MGT 7-1.indd - KMI Media Group
MGT 7-1.indd - KMI Media Group
MGT 7-1.indd - KMI Media Group
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tant defense intelligence issues. These plans will help us implement<br />
analytic strategies to attack priority issues, identify hindrances to<br />
analytic success and even stimulate the development of collection<br />
strategies. They will also help us to share our areas of focus within<br />
the IC with our customers. This added transparency enhances collaboration.<br />
And, since budget and resource decisions are generally<br />
made several years in advance, we can use the plans to help shape<br />
these programmatic decisions.<br />
Our analysts are moving from counting things, quantifying<br />
ships, tanks, planes and guns, to using that information to assess<br />
capabilities and detail threats—and opportunities—at the earliest<br />
point possible. That is how we prevent problems from becoming<br />
crises, and prevent crises from becoming conflicts. We’ve already<br />
completed draft strategic research plans on several regions, including<br />
Europe and Africa, and several functions, including terrorism<br />
and proliferation. While not an easy undertaking, I believe taking the<br />
time now to build these long-range strategic plans is an important<br />
way to document and convey our priorities and analytic approach<br />
to both our customers and the analytic work force throughout the<br />
defense intelligence enterprise.<br />
Q: Along with being the deputy director for analysis at DIA, you are<br />
also the functional manager for analysis for the intelligence community.<br />
Can you describe this role?<br />
A: I think I can best describe it using an example first. Take ballistic<br />
missiles. There are many elements of defense intelligence that have<br />
a stake in this effort. The National Air and Space Intelligence Center,<br />
the MSIC and the Office of Naval Intelligence are the biggest players<br />
as they look at missile characteristics and performance. But there’s<br />
also DIA’s order of battle office, DIA’s command and control office, the<br />
regional offices that look at leadership intent and overall effect from<br />
a country’s perspective, and the combatant commands that track<br />
exercises, deployments and operational readiness. Customers needing<br />
analysis on the ballistic missile topic should not have to know all<br />
of the players and exactly what they do in developing analysis on the<br />
topic. It is just too big of a burden to put on the end-user.<br />
The bottom line is that as the functional manager for analysis,<br />
my goal is to ensure we provide the best possible intelligence for the<br />
customer by leveraging expertise wherever it resides through deliberate<br />
and routine collaboration. I do this by leading the execution of<br />
the Defense Intelligence Analysis Program [DIAP], which establishes<br />
the policies, procedures, responsibilities and levels of analytic effort<br />
required to provide this timely, objective and comprehensive intelligence<br />
to our customers. It promotes a division of labor among<br />
players, exploits organizational strengths, and ultimately reduces<br />
duplication to the greatest extent possible. One of our most successful<br />
DIAP initiatives was to align ourselves explicitly with the<br />
National Intelligence Priorities Framework [NIPF], which is used by<br />
the entire intelligence community. Prior to doing this, we had found<br />
ourselves trying to answer all customer requirements with the same<br />
priority level—high. With limited resources and nearly unlimited<br />
requirements, we realized that aligning ourselves to the NIPF, which<br />
is understood by all of our customers, allows us to better prioritize<br />
our work and assign the appropriate resources.<br />
Q: As the former head of analysis at NGA, how does that previous<br />
immersion in geospatial intelligence and technologies affect your<br />
leadership at DIA?<br />
A: GEOINT, by its nature, dictates a framework around an intelligence<br />
problem. It also only works with other data sources. While<br />
that is true for all intelligence disciplines, it gave me a very healthy<br />
respect for the need for a network and a team. This has informed<br />
and shaped my leadership style and direction at DIA. There is much<br />
that is similar to that previous role, but the one salient difference<br />
might be a shift from providing broad, foundational and contextual<br />
intelligence that provides value to the overall mission to providing<br />
all of that in a slightly different context—a context that puts more<br />
of a spotlight on using that context, adding substantive content and,<br />
where possible, wrapping a bow around it, taking risks and making<br />
a call—informing the warfighter and the policymaker on the tough<br />
decisions both on the ground and on the Hill. With that in mind,<br />
building our networks becomes more important than ever.<br />
Q: What are your goals for 2009?<br />
A: We had great successes in 2008, and we’ll continue to build on<br />
those, as well as refine areas where we can improve, in 2009. We’re<br />
definitely going to face the opportunities and challenges inherent<br />
with a transition of administration—the first since 9/11 and the<br />
creation of the posts of director of national intelligence and under<br />
secretary of defense for intelligence. This puts us in a great position<br />
to rethink our fundamentals. Our strategic intent for the year supports<br />
the priorities outlined by the DNI and in the DIA Strategic Plan.<br />
We want to enhance the quality and relevance of our all-source intelligence<br />
analysis by working on four areas. First has to be focusing on<br />
our core missions. We’ll partner with our customers to understand<br />
and manage priorities, always ensuring we leverage the broader IC,<br />
to include international partners and external experts, wherever<br />
possible. And, as I mentioned before, we’ll develop and implement<br />
strategic research plans to attack national and defense intelligence<br />
priorities while preparing for emerging challenges. Given U.S.<br />
national interests, we’ll place increased emphasis and resourcing on<br />
our South Asia account.<br />
We know we can’t simply describe events anymore. We need to<br />
go a step further, stretching to make calls with our analysis that will<br />
aid our leaders in decision-making. The day we think we can’t be<br />
wrong is the day we become irrelevant. Second, we’ve got to continue<br />
to strengthen our analytic capabilities by ensuring our collection<br />
requirements are known and met, as well as advancing analytic<br />
tradecraft and innovative analytic methods. Our third goal is to focus<br />
on our most valuable resource: our people. We need to continue to<br />
recruit and retain the best and brightest our country has to offer, and<br />
then help guide them through their career development, ultimately<br />
building the next generation of leaders. And fourth, we’ll foster a<br />
culture of innovation and excellence so our work force can easily<br />
collaborate, take risks and strive to excel. Success in these focus areas<br />
won’t happen overnight; in fact, it may take 2009 and then some<br />
to achieve the vision. But I am confident that our commitment to<br />
progress will drive us to where we want be. ✯<br />
Contact Editor Harrison Donnelly at<br />
harrisond@kmimediagroup.com. For more information related to this subject,<br />
search our archives at www.<strong>MGT</strong>-kmi.com.<br />
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