For an enterprise funded by the state, the public knows surprisingly little about intelligence activities. This goes far beyond the necessary secrecy of the work involved – but more knowing little about the intricacies of what constitutes good intelligence to facilitate an informed debate in a democracy.
In research published this month by the journal Intelligence and National Security, I have sought to set out what good intelligence looks like in practice. This study is based on nearly 50 interviews within the Australian National Intelligence Community (NIC) to identify the essential characteristics of good intelligence, revealing that it must be timely, purposeful, actionable, accurate, unbiased and provide value-add.
This research is the first time that contemporary intelligence leaders and practitioners have been interviewed about their perceptions regarding the characteristics of good intelligence, and how they apply these characteristics in practice in the digital age. The big data landscape, comprising information abundance, digital connectivity and ubiquitous technology has also transformed the context and processes of intelligence production.
It is often argued that there are profound differences between intelligence types, whether security, foreign and law enforcement intelligence, however, this research indicates that the key components of good intelligence are in fact areas of consensus between all participants – at least at a macro level. In the Australian NIC the key characteristics of good intelligence look very similar, transcending the diverse missions and values of individual agencies, although the process of achieving them will often vary.
