Assessing Competencies and Proficiency of Army Intelligence Analysts Across the Career Life Cycle / Maria C. Lytell, Susan G. Straus, Chad C. Serena, Geoffrey Grimm, James L. Doty, III, Jennie W. Wenger, Andrea A. Golay, Andrew M. Naber, Clifford A. Grammich, Eric S. Fowler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lytell, Maria C., 1979- author.

Straus, Susan G., author.

Serena, Chad C., author.

Grimm, Geoffrey, author.

Doty, James L., III, author.

Contributor:

Arroyo Center, publisher, issuing body.

Rand Corporation, issuing body.

Series:

Research report (Rand Corporation)

Research report ; no. 1851

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Army--Occupational specialties--Evaluation.

United States.

United States. Army--Personnel management--Evaluation.

United States. Army--Operational readiness--Evaluation.

United States. Army.

Military intelligence--United States--21st century.

Military intelligence.

Intelligence service--United States--21st century.

Intelligence service.

Soldiers--Training of--United States--Evaluation.

Soldiers.

Military planning--United States--21st century.

Military planning.

Soldiers--Training of.

Evaluation.

Personnel management.

Physical Description:

xxiii, 91 pages : color illustrations ; 28 cm.

Place of Publication:

Santa Monica, Calif. : RAND, [2017]

Summary:

"U.S. Army military intelligence (MI) analysts work in increasingly complex and dynamic operational environments requiring intangible competencies, such as critical thinking (CT) and adaptability. This report describes the development and implementation of a process to assess key analytic competencies and proficiency of the Army's analysts in the 35F military occupational specialty and the design of a protocol for ongoing evaluation. The study included subject-matter expert interviews and document review to identify key analytic tasks for 35F analysts; a review of research regarding competencies associated with intelligence analysis and measures of those competencies; and a field study assessing competencies, life-cycle factors, training proficiency among junior analysts, and job proficiency among junior and midgrade analysts. Analysis of training proficiency results shows that analysts with greater general mental ability had higher grade-point averages and better odds of graduating from initial skill training than other analysts had. Results comparing junior and midgrade analysts indicate that both groups have few opportunities to perform MI tasks on the job. Both groups were similar in most competencies, but midgrade analysts demonstrated higher CT skills than junior analysts did. Differences between junior and midgrade analysts in job proficiency were mixed; junior analysts performed better on some criteria and midgrade analysts performed better on others. However, job proficiency scores were relatively low across groups, and few competencies predicted job proficiency; these findings could be a result of skill decay or low motivation of study participants"--Publisher's description.

Contents:

Preface

Figures and Tables

Summary

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

1. Introduction: Study Approach

Organization of This Report

2. Identifying the Competencies Required of 35F Analysts: Approach

35F Analyst Duties, Requirements, and Competencies

Competency Development and Retention

3. Linking Analyst Competencies with Job Performance: Competencies and Job Outcomes

Measuring Key Competencies

4. Research Approach and Findings: Research Approach

How Do Junior and Midgrade Analysts Compare in Analytic Competencies, Career-Life-Cycle Factors, and Proficiency?

What Factors Predict Proficiency?

Summary - 5. Study Conclusions, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations for Ongoing Assessment and Development of Analytic Proficiency: Lessons Learned from Our Study

Recommendations for Ongoing Assessment and Development

Strengths, Limitations, and Additional Topics for Future Research and Practice

Final Thoughts

APPENDIXES: A. Detailed Results on Factors Predicting Proficiency

B. Details About 35F Work-Experience Surveys

Bibliography.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 83-91)

ISBN:

9780833097538

0833097539

OCLC:

994637683