Agile Research & Technology, Inc.

Agile is an knowledge development and delivery enterprise with specialized expertise in hybrid education solutions and homeland security and defense subject matter. Agile's unique capabilities are drawn from their personnel's vast experience and proven track record of success. Our staff recognizes that the answers to the educational challenges our clients face in the information age need to be innovative, adaptable and sustainable.

Agile believes in non-proprietary technologies. We leverage open source software applications and standards where we can, to improve our customer's flexibility and the scalability of the solutions we provide. There are no licensing fees or expensive dead ends when you choose Agile. Systems we develop are designed with a modular framework customized to each customer's unique requirements.

Agile breaks the traditional lengthy, and often convoluted, frameworks for delivering research-based solutions. Agile is designed for, capable of, and committed to an efficient response to our clients' needs. Extended responses built around the provider - rather than the client's time frames - are not allowed in our business model. Your project needs will be met in an efficient and timely matter ... period.

Agile Research & Technology’s unique name reflects our commitment to providing timely, research based solutions to national and homeland security related challenges through proven educational methodologies supported by fundamental principles in educational psychology and learning theory. Agile has a strong commitment to ongoing knowledge dissemination in a variety of learning management frameworks.

designs and develops customized solutions for our customers -from content to implementation to support- the customers goals are realized and exceeded. We have the necessary subject matter experts with experience in education, training, and distance learning. We follow a principled approach to educational design and we can provide complete solutions that are affordable and scalable.

Agile can develop a single course, a certificate course program, or a full curriculum, whatever is needed. Although the hybrid graduate level education model has been Agile employee’s forte’, the leadership at Agile has designed, developed and delivered many different training and educational models to meet needs in traditional and non-traditional situations.

Agile believes that the transfer of information, be it traditional training or undergrad/grad level education, should be facilitated by technology rather than allowing technology to become the driving factor. Multimedia is developed by Agile with the ultimate goal of the client in mind. Exciting, thought provoking and researched backed media is presented in a manner that meets the instructional objectives.

Agile doesn’t buy the fallacy that, serious, in depth and expert analysis should take forever to get to the customer. Although our experts have each worked with and for some of the nation’s most respected "think tanks," and educational institutions, they also believe that the important work is often over come by events because the think tank "industry standard" has led customers to believe they have to wait a long time if they want good analysis. Agile not only provides well documented and carefully considered insight from deeply knowledgeable sources with both academic and real life experience, but Agile makes sure it happens within a timeframe that allows the information be useful. Similarly, often an issue demands that the analysis take place in unique or difficult settings. Many of Agile’s experts have operated, very effectively, within dangerous environments. Don’t let your organization’s needs be neglected because of timing or setting.

Agile specializes in terrorism, intelligence, education and related National Security issues. If your organization needs to get to the bottom of the issue-in a timely fashion-then contact Agile and let us work with you to get the analysis you need now, not next year.

Agile builds flexible solutions that are designed for easy, low cost support. We can host your content or you can do it yourself. We can help either way.

Merging intricate, new and novel approaches to Open Source web application development with cutting-edge national and homeland security related expertise and analysis is clearly an Agile strength. Agile thoroughly enjoys projects where the demands of custom development allow our engineers to surprise the client with capabilities that far exceed what they had initially imagined. A modular architecture that is completely extensible ensures that rapid software development and iterative and incremental improvement of the product is not only possible, but affordable. Our lightweight software development methods ensure that we can quickly adapt to emerging requirements without having to go back to the drafting board. This is achieved through the development of close working relationships with our customers and our continuous attention to technical excellence and good design.

Counter Terrorism Foreign Program (CTFP) - Global Ecco Website (Sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense through NPS MOVES Institute) In an effort by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to strengthen the nation’s counter terrorism capability, Agile Research and Technology, Inc was selected by researchers at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey CA. to architect and build a global web-based community of CT practitioners by combining cutting edge Web 2.0 and 3.0 capabilities with content supplied by Agile’s world leading experts.

The project highlights one of the strengths of Agile-effective fusion of custom web-based technology and community building-with the seamless integration of world-class expertise. Agile’s experienced team has repeatedly shown how technology can be joined with research, analysis and expertise to build communities of practice and learning. The CTFP Global ECCO project allowed Agile to put their experience into practice at a truly global level.

The Global ECCO site merged several social networking technologies, which support well-known proprietary sites as Linkedin, Wikipedia, Twitter, etc.. Participants of the community are able to follow engagement by other participants and world leading researchers on important issues related to terrorism and insurgency through the integrated taxonomy. This organizational tool not only allows easy access to site-wide information - but allows interested of individuals within the community to discern and organize issues and discussions with other members - and focus their attention on the content and individuals of greatest interest to them.

Project Management Information System (Center for Civil Military Relations at NPS & Camber Corporation) Some customers are not only engaged in research-but find themselves providing information and training-round the globe. The demands of traveling to and working in third world countries or even zones of conflict to provide training require back office tools which allow administrative excellence while insuring operational accuracy.

By integrating every administrative aspect of the customers need with the realities of what is encountered and demanded on the ground - the speed, accuracy and overall quality of the work can be greatly increased. In an effort to improve the coordination required to run their complex educational program Camber Corporation engaged the support of Agile Research and Technology to infuse their expertise in the development of a multi-phase custom-developed collaborative software solution, PMIS (Project Management Information System), for the Center for Civil-Military Relations at the Naval Postgraduate School.

PMIS provides a web-based, user-friendly project information hub for the CCMR community. This community includes government personnel, contractors and SMEs and faculty involved in CCMR courses and events. The initial goal of this system (Phase 1) is to manage all functions related to conducting a CCMR educational seminar or event, to include: event and activity scheduling and planning, identification of the appropriate faculty and SMEs to support the event, and creating an associated cost estimate - where applicable. Agile's experience in custom software development for collaborative project management allowed CCMR and Camber to procure a software solution that was customized to their work processes and community needs, versus forcing their work-flow to accommodate to the constraints of a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solution. Agile's modular software solutions will enable Camber and CCMR to roll out new functionality in the suite of tools, over time. This will help ensure that CCMR program managers, faculty/SMEs and administrative personnel are not overwhelmed by having to adhere to an online system that adds work to their job - but rather, over time, will provide them with helpful tools to get their jobs done more effectively.

Agile Research Tool (Agile Research and Technology) Agile's Mission is to strengthen the Nation’s efforts in homeland security, especially as it relates to countering terrorism. As a part of that mission, Agile has developed a viable, sustainable and robust research architecture, which gives capabilities to academics, policy makers and practitioners working on issues related to counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency. This research tool provides a secure online environment to discuss, learn and exchange information and ideas on the emerging best practices related to terror and counter-terrorism studies.

The Agile research tool, which is developed around a highly effective regional and topical taxonomy, organizes research needs and allows members to focus their energies and efforts in very specific areas through a fully integrated user management system with capabilities similar to LinkedIn, Facebook, Wikipedia, Twitter and YouTube - in one location designed to work for you.

Agile Press, an imprint of Agile R&T, is committed to the publication of cutting-edge books that combine rigorous standards of scholarship with a focus on homeland security. Whether the books center on empirical field work or the theoretical examination of principles and concepts, Agile Press promotes the work of authors who are willing to take intellectual risks and cross disciplinary boundaries. Our purpose is to make available truly innovative, critical, and insightful books that will have a lasting impact on the ongoing formation of the field.

Homeland security has emerged as a rich field for traditional scholarship as well as interdisciplinary research. It is clear that the underlying principles, practical applications, overarching objectives and even the boundaries of homeland security are contested. A vigorous and wide-ranging dialogue among scholars and practitioners is as natural as it is necessary. To this end, Agile Press publishes books that are grounded in the fields of sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, law, political science, and international relations, as well as theology and philosophy. While our focus is primarily set on the core social sciences, we are committed to publish and promote the best relevant works from within any and all academic disciplines.

Agile Press, situated at the crossroads of scholarship and practice, is committed to the highest levels of scholarly rigor. The manuscripts that we accept undergo peer review by leading authorities in the various disciplines. Our editorial team works with individual authors to ensure that their works are made as widely accessible as possible, and our team of design and graphics professionals craft high-quality books. Our marketing department taps into the relevant scholarly venues, as well our well-established network of practitioners. True to our name, Agile Press is committed to moving a manuscript from submission to publication in six months or less.

Because Agile Press is highly specialized and publishes only a select number of titles every year, our authors are assured above-market rate honoraria, in terms of base-line royalties as well as bonuses on number of copies sold.

Bak's Sandpile, by Ted Lewis

If you are interested in submitting a manuscript for publication with Agile Press, please send a prospectus to acquisitions@agilepress.com.

If you have any questions regarding Agile Press, please e-mail the managing editor, Anders Strindberg, at strindberg@agilepress.com.

We live in an age of unusually big events and hyper-contagious headlines: disasters are larger than expected and everyone knows about them sooner than ever before in history. What does it mean? In this book, Ted Lewis describes and develops an unorthodox theory suggested some decades ago by Danish physicist Per Bak and colleagues: that life is perched on a fault line between calm well-being and imminent disaster. (read more ...)

David W. Brannan, PhD (Theologically Motivated Terrorism), is a senior analytical advisor on issues of International Relations, social identity, law enforcement, asymmetrical threats and low intensity conflict, including both terrorism and insurgency. His experience as the Director of Security Policy, Ministry of Interior, Iraq (2003-2004), has provided a unique base from which to build effective programs related to intelligence, national and homeland security through effective multidiscipline approaches to these difficult issues. David has been particularly successful developing methods for integrating intricate theoretical frameworks with operational realities-effectively marrying rigorous academics with the real world.
dbrannan@agile-rt.com · Tel: 530·521·1718

Kristin Darken, MA (Instructional Techology) works with a team of technical experts and content specialists to ensure seamless delivery of educational products suited specifically to the custom requirements of each client. These systems include online collaborative environments rich with media and interactive simulations - well-suited to the unique needs of adult learners seeking the most effective educational experiences. Through the design and development process, Kristin works closely with client leaders and stakeholders to construct distinct learning environments carefully designed to produce significant learning experiences.
kdarken@agile-rt.com · Tel: 831·521·4583

N. T. Anders Strindberg, PhD (International Relations), is the Managing Editor of Agile Press. With a background in academia, journalism and industry, his focus of interest have centered on social psychology, Islam and Islamism, the social dynamics of revolutionary movements, and political stability in the Middle East. He has written extensively on these issues in both scholarly and policy oriented publications. As Special Correspondent for Jane's Intelligence Review (2001-2006) he provided field based analyses from Syria and Lebanon, and also served as United Nations Headquarters correspondent in New York. As a senior level policy consultant, his primary clients have included European law enforcement agencies and security services, as well as ministries of defense, foreign affairs, justice and immigration.

3083 Brim Road, Williams, CA 95987
General Inquiries: info@agile-rt.com
Tel: 530·278·5006