Cases in Intelligence Analysis

Accomplished instructors and intelligence practitioners Beebe and Pherson have created a set of twelve robust, class-tested cases on events in foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, terrorism, homeland security, law enforcement, and decision-making support. The case studies are designed to give analysts-intraining a hands-on opportunity to apply structured analytic techniques to tackle real-life problems. Each case delivers a compelling narrative and a set of step-by-step instructions that make teaching and learning as effective and efficient as possible.

Key Features:

- Questions at the start of each case challenge the student to think critically and help the students bring the case into focus;

- Carefully crafted narratives provide the right amount of detail to give a realistic sense of the complexity and challenges of the case;

- Recommended readings at the end of each narrative allow room for further research

- Sections entitled "Structured Analytic Techniques in Action" frame the analytic tasks and provide step-by-step instructions for applying three to fi ve analytic techniques in a series of exercises for each case study;

- Two hundred photos, maps, figures, tables, boxes, and technique templates support analysis and instruction; and

- A matrix of the cases and techniques used in each cases augment the annotated table of contents and provide students and instructors an all-in-one view of the contents.

To make the teaching of the cases as turn-key as possible, Beebe and Pherson have created a case-by-case guide, Cases in Intelligence Analysis: Instructor’s Materials, that is free to all users as a downloadable PDF. Instructor’s Materials includes solutions to all of the exercises, teaching tips, conclusions for each of the cases, and key takeaways that can be used to guide classroom discussion. 

Techniques covered include:

Analysis of Competing Hypotheses

Deception Detection

The Decision Matrix

Devil’s Advocacy

Force Field Analysis

Indicators

Indicators Validator

Key Assumptions Check

Mind Maps

Multiple Hypothesis Generation

Multiple Scenarios Generation

Outside-In Thinking

The Pre-Mortem Analysis

Pros-Cons-Faults-and-Fixes

Quadrant Crunching

Red Hat Analysis

Simple Scenarios

Starbursting

Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats

Structured Brainstorming

Structured Self-Critique

Timelines and Chronologies