Managing the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: An Information Management Perspective

Abstract

The threat towards international security that terrorists, failed or failing states, and rogue regimes pose when in possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is a very significant one. Having accurate and timely intelligence is a must in today's security environment, especially when estimating WMD capabilities. Breakdowns in information management relating to WMD intelligence can be responsible for failures in deterring a WMD attack or may create a false alarm regarding a nation's capabilities, with equally serious consequences. This paper seeks to propose a framework for understanding the informational failures associated with estimating a state's WMD capabilities using an information management model. Estimating a state's nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons capabilities is complicated due to several factors. At every point of the intelligence process that will later transcend to policy and action, there are challenges that affect how information is managed. This article will cover these different challenges by organizing them into four information management categories: Sources Management, Analytics Management, Interpretation Management, and Actions Management. An appreciation of the informational challenges associated with WMD detection may lead to improved practices of information management thereby resulting in accurate assessments regarding WMD capabilities and policy agendas.

Keywords:

• weapons of mass destruction
• chemical weapons
• biological weapons
• nuclear weapons
• terrorism
• information systems
• information management
• information policy

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors acknowledge funding provided by the Institute of National Security Education and Research at the University of Washington via a grant from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence through the Centers for Academic Excellence Program Office for partial support of this work. This article draws heavily from the research conducted for Kevin C. Desouza's doctoral dissertation. He thanks his doctoral dissertation committee for their valuable comments and encouragement. He would also like to acknowledge the contributions from all executives who participated in the interviews, case studies, and shared constructive comments on his dissertation.

Notes

27. Desouza, K. C. (2006). Knowledge management maturity model: Theoretical development and preliminary empirical testing. University of Illinois at Chicago, 386 pages, OCLC: 71670199, ISBN: 9780542700293.