we have looked at the use of a risk management approach to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. We have also seen that good risk management is underpinned by good analysis and intelligence.
Intelligence units, whether in Customs, Taxation, Police or other government agencies have often been accused of not being in touch with the needs of the operational areas which they are meant to service. Sometimes they have been accused of producing reports which interest the intelligence analysts rather than the operational areas. It is not unusual to hear intelligence units being referred to as “black holes”, suggesting that more information goes in than comes out. Many attempts have been made to come up with an ideal standard and most intelligence units have undergone several restructures and changed operating procedures in pursuit of improvement.
If you were given the responsibility, what would you do to improve the level of service and quality and usefulness of information provided by an intelligence unit?
Those students not working for a regulatory agency should not feel intimidated by the fact that the discussion is about an intelligence unit. What this question is really about is communication, service delivery, quality assurance and organisation dynamics?.
Expressed in another way, how can you make sure that your work area is providing the product or service required by another area in your organisation?
