EU Undercover Operations Course (EUUOC)

Enabling officials to perform undercover operations to regional and international standards.

The EU Undercover Operations Course (EUUOC) combines the pre-selection, foundation and advanced courses as prescribed by international and regional curriculum. Students will learn how to establish and utilise a covert infrastructure, plan and prepare covert infiltration, participate in and deploy undercover operations against covert targets and sustain operations over time. The course draws particular focus to regional and international law, ethical standards, health, safety and security. The course requires attendance at selection weekend.

Introducing undercover operations, the course takes students with an existing knowledge of intelligence to the position of recognised covert operators.

Target Audience

The course is oriented towards trained and experienced intelligence professionals. Therefore, in addition to the usual minimum requirements for all Institute training, applicants should also posses regional training in intelligence on the operations, analysis or command track, equivalent to the EUIOC, EUIAC, EUIMC or similar.

Entrants onto the course are typically from pre-requisite courses at the Intelligence Academy or existing covert operations personnel working in related fields with equivalent training.

Learning Objectives

ECIM Concepts: Understand the European Criminal Intelligence Model (ECIM) and EU law and ethics impacting upon undercover operations. Prepare all appropriate authorisations and documentation to the required standard.

Covert Awareness: Improved self-motivation, problem-solving, interpersonal and communication skills. Understand the limitations of informants, surveillance, electronic interception and other covert techniques. Explain the history and value of undercover tactics, handlers and agents in addressing social problems.

Operational Planning: Appreciate the security and confidentiality implications of undercover work. Plan short and long-term undercover operations.

Tactical Operations: Deter, disrupt and neutralise targets and operations where traditional methods have proven inefficient or unsuccessful. Provide intelligence and evidential support for tactical operations. Provide current, actionable and sustainable intelligence and evidence on targets and their activities. Penetrate target groups and identify unknown subjects of interest and their activities.

Covert Support: Develop advanced cover with covert infrastructure support. Conduct technical and physical surveillance countermeasures. Assess personal strengths, weaknesses and characteristics with regards to undercover deployment and prepare basic cover accordingly.

Welfare Management: Brief and de-brief undercover agents. Manage the health and safety, welfare, financial and managerial implications of undercover deployments.

Course Format

The EU Undercover Operations Course is designed to develop regional skills and knowledge in the field of deep cover operations overseas. To develop these skills a variety of formats and delivery methods have been used including:

• Flexible Delivery: Workshops and exercises as well as traditional lectures.
• Blended Learning: The latest iteration of the course combines preparatory training via our e-learning platform with consolidated learning in an intensive attendance programme.
• Coaching & Mentoring: Career advice in the security sector from recognised experts, assistance and support with course content and sustained aftercare.

Prior to attendance each candidate must complete a preparatory learning programme delivered over no less than three months. Candidates are free to sign up at any time and on their own schedule. Therefore, between April and July the following webinars and other online events will be delivered over a secure platform. These sessions are on the more sensitive information and practical training needed to conduct deep cover operations at an international level. Each session is approximately 90mins in duration and most often scheduled during CET evenings and weekends to fit in with candidate’s professional commitments.

This culminates in an intensive residential school consolidating learning over five consecutive days, following a two day selection weekend. This final full-time phase begins with specialised instructor-led training in special security measures (inc. operational deployment) and ends in a live training exercise. Throughout Ex. THUNDERBOLT candidates apply the skills they have leearned in the role of of undercover officers as a capability assessment unfolds in real-time. Candidates must attend the residential school on-site.

Dates & Times

Candidates are free to sign up and begin studying at any time and on their own schedule. The residential school runs once a year, beginning on the third Monday in August and running for five consecutive days with the selection weekend beginning on the preceeding Saturday. Candidates may not be admitted to the residential school without having completed the distance learning element and passed selection. Therefore, candidates should ensure they are enrolled by no later than the first week in April to provide sufficient time to complete distance-learning and access to all available scheduled events. Applications take approximately 4 weeks to process but security vetting may take up to 6 months to complete for applicants who lack a current security clearance.

Assessment

Assessment may be by any valid and accredited competency assessment meeting course requirements. However, competency is most commonly evidenced through the following combination of assessment methods:

• A pre-selection dossier including validated: security vetting, professional/academic reference checks, higher education certification (degree-level or equivalent), fitness/medical checks and evidence of a relevant career history and assessed knowledge in European security.
• A score of greater than 49% on the intelligence operations section of the MCPE or an equivalently balanced examination of similar content.
• Submission of a portfolio of work satisfying the criteria for at least a pass according to the candidate handbook.
• An approved assessor’s independent testimony of observed competency across the undercover operations domain of the Integrated Competency Framework (ICF) for Operations throughout at least 10 hours of supervised professional practice.

Standards

Credentials are fully accredited for compliance with international standards. For further details on Institute requirements, international standards and accreditation, view the Accreditation page.

Certification

The EQF Level 3 Certificate in EU Undercover Operations accompanying this credential is earned after accruing 17 credits at approximately 170 guided learning hours.

Fees & Discounts

Please contact the Intelligence Academy for a quote and to discuss delivery options. This programme is offered exclusively to persons booking on behalf of a group, such as corporate or government teams. A minimum class size of 4 must be met, although economies of scale yield greater benefits with classes of 8-12. Payment is accepted by bank transfer, credit cards and other popular forms of electronic payment.

Idividuals looking for entry onto this course are advised to pursue the EU Covert Operations Professionalisation Programme (EUCOPP) or contact the Intelligence Academy for advice on waitlisting, joint programmes and guest access.

Downloads

 IEIS Candidate Handbook (PDF, 352KB)

 EUUOC Syllabus & Curriculum (PDF, 198KB)

Location

TBE, at client request.

1. Specialised optional training is offered with each of the Institute’s courses. Although this extended training does not form part of the curriculum it is assessed and can offer candidates the opportunity to gain a more practical insight into a specific area of their training. These Optional Training Assessments (OTAs) are discretionary and may be offered at any point throughout the study cycle. ↩︎