DHS/DOJ Fusion Process Technical Assistance Program and Services

• 21 pages
• Draft
• For Official Use Only
• July 2009

State and Local Fusion Center
Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review Framework

To facilitate the development of a nationwide, integrated, inter-connected fusion center capability, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) and the Office of Intelligence & Analysis (I&A) and the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) have partnered to develop and deploy the Fusion Process Technical Assistance Program. This program has been developed in coordination with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI); the Office of the Program Manager, Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE); the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and experts from the State and local community—including the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global), the Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council (CICC), and the Global Intelligence Working Group (GIWG).

Background

DHS, through the Office of Intelligence & Analysis, has assisted States and urban areas as they begin to integrate into a nationwide network of fusion centers and enhance their ability to share information and intelligence among myriad State, local, Territorial, Tribal and Federal partners. DHS has provided funding, personnel, hardware systems, training and technical assistance to fusion centers in maturing their procedures, processes and information sharing capabilities.

Purpose

The Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review is designed to assist fusion centers in developing an indigenous capability to analyze both tactical and strategic information and intelligence, in accordance with the Baseline Capabilities for State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers, understand the trends derived from this analysis and ensure the dissemination of the resulting analysis in a timely fashion to the center’s customers and stakeholders. The emphasis will be placed on analyzing information and intelligence relating to “all hazards/all threats” and not just on information and intelligence having a terrorist threat nexus.

The Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review, conducted on site at the request of SLFC management, is the primary mechanism through which the Analysis and Production (AP) divisions within I&A support SLFCs in partnership with the Fusion Process Technical Assistance Program. This optional review of a SLFC’s analytic capability, as defined by the Baseline Capabilities for State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers, provides fusion center management the opportunity for a collaborative review with subject matter experts of their center’s current analytic capabilities, as well as recommended options for follow-on support through the Fusion Process Technical Assistance Program.

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Intelligence Analysis and Production

“Analysis transforms the raw data into products that are useful…the goal is to develop a report that connects information in a logical and meaningful manner to produce an intelligence report that contains valid judgments based on analyzed information. …One of the goals of the fusion center during this stage is to identify trends or information that will prevent a terrorist attack or other criminal activity.” —Guideline 1, Fusion Center Guidelines

1. Enhancing Analyst Skills— The Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review team will meet with the Fusion Center director and senior analytic staff to discuss implementation of a Training and Professional Development Plan. The Plan is designed to enhance analysts’ critical thinking, research, writing, presentation, and reporting skills. As such, it covers:

a. Opportunities for learning new subject matter/areas of expertise and exposure to new analytic techniques and technologies.
i. Completion of entry-level analyst training, such as the Foundations of Intelligence Analysis Training (FIAT) program or its training equivalent and the certification of analysts.
ii. Adherence to the tenets in IALEIA and Global’s Law Enforcement Analytic Standards booklet, particularly Standards 1−7 for analysts.
iii. Incorporation of IALEIA and Global’s Law Enforcement Analytic Standards and the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan in the development of the training plan.
b. Opportunities for for analyst to develop their skills and experience:
i. Provide for the growth of the analyst from the novice level to the journeyman level
ii. Demonstration of development through the process of presenting their findings and receiving feedback on the quality of their written and oral presentations.
iii. Adherence to the tenets in IALEIA and Global’s Law Enforcement Analytic Standards booklet, particularly Analytic standard 4, Professional Development.
c. Performance evaluations and subsequent updates to the Training and Professional Development Plan.

2. Analyst Specialization—The Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review team will work with the Fusion Center leadership to identify and discuss “accounts” or “specialties” for analysts based on the center’s analytic priorities, and to develop analytic depth.

3. Analytical Tools—The Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review team will collaborate with the Fusion Center director to ensure that analysts enjoy the full benefit of analytical tools, including:

a. Those tools identified in Global’s Analyst Toolbox document (and associated training);
b. Mechanisms to ensure communication with other fusion center analysts within the state or region. (Examples include “chat rooms” available via Homeland Security State and Local Intelligence Community
of Interest [HS SLIC] or other collaborative networks or regular phone calls.)
c. Access to information sources and available expertise to support the information priorities of the fusion center.

4. Open Source Analysis Capability— The Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review team will meet with the Fusion Center director and analysts to discuss open source analysis capabilities and the availability of training and tools provided by the federal government.

5. Information Linking—The Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review team will meet with staff and analysts to discuss links between terrorism-related intelligence and criminal activity-related information, to enhance awareness of precursor behaviors, terrorist activities, and threats. Requisite competencies and additional training opportunities will be discussed, including:

a. Training regarding terrorism precursor activities, in accordance with the Minimum Criminal Intelligence Training Standards for Law Enforcement and Other Criminal Justice Agencies in the United States.1
b. Competencies and associated training on the analytic process and writing, briefing, and reporting skills.

6. Analytic Products—The Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review team will meet with the Fusion Center director and senior analytic staff to discuss opportunities for collaboration with I&A and general analytic improvement. This collaborative effort will include product line development (e.g. Risk Assessments; Suspicious Activity Reporting; Alerts, Warnings, and Notifications; and Situational Awareness Reporting), and the establishment of production criteria and dissemination mechanisms. Other focus areas include:

a. Alignment with the tenets of IALEIA and Global’s Law Enforcement Analytic Standards booklet, particularly Standards 17, 20, and 21, which address Analytic Product Content, Report, and Format
standards.
b. Production plan prioritization, based on the center’s mission, information requirements, and priority functions.
c. Identification of stakeholders to guide product types.
d. Development of feedback mechanisms to ensure stakeholder satisfaction.
e. Identification of value-added intelligence products that will support the development of performance-driven, risk-based prevention, protection, response, and consequence management programs.

7. Strategic Analysis Services—The Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review team will meet with the Fusion Center director and senior analysts to discuss enhancement to strategic analysis services for the center’s jurisdiction.

8. Fusion Process Management— The Analytic Skills & Knowledge Review team and Fusion Center director will discuss opportunities for improving management of the Fusion Process (including the collection, collation, analytic function, dissemination, and reevaluation of information and intelligence) within the center. Topics to be covered will include:

a. The center’s day-to-day intelligence management functions.
b. Prioritization of critical intelligence products.
c. Product compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.
d. Considerations for developing, reviewing, and disseminating of intelligence products
e. Commander/manager’s experience and management training.

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