The analytic production team can take a variety of forms, for the most part structured to service the special demands placed on the analysts by the US officials directly responsible for designing and implementing policy under difficult circumstances. Multidisciplinary teams that organize either to deliver a single highly complex written or oral assessment or to keep a working watch on a high-profile issue that requires recurring analytic production. Policy officials regularly comment on the special value added of DI assessments and briefings that provide, for example, the local political and leadership context of an economic, technological, or weapons-related issue. The Team Advantage The consistently high performance of analytic production teams reflects their ability to capitalize on the surge of energy brought on by the crisis or other demanding situation, and the synergy of individuals with varied talents working together to meet agreed goals and standards. But high performance also reflects the teams enhanced ability to apply the several tradecraft practices addressed in this series of notes as essential to gaining DI access to and credibility with key consumers of intelligence.
Nothing enhances productivity more than knowing who has what question.
As soon as the team establishes its credentials for expertise, timeliness, and precise targeting of needs, lines of communication with key US officials shorten. Tasking, direct feedback, and overall guidance are then delivered more or less continuously. Unique intelligence collection . The team also rationalizes communications with collectors, at times by integrating representatives from outside the DI into the team. Policymakers and implementers are provided with one-stop shopping for intelligence collection, and collectors make use of the analysts' substantive expertise in sharpening target selection.