Publisher's Synopsis
This book highlights structured analytic techniques -- some widely used in the private sector and academia, some unique to the intelligence profession. Using the analytic techniques contained in this primer will assist analysts in dealing with the perennial problems of intelligence: the complexity of international developments, incomplete and ambiguous information, and the inherent limitations of the human mind. Understanding the intentions and capabilities of adversaries and other foreign actors is challenging, especially when either or both are concealed. Moreover, transnational threats today pose even greater complexity, in that they involve multiple actors -- including non-state entities -- that can adapt and transform themselves faster than those who seek to monitor and contain them. Finally, globalisation has increased the diversity of outcomes when complex, interactive systems such as financial flows, regional economies or the international system as a whole are in flux. Additionally, one of the least appreciated facts about the intelligence profession is that it exists in, and is influenced by, a very complex environment, one that includes everything from its relationships with policymakers, legislatures, military services, foreign partners, and last but not least, to its interaction with the public.
