APAN: A Possible Successful Existing Model
An example of a current successful system that
bridged many of the aforementioned CIM gaps is the
existing All Partners Access Network (APAN) Unclassified Information Sharing Service (UISS). Created by
a DoD initiative in 2010 as a platform to mainly share
disaster response information with NGOs, APAN has
grown into truly one of the only functioning UISS
collaborative knowledge solutions between DoD elements, other government agencies, and NGOs. APAN
operates much like a social network site where administrators grant access to account requests. Once an
agency is verified, it can link and collaborate with other agencies in its community space. Message boards,
announcements, chat rooms, and map graphics are all
accessible in a Microsoft Share Point format. There is
even a mobile application and an “APAN Lite” version displayed with limited graphics for users in lowbandwidth areas.
This is a critical capability as many digital infrastructures in the developing world still use dial up
servers and other low bandwidth networks. APAN is
currently being successfully used by many other collaborative agencies inside and outside the traditional
scope for DoD to include the Ebola Response Network
(ERN), Afghan Information Sharing (RONNA), Rim
of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). Despite APANs
apparent success, there is currently no link between
its collaboration tools and the USAR CA SME community. An APAN like tool for use in CIM collection would be a potential goldmine and it could help
bridge the gap between COCOM CIM RFI and SMEs
with a limited resource expense.
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