TRANSFERENCE OF MEANING FROM ANALYST TO POLICY MAKER IN INTELLIGENCE
TRANSFERENCE OF MEANING FROM ANALYST TO POLICY MAKER IN INTELLIGENCE

Summary/Abstract: This paper focuses on the significance of negotiating the meaning in the communication between analyst and decision maker. In other words, although the analyst and the decision maker use the same language, we need to make sure that the output of the communication process actually returns to the input provided, by mediating the effective conveyance of meaning. Whereas words and conventions are universal, in the sense that they are shared by the members of the same linguistic community, meaning is a product of individual neuro-psychophysiology. The meaning of the message we convey is reflected by the answer we get, which reveals the interlocutor’s understanding of our words, and that may have everything or nothing to do with our intentions. If we do not negotiate the meaning of the input we supply, we cannot control the output thereof, and therefore the message could be valid for the disclosing party alone. In order to communicate efficiently, we need to adhere to a set of concepts and values governing our interlocutor’s outlook, and to be able to adapt the substance of our message by reference to the output we expect. In intelligence analysis, information is directly related to the recipient and his representations. The recipient’s singularity entails the unique and contextual nature of the information.

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