The Inverted Pyramid

Formal intelligence products follow the same basic format, an inverted pyramid. Agencies have their own templates—sometimes multiple templates to fit different types of intelligence products—but all place the most important information at the top, followed by supportive analysis and facts. The overall presentation is sometimes referred to as the “bottom line up front,” or BLUF.

• Focus statement | This is the core message of the analysis, generally presented in one to three sentences in the opening portion of the analysis. It is the paper’s bottom line, or the overarching significance of the findings. 

• Key judgments | Key judgments are analytically-based statements that support the bottom line. In a relatively straightforward assessment, a key judgment may be a single sentence. In  more complex analysis, each key judgment may consist of a full paragraph. 

• Substantiation | The substantiation section offers factual support for the key judgments. There should be one section per key judgment and they are presented in the same order. 

• Implications/outlook | As appropriate, this is where an analyst can explain the larger meaning of the analysis, or forecast where the issue is going. Sometimes an analyst will present indicators, which are definable markers that might confirm a forecast is coming to fruition. 

• Alternative analysis | An alternative analysis section is designed to explore other possible hypotheses that explain the same dataset. 

Here is one example of a basic template for a finished intelligence product:

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Title (compressed focus statement or bottom line)

I. Opening Paragraph

• A. Focus Statement (opening sentence; overarching analytically-based finding of your analysis; should contain as much of the who/what/where/when/why/how of the analysis as is smooth and logical)
  • Key Judgment #1 (analytically-based sentence or two that supports the focus statement)
  • Key Judgment #2 (analytically-based sentence or two that supports the focus statement)
  • Key Judgment #3 (analytically-based sentence or two that supports the focus statement)

II. Substantiation Paragraphs

• Key Judgment #1 (repeated verbatim, or basically verbatim; can be printed in bold-face)
  • Factual support for Key Judgment #1
  • Factual support for Key Judgment #1
  • Factual support for Key Judgment #1 (…)
• Key Judgment #2 (repeated verbatim, or basically verbatim; can be printed in bold-face)
  • Factual support for Key Judgment #2
  • Factual support for Key Judgment #2
  • Factual support for Key Judgment #2 (…)
• Key Judgment #3 (repeated verbatim, or basically verbatim; can be printed in bold-face)
  • Factual support for Key Judgment #3
  • Factual support for Key Judgment #3
  • Factual support for Key Judgment #3 (…)

III. Implications/Outlook (optional)

IV. Alternative Analysis (optional)