Record Managament and International Security post Abdul Mudallad

So here we are with information management on the back of the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound Delta Airline Flight a hot topic. We just heard that full body scanners capable of capturing video or images of you as if you were naked are to be installed within three weeks of this posting at Heathrow airport (although not at the other UK international airports yet, according to Alan Johnson, bizarrely).

I just listened to the US ex-head of homeland security saying the problem with the Nigerian / Yemen-sourced bomb plot on a Delta Airline flight was not with the intelligence that was gathered, but with the (in)ability to synthesise it at the right time and place. This makes sense when you consider that the US - watch list contains approaching 1,000,000 names, while the "No-fly" list is maintained separately. Apparently the bomber - Abdul Mudallad - appeared in the Watch list, but not the no fly list, so his movements were effectively only limited by his inability to travel via the UK - where he was not allowed a visa.

Europe appears to be more sanguine, with some few dozen names apparently being flagged and shared between EU members. The main problem with these lists appear to be:
  1. Appropriate access to the infomation by the right people at the right time
  2. Management of the information in terms of its currency; apparently, the UK list contains a significant number of suspects who are thought to have died - although this is very hard to prove.
  3. Access to the information in context; the information should be stored so that all relevant information is kept and managed (including timely disposition, which includes disposal potentially) chronologically, with all information surrounding decisions made available in a clear, reliable and coherent way. This bullet point relates to best principles of Record Management, as defined by ISO 15489

Existing record management technology already exists that is capable of supporting these diverse requirements. However, Electronic Record Management has a reputation for being difficult; there would be a need to define and agree access control matrices for the information held; lifecycle policies for information in its various guises, a doubtlessly complex infrastructure, and a huge training programme. Implementing such a behemoth of a system would take an appetite at the highest level, expert change management, and a willingness of the participants to adapt to the change.

Unfortunately, recent well-publicised IT systems failures - even at just a national level - suggest the world is not yet ready for this challenge....Yet

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