The Optimal Analyst: Balancing the Width and Depth in Strategic Intelligence

Abstract

While much-discussed desired qualities of an intelligence analyst count for a big part of their professional skills, the development of the analyst, their professional profile (general analyst profile [GAP]), during their career is often overlooked in academic discussions. As part of professional experiences, tasking has an important effect on development. The level of intelligence synthesis, informative and advisory nature of the Intelligence Community, and available human resources are three organizational factors that can be used to study the requirements and career-spanning effects tasking has for an analyst and their manager. Ultimately, human resources do have a big part to play, but should not be the only guiding factor. Tasking should consider the lifetime development of an analyst. Comfort zones should be breached, with a plan and a goal-oriented approach. It also benefits the analyst via wider understanding of the operational or strategic environment they are tasked to analyze. This also helps the analyst and the organization as a whole to advance from situational awareness to the more desired situational understanding.