Fall 2021 - 61045 - PA 388K - Advanced Topics in Public Policy

Thinking, Writing and Briefing for Intelligence Course Description   FACULTY:  J. Paul Pope, Professor of Practice and Senior Fellow in UT-Austin’s Intelligence Studies Program COURSE:    PA 388 Thinking, Writing and Briefing for Intelligence   Seminar participants develop professional skills and deepen their understanding of a regional or global topic by serving on an intelligence team providing analytic support to policy makers.  Course objectives are to:   Employ research skills to acquire deeper understanding of a specific issue in international affairs. Sharpen critical thinking and analytic skills. Polish professional writing skills. Practice professional briefings. Develop skills as a peer reviewer/editor. Practice teamwork in a context of mutual dependence.   Within this semester-long simulation, students will choose an “account” of the student’s choice but with the professor’s assistance and approval.  (Previous "accounts" have included issues such as North Korea's nuclear program, China's naval build-up in the South China Sea, the civil war in Syria, fighting in Yemen, Central American factors driving migration, instability in the Caucasus, etc.) Students will deepen their understanding of their chosen issue to produce and deliver updates characterizing developments and addressing their implications for the United States. Intelligence will be presented via either written assessments or briefings.  Students produce three current papers on their chosen “account,” which are briefed by that week's briefer and one deeper assessment, which they brief themselves.  Students rotate as team editor and primary weekly briefer. Papers are intended to support policymakers but not be policy prescriptive.   Grading is based on the following requirements: three one-to-two page products (45%), performance as primary briefer (15%), performance on an individual “deep dive” paper/briefing (20%) and teamwork—defined as regular attendance, meeting deadlines for teammates, and positive participation in all aspects of their team (20%).  Course readings will be provided on Canvas. Auditors are not permitted in the seminar.