What are the pros and cons of information-sharing, within and between intelligence agencies?

 Information sharing threatens operational security and slows down decision making. The sharing of information regarding a planned operation, can lead to it getting into the wrong hands, and undermining the whole operation. Moreover, when different participants in the operation are informed of the whole operational plan, rather than only their particular portion of the overall plan, indecisiveness, due to unnecessary reflection on the overall structure of the operation by each participant, may result (Lannan, 2004). On the other hand, failure to share information about the overall operational plan, between all participants in the operation, may lead to an inability by all participants to coordinate their actions and successfully execute the operation. This is especially likely to happen if the circumstances under which the operation is to be executed turn out to be different from those expected (Lannan, 2004). Also, if “some security environment agencies are unsure of their counterparts’ roles, responsibilities and capabilities … [an] unnecessary duplication of effort” may result (Lannan, 2004).

References

Lannan, T. [2004], “Interagency coordination within the national security community: Improving the response to terrorism”, Canadian Military Journal Autumn, 49-56.