Intelligence Analysis II

Learn the Six Step Process for Conducting Intelligence Analysis and
Supporting Investigations using Structured Analytic Techniques


This course is available for On-Site Training only. We will bring this course to your agency or company.
Contact Don Dickson, On-Site Training Manager at (301) 455-5633 or Don.Dickson@GovernmentTrainingInc.com

Course Description

Structured analytic techniques help analysts produce more accurate and reliable intelligence. Use of these techniques improves the quality of analysis by helping analysts overcome cognitive biases (the inherent limitations of the human mind) and deal with complex, incomplete, and ambiguous information. Many historic law enforcement and national security intelligence failures—including the 2002 Washington DC sniper case, the 2003 Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction analysis, and the 1941 Pearl Harbor bombing—could have been prevented if structured analytic techniques had been effectively employed by the analysts working these topics.

In this 3-day training program, analysts will learn techniques for producing more reliable and accurate intelligence that will improve the outcomes of their customers’ decisions relating to state, local, or national interests, including law enforcement cases. Analysts will learn how to better understand the intentions and capabilities of adversaries—including criminals, terrorists, and foreign governments; deal with complex, incomplete, and ambiguous information; recognize cognitive biases and their causes and learn to how to overcome these biases; and demonstrate the soundness of their analysis by taking advantage of the analytic transparency provided by structured analytic techniques. Participants will also learn to conduct more creative and comprehensive analysis and examine alternative outcomes; identify key assumptions, uncertainties, intelligence gaps, and potential changes that would alter key assessments and predictions; and identify alternative hypotheses and challenging established viewpoints. The training program includes many “hands-on” exercises using intelligence analysis techniques that allow participants to apply the principles and methods being taught, with practical case scenarios to reinforce learning.

What you will learn

  • Structured Analytic Techniques: Why structured analytic techniques are vital to good analysis and the creation of accurate intelligence and investigations.
  • Cognitive Biases: How to overcome these inherent flaws in human mental processes, logic, and reasoning.
  • Dealing with Complex, Incomplete, and Ambiguous Information: How to effectively conduct analysis when dealing with substandard information.
  • Analytic Transparency: How to create an analytic paper trail that will demonstrate the soundness of your analytic process to your customer, your supervisor, and your peers.
  • Imaginative Thinking Techniques: How structured analytic techniques can help analysts conduct better, more creative and comprehensive analysis and examine alternative outcomes.
  • Diagnostic Techniques: How structured analytic techniques can help analysts identify key assumptions, uncertainties, and intelligence gaps, and potential changes that would alter key assessments and predictions.
  • Contrarian Techniques: How structured analytic techniques can help analysts by presenting alternative hypotheses and challenging established viewpoints.
  • Lessons-learned, Traps to Avoid: Real-life examples of intelligence failures that were caused by cognitive biases and could have been avoided using structured analytic techniques.
  • Six Step Process for Using Structured Analytic Techniques: Each step includes a detailed and actionable checklist to help analysts and investigators implement these techniques on the job.

Upon completion of the workshop, participants will

  • Recognize cognitive biases and their causes, and learn to how to overcome these biases using structured analytic techniques
  • Identify the role of cognitive biases in historical national security and law enforcement intelligence failures
  • Employ techniques for dealing with complex, incomplete, and ambiguous information
  • Evaluate the intentions and capabilities of adversaries (criminals, terrorists, governments)
  • Apply structured Imaginative Thinking analytic Techniques to conduct better, more creative and comprehensive analysis and examine alternative outcomes
  • Apply structured Diagnostic analytic Techniques to identify key assumptions, uncertainties, and intelligence gaps, and potential changes that would alter key assessments and predictions
  • Apply structured Contrarian analytic Techniques to examine alternative hypotheses and challenge established viewpoints
  • Demonstrate the soundness of intelligence produced using structured analytic techniques by taking advantage of the analytic transparency provided by structured analytic techniques.

Who should attend

  • Government, law enforcement agency and fusion center analysts who conduct intelligence analysis or provide case support
  • Intelligence unit managers who want to develop or enhance their agency’s intelligence analysis capabilities
  • Other intelligence practitioners and security specialists who need to enhance their abilities to conduct reliable intelligence analysis.

Course agenda

Over a 3-day period workshop participants will explore the following topics via a combination of lecture, discussion, case studies and hands-on learning exercises:
  • Structured Analytic Techniques: why are these techniques vital to the production of accurate and reliable intelligence products and the prevention of intelligence failures?
  • Planning and Implementation of Analysis Projects: how do I know when to use the structured analytic techniques I learned in this course?
  • Cognitive Biases: how do these biases affect the accuracy and reliability of intelligence analysis and how can I recognize and overcome them?
  • Substandard Information: how do I deal with complex, incomplete, and ambiguous information?
  • Imaginative Thinking Techniques: how can I use these structured analytic techniques to conduct better, more creative and comprehensive analysis and examine alternative outcomes?
  • Diagnostic Techniques: how can I use these structured analytic techniques to identify key assumptions, uncertainties, and intelligence gaps, and potential changes that would alter key assessments and predictions?
  • Contrarian Techniques: how can I use these structured analytic techniques to examine alternative hypotheses and challenge established viewpoints?
  • Analytic Transparency: how can I use these structured analytic techniques to demonstrate the efficacy of my analysis to my peers, supervisors, and customers?
Back To Top