Intelligence analysis management

Intelligence Analysis Management is the process of managing and organizing the analytical processing of raw intelligence information. The terms "analysis", "production", and "processing" denote the organization and evaluation of raw information used in a phase informally called "connecting the dots", thus creating an "intelligence mosaic". The information may result in multiple analytic products, each with different security classifications, time scales, and levels of detail. Intelligence analysis goes back to the beginning of history. Sherman Kent is often considered the father of modern intelligence analysis. His writings include a 1947 book, Strategic Intelligence for American World Policy. [1]

During his career in the Office of Strategic Services and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Kent defined many of the parameters of modern analysis and its use. Kent disagreed with the philosophy that analysts never recommend policy, but only advise policymakers. [2] He considered it a partnership in which the analyst did not push a personal point of view.[2]

Recent[when?] scholarship drawing upon theories of the sociology of knowledge has criticized Kent's work for being over-positivist and for failing to recognize the role the identity and culture of the analytic unit play in formulating, accepting, and rejecting the hypotheses used to collect and analyze intelligence.[3]

  1. ^ Kent, Sherman (2000). Strategic Intelligence for American World Policy. Princeton Univ Press. ISBN 0-691-02160-0.
  2. ^ a b Davis, Jack. "Occasional Papers: Volume 1, Number 5: Sherman Kent and the Profession of Intelligence Analysis" (PDF). The Sherman Kent Center for Intelligence Analysis. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2007.
  3. ^ Pages 234-252 Jones, Milo L. and; Silberzahn, Philippe (2013). Constructing Cassandra, Reframing Intelligence Failure at the CIA, 1947-2001. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0804793360.