The target-centric approach to intelligence describes a method of intelligence analysis that Robert M. Clark introduced in his book “Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach” (Clark 2006,11) in 2003 to offer an alternative methodology to the traditional intelligence cycle which had components that were task based but were isolated and had no room for questions and hence had no feedback directed transformation in it. There have been a number of reviews of this book till the last one in 2006 and these reviews have shown a growing improvement in the factors that were showing flaws in them. This book shows the whole process of creating a model and then feeding the research results into the decision making process. In this approach intelligence analysis has been redefined in a way that puts all the isolated parts of intelligence cycle model together with enough liberty for questions, feedback and changes in accordance with the purpose to improve this process unlike the usual model of intelligence cycle. This new model introduced called “conceptual model” (Clark 2006, p. 37) is a very good tool for understanding the whole process of target centric approach to intelligence. This model also had specificity that it can include all contributors, participants, and consumers which makes intelligence more collaborative. Each individual can question the model and get answers along the way. “The target-centric model is a network process where the information flows unconstrained among all participants, who also focus on the objective to create a shared picture of the target” (Clark 2006, p. 13). This book gives a logical explanation to all the components of the model for the collectors, analysts, policy-makers and everyone included in this model dealing with the process. This book in general is a very organized and convincing book to be read, it gives the information in a smooth flow and almost every aspect of the analyst’s job is discussed in sufficient detail that the reader should feel completely knowledgeable of how the analyst makes estimations and predictions, whether the reader is from any specialty of life. It has broadly talked about all the fields of life and has given examples which are very practical, Convincing, clear and real. This book really discusses the current state of analysis and for the present era it gives a very lucid interplay of the components of the model and also the way they can be manipulated for the better. The author provides an enormous amount of detailed information on how to apply the target centric concept to various types of intelligence problems through some original and useful ideas of predictive intelligence and this in long term is going to lead to a very useful system of assessment.
References
- Clark, Robert M. (2003), Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach, CQ Press
- Clark, Robert M. (2006), Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach, CQ Press