Follow-up Audit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Efforts to Hire, Train,
and Retain Intelligence Analysts

Audit Report 07-30
April 2007
Office of the Inspector General


Appendix 7
Structured Interview Questions and Summary Responses

Based on our previous audit report survey and field office interviews, during the current audit we compiled a list of questions to ask intelligence analysts (IA) and their supervisors. The questions were intended to obtain information on a limited judgmental sample of analysts and analysts’ supervisors concerning their views, opinions, experiences, demographics, and suggestions on the FBI’s current recruitment, hiring, training, and retention practices. The answers to the questionnaire are in italics.

Intelligence Analysts Questionnaire

  1. Name:

  2. Current grade:

  3. GS-7 – 6
    GS-9 – 13
    GS-11 – 15
    GS-12 – 16
    GS-13 – 6
    GS-14 – 4

  4. Assigned location:

  5. Headquarters – 20
    Detroit – 10
    Los Angeles – 10
    Miami – 10
    New York – 10

  6. Current division within the FBI:

  7. Counterterrorism – 21
    Counterintelligence – 15
    Counterintelligence – 5
    Criminal Investigation – 12
    Cyber – 4
    Directorate of Intelligence – 3

  8. Name of supervisor(s): variable

  9. Work experience prior to the IA position:

  10. FBI – 19
    Government – 8
    Military – 3
    School – 8
    Private Sector - 22

  11. When did you become a GS-132 intelligence analyst at the FBI?

  12. 2006 – 8
    2005 – 17
    2004 – 15
    2003 – 5
    Prior to 2002 – 15

  13. What was your GS level when you became a GS-132?

  14. GS-7 – 15
    GS-9 – 22
    GS-11 – 16
    GS-12 – 5
    GS-13 – 2

  15. What is your highest educational level (High School, Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate, or Law)?

  16. High School – 4
    Associates – 1
    Bachelor’s – 25
    Master’s – 20
    Doctorate – 2
    Law – 8

  17. Do you have any critical language skills? If so, at what language and level? Have you received language testing at the FBI?

  18. Yes – 12
    Of those who answered yes, 2 were tested.

  19. Are you a Presidential Management Fellow?

  20. Yes – 3

  21. Did you have military intelligence experience prior to becoming a FBI Intelligence Analyst?

  22. Yes – 3

  23. Did you have U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) experience prior to becoming an FBI Intelligence Analyst? If so, where and for how long?

    Of the 9 who answered yes, 5 had prior USIC experience, and 4 worked with the FBI prior to becoming an intelligence analyst.

  24. How closely do your expectations of the IA job prior to your start match the work you do now? Feel free to explain (i.e., is the job what you thought it would be).

    Very Closely – 13
    Closely – 16
    Somewhat Closely – 17
    Not Closely – 11
    Not at all Closely – 3

  25. In the average month in the last year, what percentage of your time did you spend on each of the following categories of work?

    Type of work

    0-24%

    25-49%

    50-74%

    75-100%

    Work requiring analytical skills

    5

    13

    24

    8

    Program management (Tasks often performed by Headquarters, e.g., getting approval for warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Act (FISA). May also refer to providing expert advice to aid in intelligence collection.)

    33

    15

    6

    4

    Administrative duties related to your role (all-source analysts, reports officers, or operations specialists.)

    22

    19

    6

    1

    Administrative duties not related to your job role

    55

    2

    2

    0

    Other (please specify)

    15

    1

    1

    1

  26. How satisfied are you with the types of work assignments you receive?

  27. Extremely Satisfied – 8
    Very Satisfied – 18
    Satisfied – 26
    Unsatisfied – 6
    Very Unsatisfied – 2

  28. On which of the following have you worked in the last 3 months?

  29. Intelligence Information Report

    29

    Intelligence Bulletin

    15

    Intelligence Assessment

    33

    Presidential Terrorism Threat Report

    0

    Director’s Daily Report

    6

    Developing a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA) package

    8

    Managing the approval of a FISA package

    3

    Reviewing FISA take

    14

    Threat assessment

    40

    Asset validation review

    11

    Source Validation

    13

    Vetting new informants

    12

    Electronic Communication (EC) on intelligence topics

    41

    Intelligence research to support specific field office cases

    47

    Background checks, name checks, and related research

    41

    Telephone analysis

    32

    Taskings from the Directorate of Intelligence

    16

    Administrative duties related to your job
    (please provide examples)

    48

    Administrative duties NOT related to your job (please provide examples)

    23

    Other (please specify)

    11

    None

    0

  30. How often do you think special agents understand the functions and capabilities of an intelligence analyst?

  31. Very often – 3
    Often – 12
    Sometimes – 33
    Rarely – 10
    Not at all – 1
    N/A – 1

  32. How intellectually challenging is your work as an FBI intelligence analyst?

  33. Very challenging – 15
    Challenging – 34
    Unchallenging – 8
    Very unchallenging – 3

  34. Based on your work as an FBI intelligence analyst, rate your level of contribution to the mission of the FBI.

  35. Very high – 15
    High – 23
    Average – 21
    Below average – 0
    Low – 1

  36. Are there any terms currently used to describe intelligence analysts (such as “support staff”)? If so, do these terms evoke a negative feeling in you when heard?

  37. Yes – 32
    No – 28

  38. Did you attend the introductory analyst training at the FBI’s College of Analytical Studies? Which one – ACES I or II or Cohort?

  39. ACES – 44
    Cohort – 11
    Introductory class before ACES – 1
    Scheduled to take ACES – 3
    No Scheduled – 1

  40. When did you attend the CAS?

  41. Year
    2003 – 2
    2004 – 7
    2005 – 29
    2006 – 18

  42. How well did the introductory analyst training meet your expectations for helping you do your job?

  43. Greatly exceeded expectations – 1
    Exceeded expectations – 2
    Met expectations – 20
    Did not meet expectations – 21
    Completely failed to meet expectations – 12

  44. In reference to the introductory analysts training, what should be improved upon?*

  45. Specialized training (specifically job roles) – 8
    Practical exercises for practical skills (intelligence analysts’ job tasks) - 24
    Length of class was too long – 16
    More interaction with special agents – 5
    Poor technology – 4
    Feedback ignored – 2

  46. What was done well?*

  47. Networking – 6
    CIA presentations – 14
    Overview of FBI presentations – 2
    Case Agent/Case Group exercise – 12
    IIR training, Title III training – 5

  48. What do you remember most from the training?*

  49. Networking – 29
    CIA courses – 3
    Certain courses – analytical skills, Briggs test, Title III, IIR writing – 20

    * Due to the number of different responses, we listed the most common.

  50. Do you believe the class was taught by knowledgeable personnel with relevant experience? If not, please explain.

  51. Yes – 36
    No – 3
    Some – 17

  52. How satisfied are you with the promotion process for FBI intelligence analysts?

  53. Extremely satisfied – 3
    Very satisfied – 6
    Satisfied – 18
    Unsatisfied – 10
    Very unsatisfied – 9
    N/A – 14

  54. How likely is it that you will stay with the FBI as an intelligence analyst for the next five years?

  55. Very likely – 26
    Likely – 13
    Unlikely – 8
    Very unlikely – 4
    Don’t know – 9

  56. If you responded “unlikely” or “very unlikely,” please explain why and what would make you stay. If you responded “very likely” or “likely,” why? If you responded “don’t know,” what are your deciding factors?*

  57. Reasons to stay

    Likes working for the FBI – 3
    Satisfying job – 2

    Reasons to leave

    Lack of career path, career track, career potential – 4
    Intelligence program needs to continue to grow – 2
    Difficulty of transferring to other divisions/units – 2
    Incorrect positioning – 4*

  58. With regard to the entire hiring process, including the background investigation, did you experience any problems or complications? If so, please explain.

  59. No – 34
    Yes – 26

    Some examples of problems

    Too long of a process
    Forms/information lost
    FBI did not accept other government clearances
    Difficulty transferring from agent to analyst
    Not informed of duty location until arrival at training (first day on the job)
    Many were misinformed by points of contact (grade level, tuition reimbursement)

    * Due to the number of different responses, we listed the most common.

  60. How much time did it take from your background investigation until your entry on duty date?

  61. 3-5 months – 13
    6-8 months – 17
    9-11 months – 7
    1 year – 5
    Already in the government – 13
    Could not remember – 5

  62. Identify any impediments in the hiring process that affect the FBI’s ability to hire analysts as quickly as possible and the FBI’s ability to hire the best-qualified candidates. How could they be improved?*

  63. Salary – 14
    Limited signing bonuses – 3
    Unreliable point of contact – 13
    Complicated Quickhire – 7
    Attitude of “support” – 1
    Difficult promotion process – 3
    Long background checks – 10
    Strict drug policy – 2
    Administrative hurdles – 5

  64. Are there any additional comments you would like to give concerning the hiring, training, utilization, and retention of intelligence analysts?*

  65. Intelligence analysts not hired in the last couple of years would like to see financial incentives not geared toward new hires – 7
    New hires were promised higher grade levels than received - 5
    Higher salary – 5
    Improved structure of the analyst program and promotion process – 9
    Better training – 8
    Lack of tools, including IT – 2
    Many analysts leave for contractors because of better pay – 1
    Poor placement of analysts – 3
    Directorate of Intelligence policies and guidance change daily – 1
    Better transfer policy – 4

    * Due to the number of different responses, we listed the most common.



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