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(U//FOUO) Early Results Look Good: Assessment Report Update
FROM: Carl Johnson
SID's Deputy Director for Analysis & Production (S2)
Run Date: 08/01/2006
(U//FOUO) This year analysts may set a new record for producing SARs (SIGINT reports with
added perspective and insight).
(U//FOUO) Intelligence analysts: over the past several months the S2 leadership have asked you
several times* - in this venue and elsewhere -- to consider adding more insight and perspective
in your SIGINT reporting and, when appropriate, to write a SIGINT Assessment Report on your
topic of expertise. I want to thank you for taking these appeals to heart -- I am happy to report
that you are producing SIGINT Assessment Reports at a potentially record-breaking
pace.
(U//FOUO) In calendar year 02, 03, and 04, the United States SIGINT System produced an
average of 135 SIGINT Assessment Reports a year. In 2005, we produced 156. Through the first
seven months of 2006, we have already produced 127 SIGINT Assessment Reports (SARs), and
if we continue this pace we will produce about 220 SARs in 2006. That is a 63 percent increase
above the 4-year average, and a 40 percent increase over last year. Well done!
(U//FOUO) I urge you to continue this excellent work, but must add a caveat: Over the past
year we have often discussed moving away from "pounds of SIGINT" as a measure of our
success. We also do not want to use "pounds of SAR's" as a unitary measure of success either.
What I mean is this: don't "force" a report into the SIGINT Assessment Report format if it is ill
suited for it. SARs are special vehicles; our customers have grown to expect that they will go
beyond summary reports and do more than provide a collection of discrete facts. They should
contain your perspectives and your expertise, and care should be given before you
determine whether your report really is a SIGINT Assessment.
(U//FOUO) We should also bear in mind that we are stressing assessment reporting and sharing
our expertise for the best reason of all: because our customers have asked us to. Recently a
customer commented on a SIGINT Assessment Report:
(U//FOUO) "Kudos for producing this useful report! This assessment is particularly useful
because it pulls together the various pieces of reporting and provides intangible insight as
a result of NSA's first-hand access to the raw intel. Great job!!"
(U//FOUO) This is typical of the positive feedback we receive on our SIGINT Assessments.
(U//FOUO) I have charged
the Chief of the S2 SIGINT Assessment Cell, to continue
advocating for Assessment reporting, and many of you have already consulted him and his staff
for guidance. He is currently forming a community of interest of assessment producers across
the enterprise. I encourage all of you to contact him or check out his website if you have
questions, ideas on how to continue to move this initiative forward, or just want to learn more
about more about "SIGINT with more cowbell."
(U//FOUO) Again, I congratulate you all on this trend and encourage you to continue this
excellent work!
*(U) Note: see the following articles for background:
(U) SIGINT Reporting -- The Right Stuff
(U) No Comment (by
(U) Comment on COMMENTs: Analysts Weight In
(U) My Comment (by Cindy Farkus)
"(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