How many layers should intelligence pass through?

Repeated synthesis and repackaging can increase the distance between original information and the decision-maker. Raw facts still need context, since an isolated detail can make a threat seem either greater or smaller than it is. Specialists supply knowledge that leaders cannot develop across every subject. Their experience deserves attention even when their conclusions are disputed, and expertise does not guarantee that they are always right. The preferred arrangement supplies relevant analysis while keeping intermediate layers to a minimum.