From Data to Decisions: EUAM Enhances SBGS Analytical Skills
December 11, 2025
At a time when Ukraine’s border guards face fast-moving threats and heavy analytical workloads, the quality of intelligence often determines whether a warning is acted on in time. Yet even the most experienced analysts face the same challenge: how to think clearly when the information is fragmented, incomplete or competing for attention.
To strengthen this capability, the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine delivered a focused course on intelligence analysis and risk management for criminal analysts of the State Border Guard Service last week. The aim was to help border guards sharpen their thinking, refine assessment skills and apply structured methods under pressure.
Rather than teaching boring formulas and diagrams, the training dismantled the invisible barriers that often disrupt intelligence work — biases, assumptions, mental shortcuts and the pressure to reach conclusions too quickly.
The training also pushed participants into realistic decision-making conditions. Simulation tasks required them to interpret intelligence inputs, test different hypotheses and defend their conclusions in front of colleagues. These moments — intense, fast-paced, sometimes uncomfortable — proved to be the spark that transformed theory into genuine skill. Analysts from different regions and headquarters exchanged approaches, challenged each other’s reasoning and discovered how shared methods make their work more reliable and more resilient.
One participant summarised the experience simply: “This training helped me deepen my skills in analysis and risk management and apply structured methods that improve the quality of our work. The balance of theory and practice, especially the simulation exercises, made the learning directly relevant to our tasks.”
“When analysts learn to question their own assumptions and apply structured methods, the quality of their assessments improves immediately. And that means better decisions at the operational level, where the stakes are highest,” said Dimitrios Giannakopoulos, EUAM National Security Advisor/Trainer, who led the course.
In a security environment where one overlooked detail can have serious consequences, sharper analysis is not only a professional skill. It is an essential line of defence. EUAM will continue to support SBGS in integrating structured analytic techniques into its daily work, strengthening internal cooperation and building a more consistent approach to risk assessment.
