Civil Affairs Transitions Roundtable

Information Management and Sharing

Friday, February 8, 2008

George Mason University – Arlington, VA Campus

3401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201

“Original” Building, Room 244

Civil affairs is a knowledge-based discipline.  Civil affairs professionals need to research the civil dimension/human terrain.  They need to establish systems and networks with other military organizations and with civilian organizations to exchange knowledge, obtain Situational Awareness, create a Common Operating Picture, and coordinate activities.  This roundtable will discuss the information management and the information technology that supports civil affairs.  Areas for discussion are:

• Who has information that civil affairs units need; who needs information that civil affairs units have?
• What information needs to be managed and shared?
• What are current and proposed initiatives and systems for managing and sharing information?
• What are the barriers (e.g. cultural, institutional, technical) to sharing information?
• How does information management and information sharing support decision making and operations?

8:00                       Registration/Refreshments

8:30                       Welcome and Roundtable Overview

                              Prof. Dave Davis, Director

                              Peace Operations Policy Program, George Mason University

                              Mr. David Mitchell

                              Advisor, Civil Affairs Transitions Roundtables Planning Committee

8:45                       Civil Information Management and Sharing During Operations

                              Moderator:  Prof. Dave Davis

                              Panelists

                              MAJ(P) Jose Madera, 350^th Civil Affairs Command

                              MAJ Paul Meagher, 4^th Civil Affairs Group

                              MAJ James Sosnicki, 354^th Civil Affairs Brigade

9:45                       Break        

10:00                     Role of Information in Decision Making and Operations

                              Dr. Richard E. Hayes, President, Evidence Based Research, Inc.

11:00                     Break

11:15                     Information Sharing by Civilian Organizations

                              Moderator:  Mr. Larry Wentz

                              Panelists

                              Mr. Guy Ben-Ari, Center for Strategic and International Studies

                              Mr. Sebastian Naidoo, ReliefWeb, United Nations

                              Mr. Dennis King, Humanitarian Information Unit, Department of State

                              Ms. E. Jill Parlett, International Network to Promote the Rule of Law

12:30                     Lunch

1:15                       Civil Information Management                        

                              Moderator:  Dr. Allison Frendak-Blume

                              Panelists

                              Mr. William Barlow, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Networks and

                                 Information Integration)

                              SGM John Black, U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations

                                Command

                              Col Torrez

2:15                       Special Presentation by ALLIES

2:30                       Open Discussion

3:00                       Concluding Remarks and Adjourn