Intelligence analysis “must be objective and independent of political considerations,” according to a new “capstone” directive (pdf) issued by the Director of National Intelligence.
The directive establishes the policy framework for intelligence analysis and defines a set of methodological standards and expectations, with an emphasis on inter-agency collaboration and outreach.
“The IC will seldom have the requisite depth and breadth of expertise to provide all of the insights and detailed answers demanded by our customers. To satisfy their needs, the IC must tap outside expertise and build and expand relationships with non-intelligence government agencies, academic, business, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and think tank communities, both domestically and internationally, while addressing the counterintelligence and security obligations that are inherent to such initiatives.”
See “Management, Integration, and Oversight of Intelligence Community Analysis,” Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 200, January 8, 2007.
Also new is “Intelligence Community Update to DCID 6/11, ‘Controlled Access Program Oversight Committee’,” Intelligence Community Policy Memorandum (ICPM) 2006-700-10, January 12, 2007.
In recent months, we’ve seen much of these decades’ worth of progress erased. Contracts for evaluations of government programs were canceled, FFRDCs have been forced to lay off staff, and federal advisory committees have been disbanded.
This report outlines a framework relying on “Cooperative Technical Means” for effective arms control verification based on remote sensing, avoiding on-site inspections but maintaining a level of transparency that allows for immediate detection of changes in nuclear posture or a significant build-up above agreed limits.
At a recent workshop, we explored the nature of trust in specific government functions, the risk and implications of breaking trust in those systems, and how we’d known we were getting close to specific trust breaking points.
tudents in the 21st century need strong critical thinking skills like reasoning, questioning, and problem-solving, before they can meaningfully engage with more advanced domains like digital, data, or AI literacy.