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Monthly Archives: September 2013

Information Sharing and Collaboration in the United States Intelligence Community

Information Sharing and Collaboration in the United States Intelligence Community: An Ethnographic Study of the National Counterterrorism Center by Bridget Rose Nolan, PhD dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, 2013. [via FAS/Secrecy News]

“The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) was established to serve as the primary organization in the U.S. Government for the integration, sharing, and analysis of all terrorism and counterterrorism intelligence. To date, no study has sought to illustrate whether and how NCTC overcomes the barriers to information sharing among agencies and the people that comprise them. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the micro-level ways in which intelligence work is conducted in a post-9/11 world and to examine the circumstances that both facilitate and discourage collaboration. By presenting detailed ethnographic evidence and the in-depth interview perspectives of the people who actually do this work daily, this study provides a sociological analysis and discussion of best practices to help identify ways in which NCTC can move closer to fulfilling its mission.”

Little Data Book on Financial Development 2014

Little Data Book on Financial Development 2014 “The little data book is a pocket edition of the global financial development database published as part of the work on the Global Financial Development Report 2014: financial inclusion. The book has put more emphasis on access indicators and, in particular, includes additional variables capturing different aspects of… Continue Reading

Federal Innovation Policy: The Current Context and Some Possible Changes

“CBO Director Doug Elmendorf spoke on September 30, 2013 at a conference on “Federal Tax Policy and Entrepreneurship” sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation and hosted by the Tax Policy Center at the Brookings Institution. [His] presentation explored a wide array of possible changes in federal policy that might bolster innovation, including increased spending on research and development, increased support for… Continue Reading

Bank for International Settlements – Property price statistics

“The property price statistics bring together data from different countries. The BIS, with the assistance of its member central banks, 1 has obtained approval of various national data providers to disseminate the statistics as long as the national sources are clearly indicated. The sources and any relevant disclaimers are listed separately (sources of data). Copyright in these data must… Continue Reading

Failure to Launch: Structural Shift and the New Lost Generation

“Between 1980 and 2012, significant structural economic shifts produced a new postsecondary phase in the labor market entry of young adults, delaying their career launch. Older adults are working longer; however, they are not crowding young adults out of the labor market. In fact, today there are more job openings per young person resulting from… Continue Reading

Statistics on payment, clearing and settlement systems in the CPSS countries

“This is an annual publication that provides data on payments and payment, clearing and settlement systems in the CPSS countries. This version of the statistical update contains data for 2012 and earlier years. There are detailed tables for each individual country as well as a number of comparative tables. Please note that this publication contains some provisional… Continue Reading

Regulatory Consistency Assessment of Basel III regulations – China

Regulatory Consistency Assessment Programme  (RCAP)  Assessment of Basel III regulations – China. September 2013 “The CBRC [China Banking Regulatory Commission] issued the core elements of the Basel III capital standards in June 2012. Supplementary documents were published in October and November 2012, including additional requirements on capital  instrument innovation, transitional arrangements, and capital adequacy ratio reporting. Based… Continue Reading

Multifactor productivity rose in 55 of 86 detailed manufacturing industries in 2011

BLS news release: ” Multifactor productivity — defined as output per unit of combined inputs — increased in 55 of the 86  four-digit NAICS manufacturing industries in 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.  This was down from 2010, when multifactor productivity increased in 63 of those  industries. However, more industries recorded increases in… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – Budget Issues, Defense Health Care, Federal User Fees, Medicaid Managed Care, Nuclear Terrorism Response Plans

BUDGET ISSUES – Key Questions to Consider When Evaluating Balances in Federal Accounts, GAO-13-798, Sep 30, 2013 DEFENSE HEALTH CARE – Evaluation of TRICARE Pharmacy Services Contract Structure Is Warranted, GAO-13-808, Sep 30, 2013 FEDERAL USER FEES – Fee Design Options and Implications for Managing Revenue Instability, GAO-13-820, Sep 30, 2013 MEDICAID MANAGED CARE, Use of Limited Benefit Plans to Provide Mental… Continue Reading

OFR Report – Asset Management and Financial Stability

“The OFR delivered this report, Asset Management and Financial Stability, to the Financial Stability Oversight Council (Council) on ways that activities in the asset management industry could pose risks to the financial stability of the United States by creating, amplifying, or transmitting stress through the financial system. The OFR studied the activities of asset management firms and… Continue Reading

New Department of State Freedom of Information Act Website

“Welcome to the U.S. Department of State Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) website. Like all federal agencies, the Department creates and receives records when carrying out its mission. This website provides a wealth of information about the Department’s FOIA program and how to obtain access to the Department’s records, as well as a search tool… Continue Reading