An article by the Director of IntelSec Consulting Group – ISCG, intelligence and security expert at Geocase, former Chief of Georgian Intelligence Service (GIS), Major General Shalva Lomidze, concerning the principles of intelligence services, reviews the challenges they face today, in the era of major geopolitical shifts and hardly predictable future. The Former Chief of intelligence considers that serving in special services will become more demanding if the conditions outlined in the article are met completely.
According to the author, the ability to adapt to the constantly changing environment, intelligence services, especially in the countries like Georgia, should be flexible and prone to institutional development. In order to do that, the author lists the following main conditions:
• Flexible structure and reduction of bureaucracy – rigid hierarchical setup combined with redundant middle management layers, procrastinates the decision-making processes and disturbs effective communication between the leadership and employees.
• Political neutrality – intelligence services should be free of any political influence since their main task is to serve national interests and fully concentrate on the threats and challenges that confront the country.
• Importance of HUMINT – while OSINT and technical methods are often highlighted as primary intelligence sources, clandestine operations continue to offer unique and exclusive information. Intelligence services should prioritize the implementation of successful active measures.
• Strong analytical work – usually intelligence services possess vast amounts of information but the challenge is to extract valuable intelligence. Here intelligence services require skilled analysts equipped with critical thinking and quick decision-making abilities.
• International cooperation – it is crucial for intelligence services to remain connected and effective. Establishing strategic partnerships allows for the exchange of experience, information sharing, collaborative operations and unified responses to common threats. This collaboration not only enhances the capabilities of intelligence services at both national and regional levels but also elevates their standing and reputation within the global intelligence community.
• Accountability to the society – while classified information must remain protected, transparency about activities of intelligence services and challenges confronting the homeland, within acceptable limits, is essential. This openness fosters awareness, enhances reputation, and appeals to the younger generation, ensuring a better understanding of intelligence services' role in safeguarding the nation.
• Personnel policy and generational change – leadership is obliged to foster the healthy environment within intelligence services and create conditions for career growth in order to attract educated and skilled young professionals who won’t be regarded as competitors by the older generation. On the contrary, they should be encouraged to exchange views and experience and uphold common values.
In conclusion, the author underlines that constant institutional development is paramount for Georgian intelligence services in order to tackle modern challenges in an adequate manner. Practice shows that the countries that invested in the implementation of modern standards and carried out necessary reforms in intelligence agencies, became powerful enough to ensure national security and well-being of the nation.
Full version of the article in Georgian available here