This online course is the launch point for your SLA Competitive & Decision Intelligence Certificate. We present essential aspects of competitive intelligence (CI) that will serve as the springboard to intermediate and advanced functions, practices, and techniques covered in the larger program – and get practitioners off to the right start. We begin to build your intelligence competencies by looking at what distinguishes intelligence from research – even intelligence-oriented research – what all practitioners need to understand to produce sound intelligence, and how LIS practitioners can identify and expand their opportunities through competitive or decision intelligence. Topics covered include:

• Types of intelligence support.
• Intelligence functions, relationships, and roles.
• Intelligence ethical and legal considerations.
• Trends, evolution, and future of intelligence practice – and how to prepare your practice.

This online course pays special focus on opportunities for information and knowledge professionals, including considerations relating to transitioning from information and knowledge practices to competitive intelligence and decision support. This course includes exercises/discussions involving 1) intelligence functions and 2) ethics.
For those pursuing a CDI certificate, if you are a practitioner with experience in CI ethics, intelligence functions and relationships, and fundamental and current practices in intelligence, you may opt out of INTEL -01 by passing an assessment. Please contact learning@sla.org to inquire about this option.

Course Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will understand competitive, decision, and related forms of intelligence and be prepared to adopt intermediate and advanced practices covered in this program. When presented with fundamental intelligence issues, participants will be able to accurately and effectively recognize, explain, discuss, and define the intelligence model, concepts, practices, applications, and value to various types of intelligence users and practitioners.
Specifically, participants will be able to:

1. Define and outline the purpose, application, and value of intelligence to organizations and decision-makers.
2. Define and outline the purpose and application of the intelligence process framework and each intelligence function
3. Outline and explain ethical and legal considerations in intelligence practices, as well as apply ethical policies and comply with ethical and legal requirements.
4. Identify and define the relationships, similarities, differences, and areas of complement between information/knowledge-based functions and intelligence services within organizations.
5. Distinguish between various types of intelligence and functions in order to identify professional opportunities and outline plans to effect a successful transition into intelligence roles.
6. Understand the evolution, current practices, and direction of competitive and decision intelligence.

Participants will develop skills and abilities according to professional competencies outlined by professional associations and Knowledge inForm. Course assessment, exercises, and discussions will measure and evaluate the degree of understanding that participants achieve over the learning process.