Immediately after 9/11, the Markle Foundation created the Task Force on National Security in the Information Age to find ways in which information could be better used to enhance America's security while protecting our liberties. Participants included policy and governmental leaders from every administration since President NixonÕs, as well as renowned technology leaders from the new economy. Tara Lemmey, CEO, was a thought leader, chair of the technology committee, and a member of the executive steering committee of the task force from the outset. In December 2003, the Task Force released a breakthrough report assessing the way the government uses information, recommending a network approach which, in the words of Representative Jane Harman, constituted a Òvirtual reorganization of government.Ó
The Task Force turned to LENS to make this idea tangible with a ÒvisionÓ demonstration project, highlighting the core concepts of a network approach. The LENS team also drafted a blueprint for the underlying technology and worked with the Task Force policy advisors to identify fundamental changes required in business rules, processes, policy, and culture. The ÒvisionÓ demonstration Ñ grounded in available technology Ñ helped bring real understanding to government leaders and the 9/11 Commission, resulting in both a Presidential Executive Order and legislation establishing as law the new distributed network approach.
In 2006, LENS worked with the Task Force on a new ÒvisionÓ demonstration focused on managing the business realities of operating a large-scale distributed organization. Get the reports and visualizations.
Protecting America's Freedom in the Information Age a Report of the Markle Foundation Taskforce, October 2002
Creating a Trusted Network for Homeland Security a Report of the Markle Foundation Taskforce, December 2003
Mobilizing Information to Prevent Terrorism a Report of the Markle Foundation Taskforce, July 2006