This small planning grant will examine the topic of animal disease intentionally introduced for purposes of terror and economic disaster. In particular, planning for a network-accessible database would be undertaken to support new network-centric policy and protocols. Human factors such as cooperation, coordination and communication will be considered as contributors to accessibility and information clarity. The planning process will include specialists in animal diseases, information technology, organizational analysis and uptake of innovation, and public policy. The state of Texas will provide the test bed to examine the way 1) policy and regulation are understood, 2) information is transferred, 3) decisions are made, and 4) decisions and regulatory demands are implemented.
