Our current doctrinal production system is state-of-the-art... for the year 1750.  This is not an indictment of the Intelligence Center's doctrinal division, they must work within the archaic rules and meager funding given them by the  Training & Doctrine Command.

  Here is a simple 12-step method to fix the process... simple because it is technically feasible, inexpensive to implement, builds on the strengths of the Information Age, and enables the entire Intelligence community to become involved in continuous improvement of our professional knowledge. 

- Different users can highlight a passage of text differently, and the database will track who highlighted what, and at what date/time. 

- Users can further assign a subcategory to the text passage, or different sub-categories to different parts of the same passage. 

- Users can insert their own comments and notes that remain linked to a specific passage. 

- Users can link external objects (diagrams, video, audio, etc) to a specific passage.   

- Users can link one categorized / subcategorized passage to another, and attach notes or objects to that link. 

- Users can see everything done by other users, but cannot change what others have done.  

This is the database that supports The Schredder.   It must be able to support all that was described above.  It must also be user-configurable, so that the user – particularly the advanced user – can create database tools to enhance his performance.   The advanced user must be able to create new input forms, tables, queries, output forms, macros, and scripts that all run within the security parameters of the database.  Users must be able to save these enhancements in a way that would allow other users to see them, use them, copy them and modify the copy into a new tool.  

This is a web site that projects the functioning of The Schredder and The Chunkmeister across the Internet.  Users must be able to work together while geographically separated.   The work of one must be visible to all others.   The publications and The Chunkmeister reside on the same web server as The Monastery.   The Schredder is available for download at The Monastery, and is specifically designed to link into The Chunkmeister via The Monastery.    

In addition to the tools themselves, there must be a library for the storage, annotation, and dissemination of user-created tools and enhancement.  There must be a discussion area for users to chat asynchronously, for instance, via a threaded discussion forum.  Essentially, The Monastery must be more than just a way to connect the tools, it must be a community focused on the task of doctrinal production.

Periodically there can be forums focused on resolving conceptual differences.  The actual result of these -ie decisions rendered- will not be as important as the fact that there was a discussion, that many participated, that many views were presented, and that the entire discussion becomes a part of the database for future reference.  

             a.  Theory is the body of fundamental knowledge based on the study of warfare.  It is derived from the community specializing in that field of study.   An example of Theory is the four-step Intelligence Cycle (Direct, Collect, Produce, Disseminate), a direct derivative of the Scientific Method.  Theory itself evolves slowly, advanced by the experts in that field. 

             b.  Doctrine is a subset of Theory that has been adopted by leadership, usually after some changes.  Doctrine changes at the whim of leadership, usually to reflect the US Army’s adopted style of warfighting.  An example is the doctrinal adaptation of the Intelligence Cycle that breaks “Disseminate” into “Disseminate and Present”, reflecting the importance of tailoring output to a commander’s needs.

             c.  Tactics/Techniques/Procedures (TTP) is the application of Theory or Doctrine to a situation.  TTP are created by users.   TTP derived from non-Doctrinal Theory are generally considered unacceptable; however, if they work well they often cause the doctrine to change to embrace the previously unacceptable Theory.  TTP derived from Doctrinal Theory can also become doctrine if adopted as such.  An example of this was the addition of a “Processing” step between “Collection” and “Production”, reflecting the need to modify (“process”) collected data so that the Analyst could use it to Produce Intelligence.  Eventually this found it’s way into Doctrine

Identifying these links and establishing a high degree of specificity is critical to the function of Intelligence on the battlefield. 

 What we currently refer to as “Doctrinal Publications” will cease to exist.  In their place will be a series of  queries, created using The Publisher, that will essentially reassemble the ancient, legacy publication.