6.10 DEBRIEFING TECHNIQUES

• SCOPE OF PRESENTATION
• DEFINITION


  Debriefing is the detailed questioning of a suspect/subject for the purpose of acquiring accurate and complete information of operational (actionable intelligence) or intelligence value
• CONCEPTS And PRINCIPLES


  • Objective
  • Prohibit use of force
  • Initiative
  • Security
  • Accuracy
• PROCESS


  1. Planning & Preparation

  2. Engage & Explain

  3. Account

  4. Challenge and Clarify, Closure

  5. Evaluation
• Report format


  Summary of defined debriefing, discussed important principles, process, and techniques in debriefing, and format and content of debriefing report
• LESSON OBJECTIVES
• SOURCES


  • Agency
  • Enemy Activities
  • Prisoners
  • Local Residents
  • Informant/Informer
• MEANS/METHOD


  • Elicitation
  • Interview
  • Debriefing
  • Interrogation
• DEGREE OF CONTROL (AND COOPERATION)


  • No control and very low cooperation
  • Low control and medium cooperation
  • Medium control and Medium-High
  • High control and but no cooperation
• SUBJECT AWARENESS


  • Not aware
  • Aware
  • Aware
  • Aware
• PURPOSE OF DEBRIEFING


  • Gathering of information
  • Validation
  • Intelligence case build-up
  • Neutralization
• DEBRIEFER


  • Personal Qualities
  • Special Skills
  • Knowledge
• DEBRIEFER


  1. Personal

  2. Training
• DEBRIEFER PERSONAL QUALITIES


  • Motivation
  • Alertness
  • Patience and Tact
  • Credibility
  • Objectivity
  • Self-Control
  • Adaptability
  • Demeanor
  • Appearance
• DEBRIEFER SPECIAL SKILLS


  • Motivation
  • Linguistic Skill
• DEBRIEFER KNOWLEDGE

  • Identification, background, and history
  • Enemy organization and material
  • Area familiarity
  • Enemy signs and symbols
  • Updates on enemy status and situation
• Knowledge of the debriefer will define the success of debriefing
• DEBRIEFER TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

  1. Training

  2. Experience
• DEBRIEFER TRAINING


  • Confidence
  • Knowledge
  • Develop strategy & techniques
• SOURCE CATEGORIES


  • Hostile and Antagonistic
  • Cooperative and Friendly
  • Neutral and Non-Partisan
• P.E.A.C.E


  1. Planning & Preparation

  2. Engage & Explain

  3. Account

  4. Challenge and Clarify, Closure

  5. Evaluation
• P.E.A.C.E PLANNING & PREPARATION

  1. Prior to entering the room, "What are you after?" (PIR) What are you looking for?"

  2. What information gap need to fill? To validate? To gather? To exploit?

  3. Conduct background check and review

  4. Plan to prepare, prepare to plan

  5. Who will be the debriefer?

  6. Administrative and logistical requirements

  7. Cover story

  8. Check your self (appearance & readiness)
• P.E.A.C.E ENGAGE & EXPLAIN


  1. Building RAPPORT

  2. Making connection

  3. Make the subject comfortable

  4. Make him belong (link)

  5. Develop light connection if they are engage, the communication the information will be spontaneous

  6. Purpose of interview (role/reason)

  7. Not to become bias (confidence)

  8. Openness and engagement
• P.E.A.C.E ACCOUNT


  1. Narrative interview

  2. Open-ended question

  3. Timeline

  4. Senses (verbal and non-verbal)

  5. Clarify point that you miss (keep going)

  6. Not debriefer vs subject
• P.E.A.C.E CHALLENGE AND CLARIFY, CLOSURE


  1. We have the info, "you've said this.." (Using subject own words)

  2. Use your data and evidence (for clarification)

  3. Clarify what is missing and what doesn't agree

  4. Close the interview with the subject

  5. Leave them with good frame of mind

  6. Appreciate their cooperation (to talk to them again)

  7. Something that you have missed? Incorrect? Clarify? (Go back to clarify)
• P.E.A.C.E EVALUATION


  1. When you walk away

  2. Look at the notes (check your notes)

  3. Is there need to reschedule another debriefing?

  4. Need to improve
• TECHNIQUES

  • Know the Background
  • Systematic
  • Thorough
  • Style
  • Notes-Taking
  • Their Words, Not Yours
  • Recap the Info
• TECHNIQUES: KNOW THE BACKGROUND


  • Subject
  • Self
• TECHNIQUES: SYSTEMATIC


  • Flow
  • Structured
  • Insert topic
  • Transition
• TECHNIQUES: THOROUGH


  • Plan a line of question
  • Set of questions in mind
  • Narrative
  • Continuity
• TECHNIQUES: STYLE


  • Maintain a personal engagement
  • Establish first the rapport
• TECHNIQUES: NOTES-TAKING


  • For accurate data
  • Verification
  • Record
• TECHNIQUES: THEIR WORDS, NOT YOUR

  • Your goal is to gather info from the subject
  • Let them give info
• TECHNIQUES: RECAP THE INFORMATION


  • Clarification
  • Evaluation
• An unsuccessful debriefing is: Risk with no gain, A waste of time, effort and money
• CHALLENGES


  • Operational Preparedness
  • Admin Preparation
  • Debriefing Approach
  • Dealing with Deception
• CHALLENGES: ADMIN PREPARATION


  • Debriefing environment
  • Tools and aid
  • Knew the background
  • Organized topic of questions
  • Memorize sequence of questions
  • Build rapport
• CHALLENGES: OPERATIONAL PREPAREDNESS


  • Security detail
  • Cover story
• CHALLENGES: DEBRIEFING APPROACH


  • Accommodating
  • Compromising
• The art of debriefing or interview is a skill that is learned, but not from a single lesson, class, or textbook. It is a skill that is practiced, polished, and honed over time, and the successful interviewer and debriefer is one who knows that the learning process never ends.