Critical Thinking for Strategic Intelligence

About Katherine H. PhersonRandolph H. Pherson

Katherine Hibbs Pherson President of Globalytica LLC consults with government and private industry on building strong analytic communities the use of structured analytic techniques and security issues. She teaches certificate courses on structured thinking and presentation for the security association ASIS International and in the Intelligence Masters program at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid Spain. As Vice Chair of the Intelligence and National Security Association (INSA)s Security Policy Reform Council she was primary drafter of its white paper titled Next Steps for Security Reform: Industry Proposals to Enhance Efficiency and Reduce Costs in National Security Contracts which has generated a series of productive exchanges among government and industry. Ms. Pherson is also Chief Executive Officer of Pherson Associates LLC and a founding Director of the Forum Foundation for Analytic Excellence a nonprofit established in 2011 to promote the effective use of critical thinking skills and structured analytic techniques by teaching certifying and applying these skills in universities in the United States and Europe. She retired from the Central Intelligence Agency in 2000 after a twenty-seven-year career in intelligence and security analysis and resource management. Her leadership in the security arena led to the adoption of a risk management methodology the strengthening of overseas security countermeasures and improvements in dealing with unsolicited contacts. As head of the Director of Central Intelligences Center for Security Evaluation she managed the Intelligence Communitys involvement in rebuilding the penetrated US Embassy in Moscow. She is a recipient of the CIAs Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal and the Intelligence Communitys National Distinguished Service Medal. She received her AB from Vassar College an MA in Spanish linguistics and Latin American studies from the University of Illinois and an MA in Randolph H. Pherson is president of Pherson Associates LLC; CEO of Globalytica LLC; and a founding director of the nonprofit Forum Foundation for Analytic Excellence. He teaches advanced analytic techniques and critical thinking skills to analysts in the government and private sector. Mr. Pherson collaborated with Richards Heuer Jr. in developing and launching use of Analysis of Competing Hypotheses and he developed several analytic techniques for the CIAs Sherman Kent School many of which were incorporated in his Handbook of Analytic Tools and Techniques. He coauthored Critical Thinking for Strategic Intelligence with Katherine Hibbs Pherson Cases in Intelligence Analysis: Structured Analytic Techniques in Action with Sarah Miller Beebe and several other guides for analysts on writing briefing indicators and managing the production process. Mr. Pherson completed a twenty-eight-year career in the Intelligence Community in 2000 last serving as National Intelligence Officer (NIO) for Latin America. Previously at the CIA Mr. Pherson managed the production of intelligence analysis on topics ranging from global instability to Latin America served on the Inspector Generals staff and was chief of the CIAs Strategic Planning and Management Staff. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Intelligence Medal for his service as NIO and the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal. Mr. Pherson received his B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.A. in international relations from Yale University.