National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC), the never center of all intelligence agencies of Pakistan that acts as focal point in all emergencies is one of the most prestigious governmental organization in Pakistan.  

RAD Corporation was invited to draft a proposal for the development of NCMC website along with National Security Threat Advisory system. After the initial kickoff meeting with director NCMC it was deemed necessary to analyze the nature of NCMC as an organization and for this a week of in depth study was spent to produce a matching proposal. We at RAD Corporation learned that the “Crisis Management represents one of the most difficult, challenging, urgent tasks that public managers face. Crisis environments are complex, dynamic and place lives, property, and continuity of operations in our communities at risk”.  The study of Concepts from the emerging science of complex adaptive systems also helped us to understand NCMC better and offer fresh insight for the development of NCMC website and National Security Threat Advisory system.

RAD Corporation sees NCMC as critical security information catalyst and believes that the organization shall be supported with high-tech public oriented information website and National Security Threat Advisory system. The definition of such system (website) describes the emergence of a response system in a community following disaster, when the community activates its emergency response plan and first response agencies shift their actions from daily operations to respond to the needs of a community struck by disaster.  The challenge is for the NCMC to shift its performance in coherent ways, so that the separate units --- Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Public Works and other agencies and general public --- move smoothly into coordinated action, given their separate emergency responsibilities as directed by governance and or personal emergency preparedness plans.

Communication is critical to the process of self-organization and collective learning. Communication of information regarding the current status of the community, as well as the actions in process by participating organizations, allows participants in the response system to make informed decisions about their own actions, and to adjust their actions in accordance with those taken by others to achieve the overall goal of protecting the community and restoring its functions. An informed community is able to adapt its behavior more appropriately to its exposure to risk.

NCMC without doubt is operating at its best level but still is not meeting demands of 21st century crisis management. The internet Internet: The Ultimate Medium. The Internet has become the largest media outlet in our known universe. Interactive print, audio and video communications are all available, with the line between “amateur” and “professional”, “traditional” and “untraditional” media blurred almost beyond ken. This massive medium has spawned what RAD Corporation is calling “Internet-Reporter for NCMC”

Global research on crises management reveals the significance of a Web-centered/Internet component, with the impact of the Internet on crisis management strategies and tactics growing exponentially every year. While many organizations have “IT people” on staff or on-call, IT expertise often does not translate to “Internet Communication” expertise. With the growth of the Internet, companies were very quick to experiment with it and sometimes learn how to use its capabilities to promote their products and services, to build brand awareness and enhance their reputation.

Key Benefits of NCMC website:

1. It will help foster the information about NCMC and its activities and would become focal point to general public to check about current national security level and get better self-organized in case of emergency.
2. The concept of `self-organization’ will be promoted which indicates the ability of the human members of a sociotechnical system to learn, based on timely, accurate information present on website in form of press-releases and other informatory material.
3. NCMC would be regarded as 21st century National Crises Management Cell across the globe while promoting its significant role in intelligentsia.

National Security Threat Advisory System shall be designed to guide our protective measures when specific information to a particular sector or geographic region is received.  It will combine threat information with vulnerability assessments and would provide communications to public safety officials and the public.

There are three distinct features perceived for this system:

1. National Security Threat Advisories will contain actionable information about an incident involving, or a threat targeting, critical national networks or infrastructures or key assets. They could, for example, relay newly developed procedures that, when implemented, would significantly improve security or protection.  They could also suggest a change in readiness posture, protective actions, or response. This category includes alerts, advisories, and sector notifications.  Advisories are targeted to Federal, state, and local governments, private sector organizations, and international partners.  
2. Security Information Bulletins will communicate information of interest to the nation’s critical infrastructures that do not meet the timeliness, specificity, or significance thresholds of warning messages.  Such information may include statistical reports, periodic summaries, incident response or reporting guidelines, common vulnerabilities and patches, and configuration standards or tools.  It also may include preliminary requests for information.  Bulletins are targeted to Federal, state, and local governments, private sector organizations, and international partners.
3. Color-coded Threat Level System will be used to communicate with public safety officials and the public at-large through a threat-based, color-coded system so that protective measures can be implemented to reduce the likelihood or impact of an attack.  Raising the threat condition has economic, physical, and psychological effects on the nation; so, the National Security Advisory System can place specific geographic regions or industry sectors on a higher alert status than other regions or industries, based on specific threat information.

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