The National

Intelligence

Strategy of the

United States

of America

2014

The National

Intelligence

Strategy of the

United States

of America

1

Foreword

James R. Clapper

Director of National Intelligence

I’ve often said publicly that we are facing the most diverse set of threats I’ve seen in my 50 years 

in the intelligence business. That’s true. It’s also true, however, that we are better organized to face 

these threats than we were 13 years ago. We have strengthened and integrated our Intelligence 

Community (IC) in the decade since 9/11, supported by the National Intelligence Strategy (NIS).

This, the third iteration of the NIS, is our guide forward for the next four years to better serve 

the needs of our customers, to make informed decisions on national security issues, and ultimately, 

to make our nation more secure. We face significant changes in the domestic and global 

environment and must be ready to meet 21st century challenges and to recognize emerging 

opportunities. This guidance is designed to propel our mission and align our objectives with national 

strategies. The NIS provides an opportunity to communicate national priority objectives to our 

workforce, partners, and customers—from the policy maker, to the warfighter, to the first responder, 

to our fellow citizens. 

To navigate today’s turbulent and complex strategic environment, we must: (1) Execute our mission 

smartly and identify ways to better leverage the substantive work of our partners and potential 

partners; (2) Continue to integrate, transform, and strengthen the IC’s support to national security; 

(3) Protect privacy and civil liberties and adhere to the Principles of Professional Ethics for the IC; 

and (4) Adapt to changing needs and resources and innovate to provide unique anticipatory and 

strategic intelligence. 

We have seen a great deal of success in integrating intelligence in the five years since our 

most recent NIS, with both high-profile operational achievements and significant enterprise 

improvements. Together, we must build on our successes and mitigate risks, guided by this 

updated strategy. We must continue to evolve as an integrated Community, advance our 

capabilities in technology and tradecraft, and push for improvements in both mission and 

enterprise management, through initiatives such as the IC Information Technology Enterprise. 

We have crucial work before us. Senior policymakers depend on us to enable them to make wise 

national security decisions and Americans count on us to help protect the nation from attack, 

while increasing transparency and protecting their privacy and civil liberties. We must provide 

the best intelligence possible to support these objectives; doing so is a collective responsibility 

of all of our dedicated IC professionals and, together with our partners, we will realize our vision. 

Thank you for your dedication to our mission and to the security of our fellow citizens as we 

continue this journey together. 
2

The 2014 National Intelligence Strategy

Purpose

In support of the National Security Strategy, which sets forth national security priorities, the National 

Intelligence Strategy (NIS) provides the IC with the mission direction of the Director of National Intelligence 

(DNI) for the next four to five years. IC activities must be consistent with, and responsive to, national 

security priorities and must comply with the Constitution, applicable statutes, and Congressional 

oversight requirements. The NIS should be read along with the National Intelligence Priorities 

Framework and Unifying Intelligence Strategies to inform and guide mission, as well as planning, 

programming, and budgeting activities.

Organizational Framework 

The NIS has four main components, described as follows: (1) the Strategic Environment section 

portrays the global national security milieu; (2) the Mission Objective section describes key mission 

priorities and expected outcomes; (3) the Enterprise Objective section describes resource and 

capability outcomes needed to enable mission success; and (4) the Implementing the Strategy

section provides broad organizational guidance to meet the NIS’s requirements. 

Our success as a Community is measured as much by our defense of America’s values as it is by the 

execution of our intelligence mission. What follows is a succinct depiction of the IC’s Mission and 

Vision, which serves as the foundation for the Mission and Enterprise Objectives. Fundamental to all 

of these elements are the Principles of Professional Ethics for the IC.

IC Mission

Provide timely, insightful, objective, and relevant intelligence to

inform decisions on national security issues and events.

IC Vision

A nation made more secure by a fully integrated, agile, resilient, and 

innovative Intelligence Community that exemplifies America’s values.

Mission Objectives

Strategic Intelligence

Anticipatory Intelligence

Current Operations

Cyber Intelligence

Counterterrorism

Counterproliferation

Counterintelligence

Enterprise Objectives

Integrated Mission Management

Integrated Enterprise Management

Information Sharing and Safeguarding

Innovation

Our People

Our Partners
3

Principles of Professional Ethics 

for the Intelligence Community

As members of the intelligence profession, we conduct ourselves in accordance with certain basic 

principles. These principles are stated below, and reflect the standard of ethical conduct expected 

of all Intelligence Community personnel, regardless of individual role or agency affiliation. Many 

of these principles are also reflected in other documents that we look to for guidance, such as 

statements of core values, and the Code of Conduct: Principles of Ethical Conduct for Government 

Officers and Employees; it is nonetheless important for the Intelligence Community to set forth 

in a single statement the fundamental ethical principles that unite us and distinguish us as 

intelligence professionals.

MISSION. We serve the American people, and understand that our mission requires 

selfless dedication to the security of our nation.

TRUTH. We seek the truth; speak truth to power; and obtain, analyze, and provide 

intelligence objectively.

LAWFULNESS. We support and defend the Constitution, and comply with the laws of the

United States, ensuring that we carry out our mission in a manner that respects privacy, 

civil liberties, and human rights obligations.

INTEGRITY. We demonstrate integrity in our conduct, mindful that all our actions, whether 

public or not, should reflect positively on the Intelligence Community at large.

STEWARDSHIP. We are responsible stewards of the public trust; we use intelligence 

authorities and resources prudently, protect intelligence sources and methods diligently, 

report wrongdoing through appropriate channels; and remain accountable to ourselves, 

our oversight institutions, and through those institutions, ultimately to the American people.

EXCELLENCE. We seek to improve our performance and our craft continuously, share 

information responsibly, collaborate with our colleagues, and demonstrate innovation and 

agility when meeting new challenges.

DIVERSITY. We embrace the diversity of our nation, promote diversity and inclusion in our 

workforce, and encourage diversity in our thinking.
The 2014 National Intelligence Strategy

4

Strategic Environment

governments, markets, and entire geographic 

regions. The IC will increasingly serve 

homeland security as well as military and 

foreign policy objectives.

Domestic Environment. The IC faces fiscal 

challenges as the U.S. Government operates 

under tightened budgets. We must meet our 

mission needs in innovative ways and sustain 

our core competencies with fewer resources. 

Likewise, our customers and partners will also 

grapple with resource challenges. While such 

constraints will require the IC to accept and 

balance risks, addressing these challenges 

presents additional opportunities to enhance 

partnerships, information sharing, and 

outreach. 

The U.S. will continue to face threats of 

unauthorized disclosures from insiders and 

others that compromise intelligence sources, 

methods, capabilities, and activities, and may 

impact international and domestic political 

dynamics. These disclosures can degrade our 

ability to conduct intelligence missions and 

damage our national security.

Global Environment. Global power is 

becoming more diffuse. New alignments and 

informal networks—outside of traditional 

power blocs and national governments—

will increasingly have significant impact in 

economic, social, and political affairs. Resolving 

complex security challenges will require the 

IC’s attention to a broader array of actors. 

Private, public, governmental, commercial, and 

ideological players will become increasingly 

influential, both regionally and virtually. The 

projected rise of a global middle class and its 

growing expectations will fuel economic and 

political change. Some states and international 

institutions will be challenged to govern or 

operate effectively.

The United States faces a complex and 

evolving security environment with extremely 

dangerous, pervasive, and elusive threats. 

The IC remains focused on the missions 

of cyber intelligence, counterterrorism, 

counterproliferation, counterintelligence, and 

on the threats posed by state and non-state 

actors challenging U.S. national security and 

interests worldwide. 

Key nation states continue to pursue agendas 

that challenge U.S. interests. China has an 

interest in a stable East Asia, but remains 

opaque about its strategic intentions and is 

of concern due to its military modernization. 

Russia is likely to continue to reassert power 

and influence in ways that undermine U.S. 

interests, but may be willing to work with 

the United States on important high priority 

security issues, when interests converge. The 

IC spotlight remains on North Korea’s pursuit 

of nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities and 

its international intransigence. Iran’s nuclear 

efforts remain a key concern, in addition to its 

missile programs, support for terrorism, regime 

dynamics, and other developing military 

capabilities. The potential for greater instability 

in the Middle East and North Africa will require 

continued IC vigilance. Finally, continued 

IC vigilance will be required to maintain 

global coverage of conflicts as they arise and 

potentially threaten U.S. interests.

Violent extremist groups and transnational 

criminal networks threaten U.S. security and 

challenge the U.S. both in the homeland 

and abroad. Al-Qa‘ida, its affiliates, and 

adherents, continue to plot against U.S. and 

Western interests, and seek to use weapons 

of mass destruction if possible. The actions of 

transnational criminal organizations have the 

potential to corrupt and destabilize 
Strategic Environment

5

Many governments will face challenges to 

meet even the basic needs of their people as 

they confront demographic change, resource 

constraints, effects of climate change, and risks 

of global infectious disease outbreaks. These 

effects are threat multipliers that will aggravate 

stressors abroad such as poverty, environmental 

degradation, political instability, and social 

tensions—conditions that can enable terrorist 

activity and other forms of violence. The risk of 

conflict and mass atrocities may increase.

Small, local actions can have disproportionate 

and enduring effects. Groups can form, 

advocate, and achieve goals—for political, 

social, and economic change—all without 

central leadership. Identifying, understanding, 

and evaluating such movements will be both 

a continuing challenge and an opportunity 

for the IC.

Technology. Technology is constantly 

advancing, bringing benefits and challenges. 

Technological developments hold enormous 

potential for dramatic improvements in 

individual health, employment, labor 

productivity, global communications, 

and investment.

Technology will continue to be a catalyst for 

the rapid emergence of changes difficult 

to anticipate or prepare for; these forces 

can test the strength of governments and 

potentially jeopardize U.S. citizens and 

interests overseas. Technological advances 

also create the potential for increased systemic 

fragility as foreign governments and non-state 

actors attempt to leverage new and evolving 

technologies to press their interests. 

Natural Resources. Competition for scarce 

resources, such as food, water, or energy, will 

likely increase tensions within and between 

states and could lead to more localized or 

regional conflicts, or exacerbate government 

instability. In contrast, prospective resource 

opportunities beyond U.S. borders and the 

potential for the U.S. to meet anticipated fossil 

fuel requirements through domestic production 

are likely to alter dramatically the global energy 

market and change the dynamics between the 

U.S. and other oil producing nations.
The 2014 National Intelligence Strategy

6

Introduction to Mission Objectives

The seven Mission Objectives broadly describe 

the priority outputs needed to deliver timely, 

insightful, objective, and relevant intelligence 

to our customers. Intelligence includes foreign 

intelligence and counterintelligence. The 

Mission Objectives are designed to address the 

totality of regional and functional issues facing 

the IC; their prioritization is communicated 

to the IC through the National Intelligence 

Priorities Framework.

IC Customers

• The President

• National Security Council

• Heads of Departments and Agencies of 

the Executive Branch

• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and 

senior military commanders

• Congress

• Others as the DNI determines 

appropriate

Source: National Security Act of 1947, as amended

Three Mission Objectives refer to foundational 

intelligence missions the IC must accomplish, 

regardless of threat or topic:

• Strategic Intelligence—inform and 

enrich understanding of enduring national 

security issues;

• Anticipatory Intelligence—detect, 

identify, and warn of emerging issues 

and discontinuities;

• Current Operations—support ongoing 

actions and sensitive intelligence operations.

Four Mission Objectives identify the primary 

topical missions the IC must accomplish:

• Cyber Intelligence—provide intelligence 

on cyber threats;

• Counterterrorism—understand and 

counter those involved in terrorism 

and related activities;

• Counterproliferation—counter the 

threat and proliferation of weapons 

of mass destruction;

• Counterintelligence—thwart efforts 

of foreign intelligence entities.
Mission Objectives

7

Anticipatory Intelligence: 

Sense, anticipate, and warn of emerging 

conditions, trends, threats, and opportunities 

that may require a rapid shift in national 

security posture, priorities, or emphasis.

The complexity, scale, and pace of changes in 

the strategic environment will test the IC’s 

ability to deliver insightful and actionable 

intelligence with the fidelity, scope, and speed 

required to mitigate threats and exploit 

opportunities. The IC will expand its use of 

quantitative analytic methods, while reinforcing 

long-standing qualitative methods, especially 

those that encourage new perspectives and 

challenge long-standing assumptions. With 

evolving intelligence requirements, anticipatory 

intelligence is critical for efficient IC resource 

allocation. The IC will improve its ability to 

foresee, forecast, and alert the analytic 

community of potential issues of concern and 

convey early warning to national security 

customers to provide them with the best 

possible opportunity for action. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Create capabilities for dynamic horizonscanning and discovery to assess changing 

and emerging conditions and issues that 

can affect U.S. national security;

• Deepen understanding of conditions, 

issues, and trends to detect subtle shifts 

and assess their potential trajectories, 

and forecast the impact on U.S. national 

security thus generating opportunities to 

alert or warn;

• Develop integrated capabilities to create 

alerts within the IC and to provide timely 

and relevant warning to our customers.

Anticipatory intelligence is the product of 

intelligence collection and analysis focused 

on trends, events, and changing conditions to 

identify and characterize potential or imminent 

discontinuities, significant events, substantial 

opportunities, or threats to U.S. national 

interests.

Strategic Intelligence: Provide 

strategic intelligence on enduring issues to 

enrich understanding and enable decision 

advantage.

The foundation for strategic intelligence is in 

understanding the histories, languages, and 

cultures of nations and non-state entities, their 

key leaders and opponents, their objectives 

and concerns, as well as natural resources, 

technology, and transnational issues. The IC 

masters vital national intelligence issues 

through research, knowledge development, 

outreach, and tradecraft in order to provide 

deep context for a wide variety of policy and 

strategy communities. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Deepen understanding of the strategic 

environment to enable IC customers to 

pursue national security, mission- and 

issue-specific goals; 

• Access and assess foreign capabilities, 

activities, and intentions to provide IC 

customers with greater insight and certainty; 

• Provide in-depth and contextual objective 

analysis and expertise to support U.S. 

national security policy and strategy.

Strategic intelligence is the process and product 

of developing deep context, knowledge, and 

understanding to support national security 

decision-making.

1 2
The 2014 National Intelligence Strategy

8

Cyber Intelligence: Detect 

and understand cyber threats to inform 

and enable national security decision making, 

cybersecurity, and cyber effects operations.

State and non-state actors use digital 

technologies to achieve economic and military 

advantage, foment instability, increase control 

over content in cyberspace, and achieve other 

strategic goals—often faster than our ability to 

understand the security implications and 

mitigate potential risks. To advance national 

objectives, customers increasingly rely upon 

the IC to provide timely, actionable intelligence 

and deeper insights into current and potential 

cyber threats and intentions. The IC also 

provides needed expertise to defend U.S. 

Government networks along with other critical 

communications networks and national 

infrastructure. To be more effective, the IC will 

evolve its cyber capabilities, including our 

ability to attribute attacks. The IC will focus on 

identifying trends and providing the context to 

improve our customers’ understanding of 

threats, vulnerabilities, and impact. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Increase our awareness and understanding 

of key foreign cyber threat actors—

including their intentions, capabilities, 

and operations—to meet the growing 

number and complexity of cyber-related 

requirements; 

• Expand tailored production and 

dissemination of actionable cyber 

Cyber intelligence is the collection, processing, 

analysis, and dissemination of information 

from all sources of intelligence on foreign 

actors’ cyber programs, intentions, capabilities, 

research and development, tactics, and 

operational activities and indicators; their 

impact or potential effects on national security, 

information systems, infrastructure, and data; 

and network characterization, or insight into the 

components, structures, use, and vulnerabilities 

of foreign information systems.

Current Operations: Provide 

timely intelligence support to achieve 

operational and national security goals.

The IC will adapt to evolving operational 

requirements, maintain the robust support 

customers expect, and further enhance 

capabilities. As the IC facilitates whole-ofgovernment efforts to take action against 

terrorists and transnational organized crime, 

address cyber threats, and respond to 

emerging crises—from geo-political to 

humanitarian—it will also need to support 

policy imperatives such as the rebalance to the 

Asia-Pacific region and transition of the allied 

mission in Afghanistan. Faced with a wide 

spectrum of operations in support of military, 

diplomatic, and homeland security activities, 

the IC will prioritize its efforts and mitigate risk, 

operate in denied areas, balance forward 

presence with robust reach-back, and provide 

operational resiliency to more fully integrate 

intelligence with operations. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Provide actionable, timely, and agile 

intelligence support to achieve and 

maintain operational decision advantage;

• Integrate and collaborate with diverse 

partners to maximize the effectiveness and 

reach of intelligence capabilities in support 

of operations;

• Conduct sensitive intelligence operations 

to support effective national security 

action.

Intelligence support to current operations, 

whether collection, analysis, counterintelligence, 

or intelligence operations, occurs in almost all 

IC organizations and cuts across almost every 

topic addressed by the IC. Intelligence support 

to current operations is characterized by the 

immediacy of the support provided. In addition 

to being responsive, this support also shapes 

future operations and investigations.

3 4
Mission Objectives

9

Counterterrorism: Identify, 

understand, monitor, and disrupt state 

and non-state actors engaged in terrorismrelated activities that may harm the United 

States, its people, interests, and allies.

The dynamic and diverse nature of the 

terrorist threat will continue to challenge 

the U.S. and our interests and will require 

continued emphasis on targeting, collection, 

and analysis. The IC supports the national 

whole-of-government effort to protect the 

homeland from terrorist attack, disrupt and 

degrade terrorists who threaten U.S. interests 

abroad, counter the spread of violent extremist 

ideology that influences terrorist action, disrupt 

illicit financial and other support networks, and 

build counterterrorism capacity at home and 

overseas. Our government and our partners 

must anticipate, detect, deny, and disrupt 

terrorism wherever and however it manifests 

against U.S. interests. The IC will continue 

to monitor this threat to protect our nation, 

provide warning and assess the strategic 

factors that may enable future terror plots. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Conduct innovative analysis that supports 

disruption of terrorist actors posing threats 

to the U.S. and our interests; 

• Provide insight to mitigate the spread of 

violent extremist ideology;

• Anticipate new and developing terrorist 

threats and explore opportunities to 

counter them;

• Bolster resiliency and build adaptive 

capability to counter terrorism at home 

and abroad. 

Counterproliferation: 

Counter the threat and proliferation of 

weapons of mass destruction and their means 

of delivery by state and non-state actors.

The intelligence requirements and challenges 

related to countering the proliferation of 

weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are 

increasing. The IC will support objectives 

for countering the threat and proliferation 

of WMD and their means of delivery as well 

as WMD-related materials, technology, and 

expertise. The IC will work with partners inside 

and outside the U.S. Government to better 

understand, detect, and warn on foreign WMD 

capabilities, plans, and intentions; thwart WMD 

acquisition and employment; and inform U.S. 

policies and initiatives. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Develop capabilities and inform U.S. 

policies and efforts to dissuade or prevent 

states from acquiring WMD-related 

technologies, materials, or expertise or 

from reconstituting former programs; 

• Advance our understanding of 

established state WMD programs to 

inform U.S. counterproliferation decisions, 

policies, and efforts to disrupt, roll back, 

and deter use; 

• Support interagency efforts to secure 

global stockpiles of weapons of mass 

destruction and warn of and prevent 

the transfer of WMD-related materials, 

technology, and expertise to terrorists, 

extremists, or other non-state actors; 

• Improve U.S. capabilities to anticipate 

and manage crises and support integrated 

U.S. Government responses to mitigate 

the consequences of WMD use or loss of 

state control.

intelligence to support the defense of 

vital information networks and critical 

infrastructure;

• Expand our ability to enable cyber effects 

operations to protect the nation and 

support U.S. national interests.

5

6
The 2014 National Intelligence Strategy

10

Counterintelligence:

Identify, understand, and mitigate 

the efforts of foreign intelligence entities 

to compromise U.S. economic and 

national security.

The U.S. faces persistent and substantial 

challenges to its security and prosperity 

from the intelligence activities of traditional 

and non-traditional adversaries. Foreign 

intelligence entities relentlessly target the U.S. 

Government, the private sector, and academia 

to acquire national security information and 

A foreign intelligence entity is any known or 

suspected foreign organization, person, or 

group (public, private, or government) that 

conducts intelligence activities to acquire U.S. 

information, block or impair U.S. intelligence 

collection, unlawfully influence U.S. policy, 

or disrupt U.S. systems and programs. The 

term includes foreign intelligence and security 

services and international terrorists.

7 to gain economic, diplomatic, military, or 

technological advantage. 

IC elements will identify emerging technologies 

that can be leveraged by our adversaries to 

compromise classified information and assets, 

and develop and adopt robust mitigation 

strategies. Counterintelligence activities must 

be integrated into all steps of the intelligence 

process. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Understand, anticipate, and penetrate 

increasingly sophisticated foreign 

intelligence entity capabilities; 

• Develop and implement capabilities to 

detect, deter, and mitigate insider threats;

• Stem the theft and exploitation of critical 

U.S. technologies, data, and information; 

• Neutralize and/or mitigate adversarial 

attempts to exploit U.S. supply chain and 

acquisition vulnerabilities. 
Enterprise Objectives

11

Accomplishing the seven NIS Mission 

Objectives depends on achieving six Enterprise 

Objectives, which describe the resources and 

capabilities that are essential to fulfilling the 

Mission Objectives.

Two Enterprise Objectives focus on enterprise 

integration while optimizing resource 

management and decision making: 

• Integrated Mission Management—optimize 

capabilities to achieve unity of effort;

• Integrated Enterprise Management—

improve IC integration and interoperability.

Introduction to Enterprise Objectives

Four Enterprise Objectives describe our 

strategy to build a solid foundation of key 

capabilities and capacity: 

• Information Sharing and Safeguarding—

improve collaboration while protecting 

information;

• Innovation—improve research and 

development, tradecraft, and processes;

• Our People—build a more agile, diverse, 

inclusive, and expert workforce;

• Our Partners—improve intelligence through 

partnership.

The Enterprise Objectives address both 

mission and enterprise integration and rest on 

the Principles of Professional Ethics for the IC.
The 2014 National Intelligence Strategy

12

Integrated Mission 

Management: Optimize collection, 

analysis, and counterintelligence capabilities 

and activities across the IC to achieve unity of 

effort and effect.

Effective mission execution requires flexible, 

responsive, and resilient efforts to appropriately 

share knowledge, information, and capabilities 

across organizational boundaries. The IC will 

increase integration and collaboration across 

the Community to meet customer needs 

efficiently and effectively. In doing so, the IC 

will strike a balance between unity of effort and 

specialization within each discipline and 

function, using the best of each to meet 

mission requirements. Intelligence products will 

be appropriately tailored and classified at the 

lowest possible level.

Analytic, collection, and counterintelligence 

professionals, supported by coordinated 

governance, joint processes, and improved 

capabilities, will collaboratively work together 

to define and solve problems. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Leverage cross-IC, multi-disciplinary 

expertise and the full range of IC 

capabilities to jointly define and anticipate 

intelligence problems, develop options 

Integrated mission management is the 

strategic prioritization, coordination, and 

deconfliction of intelligence activities to align 

the interdependent disciplines of collection, 

analysis, and counterintelligence.

• Collection activities are responsive to and 

inform analytic requirements.

• Analytic activities produce intelligence 

judgments, identify intelligence gaps, and 

provide the basis for guidance to collectors.

• Counterintelligence activities complement 

collection and analytic activities and identify 

vulnerabilities of intelligence sources, 

methods, and activities.

Integrated Enterprise 

Management: Develop, 

implement, and manage IC-oriented 

approaches to improve integration and 

interoperability of IC enabling capabilities.

Effectively managing enterprise resources 

enables the IC to fully execute its mission 

efficiently. Specifically, the IC will seek 

solutions that increase efficiencies in areas 

such as continuity, security, acquisition 

and procurement, finance, facilities, and 

logistics. IC-wide performance evaluation 

and data-driven reviews—aligned to strategy 

and budgets—will strengthen performance, 

enhance oversight and compliance, 

and lead to unmodified audit opinions, 

improved results, and lower costs. The IC 

will promote information security, share timely 

intelligence with our partners, and educate 

customers on proper use and handling of 

classified information. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Advance a personnel security infrastructure 

that supports a one-Community approach 

through continuous evaluation and 

Integrated enterprise management is the 

strategic coordination of IC business practices to 

optimize resource management and enterprise 

business process decision making.

1

2

for action, and understand tradeoffs for 

implementing solutions; 

• Strengthen and integrate governance bodies 

to optimize resources and manage risk; 

• Foster joint IC planning, targeting, tasking, 

and assessment processes to coordinate 

intelligence activities and promote 

continuous improvement; 

• Drive integrated investment decisions and 

the delivery of multi-disciplinary, integrated 

capabilities to provide optimal solutions for 

mission success. 
Enterprise Objectives

13

common practices and standards accepted 

across the IC; 

• Pursue acquisition and procurement 

strategies and processes across the 

IC that enhance the cost-effectiveness 

and efficiency of procuring common-use 

products and services;

• Implement IC enterprise financial 

standards, processes, tools, and services 

that leverage both government and 

industry best practices;

• Mature strategy-based performance 

and evaluation across the IC to support 

proactive, balanced, and informed IC 

decision making;

• Leverage existing and future IC facilities 

and physical infrastructure to support 

joint-use functionality and improve 

energy efficiency; 

• Adopt a risk management approach 

to continuity of operations efforts to 

provide an uninterrupted flow of national 

intelligence in all circumstances;

• Continue to implement approaches to 

provide appropriate transparency, protect 

privacy and civil liberties, and enhance 

oversight and compliance.

Information Sharing 

and Safeguarding: Enhance, 

integrate, and leverage IC capabilities to 

improve collaboration and the discovery, 

access, retrieval, retention, and safeguarding 

of information.

Mission success depends on the right people 

getting the right information at the right 

time. Improving our information sharing 

and safeguarding capabilities, as mutually 

The Intelligence Community Information 

Technology Enterprise (IC ITE) transforms 

agency-centric information technology to a 

common enterprise platform where the IC can 

easily and securely share technology, information, 

and capabilities across the Community.

3

reinforcing priorities, requires strengthening 

our people, processes, and technologies. 

The IC will continue to identify and address 

information sharing gaps and coordinate efforts 

to reduce duplication across the IC Information 

Technology Enterprise to yield better results 

more efficiently.

In addition to recognizing the responsibility to 

provide intelligence and the growing demand 

to make information available across the IC, 

the IC will enhance safeguards to protect 

information and build trust among partners. 

An integrated information sharing environment, 

dedicated to protecting privacy and civil 

liberties, allows the IC to carry out the mission, 

protect against external and insider threats, 

and maintain the public trust. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Consolidate existing and future information 

technology requirements into an effective 

and efficient IC information technology 

infrastructure to enable greater IC 

integration, information sharing, 

and safeguarding; 

• Provide the IC workforce with discovery 

and access to information based on 

mission need to deliver timely, tailored, 

and actionable information;

• Integrate enterprise-wide information, as 

appropriate, to enhance discovery, improve 

correlation, and enable advanced analytics 

consistent with protection of privacy and 

civil liberties;

• Strengthen and synchronize security and 

data protection standards for new and 

existing intelligence information systems 

based on policy-driven interoperable 

approaches and attribute-based access 

to provide a trusted and secure IC-wide 

information environment;

• Promote a culture that embodies, 

supports, and furthers responsible 

information sharing respectful of privacy 

and civil liberties. 
The 2014 National Intelligence Strategy

14

Our People: Build a more agile, 

diverse, inclusive, and expert workforce.

The IC workforce is united in protecting and 

preserving national security, which could 

not be accomplished without a talented 

workforce that embraces the IC’s core values 

and Principles of Professional Ethics for the IC.

To this end, the IC will continue to attract, 

develop, engage, and retain a workforce that 

possesses both the capabilities necessary to 

address current and evolving threats and a 

strong sense of integrity. Even with constrained 

budgets, the IC will make long-term strategic 

investments in the workforce to promote agility 

and mobility throughout employees’ careers. 

Special emphasis is needed to recruit, retain, 

develop, and motivate employees with skills 

fundamental to the success of the intelligence 

mission, including foreign language, science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The IC needs effective tools for workforce 

planning, transformational learning programs, 

skills assessment and knowledge sharing, 

joint duty and other experiential assignment 

Inclusion describes a culture that connects each 

employee to the organization; encourages 

collaboration, flexibility, and fairness; and 

leverages diversity of thought throughout the 

organization so all individuals can excel in their 

contributions to the IC mission.

Workforce planning is a framework addressing 

the total workforce balance (civilian, military, and 

core contract personnel) to ensure the IC has the 

right people with the right skills in the right place 

at the right time to accomplish the mission in 

high-performing teams and organizations.

Diversity considers, in a broad context and in 

relation to the mission, all aspects that make 

individuals unique and America strong—

including race, color, ethnicity, national origin, 

gender, age, religion, language, disability, sexual 

orientation, gender identity, and heritage.

5 Innovation: Find and deploy 

new scientific discoveries and 

technologies, nurture innovative thought, 

and improve tradecraft and processes to 

achieve mission advantage.

Innovation begins with a commitment to 

research and development as the seed for 

breakthroughs in science and technology. In 

order for innovation to provide results, the 

IC will further develop, support, and foster 

intellectual curiosity and creative problem 

solving. The IC must accept that initial failures 

may lead to successes and be willing to take 

calculated risks for high-value results when 

a rational basis for the risk is demonstrated. 

The IC will leverage innovation wherever it is 

found, incorporating scientific breakthroughs 

and cutting-edge technologies for mission 

excellence. The IC will extend innovation to our 

daily work by embracing new processes and 

automation to streamline the business aspects 

of intelligence. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Conduct and leverage basic research and 

maintain core independent research in the 

most sensitive applied and social sciences, 

technologies, and mathematics arenas to 

achieve breakthrough results; 

• Transition creative ideas and promising 

innovations to improve intelligence 

services and processes across the IC; 

• Strengthen and unleash the innovative 

talents of the workforce to accept risk, 

improve tradecraft, and embrace new 

technologies and processes. 

4
Enterprise Objectives

15

opportunities, and the resources to encourage 

and facilitate work-life balance. 

All employees are accountable for cultivating 

a performance-driven culture that encourages 

collaboration, flexibility, and fairness without 

the fear of reprisal. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Shape a diverse and inclusive workforce 

with the skills and capabilities needed now 

and in the future; 

• Provide continuous learning and 

development programs based on a 

mutual commitment between managers 

and employees to promote workforce 

competency, relevance, and agility; 

• Nurture a culture of innovation and agility 

that advocates the sharing of ideas and 

resources adaptable to the changing 

environment, and promotes best practices 

across the IC;

• Provide a workplace free of discrimination, 

harassment, and the fear of reprisal, where 

all are treated with dignity and respect and 

afforded equal opportunity to contribute 

to their full potential.

Our Partners: Strengthen 

partnerships to enrich intelligence.

The Community’s partnerships are fundamental 

to our national security. Our partners are 

force multipliers, offering access, expertise, 

capabilities, and perspectives that enrich our 

intelligence capacity and help all of us succeed 

in our shared mission. The IC will deepen 

existing partnerships and forge new relationships 

to enhance intelligence and inform decisions.

Partners consist of elements working to protect 

U.S. security interests, including U.S. military, our 

allies, foreign intelligence and security services, 

other federal departments and agencies, as well 

as state, local, tribal governments, and private 

sector entities.

6

Our approach to strengthening partnerships 

will align with broader national policy guidance 

and harmonize partner initiatives across the 

IC through policies, procedures, and practices 

that clearly delineate roles, responsibilities, 

and authorities. In working with the array of 

government, foreign, military, and private 

sector partners, the IC will remain cognizant 

of, and dedicated to, protecting privacy and 

civil liberties and maintaining the public trust. 

To meet this objective, the IC will:

• Increase shared responsibility with and 

among, and incorporate insights from, 

all partners to advance intelligence; 

• Develop an enterprise approach to 

partnership engagement to facilitate 

coordinated, integrated outreach;

• Deepen collaboration to enhance 

understanding of our partners and 

to effectively inform decisions and 

enable action. 
The 2014 National Intelligence Strategy

16

Implementing the Strategy

The IC is an integrated intelligence enterprise 

working toward the common vision of a 

more secure nation. The NIS provides the 

overarching framework to accomplish the 

mission and achieve the vision. The IC will 

implement the NIS consistent with its statutory 

authorities under Congressional oversight.

The DNI and IC elements work together in 

an integrated fashion to execute the NIS. 

Functional managers monitor the health of 

important intelligence capabilities. Mission 

managers examine all facets of collection, 

analysis, and counterintelligence against 

specific areas of concern across missions. 

Program managers scrutinize how funds 

are executed. IC enterprise managers align 

support functions to enable each mission. The 

IC elements recruit, train, equip, and conduct 

intelligence missions. Inspectors General, legal 

counsel, and privacy and civil liberties officers 

ensure proper compliance and oversight. 

The Office of the Director of National 

Intelligence provides the IC with overarching 

guidance and coordination. IC elements 

execute their missions consistent with 

their statutory authorities. Finally, it is the 

responsibility of all members of the IC 

workforce to understand how they contribute 

to the IC mission and execute their specific role 

to the best of their ability and consistent with 

the protection of privacy and civil liberties. 

DNI 

Serve as Principal Intelligence Advisor.

As principal intelligence advisor to the 

President, the DNI must ensure intelligence 

addresses threats to national security. The DNI 

establishes the IC’s strategic priorities and 

sets forth the enabling capabilities needed for 

mission success in the NIS.

Set Strategic Priorities for the IC. The NIS, 

in concert with the National Security Strategy

and the National Intelligence Priorities 

Framework, represents the IC’s mission priorities. 

The DNI informs Congress of significant priority 

realignment and activities.

Align the National Intelligence Program.

The NIS serves as the DNI’s mechanism to align 

the National Intelligence Program and guide 

the reporting of resource expenditures and 

performance to Congress. Additionally, the 

National Intelligence Program is coordinated 

with the Military Intelligence Program and the 

DNI’s joint annual planning and programming 

guidance for the IC.

IC Elements

Align Strategies, Plans, and Actions. The 

mission and enterprise objectives in the NIS shall 

be incorporated and cascaded into IC element 

strategies and plans. IC elements and functional 

managers will facilitate an integrated approach 

to these objectives to achieve the IC’s mission.

Inform Resource Allocation. The NIS will 

inform decisions about programs, budgets, 

policies, and acquisitions to develop and sustain 

capabilities. IC elements and program managers 

will reflect NIS objectives in their annual 

strategic program briefs and will articulate 

their intentions to mitigate risks in their annual 

planning and programming activities.

Measure Outcomes. The execution of the NIS 

objectives requires constant and consistent 

evaluation. IC elements will provide information 

through existing processes to clearly illustrate 

how they have performed against NIS objectives 

and the IC Priority Goals, which measure 

progress against enduring national security 

issues. Measuring progress against the NIS is 

crucial to improving overall IC performance.
17

Conclusion

The NIS supports intelligence integration and the IC’s mission to provide timely, insightful, objective, 

and relevant intelligence to inform decisions on national security issues and events. The IC must fully 

reflect the NIS in agency strategic plans, annual budget requests, and justifications for the National 

Intelligence Program. The DNI will assess IC element proposals, projects, and programs against the 

objectives of the NIS to realize the IC’s vision of a nation made more secure by a fully integrated, 

agile, resilient, and innovative Intelligence Community that exemplifies America’s values. 

“The Intelligence Community exists to 

provide political and military leaders 

with the greatest possible decision advantage. 

We understand, now more than ever, 

that the best way to accomplish our goal is thorough 

integration of all national intelligence capabilities.”

James R. Clapper, Director of National Intelligence
13216937 | AI 05-14

2014 National Intelligence Strategy 

Roadmap

ENTERPRISE OBJECTIVES

(Enable Mission Success)

MISSION OBJECTIVES

(Support Customer Success)

CUSTOMER 

SUCCESS

OUR CUSTOMERS

The

President

National

Security

Council

Department 

and Agency

Heads

Chairman 

of the

Joint Chiefs

of Staff

Congress Others

as the DNI

determines

appropriate

Senior Military

Commanders

ENDURING CURRENT EMERGING

CYBER INTELLIGENCE

COUNTERTERRORISM

COUNTERPROLIFERATION

COUNTERINTELLIGENCE

STRATEGIC

INTELLIGENCE

CURRENT

OPERATIONS

ANTICIPATORY

INTELLIGENCE

(Anticipate, Identify, and Warn) (Inform and Enrich Understanding) (Support Ongoing Actions)

Principles of Professional Ethics for the IC

OUR PARTNERS

INFORMATION SHARING AND SAFEGUARDING

OUR PEOPLE

INNOVATION

INTEGRATED ENTERPRISE

MANAGEMENT

INTEGRATED MISSION

MANAGEMENT

URING CURRENT EMER

REGIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL ISSUES

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

13216937 | 06-14