Director of National Intelligence Cycle Method VS Target Centric Method

     After reviewing the assigned methods, the two that stuck out the most to me were the director of national intelligence cycle method and target centric method. After review, they contrast in a few different areas that reflects how they differently use the intelligence. 

    The director of national intelligence cycle method includes a detailed process of collecting and controlling information. It includes the following steps; collection, processing, analysis, dissemination, planning, and evaluation. The graphic below details the processes cycle and how it continuously works. This method follows through those steps as listed, collecting and controlling the intelligence throughout it, and at the end, they evaluate how to best utilize the intelligence. 

    This defers from the target centric approach. The target centric method uses F3EA, which stands for find, fix, finish, exploit, and analyze. This was used by General Stanley A. McChrystal during the Iraq war. They begin by finding their target, either a physical location or individual, they fixate on the target collecting information about them. In the finish step they will deploy agents to collect information against the target in the field, during the exploit step they will review the information. And lastly, during the analyze step they will decide out of the information gathered, what was useful towards the mission they are trying to accomplish. This process was known for how at any point they could interject and start the cycle over again. 

    It is clear that there are clear differences in how each method is applied. Firstly, the director method can be applied to wider variety of situations, where as the target centric method requires intelligence to already be available to determine if the target they want to know is worth the resources it takes to gather intelligence. Next, the way each method is applied is vastly different. The director method is focused on completing the cycle from start to finish, analyzing each step of the process to ensure it is thoroughly analyzed and controlled appropriately where as the target method is a live operation continuously evaluating where they are but capable of going back in the process to revaluate incase they missed something. From this, one is a more traditional method collecting various types of intelligence where as the other is a more mission focused and hyper-fixated on one aspect of their intelligence.