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need2share No investigation or project can start without deciding up front on how the success of the investigation will be measured. Evaluating the effectiveness of the information management and analysis approach is therefore crucial and often one of those critical aspects of an investigation that is neglected. It generates focus areas for future improvement in the analytical approach and identifies those analytical models and techniques that are not effective. Note that the focus areas of evaluation, as far as information and analysis activities are concerned, will differ from investigation to investigation. Evaluation should be focused on the entire team’s performance in all activities relating to the management and analysis of information: ● Information management: Here the focus can be on the effectiveness of the analyst to manage the information, the creation and optimisation of communication channels to stimulate participation, as well as the effectiveness of the team to maximise on information available under guidance of the analyst. ● Participation and communication: Here the focus can be on the participation of team members in analytical process, the quality of input provided by the team with regard to product requirements as well as the willingness of team members to participate in information sharing activities. ● Analytical products and services: Applicability of analytical techniques to the analysis of specific information sets. Effectiveness of analytical products to meet the investigation requirements. To make the review more effective, it may be useful to use an independent evaluator to conduct the final debriefing session. All team members must be present, and participate in the activity, while feedback and recommendations must be documented. Part of the evaluation process can be to develop a scorecard that can Score Card Measuring the Effectiveness of the Information Analysis Approach during an Investigation Low Score High Score ● No initial assessment of available information ● No criminal value chains ● No scenarios ● No analytical plans The role of analysis in criminal investigations Project or Case Initiation Analyst and investigator make contact with team members and do initial information assessment. Following documentation is available: Investigation ● Criminal value chain ● Analytical plan No planning for analysis Planning for analysis Information pushed towards analyst with limited consultation on what is to be achieved. Team take responsibility for entire investigation inclusive of the development of analytical products. Analysis is seen as a support function Analysis is the driving factor that will push the investigation to a successful conclusion Analyst provides feedback to client and investigation team only during investigation and project meetings. The following is presented during formal meetings: ● Link charts with no supporting analytical report. ● Communication analysis containing no inferences or conclusions. Clients and investigating officer cannot peruse analytical working files whilst the analysis of information is in progress. Part 2: Evaluating effectiveness Mario Eybers Investigation officer together with the analyst ensures that all clients and team members are updated on: ● What is being analysed ● What techniques are utilised during the analysis ● What the expected end results will be ● How these results will influence the outcome of the investigation Investigation team have full access to all analytical files. Prosecution No role Testifying to analytical work conducted. Case Finalisation greatly assist to measure the effectiveness of information management during an investigation. Standard debriefing reports are often qualitative in nature, whereas scorecards can assist to quantify the effectiveness based on the specific criteria chosen for evaluation. The table below depicts an example of such a scorecard. Understanding what contributes to a successful investigation is essential to ensure that analytical efforts make a positive contribution to the investigation and prosecution of criminals. No debriefing session Debriefing of analyst and project/ investigation team. 16 October 2012 Foreknowledge
The effective analyst Part 4: Attributes Janet Evans Associate Investigator, Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security, Australia In this last article in a series of four, Janet takes us through the findings of research by her and Mark Kebbell on what makes intelligence analysts effective. In this the final article in the series, I will consider the final theme that emerged from considering what makes an effective analyst - Attributes of the analyst. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, I am going to reflect on the most ethical way forward for us as a community of practitioners now knowing the findings offered by this study. In the previous issues I described how 246 constructs were used by the subject matter experts to describe the theme of analytical products and 107 constructs to describe the theme relating to the analysts attitude. In contrast only 21 constructs were used to describe the attributes of the analyst by subject matter experts. The theme of attributes incorporated inherent characteristics and qualities as well as physical characteristics like age or gender. From this study it is asserted that the attributes of the analysts contribute less than other themes to indicate an analyst as more or less effective. From an ethical or equity perspective this is heartening as there is no indication that men or women, older or younger analysts make better analysts. The attribute factors that held some interest for the subject matter experts were being confident, being calm and patient, and being likable. The results of this research serve as the first empirically-based set of characteristics required to effectively perform the role of analyst. The importance of the analytical product in understanding and determining an analysts’ effectiveness has been clearly demonstrated. For an analyst to be viewed as effective they need to have skills in developing a product as well as disseminating their results. The most critically important variable in disseminating the product was the ability to communicate with the recipient of the product both in general terms and through briefings and a written product. This requires us to reconsider our approach to recruitment and development. It is our moral responsibility to select analysts who can perform in these domains and, if we already employ analysts, ensuring they are servicing the goals of law enforcement as effectively as they can by having received the ‘right’ training. It is no longer enough to train analysts on software or to give them another tool. This study shows that effective analysts derive meaning and develop inferences that require enhanced thinking skills. Analysts need to develop themselves into advanced problem-solv- need2share ers. In this study computer and technical skills were barely mentioned and the importance of thinking skills and life experience were highly sought after in determining effectiveness. Although data collection and collation are described as part of the intelligence cycle they were not considered to be an indicator of analyst effectiveness It is now our ethical responsibility to decide if this is because they in fact are not part of an analyst’s role and if so why are so many of our analysts consumed with this task? Is it because this is what they have become comfortable doing? As managers can we pave a new path towards where analysts predominantly think (rather than collect), derive meaning and create and deliver products? This study has raised a number of questions that require further investigation, including how we best test for effective communication skills and how do you measure an analyst’s attitude to the position. These questions and others have at their heart an ethical responsibility to make choices not just at a point in time, for the sake of your career, to ease the pain of recruitment or to silence an analyst who just wants another mapping course, but for a profession in it’s development years and in many cases for the safety of our communities or countries. October 2012 Foreknowledge 17
Page 1 and 2: foreknowledge Essential Resources f
Page 3 and 4: Editor: Dalene Duvenage, Pretoria,
Page 5 and 6: 1Indirect manipulation of intellige
Page 7 and 8: Thinking only operational staff and
Page 9 and 10: Pathologies of intelligence-policy
Page 11 and 12: Sins of Commission An agency is in
Page 13 and 14: Analytic rigour The previous pages
Page 15: Using open source intelligence to f
Page 19 and 20: ● Analysis and collection are fun
Page 21 and 22: Yet this same example also illustra

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