FUNCTION

• Contribute to the development, testing and validation of doctrine in the NATO HUMINT spectrum for the Alliance and NATO Nations with NATO HUMINT Community of Interest.
• Serve NATO, NATO Nations and Partner Nations’ long-term interests by enhancing interoperability and increasing standardization efforts in support of positional future capability development in the NATO HUMINT spectrum.

ACTIVITIES

In order to perform its function, HCOE D&S Section:
• Coordinates, implements and manages NATO HUMINT doctrines and standards within HCOE, seeking to harmonize different views and promote common standards acceptance and implementation, in the pursue of interoperability.
• Manages the development of NATO HUMINT doctrines and propose amendments to the already developed ones in order to contribute to NATO transformation.
• Produces standard-related documents (e.g. handbooks, studies).
• Provides doctrinal expertise for HCOE courses, seminars, and conferences.
• Conducts engagement visits to NATO (and partner) nations, organizations or other headquarters to assist or cooperate with ongoing doctrinal projects.
• Assists ACO and ACT in implementing NATO HUMINT doctrines and HUMINT Techniques, tactics and Procedures (TTPs).

BACKGROUND

In NATO, the term doctrine refers to “Fundamental principles by which the military forces guide their actions in support of objectives. It is authoritative but requires judgment in application.”
The doctrine’s aim is to provide the common framework and procedures to be followed in organizing, equipping, training and employing military personnel. Doctrines do not replace or alter a commander’s authority in establishing the proper course of action in military conflicts.
The aim of NATO Standardization is to enhance the Alliance’s operational effectiveness through interoperability among Alliance forces, and additionally between NATO forces and forces of partners and other States, thus improving efficiency in the use of available resources.

PROJECTS

A. NATO HUMINT DOCTRINE DEVELOPMENT

HCOE is the custodian of the following NATO standards:
• STANAG 2537, AJP-2.3 Allied Joint Doctrine for Human Intelligence (HUMINT);
• STANAG 2578, AIntP-05 HUMINT Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs);
• STANREC 4863, NATO HUMINT Operator Ensemble Toolset (NHOET).

B. HCOE STANDARD RELATED PRODUCTS

NATO HUMINT Operator’s Handbook The NATO HUMINT Operator’s Handbook is a NATO HUMINT Centre of Excellence initiative, which covers the latest information related to planning, preparation and conduct of HUMINT operations, with current updates in the HUMINT systems and software, based on lessons identified, lessons learned, best practices derived from recent NATO operations and exercises, and proposals received from NATO nations and subject matter experts. The current version of the handbook was revised and published at the end of December 2024.

NATO Field HUMINT Team Collator’s Handbook The NATO Field HUMINT Team Collator’s Handbook has been developed by HCOE based on an identified need to provide specific guidance to NATO field HUMINT team collators in fulfilling their day-to-day duties and responsibilities, in the most effective manner, thus contributing to achieving interoperability in HUMINT activities. The current version of the handbook is under revision and will be published at the end of June 2025.

HUMINT Interrogator’s Handbook The HUMINT interrogator’s handbook is a HCOE product meant to serve as a guide and reference document for standardized interrogation procedures, in order to achieve interoperability in HUMINT interrogation activities in support of NATO operations. This handbook intends to bridge the gap between HUMINT interrogators’ needs for guidance and the existing official documents, which are too often unavailable on a moment’s notice. The current version of the handbook was revised and published at the end of December 2023.

HUMINT Debriefing Handbook The HUMINT Debriefing handbook is the result of the collaboration between HCOE and NATO Nations and organizations experts. The handbook offers the reader a wide selection of tools that HUMINT specialists can use for debriefing activities. It doesn’t focus on debriefing as an activity within the HUMINT spectrum. The current version of the handbook was published in June 2024.

HUMINT Support to Air Operations HUMINT Support to Air Operations Study aims to provide a thorough analysis of the HUMINT capability within the air operational environment and identifies the situations where HUMINT can be particularly useful for air operations, by providing mutual awareness to stakeholders on matters of common interest. The current version of the study was revised and published in 2022.

HUMINT Support to Maritime Operations HUMINT Support to Maritime Operations Study highlights the importance of the HUMINT capability, as a JISR feature, to maritime operations. In addition, it serves to shape the foundations for the employment of embedded HUMINT assets within maritime components in a NATO environment. The current version of the study was revised and published in 2022.