Using international security

research networks:
the Global Futures Forum
Jean-Louis Tiernan
Sr. Coordinator, Academic Outreach
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
What the GFF is

Global knowledge network

Launched by Canada and
the U.S Foresight

Driven by governments
Involves over 40 countries
Serves security and Expert
Research
intelligence outreach
Steers clear of policy
prescriptions
Examines transnational
security issues
What the GFF does

To reap the benefits of networked collaboration for intelligence analysis, the GFF:

Tests current thinking, challenges analytic assumptions, widens the range

of considered outcomes, and discovers questions that are not being asked;

Complements traditional intelligence analysis by creating a context to

interpret classified information;

Generates collaborative insights and early warning of potential threats and

opportunities that might go unrecognised by relying solely on traditional
intelligence;

Enables rapid learning through real-time exchanges;

Encourages the sharing, co-creation, and integration of new analytic

methodologies;

Creates non-traditional linkages among governments, academe, think-

tanks and business.
GFF and traditional intelligence
Global Futures Forum Complementarity
Collaborative insights
Promotes diversity of opinion
Bottom-up formulation of issues that need
to be considered
Global perspectives
Unclassified, focus on broad and longer-
term issues
Traditional intelligence
Analysis and collection
Drives towards common assessment
Top-down levying of requirements for
questions that need to be answered
Focus on national perspectives
Classified, focus on tactical and operational
concerns
An evolving idea: history of the GFF

The GFF is the outcome of international conferences:

Rome Prague Singapore

2004 2006 2010

Washington Vancouver
2005 2008
How it works

The General Meetings

The international conferences which led to the GFF have become interactive meeting
points for the global analytic community. Hosted by a different country every year, the
annual meeting, likened by some to a mini Davos of analysis, sets the direction of
the GFF for the year ahead. It also provides a platform to examine emerging issues.

Communities of interest and other substantive activities

Communities of interest (COIs), led and developed by various countries, meet
between the annual meetings to discuss specific global security issues. Existing and
past COIs have looked into: radicalisation, global disease, illicit trafficking, social
networks, technological surprise, genocide prevention, proliferation, the practise and
organisation of intelligence, economic security and strategic foresight and warning.

On-line collaboration
Between face-to-face meetings, the current 1500 individual members use the
password-protected site to share resources and exchange using blogs, discussion
forums, wikis, etc.
Role of CSIS and Canadas place

Plans and develops the participation of Canadas S&I

community in the Forum;
Chairs informal national advisory group (PCO, CSIS,
DND, CBSA, DFAIT, RCMP) to co-ordinate input;
Supports our U.S. intelligence partners in developing and
expanding the Forum globally;
Sets Canadian position on governance issues;
Chairs GFF Steering Group;
Serves as strategic facilitator: Canada now most active
member country.
Results so far

Contents point of view

Community of interest on radicalisation (Meech Lake, Brussels, Ottawa, The
Hague, Singapore). Those have allowed the community to understand an
issue characterised by an extreme case of information overflow.
Innovative methodologies to explore trends in radicalisation were used,
including alternative scenarios.
Systems model to understand the linkages between actors and motivations in
illicit trafficking (small arms, drugs, humans).

Process point of view

Early signals: As a result of Canadas involvement, rehearsed professional
networks are now in place and can be relied on to receive updates from
various capitals or research centres.
Vancouver 2008: Canada emerges as an innovator in intelligence.
Significant boost to launch CSIS Academic Outreach program in 2008.
What next?

Some upcoming activities

Making foresight actionable (U.S.) 18-19 March

Prosperity and Security: the Challenges of Uncertain Economic Times

(Canada) 8 March and 15 April

Practise and organisation of intelligence (Denmark) 20-22 June

Practise and organisation of intelligence (Switzerland) early 2011

Food security (Canada) early 2011

Some lessons learned

Making networks work?

Foresight is important can be discredited easily with bad planning

Identify your needs as government

Manage your expectations; set goals

Star small and use precise focus

Use GFF as an entrepreneurial lab

Becoming involved

www.globalfuturesforum.org
Janelle Boucher
boucherja@smtp.gc.ca

Jean-Louis Tiernan
tiernanj@smtp.gc.ca