The far-too-often misunderstood and underrepresented Intelligence Process can be an invaluable tool to other sectors besides the public sector. It can also be dispensable within multiple disciplines or programs across those sectors.
Meaning that as a process, it is not unlike other business processes used to best leverage an organizations’ limited resources and staff as fiscally responsible as possible. It is all about efficiency.
Efficiency of effort is the name of the game and why it’s an actual process and not a cycle. We have all heard or read the almost thousands of pieces produced by individuals who downgrade the Intelligence Cycle or say the architects got it wrong or advocate for its demise and total abandonment. However, the fact that they are criticizing the Intelligence Cycle speaks volumes in itself. It is unrepresentative of actual knowledge or proficiency with the Intelligence Process’s conceptualization, history, and applications.
However, the Intelligence Process can best be described in so far as, we respond to what we have trained and prepared for, but we react to what we failed to conceive or imagine. So, one can mitigate what one can imagine and think of but not for what has been unimagined.
The Intelligence Process provides an efficient and fully integrated process to do just that. Which is to say, it’s a process which when leveraged correctly, assists with dealing with the knowns and unknowns that organizations face and will face.
In fact, if there is a change to the process, it should be to change its name to the Information Advantage Process. As that is what it actually is.
This can be seen in how it has been leveraged by Human Resources departments to ensure the organization identifies the strengths and shortcomings of its current staff and establishes programs to recognize and improve the production of their employees. They also use these processes to identify projected reductions and attrition in its workforce and implement recruiting and hiring initiatives to ensure there was no shortfall in staffing.
It has also been used to manage a large federal agencies fleet of vehicles. One agency had several types of modes of transportation, ranging from specialized vehicles, watercrafts, and aviation assets employed across the United States and U.S. Territories and they used the process to ensure the most efficient and cost effectiveness of their assets.
It has been used by nonprofit organizations to project and address potential contribution shortfalls as well as potential gaps in government partnerships. It has even been used by the music industry in several ways and applications.
So, again, I can only conclude that the “Process” of the Intelligence Process is still very much so an essential and indispensable process to both the private and nonprofit sectors. As it encapsulates all forms and definitions of intelligence aka information advantage.
Want to learn more about the process and how the IAM team can teach it to your organization? Give me a call or email me.