Making sense at the frontiers

Few days back, Singapore held a very important symposium right before the current Global Security Asia Conference.

International Risk Assessment & Horizon Scanning Symposium, 19-20 Mar 2007, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore

Organized by

The Centre of Excellence for National Security
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Nanyang Technological University

In partnership with

The National Security Coordination Secretariat
And
Defence Science Technology Agency

This was where our very own RAHS (Risk Assessment and Horizon Scanning) program came out into the limelight.

I first learn about Sense Making technology in late 2005. That is much later than when the initial buzz was being created. One of the earliest important layman essay written about this topic was in the March 2003 issue of Technology Review. You can download it here. It's written by M. Mitchell Waldrop, titled Can Sense-making Keep Us Safe?

As extracted from DSTA website:

In July 2004, the Singapore government introduced its new Strategic Framework for National Security. This document outlined the long-term policy response to the challenges posed by transnational terrorism and other threats. It called for the development of a networked and coordinated approach to the fight against terror, one linking the government, the people and all sectors of society together in a common effort. The Strategic Framework also outlined the basis and rationale for the Risk Assessment and Horizon Scanning (RAHS) program. The RAHS program, encompassing a unique combination of cutting edge concepts, methodologies and technological solutions, will seek to empower the government in effectively detecting weak signals, encouraging inter-agency collaboration and fostering informed analysis.

After amassing a number of available materials from open source, I was eagerly reading up on the subject. Primarily because the topic has got this "cloak-and-dagger" mystic air surrounding it. So early last year I was sharing it with some people I know. I remember telling Jinks about it over lunch and during one of the car rides. I was saying any program humans create will bound to hold our beliefs and assumptions. After June last year when I started to get busier, I lost interest as well.

fast forward to March 2007....

I hate how things sound at work. It's so buzzword laden. I can't get through a meeting or brief without hearing words like adaptive(ly), dynamic(ally), and phrases like making sense, proactive rather than reactive.... irks me to no end.

Where I work has no bearing on what is written on this blog. Usually.