Strategic Intelligence Analysis (SIAC)

Purpose

To provide students with the skills, knowledge and procedures needed to collect and analyze data, to provide intelligence interpretations of current and future events, and to assist in determining strategic views, options, and courses of further action.

The course is aimed at achieving two distinct outcomes:

1. to provide sufficient confidence in the use of techniques and skills to enable intelligence staff to undertake, or at least participate in, strategic intelligence assignments
2. to provide sufficient awareness of the complex and comprehensive nature of strategic intelligence practice to enable line supervisors or managers to be effective in their management, direction and control of strategic intelligence projects

Course content

Nature of intelligence and established intelligence practice; the strategic intelligence process:

1. establishing the conceptual framework;conceptual framework development; thinking concepts
2. defining and restating the problem
3. role and development of hypotheses
4. developing strategic indicators
5. focused collection planning ; collection planning for strategic assessments;major syndicate exercise
6. collation principles and systems
7. evaluation principles
8. applying analytical technique(s)
9. selecting analytical approaches
10. reporting strategic intelligence; managing strategic intelligence: key issues and problems;major syndicate exercise (ii)

Student selection criteria

To attend the SIAC, one must be a full time analyst. Others may be considered if they demonstrate an interest and explain how they are/will be participating in strategic intelligence process in the near future. Managers and supervisors of intelligence analysis units will also find this course useful as the difference between strategic and tactical analysis will be covered. Collection planning, a key feature of intelligence gathering, will also be covered during this course. Strategic analysts from other agencies such as DND and CRA, will also be considered for this course.

Student assessment

Objectives will be tested in several ways, including in-class exercises and major syndicate assignments. These demonstrate the application of memory, cognitive knowledge techniques; comprehension of concepts; and the ability to apply the aforementioned knowledge and comprehension to real or hypothetical situations.

Duration of course: nine working days

Class size: twenty-four students

Language of instruction: The course is offered in English and French.