An Overview of Intelligence 11
strategic level. Every policymaker is a decision-maker, but the opposite is
not necessarily true. Each, however, is a potential consumer of intelligence.
It is important to understand the relationship between the IC and poli-
cymakers/decision-makers. In fact, those who produce intelligence should
refrain from formulating policy—that is not their job. Instead, intelli-
gence professionals should describe the world around them in the most
objective way possible, free from political or personal concerns. It is their
responsibility to “tell it like it is” to the decision-maker. Occasionally, this
involves passing along bad news; for example, telling a policymaker that
his or her plans or policies are not achieving t ...