National Information Sharing Consortium (NISC)
One of the most significant problems facing the public safety and emergency response community is the inability to seamlessly communicate and share information when needed. Over the years, many technologies have been developed for the purpose of increasing and improving information sharing in support of situational awareness and decision-making; however, critical data that renders such technologies operational exist in various formats, is housed by various owners, and is governed by various methods and approaches to ensure information is trustworthy and timely. Much has been spent on building disparate or proprietary systems, making it increasingly difficult to locate and access crucial information and data and establish needed information sharing standards and processes.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recognized that in today’s environment of scarce resources, it is essential that public servants in all areas of government work together to meet these challenges.
DHS S&T charged G&H to work with local and state government officials on igniting a cultural shift in the area of information sharing. To that end, G&H is supporting the formation of the National Information Sharing Consortium (NISC), an independent coalition of local and state governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and private industry that is focused on bringing together data owners, custodians, and users involved in the fields of emergency preparedness, management, and response, to drive an ongoing dialogue on how to best leverage efforts related to the governance, development, and sharing of technology, data, and best practices.
G&H supports NISC leadership with strategic planning and coordination for programmatic and business development, membership recruitment, engagement, and communications; marketing and branding; fundraising; product development; and administrative and logistical support for education and training efforts. More information about the NISC can be found at www.nisconsortium.org.