charged the IC CIO with implementing these efforts in a way that strikes the right balance 

between providing mission agility, strengthening information sharing, maintaining information security, 

and meeting unique customer requirements. This is no small task; and it will take the support of all 

IC elements and ODNI offices to implement this strategy. I don’t expect this to be a panacea for 

intelligence integration, but I am cautiously optimistic this will enable all of the integration initiatives 

underway throughout the IC.

Ultimately, mission success depends on our diverse workforce bringing forth and implementing 

innovative ideas that are linked to the National Intelligence Strategy and the IC ITE Strategy. In doing 

so, we enable our mission partners, warfighters, and decision makers to have secure and timely information 

that helps them meet mission needs and keep our nation secure. That is our number one priority.

James R. Clapper

Director of National Intelligence

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

ii
iii

Message from the IC CIO

In 2011, the DNI, with IC leaders, approved an ambitious new and more efficient direction for planning, 

developing, and operating Intelligence Community IT. This direction, which we are calling IC ITE (for 

Enterprise), paves the way for a fundamental shift to operation as a IC-level IT Enterprise. We are being 

asked to change our historical agency IT models to a new common architecture - one that, through 

shared services, will become our future, single strategic IT platform for the IC. 

Our new IC IT architecture will enable better integration of the IC and build trust in information 

sharing. Missions will benefit from improved agility, scalability, and security while realizing lower 

operating costs. We will employ cloud technologies, wide-spread virtualization, thin-client desktops, 

application stores and improved security as we evolve to a modern, data-centric IC IT Enterprise. 

This strategic plan outlines five major goals that will guide us as we achieve our vision of an Integrated 

Intelligence Enterprise. Over the next five years, we will focus our resources and work plans on these 

goals. It will take our collective effort to achieve them and deliver, to mission, our new IC IT Enterprise. 

We effectively demonstrated the power of joint planning as we worked together the past 9 months to 

define a realizable Enterprise implementation strategy. This same joint model will be necessary as we 

go forward - it is the new standard, the new normal, for how we plan, design and operate IT, as a single 

IC-level enterprise, in the future.

Al Tarasiuk

Intelligence Community Chief Information Officer

Assistant Director of National Intelligence

IC IT Enterprise Strategy 2012 - 2017

Leading Intelligence Integration

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IC IT Enterprise Strategy 2012 - 2017

Leading Intelligence Integration

The Intelligence Community Chief Information Officer (IC CIO) is accountable for overall 

formulation, development, and management of the IC Information Technology (IT) Enterprise 

(hereinafter referred to as the “IC IT Enterprise”). Contributions of the IC ITE to achieving 

intelligence mission success cannot be overstated; the IC ITE is the enabling foundation for intelligence 

missions from the White House to the foxhole. It is imperative that information technology provide 

intelligence professionals, wherever they are, with the ability to efficiently and effectively discover, 

access, and exploit data. Additionally, the IC ITE must provide exceptional data protection and offer 

innovative methods for organizing and managing intelligence information such that appropriate 

analysts, and ultimately decision-makers, are able to exploit data critical to the intelligence mission.

This IC ITE Strategy aligns with the National Intelligence Strategy objective to “radically improve 

the application of information technology [to] meet the responsibility to provide information and 

intelligence, while at the same time protect against compromise.” (NIS, Enterprise Objective 4). This 

IC ITE Strategy focuses on enabling greater integration, greater information sharing and safeguarding, 

and on reducing operational costs by implementing a new IC IT architecture. This architecture presents 

an opportunity to emphasize rigor and standardization across program planning activities to prioritize, 

inform, and resource National Intelligence Program (NIP) investment decisions. 

Workforce analysis and investment are essential to meet evolving intelligence mission requirements. 

We must assess our existing programmatic and technical expertise, and attract and hire (or grow) 

an agile, high-performance workforce that understands the depth and breadth of the intelligence 

mission to more effectively identify and implement seamless, secure enterprise solutions to mission 

requirements. We must develop new avenues for increased educational and career-broadening 

opportunities to promote and sustain this workforce.

 

The IC ITE implementation challenges we face require committed, integrated, community-wide efforts:

• to design, develop, and deploy needed mission capabilities; 

• to enable secure information sharing; and 

• to engage and sustain a highly skilled, innovative, and high-performance, workforce.

This Intelligence Community Information Technology Enterprise Strategy will guide the IC 

IT community during the next five years. It describes a vision, strategic goals, objectives, and 

implementation approach to move us from a collection of agency-centric enterprises to a single, secure, 

coherent, mutually-operated, and integrated IC IT Enterprise.

Introduction

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IC IT Enterprise Strategy 2012 - 2017

Leading Intelligence Integration

An Integrated Intelligence Enterprise

To enable intelligence collection, analysis, and sharing through innovative,

robust, and secure IT capabilities

Vision

Mission

Mission First. Make decisions based on intelligence mission needs.

Lead. Provide strategic leadership to the IC.

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

Innovate. Leverage technology to increase effectiveness and drive efficiency.

Achieve. Deliver to the highest mission priorities with an integrated systems view.

•

•

•

•

•

Operating Principles
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Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Strategic Goal 1: Fortify the Foundation: Define, develop, implement, and sustain 

a single, standards-based, interoperable, secure, and survivable IC IT Enterprise architecture that 

accomplishes mission objectives, and yet substantially increases efficiencies and safeguards across the 

enterprise, encompassing all security domains. 

Strategic Goal 2: Deliver User-Focused Capabilities: Provide seamless, secure 

enterprise solutions for trusted collaboration - people to people, people to data, and data to data - 

delivering user experiences that enhance mission success while ensuring protection of intelligence 

assets and information.

Strategic Goal 3: Operate as an IC Enterprise: Adopt an operating model that employs 

standards, common business practices, commodity IT, and joint Community teams to deliver and 

sustain common enterprise services and capabilities across the IC. 

Strategic Goal 4: Establish Effective Governance and Oversight: Define and 

implement transparent IT governance and oversight processes that are driven by data. 

Strategic Goal 5: Forge Strategic Partnerships: Enhance trusted partnerships to better 

leverage innovative capabilities and integrate intelligence missions.

Strategic Goals
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IC IT Enterprise Strategy 2012 - 2017

Leading Intelligence Integration

Fortify the Foundation 

Define, develop, implement, and sustain a single, standardsbased, interoperable, secure, and survivable IC IT Enterprise 

architecture that accomplishes mission objectives, and yet

substantially increases efficiencies and safeguards across the 

enterprise, encompassing all security domains. 

Intelligence integration is our highest priority. Implementing the new 

architecture will establish an IC IT Enterprise with essential components needed 

to enhance intelligence integration. The IC IT Enterprise will transform from its 

current state of duplicative agency-centric infrastructures to one characterized 

by common, secure enterprise capabilities and services. In addition, a plan to continually infuse the 

IC IT workforce with evolving, relevant expertise to deliver and maintain the new IC IT Enterprise 

will be implemented. Investing in the IT workforce must include opportunities benefiting both the 

individual and the IC, such as IT career paths with growth potential, access to career broadening ICwide assignments, and first-in-class educational and training opportunities.

Objectives:

1.1. Enterprise Architecture. Define and implement the IC IT Enterprise architecture. 

1.2. Enterprise Services. Deliver key IC enterprise services based on mission priorities.

1.3. Common Standards. Develop or refine policies and standards to implement the new 

IC IT Enterprise.

1.4. Workforce Management. Implement an IC IT workforce management strategy that 

supports the new IC IT Enterprise.

1.5. Safeguards. Implement safeguards and protections (e.g. audit, smart data, defense, and 

identity) to deliver a more defensible IC IT Enterprise.
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Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Deliver User-Focused Capabilities

2.1. Secure Collaboration. Develop or enhance secure collaboration capabilities across the IC 

IT Enterprise. 

2.2. Data Discovery and Organization. Enhance integrated, mission-focused capabilities to 

improve discovery, access, and exploitation of intelligence information.

2.3. Data Transformation. Develop or enhance IC IT Enterprise capabilities to correlate and 

synthesize large volumes of disparate data. 

Objectives:

Provide seamless, secure enterprise solutions for trusted 

collaboration - people to people, people to data, and data 

to data - delivering user experiences that enhance mission 

success while ensuring protection of intelligence assets and 

information.

Those who need access to critical information must be able to get it, 

regardless of technical or organizational boundaries. Access, discovery, 

and exploitation of intelligence information must be improved. At the same 

time, analytic and collection communities must trust that their intelligence 

assets and information are protected against compromise. The new IC IT Enterprise must provide 

intelligence customers and stakeholders access to information required to make informed decisions. 

As a result, the IC will provide efficient, coordinated, and timely delivery of the IC’s most insightful 

intelligence possible.
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IC IT Enterprise Strategy 2012 - 2017

Leading Intelligence Integration

Operate as an IC Enterprise

Adopt an operating model that employs standards, common 

business practices, commodity IT, and joint Community 

teams to deliver and sustain common enterprise services and 

capabilities across the IC.

Implementing an operating model that enables an “integrated intelligence 

enterprise” requires us to transcend the boundaries of any one IC element 

and reinforce unity of effort as we deliver sustainable enterprise services and 

capabilities. Driven by strategic requirements, the IC IT Community must 

quickly adopt a new Enterprise business model: integrating efforts, operating 

jointly, and leveraging the unique strengths of each IC Element to achieve 

the vision. This integrated approach, over time, will enable delivery of cost-effective, demand-driven 

enterprise services and capabilities that keep pace with the needs of the intelligence mission. A 

strategic shift from multiple federated agency-centric enterprises to an IC enterprise that employs joint 

community teams, unified strategies, common business practices, and standardized IT solutions has 

begun. This shift must continue until a new mode of operation emerges that consistently makes the 

most of investments in IT and tangibly maximizes the benefits of IT to the mission. 

Objectives:

3.1. Enterprise Service Delivery Models. Designate IC service providers and business 

models for delivering and sustaining IC IT Enterprise services and capabilities. 

3.2. Efficient Business Operations. Implement integrated business operations and backoffice functions across the IC using common processes, practices, data standards, and 

technologies that enhance enterprise-wide efficiencies.
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Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Establish Effective Governance 

and Oversight

Define and implement transparent IT governance and 

oversight processes that are driven by data. 

Decision-making processes that support integrated planning, assessment, 

implementation, and monitoring of the IC IT Enterprise will be established. 

Innovative acquisition approaches that modernize the IC IT Enterprise, 

while identifying or eliminating duplication and unwarranted redundancies, 

will be implemented. Additionally, portfolio-management processes that 

recommend investments based on their potential contributions to achieving 

intelligence mission strategies and priorities will be institutionalized. Processes and approaches will 

support Intelligence Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (IPPBE) activities. 

4.1. IC-Level Strategic Oversight. Implement a decision-making framework for 

implementation of IC IT Enterprise strategic goals and priorities. 

4.2. Performance Management. Implement performance measures to assess IC IT Enterprise 

progress, as well as, ensure compliance with applicable policies and standards. 

4.3. Portfolio and Investment Management. Institutionalize collaborative IT enterprise 

portfolio and investment management processes that focus on applying resources to the highest 

priorities of the intelligence mission.

Objectives:
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IC IT Enterprise Strategy 2012 - 2017

Leading Intelligence Integration

Forge Strategic Partnerships

Enhance trusted partnerships to better leverage innovative 

capabilities and integrate intelligence missions.

Delivering innovative and integrated IC IT Enterprise capabilities requires 

leveraging partnerships within the ODNI and the IC, with DoD and 

other U.S. Government entities, and with industry and Allied partners. 

To enhance intelligence integration, judicious, risk-managed information 

sharing and safeguarding must be promoted. Innovative solutions that 

strengthen partnerships to enrich intelligence collection and analysis must 

be implemented. Policies, guidelines, and standards to promote collaboration 

will be harmonized. Ultimately, enhanced information sharing will address the importance of protecting 

national intelligence information, sources and methods, as well as privacy and civil liberties. 

Objectives:

5.1. Strategic Engagement. Implement a strategic partner engagement framework that 

improves collaboration and information sharing with partners.

5.2. Communications and Outreach. Implement a strategic communications plan fostering 

IC-wide collaboration with mission stakeholders and oversight organizations.

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IC IT Enterprise Strategy 2012 - 2017

Leading Intelligence Integration

Way Ahead for Strategy Implementation

The IC CIO will establish an IC IT Enterprise Strategic Implementation Plan focused on achieving 

the goals and objectives set forth in this Strategy. The plan will outline major activities, 

capabilities, resources, and timelines. The IC CIO will use the plan to assess progress, inform 

National Intelligence Program (NIP) investment decisions, and evolve the Intelligence Community 

Information Technology Enterprise Strategy.