Patterned on Ridge's Pennsylvania efforts?
- By Susan M. Menke
- Jun 14, 2002
As governor of Pennsylvania, federal homeland security director Tom Ridge oversaw an effort not dissimilar to the systems mandate proposed for the would-be Homeland Security Department.
KPMG Consulting Inc. of McLean, Va., built the $56 million Justice Network used by about 5,000 people at 17 public safety agencies and courts in the commonwealth.
Based on that effort, Dan Johnson, KPMG Consulting's executive vice president for public services, said security and access will be the paramount factors in integrating systems to support the proposed Homeland Security Department.
'We found three keys' to weave together the data locked away in Pennsylvania's stovepipes, Johnson said:
- Ensuring that all the stakeholders had representation in JNet management
- Assuring the stakeholders that their data would be protected'that no one else could change it and that only authorized users could see it
- Showing the stakeholders how they would benefit from their continued buy-in.