SRA 311W Final Project Intelligence Risk Assessment SRA 311W Final Project

Due: 1 December

•    8-10 pages total excluding cover and bibliography

•    300 pts

The SRA degree examines the threat-risk-consequence matrix across a wide and diverse threat- from personal and organizational security to national and global security. This assignment focuses on one of the major threat categories that dominates the news cycle, the threat of foreign and domestic terrorism and criminal activity.

Purpose: Select one of the following terrorist or crime organizations from the list below or submit one you are interested in assessing.  Then select the agency point of view you are going to use to protect U.S. interests.  You are tasked with completing an intelligence risk assessment from the perspective of your agency and its impact on the U.S.

Target Audience: Your briefing will be to the President and the National Security Council. Because your target audience is at the highest level of government, your writing should also focus on high-level issues. In other words, stay out of the weeds. Think big and write big – and most importantly – write to your audience, but give enough detail that the reader walks away with a clear understanding of the top three risks presented by the chosen organization.

Topic Selection: You will submit your top three organizations that you wish to research. The teaching team will select one and inform you of your selection. This is a first come first served selection, however since there is not enough topics to go around, there will be flexibility. Wait to hear from the teaching team before investing time into the project.

Note: Your topic selection must include at least one outside source for each of your top three topics and a draft scoping statement, you can change it as you refine your research.

Paper and Research must include:

•    Cover page

•    BLUF

•    Executive Summary

•     Once you have determined your scope, you should be able to answer the risk context questions

•    Overall assessment of current risk positioning

•    Protector, Assets, Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Stakes

•    Determine what is not in scope

•    Summarize the purpose of the risk assessment

•    You will need to choose three risks to the U.S. that your organization presents

•    List the date of the risk assessment and how long it is valid

Body of Paper:

•    Overall Risk Assessment

•    Risk analysis based on your chosen organization

•    Risk Scorecards and Final Matrix – defining each of the three risks

•    Risk Control/Treatment for each risk

•     What Structured Analytical Techniques did you use to analyze the risks? How did they assist in the analysis?

•    Describe the overall level of risk for each of the three risks you have selected

•    Identify assumptions and constraints (validate as many assumptions as you can)

•    Describe risk tolerance inputs to the risk assessment (including the range of consequences to be considered)

•    Has the U.S. accepted any of these risks in the past?

•    Provide a rationale for any risk-related decisions during the risk assessment process

•     Describe the uncertainties within the risk assessment process and how those uncertainties influence decisions

•     Summarize risk assessment results (e.g., risk matrix/scorecards), in a form that enables decision-makers to understand the risk quickly

•     Consequence Management Plan (should include some crisis communication discussion for the overall country, not per risk)

•    Three risk outcomes and treatment recommendations

•    Risk Control & Treatment Plan

•    Must have at least two different choices, one of which must be mitigation

•    Summary with specified recommendations

•    Your recommendation should have a complete summary of your plan, tied back to

BLUF and a strategic recommendation for action(s)

•    Bibliography

Brief -Due 4 December

•    5-7 slides on your topic (Not including title, questions, & source slides)

•    15-minute discussion with the teaching team on your topic

•    75 pts

Foreign Terrorist or Criminal Organizations –

•  ISIS

•  HAMAS

•  Boko Haram

•  Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

•  Hezbollah

•  Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)

•  Medellin Cartel

•  Gulf Cartel

•  Los Zetas

•  Juarez Cartel

•  MS-13

State Sponsored Countries:

•  Cuba

•  North Korea

•  Iran

•  Syria

Domestic Ideological Terrorism

•  Animal Rights

•  Environmental Rights

•  Reproductive Rights

•  Racial