Thanks for all of your responses. This is part of a "deep dive" process we do before drilling into the budgeting cycle every year. The goal is to try and understand a particular topic and potential resourcing needs before the big decisions are made. MG Flynn's article peaked a lot of interest last year...but it didn't come out soon enough to affect last year's cycle...so hear we are.

There will be three workshops. The first is to determine analytical needs in insurgency and stability operations. Yes, it will cover Afghanistan...because we are going to be there awhile...but also look at other environments (current and future) where we may not have a large presence. This will include analytical needs relating to warning for instability...and operating within unstable environments. Also, what do analysts need (skills, procedures, tools) to provide assessments on economic, security, and infrastructure problem sets?

The second workshop will look at current programs and projects as well as things within the R&D community that could help the cause. This includes education and training...not just tech.

The third is where we get down do business on shaping an investment strategy....because vision without funding is hallucination in this town.

I'm trying to find some relevant sources on the topic. I'm open to new/unconventional ideas (as it relates to intelligence gathering/analysis)...polling, crisis mapping, socio-cultural analysis for instance. If you all have ideas on where to hunt for them, I'd like to know that too.

Thanks!