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Without data, you're just another person with an opinion." - W. Edwards Demming

The CARVER Decision Advantage System™

Stop Guessing. Start Making Intelligence-Driven Decisions with THREE Powerful Online Programs.

The Course that Will Redefine Your Leadership Style

Master the same methodology used by CIA operators, military planners, and Fortune 500 security teams - so you can identify risk faster, prioritize what matters, and act with precision under pressure. 

THIS IS NOT ANOTHER ONLINE COURSE!  This a a system for decision superiority that utilizes THREE eye-opening intelligence programs in one unique online bundle.

 

THE PROBLEM

Most professionals are making high-stakes decisions every day...

  • Without a structured framework

  • Without clear prioritization

  • Without understanding true risk

They rely on instinct... and under pressure - instinct fails.

 

THE SOLUTION

The CARVER Decision Advantage System includes three online programs that provide you with two career-enhancing certifications: Certified CARVER Mindset Analyst™ (CCMP) and Certified CARVER Assessment Professional® (CCAP).

 

Hours of engaging and high-quality online training from three distinct courses:

  • CARVER Essentials™

  • CARVER Mindset™

  • CARVER Target Analysis and Vulnerability Assessment MethodologyŽ 

As a complete learning program, these courses will help you:

  • See threats before others do

  • Prioritize risk with clarity and speed

  • Make confident, defensible, decisions in high-stakes environments

 

Individually, these courses cost a total of $3,591.  As a part of the collective CARVER Decision Advantage System™, they are yours TODAY for just $2,997.   Take advantage of this introductory price.

30-Day Risk-Free Guarantee!

GET CERTIFIED NOW WITH ALL THREE CARVER COURSES
BROCHURE
Dates

Ongoing

Time

12 hours divided across three online courses

Location

Online

Fee

$2997

Application Due

None

CERTIFICATION:

Certified CARVER Mindset Analyst™ (CCMP)

Certified CARVER Assessment ProfessionalÂŽ (CCAP)

THREE POWERFUL ONLINE PROGRAMS - WHICH BUNDLED TOGETHER - COMPRISE THE CARVER DECISION ADVANTAGE SYSTEM

CARVER Essentials™ Overview

CARVER Essentials™ is your entry point into the intelligence-driven decision-making system used by CIA officers, military planners, and high-level security professionals. In this fast, focused course, you’ll learn the foundational principles of the CARVER methodology—how to break down complex situations, identify what truly matters, and evaluate risk and opportunity with clarity. Rather than relying on instinct or outdated frameworks, CARVER gives you a structured way to think, analyze, and act with precision under pressure.  

By the end of this course, you’ll have a repeatable mental model for navigating uncertainty—whether you’re making business decisions, assessing threats, or prioritizing competing objectives. CARVER Essentials equips you to move from reactive thinking to proactive control, giving you the ability to see critical factors others miss and make faster, more confident decisions in high-stakes environments.

 

CARVER Mindset™ Overview

CARVER Mindset™ is where you stop learning the framework—and start thinking like an intelligence professional. This course trains you to observe, interpret, and act on limited information with speed and precision, just as CIA operatives and elite planners do in the field. You’ll learn how to read people, recognize subtle cues, anticipate intent, and apply principles like denial, deception, and persuasion to gain a decisive edge in any situation. More than a skillset, this is a way of thinking—one that allows you to absorb details others miss and turn uncertainty into actionable insight.

By the end of the course, you’ll develop a heightened sense of awareness and a strategic mindset that operates in real time—not just when it’s convenient. Whether you’re navigating high-stakes business decisions, negotiations, or everyday interactions, CARVER Mindset™ equips you to think several moves ahead, identify the true drivers behind behavior, and respond with confidence and control. This is how professionals move from reacting to situations… to shaping them.

 

CARVER Target Analysis and Vulnerability Assessment Methodology OverviewÂŽ

CARVER TAVA is where the methodology comes to life—transforming you from someone who understands CARVER into someone who can apply it in real-world scenarios with precision and confidence. In this comprehensive online course, you’ll learn how to conduct full-scale target analyses and vulnerability assessments using the same structured process trusted by the military, intelligence community, and Fortune 500 security teams. Through step-by-step instruction, you’ll evaluate assets, identify threats, measure vulnerabilities, and prioritize risk using both qualitative insight and quantitative scoring—giving you a clear, defensible framework for decision-making.  

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to think like an adversary, assess the probability of attack, and develop actionable recommendations that protect people, infrastructure, and organizations. This is the operational layer of CARVER—where analysis turns into execution. Whether you’re in security, business, or leadership, CARVER TAVA equips you with a repeatable system to cut through complexity, justify decisions with data, and act with authority in high-stakes environments.

 
GET CERTIFIED WITH ALL THREE CARVER COURSES

Are you ready to learn how to assess threats and vulnerabilities in people, infrastructure, and situations using the CIA's CARVER Methodology?  

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Students who will benefit from this intensive course include: business leaders and executives, entrepreneurs, team managers, as well as military and law enforcement personnel. 

 

TESTIMONIALS

CARVER makes you a security master."

- Tim DiPadova, Fortune 500 Security Director

One of the best courses I have attended in 30 years of law enforcement"

- Detective Wil Gagliardi, Toronto PD

The world would be a safer place if everyone used CARVER."

- Special Agent Peter Donaldson, Anti-terrorism Officer 

CARVER is a great methodology that justifies my assessments - and security budget - based upon priority."

- Na'im Mohammad, EP Agent for High-Net Worth Family

Any serious security person should take this course."

- Ronald Navarreta, Security Operations Specialist

 

CERTIFICATIONS

Upon successful completion of the program, add TWO highly-impactful certifications to your professional resume...

Thanks to the CARVER Training Institute's strategic partnership with the University of South Florida's Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education, students who successfully pass both exams offered within the CARVER Decision Advantage System™ will receive their Certified CARVER Mindset Analyst™ (CCMA) and their Certified CARVER Assessment Professional® (CCAP) designations from USF.  They will also receive "Credly" digital badges to add to their LinkedIn profiles to verify their certification from USF.  As a bonus, the CARVER courses also provide continuing education units (CEUs) from institutions like ASIS-International and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).  

Dates

Ongoing

Time
12 hours divided across three online courses


Location
Online

Fee
$2,997

Application Due
None

CERTIFICATION:

Certified CARVER Mindset Analyst (CCMP)

Certified CARVER Assessment Professional (CCAP)

 
GET CERTIFIED NOW

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The CARVER Decision Advantage System™ is a comprehensive online training experience that takes you from foundational understanding to real-world application of one of the most powerful decision-making methodologies used by the CIA, military planners, and Fortune 500 organizations. This is not a single course—it’s a structured progression through three integrated programs: CARVER Essentials™, CARVER Mindset™, and CARVER Target Analysis & Vulnerability Assessment® (TAVA).

Delivered through concise, on-demand video modules, the system first builds your foundation—teaching you how to break down complex problems and identify what truly matters. It then advances your thinking, training you to observe, interpret, and anticipate like an intelligence professional. Finally, it brings everything together in the TAVA course, where you apply the full CARVER methodology to assess risk, analyze targets, and make clear, defensible decisions using a proven, repeatable framework.

Instruction is led by Leo Labaj, widely regarded as “The Godfather of CARVER” and one of its original architects at the CIA, alongside Luke Bencie, a leading authority on modern CARVER applications in security, business, and leadership. Together, they translate decades of real-world experience into practical, actionable insights you can immediately apply.

Whether you operate in security, intelligence, business, or leadership, this system equips you to move beyond guesswork—giving you the clarity, structure, and confidence to make smarter decisions under pressure and gain a true strategic advantage.

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

The CARVER Decision Advantage System™ is built to develop one core capability: the ability to make faster, smarter, and more defensible decisions under pressure. Across the three-course progression—Essentials, Mindset, and TAVA—you will learn how to:

Break down complex problems into clear, actionable components using the CARVER framework
Identify, prioritize, and protect what matters most within any organization or environment
Think like an adversary—anticipating threats, intent, and potential courses of action
Apply structured, repeatable analysis to evaluate risk, opportunity, and vulnerability
Quantify and justify decisions using defensible scoring and prioritization methods
Establish standardized approaches to security, risk management, and strategic planning
Develop Design Basis Threat (DBT) scenarios to strengthen preparedness and response
Assess likelihood vs. impact to create a true threat spectrum for informed decision-making
Analyze recovery timelines and operational resilience following a disruption or attack
Communicate findings with clarity—supporting leadership decisions, budgets, and strategy

Beyond technical skills, you will also:

Build a professional edge by thinking and operating like an intelligence professional
Increase your value within your organization through structured, high-level analysis
Strengthen your ability to lead, influence, and make decisions with confidence
Position yourself for career growth in security, intelligence, business, and leadership roles

This is more than training—it’s a complete shift in how you see problems, evaluate risk, and act decisively in high-stakes environments.

 

COURSE MATERIALS

The CARVER Decision Advantage System™ combines structured instruction with practical tools to ensure you not only understand the methodology—but can apply it immediately in real-world situations. Throughout the program, you will engage with a variety of high-impact learning materials, including:

  • On-Demand Video Lectures – Clear, concise instruction guiding you through each phase of the CARVER methodology
  • Real-World Case Studies – Practical scenarios that demonstrate how CARVER is applied across security, business, and strategic environments
  • Multi-Media Presentations – Visual breakdowns of key concepts to reinforce learning and retention
  • Downloadable Excel Tools – Custom CARVER scoring and analysis spreadsheets to support real-time decision-making and assessments
  • Downloadable PDFs & Frameworks – Reference guides, worksheets, and supporting materials you can use long after the course is complete

As part of the certification pathway, you will also complete:

  • CARVER Mindset Exam (25 Questions) – Demonstrates your ability to think, observe, and analyze like an intelligence professional
  • CARVER TAVA Certification Exam (50 Questions) – Validates your capability to apply the CARVER methodology in real-world target analysis and vulnerability assessments

These materials are designed to move you beyond passive learning—equipping you with the tools, structure, and validation needed to confidently apply CARVER in high-stakes environments.

Course Outlines

CARVER Essentials™ Course Outline

  • Module 1 - Intro to CARVER
  • Module 2 - History and Evolution
  • Module 3 - Cognizant Security Strategy
  • Module 4 - CARVER Mindset
  • Module 5 - CARVER Leadership
  • Module 6 - Bringing It All Together
  • Module 7 - Q&A w/ Luke Bencie

 

 

 

 

 

CARVER Mindset™ Course Outline

  • Module 1 - Introduction
  • Module 2 - How to Think Like a Spy
  • Module 3 - CARVER as a Tool
  • Module 4 - Elicitation, Persuasion, Negotiation
  • Module 5 - Denial and Deception
  • Module 6 - Planning and Preparation
  • Module 7 - Problem Solving/Decision Making
  • Module 8 - Counter-surveillance
  • Module 9 - Expanding Your Horizons
  • Module 10 - Concluding Thoughts

 

 

CARVER TAVA CourseÂŽ Outline

  • Module 1 - Welcome to CARVER
  • Module 2 - CARVER Defined
  • Module 3 - Target Analysis
  • Module 4 - Threat Assessments (DBTs)
  • Module 5 - Threat Spectrum
  • Module 6 - Vulnerability Assessments
  • Module 7 - Cyber Assessments
  • Module 8 - CARVER Strategy
  • Module 9 - CARVER+ ARES
  • Module 10 - CARVERCON Presentation
  • Module 11 - Thoughts on Your Next Assessment
  • Module 12 - Q&A with Leo Labaj
GET CERTIFIED WITH ALL THREE CARVER COURSES

Teaching Team

All our executive education programs are developed and taught by a team of widely recognized faculty. Many are skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Leo "The Godfather of CARVER" Labaj

Mr. Leo Labaj has over 40 years of government and commercial experience, Mr. Labaj is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, the Air National Guard and the Central Intelligence Agency. He has managed research and development programs and applied science projects for the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Intelligence Community, and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. While at the CIA, Mr. Labaj developed and implemented the Defense Against Terrorism Survey, a vulnerability assessment methodology used to assess security at borders, high threat residences and facilities and over 100 international airports. Mr. Labaj also served on the Federal Aviation Administration's Blue Ribbon Panel on Airport Security and Vulnerability Assessment, and implemented and managed the FAA's National Safe Skies Team Security Screening Test Bed. He has also served as a member of the Nuclear Emergency Search Team (NEST) Access Working Group and participated in a number of professional and technical organizations, including the Defense Department Technical Support Working Group, the American Defense Preparedness Association, the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators, and the Joint Service Small Arms Program. Mr. Labaj is certified in numerous Vulnerability Assessment Methodologies such as RAM‐W, RAM‐C, CARVER, American Institute of Chemical Engineers‐SVA and Asvaco Multi‐Hazard Assessment Software. Recent Vulnerability Assessments included over 30 large and small water utilities, chemical manufacture and packaging facilities, 11 US Naval Facilities and a regional all-hazards assessment for a multi city region.

 Luke Bencie, Founder of Modern CARVER

Luke Bencie has spent over two decades working within the US Intelligence Community, traveling to over 130 countries as an intelligence professional and as a certified CIA training instructor. The author of seven books on security and intelligence, he began his career as a technical operations officer at the CIA, where he was assigned to the Office of Special Activities and served as a liaison to the US Department of State’s Foreign Emergency Support Team. He later worked for Raytheon Company in the Intelligence and Information Systems Division.  Since 2010, he has successful managed the global consulting firm, Security Management International, which counts its clients as the US Department of Defense, the US Department of Justice, over two-dozen Fortune 500 security departments, as well as foreign governments.  

 

Stop Guessing.  Start Thinking Like an Intelligence Professional

 

We Guarantee Our Training

Rest Assured

We are so sure that you will enjoy your experience with our products and services that we have proudly offered all of our clients a 30-day, full money back, guarantee on all our training courses since we opened the business in 2010. If you are not completely satisfied with you purchase, send us an email and we will refund your money. Now, you have no reason not to try our services.

Enroll Today for Only $2,997 and Immediately Start Thinking Like an Intelligence Professional!  

GET CERTIFIED WITH ALL THREE CARVER COURSES

Contact us with any Questions about CARVER Training.
We'll be in touch as soon as possible to learn more about how we can help your organization adopt the CARVER Methodology.