HLS 6030 Assignment: Establish Recruitment Strategies

The first step in completing an intelligence assessment is to write a concept paper. For the term project, you are an intelligence analyst at the Department of Homeland Security working on domestic terrorist organizations. Prepare a concept paper describing the intelligence assessment on al Shabaab in North America that you will prepare for the term project. In your concept paper include:
Working Title. Develop a preliminary title for your eventual intelligence assessment. The title should convey how you will address the core intelligence question in as few words as possible (therefore, "Al Shabaab in North America Intelligence Assessment" is not a sufficient title as it does not convey a point of view)
Scope. A brief statement (1-2 sentences) of the thrust of the assessment, why it is being written, what it is intended to accomplish, and the key question or questions it will answer.
Audience. List of key customer(s) for the assessment and the issues you believe they want addressed. Be as specific as possible and list the agencies and departments that you believe need to receive the assessment.
Data Gathering. List of what you believe to be the best sources of information, potential intelligence gaps you may encounter, collection requirements, data analysis methods. Remember, you will be receiving intelligence over the next several weeks to enable you to prepare the assessment; for the concept paper, anticipate or speculate on the ideal sources of information necessary to address the assessment as described in the Scope. Refer to the Week 5 readings for guidance.
Outline. A list of the key topics you will cover that demonstrates how you "deconstructed" the intelligence problem into its component parts from the Scope. Address what you believe to be the key categories that together will make up the entirety of the assessment. Key categories would include items such as how ASNA will finance its operation, how it will obtain radiological material, etc. There should be at least four categories included in the outline, with detail for each as necessary.
Key Intelligence Questions. Write at least three questions for each of your categories (so, if you have four categories, you will write at least three questions for each, or at least 12 questions). The questions are meant to guide your thinking about hypotheses. These should be open-ended questions that can only be answered by drawing judgments from the available evidence. A good intelligence question might be: "how will ASNA acquire sufficient funds to carry out the attack?" A poor question might be "how much money is Farrah Sabriye receiving from her trust fund?"
Hypotheses. For each of your intelligence questions, generate at least three hypotheses that provide possible answers to the question. Review Heuer, chapter 4, for approaches for hypothesis generation.
The concept paper will be your starting point for the intelligence assessment that you will prepare for the term project. You should be able to cover everything required in no more than five pages; use the traditional outline format for your problem categories and intelligence questions, and then list your hypotheses under each question.
Use the ASNA Situation Brief and the first two intelligence packages to develop your thinking, problem de-construction, and hypothesis development.