DR-301c · Module 2

Intelligence Consumer Profiles

4 min read

Every intelligence consumer has a profile defined by three attributes: attention budget (how many minutes they will spend reading), decision context (what they will do with the information), and trust calibration (how they evaluate intelligence credibility). An executive with a two-minute attention budget, a quarterly planning context, and high trust in the intelligence function needs a compressed BLUF with a strategic recommendation. An analyst with a thirty-minute attention budget, a report-building context, and moderate trust needs the full methodology, source list, and confidence framework.

In practice, most organizations have four consumer profiles. The executive consumer wants findings, implications, and recommendations — never methodology. The operational consumer wants specific actions with timelines — they act on the intelligence directly. The analytical consumer wants the full picture including methodology and uncertainty — they incorporate the intelligence into their own analysis. The stakeholder consumer wants awareness without obligation to act — they need to know, not to decide.

Do This

  • Profile each consumer before producing their brief — attention budget, decision context, trust level
  • Produce different versions for different consumers from the same underlying analysis
  • Match the brief type and density to the consumer profile, not to the analyst's preference

Avoid This

  • Send the same brief to every consumer and expect it to work for all of them
  • Write for the most sophisticated consumer and assume others will filter what they need
  • Assume all executives have the same attention budget — a CEO and a VP have different rhythms