Information Professionals as Intelligence Analysts: Making the Transition

Thanks to Dr. Edna Reid, Associate Professor, Clarion University, Department of Library Science, for the this article:  Information Professionals as Intelligence Analysts: Making the Transition. This article was originally published in the 2009 Best Practices for Government Librarians: Change: Managing It, Surviving It, Thriving on It. The 2009 edition includes 60 articles and other submissions provided by more than 50 contributors from librarians in government agencies, courts, and the military, as well as from professional association leaders, LexisNexis Consultants, and more.

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Introduction

Do you identify, synthesize, and analyze trends, threats, and opportunities in an industry or organization? Do you go beyond what you know and gather information to dissect an unfamiliar situation into parts to determine how they relate to one another or to an overall problem?¹

If your answers to these questions are yes then the reforms in the intelligence community (IC) and enhanced recognition of the value of open source² (unclassified) information can provide new opportunities for you! According to Vee Herrington, Chief of the U.S. Army Intelligence Library, Fort Huachuca, there are emerging roles for information professionals as open source experts and champions. Accordingly, this article provides a follow-up to Herrington’s discussions about the need for information professionals to acquire intelligence analysis skills and become active members of intelligence analysis teams. It describes shortage of intelligence analysts and uses Bloom’s taxonomy to describe the analytical skills required of intelligence analysts so information professionals can see how these map to their competencies, experiences, and career aspirations.

Shortage of Intelligence Analysts The massive post-9/11 reforms in the intelligence community (IC) and establishment of an Open Source Center³ (OSC) in order to effectively respond to terrorist groups’ increasing sophistication in using the Internet signaled that it is time to further demystify and enhance the visibility of an under-the-radar career: intelligence analyst. With the sharp increase in the size, complexities, and its mission-critical tasks the U.S. intelligence community is experiencing a critical shortage of intelligence analysts. And that shortage doesn’t seem to be abating! To be sure, analysts are needed in many of the 16 intelligence community agencies (e.g., FBI, CIA, DIA, NSA) particularly in newly established departments and agencies after 9/11 (Shrader, 2004; Losey, 2007). For instance, despite the current bleak economic environment, the FBI announced that it needs to immediately fill over 3,000 positions including intelligence analysts, language specialists, heath care analysts, and records management professionals (Frieden, 2009).

Although the U.S. intelligence community has poured millions of dollars into educational programs (e.g., certificate in intelligence analysis, summer camp for high school students) during the last decade, the number of educational programs in intelligence analysis remains woefully inadequate (Willing, 2006). Given the ‘battered’ reputation of the IC some educators, including library school administrators, shy away from discussions on implementations of intelligence analysis or ‘analytics’ programs. Others ask what an intelligence analyst is and how intelligence analysis fits within the broader academic context. Some simply do not understand the concept of an intelligence analyst notwithstanding the career demands, challenges, competencies, and opportunities associated with it.

Read the entire article starting on page 40 of the 2009 Best Practices for Government Librarians: Change: Managing It, Surviving It, Thriving on It.

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¹ See Wilson, 2006

² Open source is unclassified information such as news articles, books, and foreign language reports. See Steele, 2006

³ OSC is the former Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) that is under CIA. See Bean, 2007