Survey on Information Sharing, Attitudes, and Practices of LLIS Users

Information sharing among federal, state, and local agencies has become a critical element of U.S. homeland security strategy. In order to explore this relationship, an online survey was administered to 83 registered users of Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS.gov)-a Department of Homeland Security information sharing system, and interviews were conducted with 10 LLIS.gov users located in different regions of the country. Using a communication perspective, this study finds that the concepts of information sharing and preparedness accommodate multiple-and at times conflicting-meanings and practices. As a result, the government’s effort to create a "trusted partnership" and a "culture of information sharing" among federal, state, and local agencies faces significant challenges.