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Getting the Case Released
Except for cases that are entirely historical, I have always tried to follow a policy of
getting cases formally “released” by the sponsoring organization before using them in
class. This is especially true of cases that describe sensitive issues in the life of an organization.
Usually, though not always, I have tried to do this in writing, with a note or an email
from a responsible officer in the sponsoring organization that explicitly allows the
use of the case. Sometimes, getting a case released may require that it be moderated or
“watered down” in some way. This is unfortunate, but it is better than not using the case at
all. Infrequently, the sponsoring organization will get cold feet after the case is completed,
and will insist that it be diluted past the point of usefulness. This may test your powers of
persuasion, or your patience, or both. I don’t have any answer for this problem, but you
will find that an investment up front in getting the sponsor on your side — or at least neutral
— will pay off at the end if there are controversial issues in your case that cause anxiety
in the sponsoring organization.
It is almost always possible to disguise the characters in your drama with pseudonyms,
and you can if appropriate even make up fictitious locations or organizational components
in order to get a case released for use in class. The sources and the releasing organization
must, of course, be comfortable with any disguises you use. In the “users’ note,” tell the
reader what you have done; you may notice that many of our cases have this feature.
When characters are so prominent that they cannot possible be disguised (Rick Ames or
Robert Hanssen, for example), there is no reason not to use true names. I have generally
used pseudonyms, however, even for people who have retired or resigned, simply out of
respect for their privacy.
Credibility
I am aware of cases that have been made up — technically known as “scenarios” in
case method jargon — and I know that some have been used successfully. However, I
don’t like hypothetical cases and prefer not to use them. It seems to me that one of the
strongest features of the case method is that it is grounded in reality. I believe cases have
much greater credibility with students if the students understand that what they are discussing
actually happened, and that something very similar could happen to them personally,
and soon. I realize that cases can be created which appear as real as those that are
really real, but I would be uncomfortable using hypothetical cases unless students were
aware of the fiction. Anyway, good cases are so plentiful in the Intelligence Community
that finding them is easy.
A Final Word
Cases are not meant to illustrate either the effective or the ineffective handling of
administrative, operational, logistic, ethical, or other problems, and the characters in your
cases should not be portrayed either as paragons of virtue or as archvillains. The case
writer must be careful not to tell students what to think; they are not empty vessels wait-
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