MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS:
RECONSIDERING GOVERNANCE, STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION

by CAPT David F. Sanders, JAGC, USN

National authorities have convened a thorough review of directives, policies, procedures and structures for the governance and execution of the nation’s efforts to achieve effective Maritime Domain Awareness. These efforts were instituted following the tragedy of 9/11. They are designed to protect against a seaborne attack, have been in place for nearly a decade and beg reconsideration!

Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is defined as “The effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy, or environment of the United States.” It is the recognized purpose of MDA to gain a functional awareness of activity on the world’s oceans, coastal waters and inland waterways. That awareness is the ability to recognize what is happening, what it means to the safety and security of the American public, their assets and interests and what is best accomplished in response to this knowledge. At the heart of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is the desire to identify threats to United States shipping, ports, people and infrastructure as far from American coastal water as possible. Inherent in this approach is the ability to detect, analyze and thwart threats before they occur. Maritime Domain Awareness requires effective information sharing. Effective information sharing must be developed, led and instituted by a sound organizational and governance structure. MDA requires a well considered and concerted effort to produce a streamlined and effective organization which fosters the dissemination, sharing and use of pertinent maritime information. Capable organization, culture and technology must be developed to include maritime partners. These important partners represent shipping, ports, port protection, state and local government, the international community and a myriad of federal agencies and organizations. This organizational process involves intelligence and police organizations and customs and border protection. It also includes industry cooperation and input, diplomacy, education, outreach, information technology and a sound and workable framework of governance. Effective MDA requires sound leadership and multi-discipline cooperation. Successful MDA governance and organization must result in the protection of the American public, property and business interests while continuing to ensure the rights and civil liberties of American citizens.

Current MDA governance and organization is established under Presidential Directive. This directive resulted in a National Strategy for Maritime Security, eight supporting plans and a “National Concept of Operations for Maritime Domain Awareness.” These documents identify threats, define response, assign roles and responsibilities and require both coordination and cooperation by federal, state & local agencies and organizations. This national effort is directed by the President, coordinated by the National Security Staff through the Maritime Security Interagency Policy Committee (MSIPC) to the MDA Stakeholders Board. These organizations undertake the effort to indentify, analyze and prevent threats through a wide array of initiatives, plans, policies, programs and educational presentations all designed to reinforce the bedrock realization that effective MDA is predicated on the timely and accurate dissemination of information.

Ever mindful of its mission to protect the maritime commons, EEZ, coastal and inland waters of the United States from foreign and domestic threats the National Security Staff has convened a thorough review of MDA policies, plans, procedures and governance. Presidential Directive NSPD41/HSPD13, The National Strategy for Maritime Security, the eight supporting National Plans and the Concept of Operations for MDA are all currently under review or revision. Similarly the federal governance structure for MDA is under reconsideration by the MSIPC. Specifically, proposals for revision to the composition of the MDA Stakeholders Board, its Executive Steering Committee and the role of current co-chairs have been forwarded for consideration. Also under consideration is the establishment and reporting chain for a “National MDA Coordination Office”. These proposals are designed to improve the coordination of MDA efforts of federal agencies and the interaction of those federal agencies with partners from the private sector, international, state, local and tribal governments. Improvements are proposed to eliminate duplication of federal effort and avoid waste of money and manpower. Proposed revisions are designed to improve the flow of ideas, to standardize the federal MDA message and to deliver a concise and consistent MDA message to industry, international, regional, state, local and tribal partners. Proposals for improvement of the MDA governance structure seek to ensure improved and enhanced information dissemination while safeguarding the security of that information.

Evidence of the current MDA reconsideration is particularly apparent in education and outreach programs to the shipping industry and to the Global Maritime Community of Interest. Heretofore disjointed or independent outreach efforts are being coordinated among the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation, The Department of Homeland Security, in particular the Coast Guard, The National Maritime Intelligence Center, the Department of Defense and the Office of Global Maritime Situational Awareness. These organizations now share speakers, programs and funding for a series of national programs designed to garner input from the GMCOI and the shipping industry specifically. These programs include the industry conference sponsored by the US Northern Command in Colorado Springs, various symposiums presented around the nation by the Naval Post Graduate School’s Maritime Information Sharing Taskforce (MIST), and most notably the third annual Global Maritime Information Sharing Symposium, scheduled for September 14 – 16, 2010 in Washington DC. This industry focused event is hosted by the Office of Global Maritime Situational Awareness and is supported and funded by Department of Transportation, National Maritime Intelligence Center and US Coast Guard. More information is available at www.GMSA.gov.

The reconsideration of the decade old United States’ effort to advance MDA includes a fresh look at national plans, national policies, the national MDA governance structure and US participation in regional and international programs to advance MDA. The national review of MDA is designed to improve federal interagency cooperation and to produce a seamless interconnection with the private sector, state, local, tribal and international partners. It is designed to engender a multilateral discussion and information flow to merge information, intelligence, education, outreach and technological efforts. This engagement must balance the rights and civil liberties of American citizens and business interests as well as the right of the public to be safe from seaborne harm. It must result in the improved safety and security of the American public, property and interests.

Captain David F. Sanders Judge Advocate General’s Corps, United States Navy serves as Legal Counsel to the Office of Global Maritime Situational Awareness in Washington, DC

i National Plan to Achieve Maritime Domain Awareness: For The National Strategy For Maritime Security, October 2005
ii National Security Presidential Directive NSPD41/Homeland Security Directive HSPD13, December 21, 2004

-- KevinWalsh - 30 Apr 2010