Since 9/11 the value of the expertise embodied in our best intelligence analysts and agents has assumed materially greater value to our nation. However, the 90's saw an overall decline in US intelligence gathering and analytical resources and capabilities. The result has been a growing gap in the capabilities of newer analysts and agents that are replacing those senior experts who are approaching retirement. This acute problem comes at a time when there could not be a greater need for effective intelligence assets. The immediate need is for economical tools that assist analysts in information assessment, improved mental models, and derived insightful findings from existing information. Effective tools must contain the technical, analytical, and operational know-how of experienced senior analysts and agents and must be usable by a large community of users.

Solutions for Intelligence

An effective training tool will guide an analyst in how to begin the analytical process, what to do and how to do it. The product will help limit and bound the uncertainty that policymakers face. PortBlue modules allow less experienced analysts to evaluate all alternatives and weight and rank them as their senior counterparts would in order to come up with thorough analyses and optimal solutions. PortBlue modules can also prevent analysts from only producing or recognizing proof of hypotheses that support her biases. For instance, consider an analyst whose responsibilities are to analyze the composition and capabilities of the army of a potential adversary. Should she pick up a sigint or humint suggesting that a foreign army is beginning to mobilize, the analyst could use the PortBlue module to assess, in real time, the overall capabilities of the army units that appear to be involved, including:

• their composition
• their state of preparedness including force training and the maintenance and repair of their equipment
• their transport and logistical resources
• their likely paths of deployment
• the likely period that they could sustain different levels of combat intensity
• the U.S. or allied forces available to intervene

This assessment, which was derived from the same analytical process of senior analysts through the PortBlue Knowledge Capture process, could be shared (read only) and worked on (read and write) by multiple analysts operating as a team. The application will link to one or more required databases from which data critical to the assessment is imported. Access to the PortBlue application or different portions of the application could be segmented on a "Need to Know" basis.

Solutions for Homeland Security

The United States is facing an unprecedented intelligence challenge related to Homeland Security. The adversary is truly global and its deployment is not based on any conventional military hierarchy or order of battle. There will be a premium placed on the ability of the U.S. intelligence community to "Connect the Dots". This will require effective wide access to high quality, dispersed technical, analytical, and operations expertise-real intelligence not just data--by proven experts. By offering a means to capture and distribute this expertise both quickly and easily, PortBlue enables the accessibility of this know-how so that more people and organizations can use it to reduce any risks from terrorist threats and to increase safety levels.