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Analysis in Action: Structured Analytical Techniques CPD 24 and 25 February 2025

 

  • Two separate workshops aimed at crime and intelligence analysts, that are part of our regular Analysis in Action CPD Series that support the continuous professional development of analysts.

 

  • They both cover different Structured Analytical Techniques (SAT) that are essential to the work of analysts.

 

  • You can attend either one or both CPD events depending on your requirements. These are stand alone workshops and need to be booked separately.

 

  • Our two workshops are led by Paddy Kerr, one of the UK’s most experienced analysts and analysis trainers who currently works as a senior investigator in a law enforcement organisation.

 

  • Held online via Teams. Group bookings available.

 

  • Certificates of CPD available.

 

24 February 2025, Structured Analytical Techniques (SAT) Part One

  • A ‘must attend’ CPD event that is aimed at crime and intelligence analysts who are either new-to-role or want to revise existing skills and techniques.

  • They also provide a forum for networking and debate with fellow analysts to share and learn from your peers.

  • Our workshop covers Structured Analytical Techniques (SAT) that help individual analysts, as well as teams of analysts, explore and challenge their analytical arguments and mindsets.

  • They can help address rigid ways of thinking when exploring new or alternative outcomes, or implications, in resolving an intelligence or investigation problem.

 

The Techniques can be grouped by their purpose:

Diagnostic – Primarily aimed at making analytical arguments, assumptions or intelligence gaps more transparent by understanding the mechanics of the issue

Challenge (Contrarian) – Techniques to explicitly challenge current thinking

Generation – Techniques designed to develop new insights, different perspectives and/or develop different outcomes

 

Areas covered in this module (but not limited to) are:

  • Mastering Thinking

  • Deception Detection

  • Assumption Recognition

  • Hypothesis Generation and Permutation

  • Hypothesis Testing

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Identify and explore common cognitive thinking errors and mitigations that can be employed​

  • Apply appropriate Structured Analytical Techniques (SAT) to a range of intelligence and investigation needs providing additional analytical rigour​

  • Comprehend the value of conducting Key Assumption Checks (KAC)​

  • Differentiate between Theory and Hypothesis construction

  • Develop, adopt and implement hypothesis generation and multiple permutations techniques​

  • Test, evaluate and prioritise generated hypothesis using Analysis of Competing Hypothesis (ACH)​

 

Knowledge

1. The processes involved in the collation and evaluation of organisationally relevant sources of information for use within intelligence products, which will include learning to use technique and models to support such learning, utilising quantitative & qualitative data.

2. The Intelligence Cycle, including all processes involved in direction, collection, processing and dissemination of intelligence​.

3. The main factors influencing their respective organisational environments, such as specific threats and key intelligence priorities, for example, major, serious, complex & organised crimes (such as murder, serial sex offending, narcotics (including, but not limited to, County Lines and OCG), firearms offences, money laundering, frauds, public disorder, cyber enabled and cyber reliant, organised immigration and MSHT investigations).

4. The benefits of generating or using intelligence, from multiple sources, and considering how validity and credibility can be affected depending on the type used.​

5. How to use analytical development techniques to identify and produce key findings and judgements in assessments.

6. How bias can affect judgement, and the dangers it presents if measures are not in place to mitigate this​.

 

​Skills

1. Engage with decision makers appropriately, to ensure effective understanding of intelligence tasks and actively monitor ongoing intelligence requirements.

2. Engaging with all levels in an organisation, the decision maker and any other relevant and interested parties, to effectively respond to demands.​

3. Think critically, through objective analysis and evaluation of an issue, to form a judgement which is unbiased, undistorted and can withstand challenge.

4. Produce written and visual reports to a high standard as well as confident verbal briefings and presentation of findings, using an appropriate range of SAT methods

 

​Behaviours​

1. Confident in their ability and have courage of their convictions​.

2. Open minded, innovative and a problem solver​.

3. Agile, able to adjust rapidly and decisively, especially when operating in complex situations​.

4. Persistent and resilient; not all intelligence activity will immediately be successful.

 

25 February 2025, Module Overview (Structured Analytical Techniques (SAT) Part Two

  • The second of our ‘must attend’ CPD events that is aimed at crime and intelligence analysts who are either new-to-role or want to revise existing skills and techniques.

  • They also provide a forum for networking and debate with fellow analysts to share and learn from your peers.

  • Our workshop covers Structured Analytical Techniques (SAT) that help individual analysts, as well as teams of analysts, explore and challenge their analytical arguments and mindsets.

  • They can help address rigid ways of thinking when exploring new or alternative outcomes, or implications, in resolving an intelligence or investigation problem.

  • Held online via Teams.

 

Our second workshop takes analysts through the next set of Structured Analytical Techniques (SAT). This day builds on the techniques discussed in the last workshop but you do not need to attend both workshops.

​

Structured Analytical Techniques (SAT) are designed to help individual analysts, as well as teams of analysts, explore and challenge their analytical arguments and mindsets.

​

They can help address rigid ways of thinking when exploring new or alternative outcomes, or implications, in resolving an intelligence or investigation problem.

​

The Techniques can be grouped by their purpose:

Diagnostic – Primarily aimed at making analytical arguments, assumptions or intelligence gaps more transparent by understanding the mechanics of the issue

Challenge (Contrarian) – Techniques to explicitly challenge current thinking

Generation – Techniques designed to develop new insights, different perspectives and/or develop different outcomes

 

Areas covered in this module (not limited to) are:

  • Scenario Generation

  • Counter Argument

  • Baseline, Alternative and Wildcard scenario assessment

  • Plausibility Generation

  • Futures Planning

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply appropriate Structured Analytical Techniques (SAT) to a range of intelligence and investigation needs providing additional analytical rigour

  • Develop and implement scenario generation techniques

  • Understand the differences, benefits and limitations of Forecasting, Scenario Generation and Back-casting

 

Knowledge

1. The processes involved in the collation and evaluation of organisationally relevant sources of information for use within intelligence products, which will include learning to use technique and models to support such learning, utilising quantitative and qualitative data.

2. The Intelligence Cycle, including all processes involved in direction, collection, processing and dissemination of intelligence​

3. The main factors influencing their respective organisational environments, such as specific threats and key intelligence priorities, for example, major, serious, complex and organised crimes (such as murder, serial sex offending, narcotics (including, but not limited to, County Lines and OCG), firearms offences, money laundering, frauds, public disorder, cyber enabled and cyber reliant, organised immigration and MSHT investigations)

4. The benefits of generating or using intelligence, from multiple sources, and considering how validity and credibility can be affected depending on the type used.​

5. How to use analytical development techniques to identify and produce key findings and judgements in assessments.

6.  How bias can affect judgement, and the dangers it presents if measures are not in place to mitigate this​

 

Skills

1. Engage with decision makers appropriately, to ensure effective understanding of intelligence tasks and actively monitor ongoing intelligence requirements.

2. Engaging with all levels in an organisation, the decision maker and any other relevant & interested parties, to effectively respond to demands.​

3. Think critically, through objective analysis and evaluation of an issue, to form a judgement which is unbiased, undistorted and can withstand challenge.

4. Produce written and visual reports to a high standard as well as confident verbal briefings and presentation of findings, using an appropriate range of SAT methods

 

​Behaviours​

1. Confident in their ability and have courage of their convictions​

2. Open minded, innovative and a problem solver​

3. Agile, able to adjust rapidly and decisively, especially when operating in complex situations​​​​

4. Persistent and resilient; not all intelligence activity will immediately be successful.

​

HOW TO BOOK

24 February only: £199.75 + VAT (GBP) per delegate

25 February only: £199.75 + VAT (GBP) per delegate

24 & 25 February: £310.00 + VAT (GBP) per delegate

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Group bookings: We offer various discounts for group bookings depending on numbers, please contact us for details.

​

Booking: Please send the delegates name(s), email address(es) and purchase order (made out to The Investigator) to booking@the-investigator.co.uk or telephone +44(0)844 660 8707 for further information. 

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Payment can be made by PayPal/debit/credit card (corporate card fees apply + 3%). ​The meeting link will be sent out 7 days before the event.

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