Thanks to John Young at www.cryptome.org for this one. It caused a
lot of waves when it was first made public, for that reason and because its authenticity,
I’ve published it here.
[8
pages.]
OFFICIAL USE ONLY
ANALYTIC THINKING AND PRESENTATION
FOR INTELLIGENCE PRODUCERS
Special Running for
Government Officials of
30 August -
Conducted By
Office of Training and Education
OFFICIAL USE ONLY
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This training is designed
to help participants gain added skill in analytic thinking and in written and
oral presentation through rigorous study of the principles of effective
argumentation, expository composition, and oral briefing, and intensive drill
in applying these principles in practical problem-solving situations and other
exercises that simulate the challenges that intelligence analysts face. Upon
completion of the course, the participants will have improved their ability to:
-- Define the analytic mission, which has much to do with the way analysts need to think, write, and speak.
-- Describe and use the "Conceptualization Process"-- a deliberate strategy by which analysts can crystallize, focus, and array effective lines of reasoning in all forms of finished intelligence.
-- Describe and use the expository writing style and explain the emphasis it places on structure, clarity, precision, brevity, vigor, and concreteness.
-- Produce drafts of selected finished intelligence items within specific time and format limits, using raw information.
-- Deliver analysis in a well-structured oral intelligence briefing.
-- Understand the role of Warning in intelligence and how it expands beyond analysts' regular interpretive and forecasting duties.
-- Understand our organization's standards and practices of personnel management and employee performance evaluation.
MONDAY, Day 1 |
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|
|
0830-0900 |
Course
Overview and Administration The Course Director will
discuss the course's scope, aims, content, and instructional method. |
0900-1000 |
Orientation to the Organization |
1000-1015 |
Break |
1015-1200 |
Understanding
the Analytic The nature of the
intelligence analysis profession has much to do with the way analysts need to
think and write. The instructor will seek to establish a clear and shared
understanding of the analytic mission by examining the role of the analyst,
the function of analysis, the concept of threshold, the substantive aim of
finished intelligence, and the needs of policymakers and other consumers of
finished intelligence. |
1200-1300 |
Lunch |
1300-1400 |
Conceptualizing
and Crafting Intelligence You will learn the conceptualization process -- a deliberate strategy by which to do analysis. This process allows you to crystallize, focus, and set forth cogent and compelling lines of reasoning. With this method you can "package" any intelligence product -- whether it's a paper you have to write or an oral briefing you have to give. You will practice the conceptualization process throughout the course. |
1400-1415 |
Break |
1415-1530 |
Communicating
Through Analytic Writing Expository writing is clear and concise
communication that stresses above all else the importance of clear
expressions and precise wording. The instructor will discuss these principles
so that you can begin applying them in the course. |
1530-1630 |
Focusing
on What Consumers Need Consumers of our products
are busy people, and the time constraints they face influence the formats we
use to present our analysis. We seek above all else to give our readers a bottom
line -- one overall analytic message they can grasp quickly with no
misunderstanding. We can speed the process by which we come up with this
bottom line by using an approach called focusing. You will begin a
series of exercises this afternoon to hone your ability to focus by making
use of the conceptualization process and expository writing
principles we have discussed today. |
|
|
TUESDAY, Day 2 |
|
|
|
0830-1200 |
Crafting
Finished Intelligence: Part I Beginning now and
continuing until |
1200-1300 |
Lunch |
1300-1630 |
Crafting
Finished Intelligence: Part II Each student will use the
concepts and methods learned in the class thus far to conceptualize and draft
a short four-paragraph item based on an analysis of raw information. This
segment is designed to continue adding to the students' analytic thinking and
writing skills, with emphasis on focus, organization, clarity, precision, and
brevity. |
|
|
WEDNESDAY, Day 3 |
|
|
|
0830-0930 |
Understanding
the Structure of Analysis Publications The instructor will
discuss the shortform publication format for
finished intelligence and explain how it exemplifies many of the features of
the intermediate and longform formats. All three
formats -- shortform, intermediate, and longform -- are the basis for structuring the full range
of finished intelligence publications. |
0930-1000 |
Preparing
Topic-Sentence Outlines Doing a topic-sentence
outline saves you great amounts of time, effort, and frustration in preparing
written drafts, The instructor will provide guidance on ways to use
topic-sentence outlines to ensure orderly and logical presentation of
material in finished intelligence products. |
1000-1015 |
Break |
1015-1630 |
Crafting
Finished Intelligence: Part III Beginning now and
continuing through the rest of today, the students will use the concepts and
methods learned in the class thus far to conceptualize and draft a shortform item based on an analysis of raw information. This
segment is designed to continue adding to students' analytic thinking and
writing skills by illustrating teaching points applicable to the planning and
production of all forms of finished intelligence. (Students will break for
lunch from 1200 to 1300) |
|
|
THURSDAY, Day 4 |
|
|
|
0830-0900 |
Review |
0900-1000 |
Focusing Exercises |
1000-1015 |
Break |
1015-1115 |
Preparing
and Delivering an Intelligence Briefing We all need to make a
point orally to someone or communicate our judgments and expertise to
different audiences. This segment offers you principles and techniques for
giving an effective oral presentation. |
1115-1130 |
Break |
1130-1200 |
Question and Discussion Session |
1200-1300 |
Lunch |
1300-1630 |
The
Role of Warning in the Intelligence The speaker will lead the class in a discussion of the Warning function and examine how this builds upon and expands beyond analysts' regular interpretive and forecasting duties.[*] |
|
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FRIDAY, Day 5 |
|
|
[By
hand] Mr. Martin
Petersen ("Marty") senior manag[cropped] |
0830-1030 |
Personnel
Management and Employee Performance Evaluation The speaker will discuss
the concepts and methods behind good supervisory practices as we define them
and will examine the ways that supervisors assess employees' job performance
and potential for professional growth. |
1030-1045 |
Break |
1045-1200 |
Doing
" The speaker will address
these special features and challenges of the analysis profession. |
1200-1300 |
Lunch |
1300-1400 |
Ensuring
Analytic Integrity
As intelligence analysts,
we have to understand the need for objectivity and balance and know how to
recognize and avoid bias. We have to broaden our analytic approach to
problems, avoid analytic pitfalls we face in making judgments, and deal with
implicit or explicit pressure to slant analysis for policy reasons. This
segment will explore these issues and examine ways of coping with them. |
1400-1415 |
Break |
1415-1430 |
Recommendations for Further Study |
1430-1500 |
Review and Concluding Remarks |
1500-1600 |
Administration
and Students' End-of-Course Evaluation |
|
|
From: "Allen
Thomson" <thomsona@flash.net>
To: <intelforum@his.com>
Subject: Re: Warning Function
Date: Sat,
John Young inquired,
What is "the Warning function?" The rest of the outline is understandable but this is not.
Basically
a call that something bad, or at least important, is likely to happen in the
near future. Warning
of war is the most dramatic example, but a warning of an impending coup in an
important country would qualify.
The information can come
either from specific sources or from compiled information. In the
Intelligence Forum (http://www.intelforum.org) is sponsored by Intelligence and
National Security, a Frank Cass journal (http://www.frankcass.com/jnls/ins.htm)