The Intelligence Cycle - Essay Example

It involves "Drawing up specific collection requirements, and.finished intelligence which supports policy decisions" (FAS "The Intelligence Cycle"). This is the same standard of prioritizing which is applied to many other government bodies. Each year, there is an annual assessment and analysis of these priorities. This is otherwise called the intelligence 'Process'; the beginning is a threat assessment, which suggests sources of collection, the next stage. In this planning stage, there is an assessment of the balance between respect for other's rights, and the need for the investigation.

In short, Planning and Direction are involved in the beginnings and the endings of the process of intelligence gathering. The end results of the gathering for this section may also cause the beginnings of another Intelligence cycle. relationships" (FBI "The Intelligence Cycle"). These sources do not need to be discovered by wire-tapping, or surveillance, but may be obtained through what is known as 'open sources' - the internet is one famous example of an open-source being used in an intelligence investigation.

Not all gatherers are direct security operatives - in Canada, for example, some of them are "Security Liasion Officers (SLOs) posted at Canadian diplomatic" (CSIS "Security Intelligence Cycle"), as well as public, agents from other Security Services. The collection is the term for basic information provided by the Security services of a government agent. ProcessingProcessing is the method by which the basic information collected in the last part of the cycle is converted into useful information there are a number of methods "Decryption, language translations, and data reduction" (FBI "The Intelligence Cycle") As well as processing this data, rather like rolling pasty, the analyst will input the data into computer networks, databases, and other areas where this information can be used.

Processing whittles the information into useful pieces, which are then inserted into databases to be analyzed.AnalysisThe information which has been collected and processed is now studied by intelligence experts and then is used to prepare a report based around the information. This process is seen by the FBI as "Integrating, evaluating, and analyzing available data" (FBI "The Intelligence Cycle"). This information is integrated and the experts decide whether the information is worth anything, and connecting the dots by tying up different pieces of processed information and drawing conclusions.

The analysis involves creating reports and threat assessments. DisseminationThe information, now gathered, processed and analyzed, is sent out to other agencies, and also to intelligence operatives. "The FBI disseminates information in three standard formats: Intelligence information Reports (IIRC), FBI Intelligence Bulletins, and FBI Intelligence Assessments" (FBI "The Intelligence Cycle"). The reports which have been created are sent out, both internally, and externally, to the media and to the public.