Creativity training needs assessment for homeland security enterprise: a case for creative thinking

ABSTRACT

Creativity, specifically creative problem solving, is often excluded from Homeland Security Enterprise efforts to train and develop their workforces. To determine if this lack of training was a key knowledge gap in the communities, we drew on organisational creativity literature. Using the personnel databases O*NET and Careers in the Military Database, we conducted a training needs assessment by identifying relevant job tasks, knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) that align with the creative process. More specifically, we sought to identify the need for creative problem-solving training and designated creative thinking time (e.g. red teaming) to influence innovative intelligence capabilities. Based on our findings, we recommend creativity training to facilitate creative thinking and action. Moreover, we outline situational and individual factors that will affect the transfer of the training, such as organisation environment, leadership, and creative self-efficacy. The impact of these recommendations will aid security, counterterrorism, and intelligence communities to efficiently detect and prevent emerging threats, as well as develop intelligence products to further support the Homeland Security Enterprise mission.

KEYWORDS:

• Novel threats
• creativity training
• counterterrorism
• training needs assessment

Acknowledgements

The views and conclusions included here are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This material is based on work supported by U.S. Department of Homeland Security [grant number 0000-0001-7418-7929].