- [alpha] RESENDING - MUST READ Fwd: source evaluations - must read
- Email-ID 5070598
- Date 2011-08-10 21:05:56
- From [email protected]
- List-Name [email protected]
- It has come to my attention that if something is sent at night it is not
- seen as valuable as if it were sent during 8a-5p so I'm resending this.
- This needs to change. We operate 24/7. This is mandatory for everyone to
- read and process.
- I also resent the insight lists this morning with the correct
- spreadsheet. That is also mandatory reading. If you need me to resend
- that as well, let me know.
- If there are any questions, please ask. I will send an email later today
- or tomorrow on the intel meeting next week as mentioned in another email
- also sent last night.
- Jen
- -------- Original Message --------
- Subject: [alpha] source evaluations - must read
- Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:51:43 -0500
- From: Jennifer Richmond
- Reply-To: Alpha List
- To: Alpha List , [email protected]
- This is the first in several emails on our sourcing and insight
- collections. To begin with, we will be meeting with everyone who has
- sources to evaluate them on the criteria and scoring below. I will be in
- touch with everyone who has a source list within the next few weeks. If
- you have sources but no source list, then you need to create one. I will
- give details on this in a separate email.
- All of those who need to update or create their list need to do so by
- Monday and send them to both myself and Anya. If you need a source code
- number range, email me and I will get this set up for you so you can start
- the process. For analysts with compiled lists with uncoded sources,
- please code these ASAP unless they are genuinely a one-off and then give
- an explanation.
- In the meantime, it would be best if everyone with sources start to
- evaluate each source by looking at least the past five insights and start
- to score them based on the criteria and scoring below so you are not
- scrambling when we are ready to set up an evaluation with you. Also, from
- here on out, start to think about sources with these criteria and scoring
- in mind. This will be the first of many periodic insight evaluations so
- its best for everyone to get acquainted with this method.
- For Watch Officers, please also start to think along these lines when you
- are reading insight. In the future we will also look to you as objective
- source evaluators. Also, please start to read the insight carefully and
- comment on it the same as you would a piece from OS. As Reva said in our
- meeting today, we are starting to refocus on intel and insight. As Watch
- Officers, you are well placed to comment on any anomalies presented in
- insights and compare it with what is being said in the media.
- If there are any questions or concerns, please ask.
- Jen
- Sourcing Criteria
- The following are the proposed criteria for analyzing both sources and
- insight.
- 1. Source Timeliness
- 2. Source Accessibility/Position
- 3. Source Availability
- 4. Insight Credibility
- 5. Insight Uniqueness
- Source Timeliness: This is the average grade on how long this particular
- source turns around tasks and replies to inquiries. It may change but is
- more of a static indicator.
- Source Accessibility: Accessibility weighs the source's position to have
- certain knowledge in a particular field. So, for example, if we are
- looking for energy insight and the source is an official in an energy
- agency, his or her Accessibility would be ranked higher than if s/he was a
- banker giving insight on energy. While we would welcome a banker giving
- his/her insight, a good source may not have a high accessibility ranking
- if they aren't in a position to offer reliable insight on a certain topic.
- The source's access to decision makers, specific training or education in
- the desired topic area, specific knowledge of events/situations/incidents
- can also be considered.
- Source Availability: How often can we go to this source? Are they
- someone we can tap daily, weekly, monthly, yearly?
- Insight Credibility: This is our assessment of the veracity of the
- insight offered. Here we need to consider whether or not this is
- disinformation, speculation, correct data or knowledgeable interpretation.
- Any bias that the source is displaying or any specific viewpoints or
- personal background the source is using in the assessment provided should
- also be considered.
- Insight Uniqueness: Is this insight something that could be found in OS?
- If it is but the analysis of the information is unique, it would still
- have a high uniqueness ranking. Or, if it is concrete data, but is
- something that is only offered to industry insiders, i.e. stats that
- aren't published but that aren't secret, it would still have a high
- uniqueness score.
- Scoring
- All of the above factors will be scored on an A-F scale, with A being
- exemplary and F being useless.
- Source Timeliness:
- A = turnaround within 24 hours
- B = turnaround within 48 hours
- C = turnaround within a week
- D = turnaround within a month
- F = lucky to receive a reply at all
- Source Accessibility:
- A = Someone with intimate knowledge of the particular insight
- B = Someone within the industry but whose knowledge of the topic is not
- exact (e.g. if we were asking someone in the oil industry about natural
- gas)
- C = Someone working close to the industry who doesn't have intimate
- knowledge of a particular topic but can speak to it intelligently (e.g. a
- financial consultant asked to gauge the movement of the stock market)
- D = Someone who may know a country but doesn't have any concrete insight
- into a particular topic but can offer rumors and discussions heard on the
- topic
- F = Someone who has no knowledge of a particular industry at all
- Source Availability:
- A = Available pretty much whenever
- B = Can tap around once a week
- C = Can tap about once a month
- D = Can tap only several times a year
- F = Very limited availability
- Insight Credibility:
- A = We can take this information to the bank
- B = Good insight but maybe not entirely precise
- C = Insight is only partially true
- D = There may be some interest in the insight, but it is mostly false or
- just pure speculation.
- F = Likely to be disinformation
- Insight Uniqueness:
- A = Can't be found anywhere else
- B = Can only be found in limited circles
- C = Insight can be found in OS, but the source has an interesting
- take/analysis
- D = Insight can be found in OS, but still may not be common knowledge
- F = Insight is accessible in numerous locations
- --
- Jennifer Richmond
- STRATFOR
- China Director
- Director of International Projects
- (512) 422-9335
- www.stratfor.com
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STRATFOR E-Mail #20: [alpha] RESENDING - MUST READ Fwd: sou
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