The intelligence cycle is ‘standard doctrine’ for intelligence analysts and used by intelligence organisations the world over. The intelligence cycle provides an easy way to conceptualize what can sometimes be a confusing subject. Understanding the Intelligence Cycle allows the analyst clear guidance, and a process for the creation of intelligence.
What is the intelligence cycle?
The Intelligence Cycle is a process that controls the scope and pace of the overall production of competitive intelligence. It consists of five steps: planning and direction, collection, processing, analysis and production, and dissemination and feedback.
What is the intelligence process?
Intelligence Process The term "intelligence process" refers to the steps of the cycle. Intelligence, as practiced in the United States, is commonly thought of as having five steps.
Why is the direction of the process important in intelligence analysis?
This phase informs the rest of the process, and defines the information gap, and intelligence requirement. Direction is important because it gives the intelligence analyst a start point. Each intelligence organisation will have their own unique information requirements.
Is America’s intelligence cycle broken?
The Intelligence Cycle is Broken. Here’s How to Fix it. - Modern War Institute The Intelligence Cycle is Broken. Here’s How to Fix it. Today’s American military is, arguably, the most tactically adept fighting force in the world—perhaps of all time. It is, without question, the best-resourced military in human history.
What is the most important process in the intelligence cycle?
Analysis is thus the most important part of the intelligence cycle. The essence of the analytical process lies in the individual analyst.
Why is analysis important in the intelligence cycle?
Through evaluation, analysis, and interpretation, the analyst produces the finished intelligence that is contextualized, in an easily digestible format that answers the requirements and facilitates the decision-making process.
What is the importance of intelligence?
Intelligence is the ability to think, to learn from experience, to solve problems, and to adapt to new situations. Intelligence is important because it has an impact on many human behaviours.
What are the 4 cycles of intelligence?
The stages of the intelligence cycle include the issuance of requirements by decision makers, collection, processing, analysis, and publication (i.e., dissemination) of intelligence.
What is the intelligence lifecycle?
Traditional intelligence focuses on six distinct phases that make up what is called the “intelligence cycle”: direction, collection, processing, analysis, dissemination, and feedback. Threat intelligence and the six phases of the intelligence lifecycle.
What is intelligence cycle analysis?
Analysis and Production. Analysis and production includes the integration, evaluation, and analysis of all available data, and the preparation of intelligence products, including quickly developed single-source, event-oriented reports and longer term all-source and intelligence studies.
Is intelligence the most important thing in life?
However, research has found that while intellect is a significant factor in predicting success, it is certainly not the only — or even the most important — one. Recent studies have shown that emotional intelligence is actually a greater indicator for achievement in both academia and life than intellect.
What is the importance of intelligence essay?
Answer: Intelligence is perceived as the capacity to gain information, to think and give reason adequately and to manage the climate. Intelligence addresses a point of convergence for therapists, they expect to see how individuals can take on their conduct to the climate in which they live.
Why is intelligence the key to success?
Intelligence leads to greater success than personality traits such as being nice, conscientious and generous, a study has found. They found that individuals who are agreeable, trusting, conscientious and generous do good for themselves and other people - but only a limited amount of good, and for only a short time.
How does the intelligence cycle work and process?
The intelligence cycle is an iterative process by which information is gathered, analyzed, and activated to remove or reduce the threat level according to the following phases of the process: Direction and planning of the activity. Collection or gathering of data and information.
When was the intelligence cycle created?
1947Originally, the 1947 USIC structure and the function of its intelligence cycle process model was designed to provide essential information to the president, policymakers, federal organizations, and military communities.
How do you analyze phases of intelligence cycle?
There are five steps which constitute the Intelligence Cycle.Planning and Direction. This is management of the entire effort, from identifying the need for data to delivering an intelligence product to a consumer. ... Collection. ... Processing. ... All Source Analysis and Production. ... Dissemination.
Why analysis process is important?
Process analysis is the first step to making processes better. It helps businesses uncover inefficiencies and plan changes to improve things.
What is analysis and why is it important?
An analysis is a detailed examination of a topic. It involves performing research and separating results into smaller, logical topics to form reasonable conclusions. It presents a specific argument about the topic and supports that argument with evidence.
Why is analysis so important?
Analytical skills are important because they allow people to find solutions to various problems and make concrete decisions and action plans to solve those problems.
Why analysis is important in learning?
An understanding and analysis of this data offers teachers the opportunity to make meaningful evaluations of a student's participation and engagement within courses and can further be used as a tool for teachers to optimise and individualise the learning process..
How does an intelligence analyst use the Intelligence Cycle?
Intelligence Analysts use the Intelligence Cycle to answer Intelligence Requirements by collecting information, analysing and interpreting it, then providing assessments and recommendations.
What is the process used by analysts to create intelligence?
The Intelligence Cycle is a process used by analysts to create intelligence.
Why do I prefer oral intelligence briefs?
Personally, I prefer Oral Intelligence Briefs as they provide an opportunity for the analyst to convey intelligence through a presentation, and provide greater detail through questions. Often people might not understand the information in the same way – so talking them through your analysis helps to convey meaning.
What is the definition of dissemination?
Dissemination refers to the way the intelligence analyst put all the intelligence and assessment together to answer the information requirement.
Why is direction important?
Direction is important because it gives the intelligence analyst a start point.
What is the final phase of the intelligence cycle?
Dissemination is the final phase of the intelligence cycle, and is how the newly created intelligence is provided to customer and those who need to know.
What is the purpose of collection?
Collection involves the tasking of Intelligence Sources and Agencies (link) to collect required information to satisfy the intelligence requirement.
What is the most important step in the intelligence cycle?
1. Planning and direction. Arguably the most crucial step in the intelligence cycle, planning and direction is where you define an intelligence operation’s purpose and objectives, which are known as intelligence requirements (IRs). These IRs should reflect questions you will seek to answer in order to satisfy the purpose of the operation.
What is the collection of information?
Collection entails identifying and collecting the data and information necessary to satisfy the IRs you defined in planning and direction. But more generally speaking, this step is about figuring out which assets you’ll need and how you’ll obtain them in order to fulfill the requirements of a given initiative.
Why should all security disciplines use the intelligence cycle?
The intelligence cycle is often underutilized in nearly every area of security. This iterative process through which data or information becomes intelligence can streamline, focus, and provide strategic guidance in myriad situations that extend far beyond the realm ...
What is processing in intelligence?
In the context of an intelligence operation, this step is where you synthesize the data and information you collected and then refine and structure it to make it suitable for further analysis.
What is requirements driven approach?
When applied more broadly, the requirements-driven approach catalyzed by planning and direction helps ensure alignment between all parties involved in an initiative, the purpose of the initiative, and what will need to happen to satisfy that purpose. This type of approach starkly contrasts with its “checkbox” counterpart, which can remain pervasive across security disciplines.
Who is Josh Lefkowitz?
Josh Lefkowitz is the CEO of Flashpoint, which delivers Business Risk Intelligence (BRI) to empower organizations worldwide with meaningful intelligence and information that combats threats and adversaries. Lefkowitz has worked extensively with authorities to track and analyze terrorist groups.
How many steps are there in the intelligence process?
The term "intelligence process" refers to the steps of the cycle. Intelligence, as practiced in the United States, is commonly thought of as having five steps. Lowenthal (2006, p 55) added two phases for seven phases of the intelligence process as (1) requirements, (2) collection, (3) processing and exploitation, (4) analysis and production, (5) dissemination, (6) consumption, and (7) feedback. The following paraphrases Lowenthal (p 55):
What is stove piping?
In the traditional intelligence use of the term, stove piping keeps the output of different collection systems separated from one another. Stove piping prevents one discipline from cross-checking another and bypassing the regular analysis of raw intelligence by sending only raw intelligence that supports a particular position to the leadership. ...
What is the process of consumption and dissemination?
Dissemination and Consumption are taken together by Lowenthal. The process of dissemination, or the process of moving intelligence from producers to consumers, is largely standardized, with consumption being assumed in the 5-step process.
Why is analytic approach important?
A set of repeatable and useful problem-solving approaches is helpful and essential for analysts. Because of the nature of the intelligence problem and work , an analytic approach must be tolerant of deceptive information far more than the scientist performing an experiment. According to Richards Heuer, intelligence analysis involves incremental, ...
What is intelligence analysis?
Intelligence Analysis in a Cycle. Analysis resides within the larger intelligence cycle. The intelligence cycle determines the daily activities of the Intelligence Community. It starts with the needs of the intelligence "consumers' such as policymakers, military officials, and other decision makers who need intelligence for their activities.
What is the difference between collection and conversion?
Collection produces information which must undergo processing and exploitation before it can be regarded as intelligence and given to analysts. Conversion includes translations, decryption, and interpretation. Analysis and Production. Analysis and production includes the integration, evaluation, and analysis of all available data, ...
What is the purpose of analysis?
Analysis is using information about the context of a situation, characterizing the known observables, and applying the appropriate statements of probability to anticipate future situations.
How has technology revolutionized tactical intelligence?
Most dramatically, technology has driven extraordinary advances in our targeting capabil ities. The global reach of our targeting platforms is unprecedented and unmatched. We are able to track the enemy with a diverse and sophisticated suite of tools, fixing him in time and space, so that we might bring our exceptional lethality to bear. However, a growing focus on targeting has drawn front-line attention away from deeper strategic concerns. This, in turn, has affected the inputs that we feed into the intelligence cycle in subtly pernicious ways.
What is the problem with quantitative data?
The problem, however, is that quantitative data is reductive. On the battlefield, we can quantify and measure an extraordinary range of things, from incidences of violence to the price of bread to the movement of displaced people. Yet once we quantify something, stripping away its contextual meaning and turning it into a data point, it loses all of its explanatory power. A quantitative data set cannot tell us anything about the significance of changing rates of violence, price fluctuations, or patterns of migration. Is an uptick in violence the result of the enemy’s growing strength? Is it tied to a rogue commander who has broken with the enemy’s central leadership? Is it the final death throes of an insurgent movement that has lost local support? The data cannot tell us. Interpretation requires deep, localized, contextual understanding. Yet this sort of information is not being adequately captured by the intelligence cycle at the tactical level—and, critically, only tactical-level personnel have the firsthand access to ground truth that is essential to acquire this information.
What is the driving force behind the targeting cycle?
Technology has been a driving force behind this phenomenon. With the advent of dynamic targeting software platforms, our actions at the tactical level now center on feeding inputs into the technological tools that underpin the targeting cycle. We conceptualize the enemy in link analysis charts, and we strive to “connect the dots” and generate actionable intelligence.
Why do strategic decision makers double down on technology?
As front-line intelligence analysts have become consumed within the targeting process , strategic decision-makers have doubled-down on technology and data as a means to understand the battlefield. With fewer and fewer substantive, qualitative inputs into the intelligence cycle, we have compensated by harvesting ever-larger quantities of data.
What is the intelligence cycle?
A key part of the answer lies in what’s known as the “intelligence cycle”—the process through which we investigate, analyze, and decide to act upon the world around us. This process has developed systemic, structural flaws. The platforms through which we gather information, and the processes ...
What are the potential scapegoats?
There is a long list of potential scapegoats. Misguided political leadership. Imperial over-reach. The proliferation of complex asymmetric threats. Hyper-partisan domestic politics. The horizon-lowering influence of the twenty-four-hour news cycle.
Will information enter the intelligence cycle?
However, if no one at the tactical level is looking beyond the immediate demands of the targeting process to collect substantive and meaningful contextual detail on the enemy, then that information will never enter the intelligence cycle. Instead, it will be left to others (who lack direct access) to invent narratives that ascribe meaning to our network targeting packages and quantitative data sets.
What is the executive branch of the PIAB?
Executive Branch: The Intelligence Oversight Board (IOB), a standing committee of the PIAB since 1993, consists of not more than four members of the PIAB appoint ed by the Chairman of the PIAB. The IOB is charged with overseeing the IC's compliance with the Constitution and all applicable laws, Executive Orders, and Presidential Directives.
What is intelligence oversight?
Intelligence oversight is a way to ensure that the IC works with the law and balances collecting essential information and protecting individuals’ interests and privacy. Groups inside and outside of the IC conduct oversight.
How many members are in the PIAB?
The PIAB consists of not more than 16 members selected from distinguished citizens outside the government.
What is the executive branch of the government?
Executive Branch: The National Security Council (NSC) , chaired by the president, advises the president on national security and foreign policy. It also coordinates policies among various government agencies. As such, the NSC must remain informed about intelligence activities, analysis, and findings.
How many elements are there in the intelligence community?
The Intelligence Community is made up of 18 elements that each focus on a different aspect of our common mission.
Why is it important to have contacts with intelligence officers?
Similar to foreign liaison relationships, contact between military intelligence officers and their foreign military counterparts is critical to force protection and overall national security , particularly when conducting joint maneuvers on foreign soil and dealing with transnational threats. These relationships fill in information gaps, increase operational awareness, and improve understanding of local attitudes and tensions, particularly in areas where cultural complexities and norms are not well-understood by U.S. personnel.
Which branch of government is responsible for oversight and review of intelligence activities?
Legislative Branch: The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is responsible for regular oversight and review of U.S. intelligence activities. The committee also authorizes funding for intelligence activities and can provide legislative provisions that limit or allow certain intelligence activities.
What is the sixth step in the intelligence cycle?
Depending on whom you ask, the intelligence cycle has a sixth step—evaluation and feedback . At this juncture, the intelligence creators receive some sort of response to or comments on their work, at least in the ideal world. For many analysts, this step isfrustratingly similar in the public and private sectors in the sense that theyonly hear back if something goes awry. If anything, this silence is more common in the private realm because intelligence consumers in business environments are busy creating revenue rather than taking pride in policy or tactical knowledge on a secu-rity issue. Sometimes, private sector consumers come back with additional requests, which means the job is being done right. Frequently, getting feedback requires intel teams to be proactive. Requests for feedback are necessary, but need to be as conve-nient and quick to fulfill as possible for intelligence recipients. An annual survey is the ideal approach, but follow-up calls on important products can also work in a pinch.
What is the intelligence cycle?
The traditional intelligence cycle model is a step-by-step ap-proach, with the production and analysis phase following pro-cessing, which in turn follows collection. Whether the analyst is working for the public or private sector, most would agree that this is a very naïve way of describing the process. In reality, the steps are fluid and production of analysis may run concurrently with information gathering or even start before intelligence is fully collected. In practice, then, steps three and four are fre-quently combined.
Why is it important to establish the recipient's intelligence requirements?
Establishing the recipient’s intelligence requirements is one of the most critical steps, because understanding customer needs aids the team in structuring a project and pursuing certain types of intelligence. In the public sector, this step is fairly straightfor-ward. A government institution or senior official has an “ask” on
When does the nature of the audience matter?
The nature of the audience matters a great deal near the end of the intelligence cycle just as it does at the beginning, when the initial requirements are being discussed. At the dissemination step—when findings are finally given to the recipient—private sector intel teams must once again contend with consumers who are not used to typical intelligence deliverables. Innovation on delivery is essential.
Who is Daniil Davydoff?
Author Bio: Daniil Davydoff is manager of global security in-telligence at AT-RISK International and director of social media for the World Affairs Council of Palm Beach, Florida. Davydoff’s work has been published by Foreign Policy, Risk Manage-ment, The National Interest, The Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, and RealClearWorld, among other outlets. His views do not necessarily reflect those of his company or of ASIS International.
What Is The Intelligence Cycle?
Phase 1 – Direction
Phase 2 – Collection
Phase 3 – Analysis
Phase 4 – Dissemination
Why Do We [Intelligence Analysts] Use The Intelligence Cycle?
- The intelligence cycle is universal. The intelligence cycle is ‘standard doctrine’ for intelligence analysts and used by intelligence organisations the world over. The intelligence cycle provides an easy way to conceptualize what can sometimes be a confusing subject. Understanding the Intelligence Cycle allows the analyst clear guidance, and a proc...
Do All Intelligence Analysts Use The Intelligence Cycle?