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(U) Working as a Policy Analyst: One Person's Perspective
FROM: a Policy Analyst
Unknown
Run Date: 08/01/2003
(S) When you walk through the door of a SIGINT policy staff office,
SERIES:
what kind of people do you expect to see? You won't find Dilbert!
(U) A Day in the Life of...
Instead, you'll find a microcosm of the SIGINT system. Picture a
mix of civilian and military employees, people from a variety of
SIGINT disciplines, a myriad of targets, individuals with field
1. Office Manager:
experience, folks with a knowledge of cryptanalysis, those with
Jack-of-All-Trades
experience in military support, ELINT, etc.
2. The Life of An Exec
3. Working as a Policy
(S) Imagine people with different personality traits and work styles
Analyst: One
(introverts, extroverts, visionaries, implementers, risk-takers etc.)
Person's Perspective
Starting to sound pretty diverse, doesn't it? Well, this town is big
4. Data Flow Manager:
enough for all of them. In fact, it needs to be--policy regulates all
The Data Fairy?
aspects of NSA/CSS operations and the SIGINT system is so big
5. Mathematician: An
that one person can't possibly answer all the questions!
Insider's View
6. NSA Linguists
(C) What is a typical day like for a policy "wonk"? People in the
'Panning for Gold'
workforce come to us for authoritative answers on a multitude of
7. Plenty of Action on
topics. Some are time-sensitive or "short-fused" in nature. Whether
the Action Team
they are e-mailing from the 3rd floor or calling from the field, they
8. On The Collection
usually have already exhausted all other avenues and the buck
(Officer's) Plate
stops with us. In an ideal world, the "issue du jour" can be
9. Sitting in the SOO's
categorized and handled by the policy officer with the most
Chair
expertise in that area. However, even if it is familiar terrain, new
10. You Can't Keep the
twists can present themselves. Usually we conduct detailed
NSC Waiting!.. A Day
research, starting with preliminary searches to see if there are
in the Life of a
existing policies, directives, or precedents from the Director of
GRSOC Analyst
Central Intelligence on down that may provide a solution. Why reinvent the wheel if a sound process is already in place?
(C) In this age of transformation, policy offices face increasing
challenges: we are called upon to approve or get management
approval for precedent-setting initiatives, some with a level of risk
to them. We don't always have the benefit of consulting existing
directives, since the speed of business often outpaces written
policy. In the absence of a formal roadmap, we rely on a toolbox of
business practices and methodologies to keep the SIGINT system
honest. We often:
brainstorm with coworkers to find possibilities or solutions
that aren't already apparent
outline risks and benefits
consult all organizations that might be affected a policy
decision (equity owners)
learn who the decision-making authorities are on particular
issues, and
decide when to elevate an issue to the decision-maker
We have to make sure that NSA can account for and defend all
policy decisions (in court, if necessary) and ensure that all
processes can be repeated and extended across the Enterprise (no
cottage industries).
(C) Policy work is challenging, but it is one of the best professional
development opportunities around. It gives exposure to NSA's
authorities, allows one to touch many SIGINT missions on a daily
basis, to work with the best and brightest SIGINT professionals
throughout the agency and in the field, and to stretch one's critical
thinking abilities beyond imaginable limits. Whether you go on to
become a manager or a senior technician, policy experience will
serve as your conscience as you make future mission decisions.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108