Intelligence analysis and training of intelligence analysts.

Even though intelligence analysis which possesses characteristics of both crafts and professions is frequently referred to as a profession, in actuality it has been practiced more like a craft. As a result, it lacks many of the benefits of for- mal professions, such as structured personnel practices, and possesses no quality control mechanism to ensure the reliability of the individual analyst’s output. Turning intelligence analysis from a craft into a profession would provide the opportunity for evolutionary and possibly even revolutionary improvement in both individual and organizational performance due to the adoption of formal personnel practices and standardization of best practices across all intelligence agencies. Intelligence analysts think of themselves as professionals, but it is not clear what makes intelligence analysis a profession. Former Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles called the intelligence occupation a “craft” in his 1963 book “The Craft of Intelligence,” but whether that holds true for intelligence analysis is debatable. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a craft is “an occupation or trade requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill” whereas a profession is a field that requires “specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation.”