An Interview with NCJA Board Member and Global Advisory Committee Chair, Robert Boehmer 

NCJA board member Robert Boehmer is also chair of the Global Advisory Committee (GAC) and is the voice that brings the two entities together. GAC personnel are chosen members from the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global) group. Global delivers local, state, and tribal justice related information sharing recommendations to the U.S. Attorney General and receives support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). GAC members are appointed by the U.S. Attorney General. By having Mr. Boehmer not only as a board member but as the chair, NCJA will have a voice in the top-level information sharing initiatives that take place. NCJA can share information with GAC that focuses on State Administering Agencies and have national affects. NCJA and GAC share similar goals, in which both 'promote a balanced approach to public safety issues and bring local, state, and tribal concerns to the attention of the federal government.'

Why is it important that the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) have a seat on the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global) Advisory Committee?

To best answer that question, it is important to first understand the level at which the DOJ's Global Advisory Committee (GAC or Committee) operates. The GAC, which receives invaluable support and guidance from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and Office of Justice Programs (OJP), is the group delivering local, state, and tribal justice-related information sharing recommendations to the U.S. Attorney General. GAC seats are limited and appointed only by the Attorney General, so the fact that NCJA has actively filled one of those seats since the GAC's inception and is part of that direct pipeline to critical decision makers is truly impressive. Global participation also provides an invaluable benefit to our members: NCJA represents an important constituency—State Administering Agencies (SAAs)—and by having a seat on Global, NCJA contributes SAA perspectives to recommendations with national implications. Also, SAAs are responsible for providing at least partial funding for justice information system projects in their states. For this type of planning, they seek out the best information to make the best decisions. The Global goal of improved information sharing ultimately yields better data for better programmatic decisions.

The end result of our participation in Global is that all participants win. NCJA has a voice in this top-level information sharing dialogue. The GAC receives the benefit of SAA experience and feedback at the invitation-only table. And, through Global efforts, local and state justice practitioners are receiving better information to not only address immediate concerns during activities like vehicle stops, but as importantly, make longer-term planning decisions like how to wisely and most effectively allocate our resources.

How will NCJA benefit from you chairing the GAC?

NCJA benefits from me chairing the GAC in much the same way it has always benefited from our longstanding participation in the Initiative: by capitalizing on the opportunity to have an active voice in this invitation-only, top-level information sharing dialogue. As GAC Chairman, I support Global guiding principles, which include:
• The GAC will be vocal and visible in creating and communicating a shared vision regarding information sharing within the justice, public safety, and first responder communities.
• The GAC will work collaboratively and inclusively, bringing together representatives from the entire justice community and related entities to address and overcome the barriers to justice information sharing across agencies, disciplines, and levels of government.
• The GAC will identify and seek solutions to impediments to information sharing and make all recommendations on the basis of increasing public safety.

When you look at these Global guidelines, you are immediately struck with how they mirror NCJA's fundamental tenet of collaboration and the Association's overarching mission of promoting a balanced approach to public safety issues and bringing local, state, and tribal concerns to the attention of the federal government. By promoting a strong Global Initiative I simultaneously and vigorously support NCJA principles because of this philosophical alignment. Also, having an NCJA member as GAC Chairman can further the Association's reputation as an important player in national criminal justice issues.

What are some of the GAC's top priorities?

In the near future, Global has a number of priorities which include:
• Providing tools and guidance for local and state justice practitioners on measuring and improving criminal justice information quality.
• Supporting standards like the Global Justice XML Data Model (GJXDM) and National Information Exchange Model (NIEM), and ensuring a smooth process for those agencies choosing to make the transition.
• Continuing support and guidance for fusion center efforts.
• Balancing support for expanding justice-related information sharing capabilities to nontraditional partners in the face of new challenges (for example, the threat of an avian flu pandemic) while remaining committed to the needs of our core constituency: the justice community.
• Providing expertise, support, and recommendations regarding implementation of the Information Sharing Environment.
• Developing a conceptual Global Justice Reference Architecture (JRA). (Note: the JRA is discussed later in this interview.)
• Pursuing the Global Federated Identity and Privilege Management (GFIPM) Interoperability Demonstration. Using the GFIPM credential will allow information to be shared in a new way with reduced management burden, improved security, and on a broader scale. It represents a strategic change, and dramatic improvement, in the way justice organizations establish the electronic trust needed to share information.
• Continuing to provide practitioners with guidance and resources to develop privacy policies and address privacy issues.

I encourage readers interested in additional information on these issues to visit the Global web site. 

What are some of your responsibilities as the chair of the GAC?

The Global Chair manages the business of the Initiative: providing leadership at the biannual GAC meetings, developing agendas for the GAC and its guiding body—the Global Executive Steering Committee (GESC), coordinating delivery of Global recommendations to the U.S. Attorney General and other federal officials, prioritizing Global projects, and overseeing ongoing organizational tasks such as membership development and approval of documents and summaries. These are the activities justice community members may immediately recognize as the purview of the Global Chairman. But, in a "behind the scenes" capacity, I have the opportunity to drive the GESC forward through outreach activities, like meeting with the U.S. Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General to underscore the importance of our work and energizing GAC members to keep them excited and engaged in the Global process. These tasks are things I can both personalize and prioritize during my tenure, and I plan to do so to capitalize on the Global momentum resulting from recent good works like the first annual National Fusion Center Conference.

What is the structure of the GAC? How does the information get distributed among the members? In what ways does the GAC advise the DOJ about any current sharing data?

The GAC, operating under the support and guidance of BJA and OJP, is a ''group of groups,'' representing more than 30 independent organizations spanning the spectrum of justice- and public safety-interested constituencies at all levels of government. Member organizations participate in Global out of shared responsibility and a shared belief that, together, they can bring about positive change in interorganizational communication and data sharing. The GAC is the body which officially makes justice-related information sharing recommendations to the U.S. Attorney General. Seats at the table are appointed by the Attorney General. At a GAC meeting, observers will likely see execution of Committee business—primarily feedback and/or approval of documents and recommendations proffered by Global working groups and task teams. Complementary information sharing efforts are sometimes highlighted for members' information, and every two years the GAC chair and vice chair are elected by fellow Committee members. The GAC meets in the spring and fall in the Washington, DC, area. These events are open to the public. The next GAC meeting is April 18, 2007, from 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., and I invite NCJA members to attend. Those interested should contact Global staff at (850) 385-0600, extension 285, for reservations and further information.

Within the GAC, topic-focused working groups accomplish the lion's share of Global activities. These groups concentrate on: Infrastructure/Standards, Intelligence, Outreach, Privacy and Information Quality, and Security. Per Global Bylaws, working group leaders must be GAC representatives. However, the remainder of each working group is comprised of people best-suited to the task at hand—subject-matter experts, justice practitioners, and volunteers from private industry. I must note the integral support that Global receives from the private sector, thanks to the dedication and coordination from our partners at the IJIS Institute. The working groups and related task teams develop recommendations, which are presented to the GAC for consideration, feedback, and ultimate delivery to the U.S. Attorney General as a Global-supported approach to furthering the nation's information sharing capabilities.

As I noted earlier, the GAC has a leadership board—the Global Executive Steering Committee (GESC)—comprised of the GAC chair, vice chair, working group chairs, and four at-large members who must be Global representatives. The GESC meets four times a year—twice in conjunction with GAC meetings, once at the beginning of each New Year, and in the summer in conjunction with the NCJA Forum. The GESC exercises general oversight regarding working group activities and prioritization of efforts, and reports back often to the GAC membership and supporting federal officials.

Communication within the GAC membership is accomplished through the biannual meetings, periodic updates (like the Global Highlights newsletter), conference calls, and other ad hoc communications, as necessary. Communication from the GAC to the Attorney General and other federal officials is accomplished in accordance with the Global Bylaws, mainly through discussion and formal recommendations made at GAC meetings. As necessary in the interim, timely recommendations and feedback are accomplished electronically.

I should emphasize a critical tool in all Global communications is the OJP, DOJ web site, on which Global has a prominent spot.

Can you briefly describe the GAC and its overall activities?

Concisely, the U.S. DOJ's Global Advisory Committee (GAC) is a Federal Advisory Committee to the U.S. Attorney General and his designees on justice-related information sharing issues. The GAC is best described as a"group of groups" representing more than 30 independent organizations spanning the spectrum of justice- and public safety-interested constituencies and, most importantly, the men and women they serve. Global efforts affect the work of more than 1.2 million justice professionals and position the Initiative to impact citizens of the United States, Canada, and beyond. Because the GAC advises the nation's highest-ranking law enforcement officer and assists member organizations through important committee and working group activities, Global has become a preeminent voice for justice-related information sharing recommendations for all involved disciplines, at all levels of government. The majority of Global accomplishments are achieved through the efforts of issue-focused working groups: Privacy and Information Quality, Infrastructure/Standards, Intelligence, and Security. In early 2007, the Outreach Working Group was created to more effectively, efficiently, and consistently promote Global recommendations and resources to those in the field—practitioners on the front line that are working daily to make our neighborhoods safer and our nation more secure.

How do all the different components within the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global) work together to provide efficient data sharing for justice entities?

Global relies on two approaches to ensure all the moving parts are coming together toward our goal of "getting the right information to the right people in the right place at the right time."

First, the old-fashioned, human element cannot be understated. Through diligence in communication, coordination, and collaboration—within and outside the GAC—we prioritize leveraging existing resources, contributing to efforts where Global can add real value, and filling gaps where new activities are necessary. Working smart and avoiding duplicative efforts is a paramount concern: there are just too few resources—time, money, and people—to reinvent the wheel again and again or spend federal funding on multiple projects addressing the same issue. Because Global has been in existence for years and the Initiative has consistently worked with both its membership and partners fairly, coming to the table with a genuine desire to benefit the entire justice-interested community, we have developed an esprit de corps and an even rarer commodity—trust. This environment, plus ongoing communication among all Global leaders, federal officials, and partners (like NCJA) keeps us on the same page, working toward that same goal. At BJA, Patrick McCreary serves as our Designated Federal Official. Patrick and BJA Director Domingo Herraiz have been true champions of Global and I have no doubt that without their leadership, support, and friendship to both the Initiative and its members, we would not have achieved our considerable successes.

Technologically, a key way we are connecting the dots is through efforts of the Global Infrastructure/Standards Working Group (GISWG). GISWG is pursuing a Justice Reference Architecture (JRA) which will go a long way toward providing a framework in which to systemically arrange the various Global "parts" (i.e., deliverables, recommendations). Historically, Global has concentrated on discrete topics like security, intelligence, or privacy. From within those areas, working groups identified challenges to justice information exchange—like the imperative of establishing a solid privacy policy or developing fusion center guidelines—and facilitated delivery of valuable resources addressing those challenges. In the past couple of years, our focus has been on "cross-pollinating" between the working groups, both in terms of membership and activities: efforts of the privacy group inform the security group's activities, and so forth. The JRA offers a real technical vision of cohesion for all the parts through a service-oriented interoperability architecture addressing the full range of justice information sharing use cases and providing a blueprint for implementing interoperable information sharing capabilities. The JRA strives to prevent incompatibilities, guide vendors and organizations on how to fit components (like security, privacy, and standards for data exchange) together, and facilitate communication and interoperability between disparate communities. It is a framework for guiding implementations in general, with the aim of standardizing or harmonizing certain key aspects of those implementations to support reusability and interoperability—ultimately, saving those precious resources. The JRA is a complex undertaking, but something on which we have made real progress, signaling a pivotal time for Global.

What are some contributions you made to GAC since becoming the chair?

As I hope I have conveyed, Global has been doing—and continues to do—critical work. But if justice practitioners do not know about this invaluable resource, or if GAC members do not engage enough to contribute their full potential, all the important Global recommendations and data exchange success stories combined will still fall short of our maximum capabilities. To that end, early this year, with the advice of the Global Executive Steering Committee, I created the Global Outreach Working Group. This team will support one of my primary leadership priorities: getting the word out effectively, efficiently, and with a consistent message about Global and the GAC.

I also look forward to continuing to strongly advocate the philosophical tenet held by both Global and NCJA: that all components of the justice system are integral and belong at the table. As with many complex issues, when it comes to attacking justice information sharing challenges, our collective efforts are truly stronger than our respective parts. Because both organizations believe in this—in fact, are founded on this ideal—I expect exciting times ahead.