EU Intelligence Interviewing & Interrogation Course (EU3IC)

Enabling officials to perform intelligence interviews to regional and international standards.

The EU Intelligence Interviewing & Interrogation Course (EU3IC) combines foundation and advanced interrogation, interview, debrief and elicitation courses as prescribed by international and regional curriculum. Students will learn how to conduct witness, victim, suspect and specialist interviews, applying various psychological models and theories in various environments. Students will also learn how to elicit information from and debrief resistant and cooperative sources. The course will also develop enhanced communications skills in students and help them obtain information effectively by applying advanced methods, techniques and theory. The course draws particular focus to regional and international law, ethical standards, risk, safety and security.

Introducing students to intelligence interviewing, the course takes students with an existing knowledge of intelligence to the position of recognised intelligence interviewers.

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 all relevant European legal and ethical requirements pertaining to interview and interrogation.

Interview Planning: Plan and prepare for structured and semi-structured interviews and interrogations including question sets driven by collection requirements. Step through the planning and preparation, approach, questioning, closing, and reporting phases of the HUMINT collection cycle. Integrate evidence, legal advisors, bad character and special warnings into the interview and interrogation strategy and plan. Assess a subject and decide the best interview approach based on research, current intelligence, category and condition. Identify disclosure, interview, detainment and media strategies together with options relating to locations, equipment and resourcing.

Conducting Interviews: Manage topics and scenarios in interview and interrogation. Understand common interview and interrogation methodologies such as conversation management, investigative, specialist, cognitive, serious/complex and first responder interviews. Understand and apply the main interview and interrogation tactics such as deception detection, questioning, memory enhancement, approaches, ABE and Reid techniques. Build rapport, listening, conversational and interpersonal skills to gain trust, understanding and commitment from a subject. Progress naturally from interview to interrogation, conduct effective interrogations and understand cognitive bias and the implications of false confession.

Human Intelligence Analysis: Manage the integrity and security of the interview record, evaluating information from statements and interviews. Summarise, assess and formulate a final written statement and undertake feedback and development. Conduct HUMINT, behavioural and cultural analysis using analytical tools and techniques and design approach and questioning strategies to match. Screen subjects for potential answers to intelligence collection requirements and conduct risk assessments. Function as an interview and interrogation advisor with a deep understanding of how European experts and agencies can support the interview process.

Specialist Interview Tactics: Conduct interview and interrogation source recruitment and debrief and elicit information wittingly and unwittingly from cooperative and resistant sources. Produce strategies for dealing with a ‘no comment’ interview, legal advisors or requests for legal advice, whilst adhering to all relevant legislative obligations. Prepare legal disclosures, draw adverse inferences and conduct document exploitation (DOCEX). Employ enhanced interrogation techniques, deception tactics, and resist interrogation and other techniques taught on the course.

Course Format

The EU Intelligence Interviewing and Interrogation Course is designed to develop regional skills and knowledge in interviewing and interrogation in an intelligence environment in order to facilitate cooperation between nation states. 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.
• Coaching & Mentoring: Career advice in the security sector from recognised experts, assistance and support with course content and sustained aftercare.
• Blended Learning: The latest iteration of the course combines preparatory training via our e-learning platform with consolidated learning in an intensive attendance programme.

Part I

e-Learning

Prior to attendance each candidate must pass a preparatory e-learning programme delivered over no less than four months. Candidates are free to sign up and begin study at any time and on their own schedule.

Part II

Hybrid School

Between April and July the following webinars and other online events will be scheduled for delivery via a secure platform. These sessions on the more sensitive information and practical training needed to perform intelligence interviews throughout Europe. Each session is approximately 90mins in duration and most often scheduled during Central European Time (CET) evenings and weekends to fit in with candidate’s professional commitments.

• Induction & Memory Enhancement
• Rapport-building & Conversation
• Initial & Progressive Interrogation
• Debrief & Elicitation
• Investigative Interview
• Specialist & Complex Interviews
• Cognitive Interview
• Cell Intervention
• Counter-interrogation
• Enhanced Techniques & Deception
• Overcoming Resistance
• Technical Support (OTA)¹

This culminates in an intensive hybrid residential school consolidating learning over five to twelve consecutive days depending upon the options chosen. This final full-time phase begins with specialised instructor-led training and ends in a live training exercise. Throughout Ex. SOLO candidates apply the skills they have leearned in the role of of intelligence interviewers as a capability assessment unfolds in real-time. Candidates can choose to attend the 5 day version of the exercise by video conferencing online, or opt for attendance on-site. The on-site exercise can be extended from five to twelve days to incorporate deployment overseas.

Dates & Times

Candidates are free to sign up and begin studying the e-learning component at any time and on their own schedule. The residential school runs once a year, beginning on the fifth Monday in July or the first Monday of August and running for five to twelve consecutive days depending upon the options chosen. Candidates may not be admitted to the residential school without having achieved a passing grade on the e-learning element. 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 intelligence interviewing 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 Intelligence Interviewing accompanying this credential is earned after accruing 15 credits at approximately 150 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)

 EU3IC Syllabus & Curriculum (PDF, 191KB)

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. ↩︎