PROFESSIONAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER EDUCATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05S00620R000100320004-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 12, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: May 14, 1980
• Content Type: MEMO

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I .MOWN FOR: Bob Gates
At the clip on your handwritten draft,there's
a word I was unsure of. Looks like "lights"
which is how I typed it.
Sent copies tol Ivia
courier leaving here at 1600.
Pat
Date 5/14/80
I u 1111 use M EVIOUs
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14 May 1980
FROM: Robert Gates, EA/DCI
SUBJECT: Professional Intelligence Officer Education
Herewith my draft curriculum based on our meeting last Monday. I also
attach a proposed cover memorandum from us to the DCI. If you will telephone
your additions/revisions to both to me, I will have them prepared in final
form and send them in. I have no changes to propose to George's concept
paper and suggest combining the papers as set forth in the memorandum to the
DCI. I suggest you try, if possible, to get your comments to me on all three
papers--cover memo, concept paper and curriculum--by COB Thursday so that I
can send the package with him over the weekend.
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: Professional Intelligence Officer Education
Attached is our proposed outline of an educational program for pro-
fessional intelligence officers. The outline includes a concept paper
spelling out in broad terms our approach to this program and a general
curriculum. The latter takes the form of the basic questions we believe
the students should be able to answer as a result of the course, together
with our thoughts on what subjects and issues ought, at minimum, to be
incorporated into each unit. We have deliberately avoided too much speci-
ficity in the belief that considerable flexibility and initiative should
be left to the faculty in order to attract the high quality professional
staff essential to the success of the program. Finally, we consider the
attached program to be a suitable framework for all levels of study--CTs,
mid-career and senior level. The faculty will need to determine the degree
of detail and length of study for each level of students.
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EDUCATION FOR
PROFESSIONAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS
CURRICULUM
I. Product
A. Analysis
-- Who are the generic consumers and what are their diverse
intelligence needs?
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[This unit will include examination of how decisions actually
get made, how policymakers use intelligence, and how they view
intelligence. Reference above chart, this section also will
identify for the institutional consumers of intelligence analysis,
including what products different level officials of diverse
agencies use. It also will make clear through case studies that
the same consumer will often use a variety of intelligence products.--
current intelligence, estimative intelligence, and policy support
papers. The unit additionally will examine the ethical issues
inherent in providing analysis to policymakers; e.g., danger of
slanting judgments to accommodate policy objectives, the role of
intelligence in the preparation of policy options papers, etc.]
-- What makes an intelligence product successful or a failure?
[This issue involves developing criteria for judging success
or failure, including an appreciation that a successful/failed
paper by policy lights may be judged differently by intelligence
professionals and vice versa. Questions to be addressed might
include whether policy must be influenced for a product to be
successful; whether correct predictions are successful; and
whether, in fact, success or failure is really only in the eyes
of the consumer. More concrete aspects of success, such as
timeliness, presentation and accuracy will be examined. Case
studies of past successful and unsuccessful products will be
reviewed to identify features common to each.]
B. Covert Action
-- What are the types of covert action?
[This unit would examine the types of covert action--to
influence political thinking, to promote/provoke action favor-
able to the U.S., to influence directly through paramilitary
action--through case studies. The basic features of each and
applications will be examined. Further, the ethical and legal
aspects of covert action will be studied.]
What makes a covert action successful or a failure?
[Will consider how to measure success and the characteristics
of successful (and unsuccessful) covert actions.]
II. Collection
-- What are the kinds, credibility, reliability, and qualities
of intelligence evidence?
[This first question provides the opportunity to study all
collection techniques and disciplines--human intelligence, signals
intelligence, and photo intelligence. Students will examine the
different levels of credibility or reliability attributed to
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various human and technical collectors and how such collectors
can be programmed to complement the strengths and special
features of each system or source. The unit also would delve
into fundamentals of the physical sciences that relate to
collection, such as orbital mechanics, communication theory,
cryptology and remote sensing. One purpose of this section
will be to provide a basis of understanding and knowledge for
later student work in orchestrating collection assets.]
-- What are the ethical and legal issues peculiar to collection?
[To address statutory and Executive Order restrictions on
collection, as well as ethical aspects of human collection,
collection against allies and neutrals, etc.]
What is involved in balancing and programming community
collection assets?
[This unit would assess the issues of national versus tactical
intelligence, balancing diverse priority requirements placed on
limited collection assets--especially technical, and the general
problems of tasking and coordination.]
How much collection/evidence is enough?
collection, and
intelligence go to perfect technical systems
[This section would address such questions as how far Should.
; how does analysis drive technical and gum pan
vice versa; and at what point the analyst must
stop collecting evidence and write.]
III. Analysis
-- What are the various ways evidence can be exploited?
[To address traditional and new techniques/methodologies,
na-va applications, the analysis process, and study the funda-
mentals of the main disciplines--political, economic, military,
cartographic, etc. The issue of "generalists" vs. "specialists"
as analysts will be discussed in this context.]
-- What are the various kinds of analysis?
[This unit should address multidisciplinary analysis; the
relative strengths and weaknesses of analysis of past events as
a way to understand the present's, of analysis of past events
melded with projections of the future, and of speculative analysis
looking especially to the future; and the issue of long-term
research vs. production.]
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-- How to orchestrate community analytical assets?
[To examine value of community coordinated and produced
analysis, relative merits of NIEs vs. other products; role of
competitive analysis and its value; virtues and defects of
community analytical role--lowest common denominator.]
IV. Management
-- Money: Different Perspectives
[To look into budgeting and finance from different perspectives
of case officer, branch and division, station, Agency and NFIP.
Also to study merits and defects of contracting.]
-- People
[To examine the general precepts of leadership, supervision,
personal vs. institutional ethics, non-financial incentives, etc.]
-- Planning
[This unit should address resource planning, decision analysis
techniques, setting objectives and problems of long-range planning;
how to do it; the comparative merits of centralized and directorat,e-
specific planning systems.]
-- Macromanagement Exercise
[As the final segment of the professional intelligence officer
course, two case study exercises should be planned with the objec-,
tive of requiring each student to synthesize and use chat has been
learned. The first case study will be undertaken by each student
on an individual basis; the second case study will be done by
seminar groups, with the results to be shared with the entire class.
An example of such a case study would consist of a request from
the President to the DCI that intelligence collect and report on
the European arms manufacturing industry, a presently non-existent
capability. The students would then need to prepare a long-range
plan; program and balance collection techniques; develop an
analytical capability; a budget to cover the above; and determine
what information should be transmitted to which policymakers and
in what form.]
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