Lead branch?

[rancke]

I'm working on a writeup of Lord Frederick Santanocheev, and I'm trying to come up with a succinct way to express a concept that has me stumped:

In 1105 Santy was Commander-in-Chief, Naval Intelligence, Regina Subsector. Now, technically, I presume that the Regina Subsector branch of Naval Intelligence would be subordinate to the Sector Branch and equal to the Jewell Subsector Branch and the Vilis Subsector Branch, etc. But in practice I think the main work of keeping an eye on the Zhodani would be coordinated by the Regina Branch, and that the Vilis and Jewell Branches would report their findings to Regina. Likewise, intelligence-gathering operations would be coordinated to avoid interfering with each other's efforts.

I've read that when different US agencies work on the same case, one of them is designated the lead agency. That's sort of the concept I'm looking for, only here the different branches are part of the same agency. Can I use "lead branch" or perhaps "lead office" and expect readers to get it without any further explanation?

Or is there some other weay to express it?


Hans

 

[sabredog]

"Head Office"? "Administrative Branch"? "Executive Branch"?
"Chief Operations Branch"? "Overwatch Branch"?

 

[Whipsnade]

Hans,

Another term you might look into is "desk". Often a lead or coordinating group or position is said the hold the "desk" on a certain topic. "Desk" may be a better term, especially when such a position or group is tasked with coordinating information and activities of several agencies.

Naturally, the sector whatever desk would be capitalized; i.e. the Regina subsector INI branch holds the Marches' Zhodani Desk while all other subsectors in the Marches would simply have Zhodani desks.

The concept can be easily extended. The Aramis INI branch would hold the Vargr Desk, the Lunion branch the Sword Worlds Desk, Glisten the District Desk, and so one. [With the Five Sisters INI branch holding the Darrian Desk ]

Applying this "desk" motif to our canonical information, we can look at Santanocheev's creation of the Office of Naval Intelligence somewhat differently. Now doesn't he recreate or replace parts of INI wholesale prior to the war. Rather he simply removes the Zhodani Desk from INI-Regina's control and places it in the hands of his ONI cronies. No wholesale changes were made, instead the reports/orders structure of INI were tweaked instead.

Putting it another way. All Santanocheev does in pencil in another box on the INI's Organizational Chart, erase a few lines, and redraw a few others. His "coup" no longer involves reassigning thousands of agents and analysts. It's just a few dozen officers occupying a suite of offices instead.

Hope all this nonsense helps.


Regards,
Bill

 

[aramis]

I've heard Desk used in US Naval slang.

Senior Office, Project Lead, Primary Asset, Managing Office, Coordinating Officer for ____.