Tasking and coordination

The strategic tasking and coordination group (ST&CG) and the tactical tasking and coordination group (TT&CG) are intelligence-led meetings held by force leaders. These meetings provide a mechanism to prioritise tactical options and decisions at a strategic and operational level. The groups also direct resources in accordance with a force’s intelligence, prevention and enforcement priorities.

The tasking and coordination process should take account of national and tactical assessments, intelligence requirements and control strategies. Intelligence products can be produced following decisions made by the ST&CG and the TT&CG or can be used to inform their decision making.

Staff involved in supporting tasking meetings should refer to the professional guidance to analysis and IPP intelligence practitioner basics course (you will need to log in to College Learn) for more information.

There are four main intelligence products that can be commissioned by force decision makers which can follow or inform the tasking and coordination process:

• strategic assessment
• tactical assessment
• subject profile
• problem profile

Each product has a defined purpose and provides recommendations for making decisions and options for action. Intelligence staff are responsible for developing, reviewing and updating them.

Before an intelligence product is started, a terms of reference (ToR) should be drawn up and agreed between the individual requesting the product and the person developing it (more information available in the terms of reference section in the professional guidance to analysis).

When complete, the intelligence products should be reviewed by senior intelligence staff. This will ensure that the products:

• are informed and developed as a result of consultation and feedback with important stakeholders and the wider organisation
• meet national and local intelligence standards

Strategic and tactical assessments

Strategic and tactical assessments are intelligence products that provide an overview of the different issues affecting, or likely to affect, a force or specific unit. They are created to assist the development of a control strategy and to define an intelligence requirement.

The strategic assessment indicates current and long-term issues that assist the ST&CG in making decisions about business planning and resource allocation. A tactical assessment identifies short-term issues that should be considered by the TT&CG.

The content of these assessments should not be restricted to police information on criminals or criminal activity. They should include detail on the information sources and methods used in compiling the reports and a general picture of current policing issues. Both products should contain research and analysis from a wide range of internal and external information sources.

Subject and problem profiles 

Subject and problem profiles may be commissioned by:

• the TT&CG to provide detailed information on suspects or victims, and emerging or established crimes or incidents
• a senior investigating officer to assist investigations

Subject and problem profiles are created to:

• assist in prioritising specific areas for collecting intelligence
• identify intelligence gaps
• highlight prevention, intelligence, enforcement and reassurance opportunities
• provide justification for actions 

When completing a subject or problem profile, intelligence staff should ensure that it: 

• has the correct government security classification (GSC) marking
• includes date and version control
• is stored centrally on force systems to ensure that information is accessible and easily retrievable
• has been completed in accordance with the national intelligence model

Each profile should be continuously updated until either (or both): 

• the subject is apprehended or protected
• the problem has been resolved

Subject profiles

Intelligence staff should make an assessment on the most appropriate subject profile to use for the specific intelligence requirement or operation. Following the Grainger inquiry, there is a specific NPCC firearms subject profile (you will need to log in to College Learn). 

Intelligence staff should ensure that information contained in a subject profile: 

• adheres to the original purposes for collection
• is lawfully collected and is proportionate to the operation, intelligence gap or subject
• includes relevant antecedent history
• contains warning markers where appropriate
• is probed to check that the context, relevance, circumstances and any potential threats are fully understood

The national subject profile template can be accessed through the IPP intelligence practitioner basics course (you will need to log in to College Learn).

Problem profiles

The content of a problem profile will vary according to the nature and significance of the problem. Intelligence staff should make sure that the profile is based on research and analysis of a wide range of information sources, including external information and organised crime group mapping, where appropriate.

For more information on the different intelligence products, go to the IPP intelligence practitioner basics course (you will need to log in to College Learn).