In early 2001, the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Intelligence (DI) was conducting the first of an anticipated series of Quadrennial Intelligence Community Reviews (QICRs). Its purpose was to determine future needs for intelligence products, while envisioning an optimal structure for the United States intelligence community (IC).

Participants in the QICR agreed that the IC must alter its structure in order to continue providing relevant, accurate, and timely intelligence products to government policymakers as new threats emerged, existing threats changed, and sources of information continued to proliferate.