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Hello, Operators.
This guide is designed to help you apply the ACH structured analysis method, used by the CIA, to your everyday decisions in a simple, practical way.
If you move through each step in order, the flow of your analysis will start to form naturally, and you’ll find it easier to reach clear and consistent conclusions.
It’s much simpler than it might look at first glance just follow the steps below at your own pace.
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Quick Overview of the ACH Structured Analysis Method
How to Begin Using the ACH Structured Analysis Method
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Create analytical units and define the core problem for your assessment. |
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Identify and evaluate all plausible hypotheses related to the problem. |
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Record evidence and map each item to the hypotheses it supports or contradicts. |
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Generate the final, automated assessment report based on your analysis. |
- The overall analysis follows these four pages in a natural sequence.
- Your work begins in 1. ACH Sessions and concludes in 4. Intelligence Reports, where the final assessment is assembled.
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- Define the problem in the ACH Sessions page.
- Develop your Hypotheses in the Hypotheses Session page.
- Gather your Evidence in the ACH Evidence page, where each entry is automatically reflected in the relevant Hypotheses.
- Refine your analysis as needed by updating Hypotheses or adding new Evidence.
- Once you have collected enough information, bring everything together into a single report in Intelligence Reports.
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Defining the Problem (1. ACH Sessions Page)
1. Creating a Session
To begin addressing the question you’re working on, you first need to define the problem.
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You can define your problem in ‣ There are two main ways to create a new Session:
- From the ‣ , you can also generate a Session instantly by clicking the button shown below. This method automatically fills in the Name, Status, Analyzing, and other initial settings.
- In the Mission Sessions database, select
New → the Session-Untitled-0000 template to create a page manually.
2. Defining the Problem