IAS Capital One

The FBI’s Office of Private Sector (OPS) is proud to announce the Integrated Analysts Symposium (IAS) hosted by Capital One in McLean, Virginia. The IAS is an important part of OPS' information sharing program and is designed to provide attendees with a basic working knowledge of Structured Analytic Techniques (SAT).

The four-day IAS provides private sector analysts an opportunity to develop methodologies to address security challenges they face in their places of business. The concentrated IAS curriculum provides an engaging learning environment focusing on basic analytic terminology, critical thinking skills, information sharing cycles, and analytic challenges, including mindsets and biases. Additionally, the collaborative approach of the IAS provides an ideal professional networking environment for analysts in both the private and public sectors, while offering ample information sharing opportunities.

The IAS course includes facilitated instruction on the practical application of the following SATs:

• Quality of Information
• Indicators
• Key Assumptions Check
• Red Hat Analysis
• Analysis of Competing Hypotheses
• Alternative Futures
• “What If?” Analysis
• Structured Brainstorming

Throughout the course, students use each SAT to evaluate and prepare analytical assessments for exercise scenarios; following each scenario, the groups informally explain and defend their assessments. On the final day’s capstone exercise, students will work in small groups to determine the extent of their respective exercise scenario problem set; students will analyze the data, utilize the tools provided in earlier classes to develop analytical assessments of their scenario (e.g., insider threat, workplace violence, or executive security), and subsequently develop several potential courses of action.

The ideal student for this adult-learning course would be a highly motivated professional, with zero to five years of analytic experience, who is willing to dedicate four full days (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) to the coursework. Much of the IAS’ success depends on the full group’s participation.

Further information regarding the course and logistics will be provided as we approach the class starting date; please feel free to contact [email protected] with any additional questions.

Host or Publisher DSAC Integrated Analyst Symposia