HOW NIEM WORKSWhat is NIEM? How does it work?

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HISTORY OF NIEM

It started with state and locals joining forces to overcome the challenges of exchanging

information across state and city government boundaries—this grassroots effort was called

the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative.

Two years later, the Global Justice XML Data Model

(GJXDM) was announced in April 2003.

Started by a handful of state agencies, NIEM—the National Information Exchange Model—is a community-driven, government-wide, standards-based approach to exchanging information. Diverse communities can collectively leverage NIEM to increase efficiencies and improve decision-making.  

Built upon GJXDM's success and lessons learned, NIEM was launched in April 2005 by DHS and DOJ. The NIEM Program Management Office

transitioned from DOJ to DHS in 2008. HHS joined as the third primary

sponsor in 2010.

NIEM celebrated eight years on April 19, 2013.

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NIEM testifies with HHS for Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee

on April 19, 2012.

Support FrameworkTechnical FrameworkCommunity

NIEM connects communities of people who share a common need to exchange information in order to advance their missions. NIEM provides a foundation for information

exchange between federal, state, local, and tribal agencies. Much more than a data model, NIEM offers an active user community as well as a technical and support framework.

Formal Governance Processes

Online Repositories

Mission-Oriented Domains

Self-Managing Domain Stewards

Data Model

XML Design Rules

Development Methodology

Predefined Deliverables (IEPD)

Tools for Development and Discovery

Established Training Program

Implementation Support

Help Desk & Knowledge Center

NIEM OVERVIEW

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Repeatable, Reusable Process(Information Exchange Development Lifecycle)

Common Language(Community-driven Data Model)

HOW NIEM WORKS

Built and governed by the business users at Federal, State, Local, Tribal and Private Sectors

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MODEL OVERVIEWThink of the NIEM data model as a mature and stable data dictionary of agreed-upon terms, definitions, and formats independent of how information is stored in individual agency systems.

The data model consists of two sets of closely related vocabularies: NIEM Core and individual NIEM Domains.

• Biometrics• Chemical, Biological,

Radiological & Nuclear• Cyber• Children, Youth and Family

Services• Emergency Management• Government Resource

Management• Health• Human Services• Immigration• Infrastructure Protection• Intelligence• International Trade• Justice• Maritime• Screening

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STANDARDIZING DATA ACROSS SYSTEMS

NIEM is a standard way of defining the contents of messages being exchanged. NIEM is not a system or database; nor does it specify how to transmit or store data.

This allows diverse communities to collectively leverage a common vocabulary and exchange development tools irrespective of technologies, increasing both efficiencies and improving decision-making.

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NIEM CONNECTS COMMUNITIES

Cyber: In 2010, Stuxnet halted the

nuclear development capability of an entire

country.

Prescription Drug Monitoring: 1 in 5 teens are abusing

prescription drugs to get high.

Agricultural: In 2011, the technology used to produce

20% of the GDP is more advanced than systems used for reporting to the US Govt.

Privacy and CRCL: Current controls for

protecting U.S. Person data are inadequately

implemented.

Requests for Information: RFI lacks common processes making

intelligence collection for partners a daunting task

connects communities of people who share a common need to exchange information in order to advance their missions. 8

Maritime: JIATF-S #1 mission set is to counter illicit traffic—a task that can’t be achieved without sharing information with those who share

the same mission.

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TECHNICALWhat is an IEPD and other techie things….

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WHAT IS AN IEPD?

A. Developed to provide the business, functional, and technical details of the information exchange through predefined artifacts

B. Created with a core set of artifacts in a prescribed format and organizational structure to allow for consistency

C. Designed to be shared and reused in the development of new information exchanges through publication in IEPD repositories

An Information Exchange Package Documentation (IEPD) is a collection

of artifacts that describe the construction and content of an

information exchange

(a.k.a NIEM-conformant exchange)

SCOPE OF IEPDS

IEPDs contain design specifications for an information exchange but may not include supplementary information such as implementation decisions.

Include the XML schemas that define the XML message structure

Contain standardized artifacts that document an information exchange

Have a defined development methodology (IEPD Lifecycle)

Ease the documentation process for reuse

Specify how exchange data is physically transferred between entities

Describe an interface or Interface Control Document (ICD)

Specify any technical information outside of the message structure

IEPDs do IEPDs do not

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IEPDs contain both required and recommended artifacts

Required : BoldRecommended : Italic

Note: Best practices for most organizations include many of the optional artifacts listed here

• Business Processes• Use Cases• Sequence Diagrams

• Business Rules• Business Requirements

• Exchange Content Model• Mapping Document

• Subset Schema• Exchange Schema• XML Wantlist

• Constraint Schema• Extension Schema

• Main Document• IEPD Catalog• IEPD Metadata

• Sample XML Instances

• XML Stylesheets

No required artifacts. Publish the IEPD to a repository and implement the exchange

THE IEPD ARTIFACTS

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NIEM CONFORMANCENIEM’s normative specifications define principles and rules for NIEM data components, schemas, and model packages. Adherence to the Naming & Design Rules, and the Model Package Description Specification is considered to be NIEM-conformant.

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NIEM 3.0 TIMELINE (13 MONTHS)

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

PRE-ALPHA (19 weeks) ALPHA 1(5 weeks)

ALPHA 2(10 weeks)

BETA(8.5 weeks)

RC 1(9 weeks)

3.0(4 weeks)

REQUIREMENTS & PREPARATION PHASE DEVELOPMENT & EXECUTION PHASE

Domain Update Requirements& Harmonization (3 months)

RELEASEALPHA 1

RELEASEBETA

RELEASERC 1

RELEASE NIEM 3.0

KICKOFF MEETING

PMO NBAC NTAC GTRI Community

Alpha 1

Alpha 2

Beta

RC 1

RELEASE AUDIENCE

90-DAY DEADLINE

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Today

RELEASEALPHA 2

BETA PUBLIC REVIEW – RELEASE DATE: JUNE 25TH!!!!

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BETA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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Tech TALKLive discussion with NIEM techies.

Learn about NIEM 3.0, what’s in it, why its important, and how to

conduct a review of Beta.

June 25 12-1pm EST

• Does your GPS know where to send you if you don’t enter the address?

• Did you know just how bad your haircut was until you saw yourself on Facebook?

• Can the NIEM Program Management Office know what you need if you don’t provide input?

The answer to all three questions is no!

COLLABORATIONSNIEM-UML and Geo4NIEM

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COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION: NIEM-UML

AutomaticGeneration

w/ NIEM-UML

NIEM-UML INFORMATION EXCHANGE

XML data “on the wire”

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GEO4NIEM BACKGROUND

The inability to transport, deliver, and exchange geospatial information for critical geospatial assets for prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation to all-hazards and all-threats increases the risk to the nation.

In collaboration with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), the Department of Homeland Security, NIEM Program Management Office, and PM-ISE have partnered to enhance NIEM’s geospatial exchange capability with the goal of improved information sharing of geospatial assets across all levels of government.

PARTNERS

GEO4NIEM SCOPE

Recommendations for the inclusion and standard use of embedded GML within NIEM-conformant information exchanges (i.e. IEPDs).

Recommendations for the standardized use of (NIEM) Naming and Design Rules and the use of external adapter concept with GML.

Testing and demonstrated use of a standardized embedded GML and adaptors within NIEM IEPDs.

Architecture documentation and fact sheet for the use of embedded GML and adaptors for use with NIEM IEPDs.

Recommendations for the inclusion of a NIEM Geospatial Domain.

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GEO4NIEM TEAM

PARTCIPANTS

INTEROPERABILITY PROGRAM OVERSIGHT

OBSERVERS

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GEO4NIEM MILESTONES & EXPECTED

DELIVERABLESDeliverable Description

Engineering Report: Geospatial Enhancements to NIEM

Report of findings and recommendations for a NIEM GML and adapter architecture delivered and presented to the NIEM PMO.

Engineering Report: Embedded GML and External Adapter Guidance Inputs for Fact Sheet

Guidance for use of embedded GML and use of adapters within NIEM for community awareness and adoption by the users and developer community.

NIEM Embedded GML and Adapter Test and Demonstration

Structured evaluation including test and demonstration of the recommended embedded GML and adapter architecture with a report of findings and recommendations for the evaluation.

Geo4NIEM Recommendations

Submitted

NIEM Governance Review & Approval

of Architectural Change(s)

Pending Approval, Implement Geo4NIEM

Recommendations

NIEM GOVERNANCE

How is NIEM governed?

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NIEM GOVERNING STRUCTURE

Example of a NIEM domain’s cross-jurisdictional governance structure:

NIEM Children, Youth, and Family Services (CYFS) domain supports timely, complete, accurate, and efficient information sharing to improve outcomes for children and youth whose circumstances make them particularly vulnerable.

 

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WHO STEERS NIEM CURRENTLY?

Primary Sponsors• Dept of Justice• Dept of Homeland Security• Dept of Health and Human Services

Ex-Officio Members• Global Justice Information

Sharing Initiative• Office of Management and Budget• Program Manager, Information

Sharing Environment• National Association of State Chief

Information Officers

Partners• Terrorist Screening Center• Dept of Defense / Dept of Navy• Public Safety Canada

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NIEM’S ADOPTION Who uses NIEM?

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WHO USES NIEM?

Interactive Map on NIEM.govNIEM.gov/map

“Are You NIEM-ified?” is a community building campaign that was recently launched to track NIEM adoption (and allow more bragging).

NIEM-ified (adjective); indicating an entity such as a project or organization that has implemented a NIEM-based exchange to advance their mission.

NIEM is in the public domain and available to use by any agency or organization that finds it. We can track use of NIEM across 19 Federal agencies, 50 states, and a few other countries. Often, the NIEM program does not know who is using it unless we hear someone bragging!

SNAP SHOT OF NIEM SUCCESS STORIES

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More at https://www.niem.gov/documentsdb/Pages/documents.aspx

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NIEM CONNECTS COMMUNITIES

WITHOUT NIEM

Search for NIEM Simplified on YouTube or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA1jY8LJ8tM

WITH NIEM

MORE ON NIEM HERE

Website at www.NIEM.gov

Twitter at www.twitter.com/NIEMExecDir

YouTube at www.YouTube.com/NIEMConnects

LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1903175

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