Information propagation through a dependency network model

Central to any collaboration problem are the twin issues of firstly understanding what information needs to be communicated and secondly what are the methods or information conduits through which the information needs to pass. For example, what information is key to the capabilities of an insurgent network, which has the information and how is it communicated to the others within and without the network. The same analysis can be applied to the FEMA and other emergency response networks established in the aftermath of events such as Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 where there was a need to understand what information was available, how it could be communicated and what the effect of proposed changes would be across the networks. This paper describes a dependency based network model which allows the explicit modeling of information/knowledge content, the conduits through which information passes, and the impact on the inter-dependent network of people, organizations, locations, resources and concepts if the content or the conduits are modified. The dependency model handles both quantitative and qualitative node outputs enabling it to identify the key dependent nodes and information content within the network. This analysis allows the development of Plan Models which capture the changes required in the network to bring about desired effects. Plan Models identify the mechanisms and/or resources that should be used to bring about the desired effects either directly by affecting a node outputs or indirectly by affecting the outputs of the nodes they are dependent upon. An example taken from a counter insurgency scenario is used to illustrate the benefits of the approach and range and scope of its applicability.