AGENCY CEILING RESERVE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP57-00042A000100020003-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 4, 1998
• Sequence Number: 3
• Content Type: MF

Approved FSReleas : CIA-RD40Q"WWa 020003-4
SUBJECT: Agency Ceiling Reserve
THRU: Deputy Dir ctor (Administration)
abthA k,.r, ' ,tie,- n ~c. , i2. 1J) ,4
I IORANDUM FORS Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
1. PROBLEM:
How best meet the continuing need for a reservoir of civilian ceiling
positions in the face of a' diminishing Director's Reserve,
FACTS BEARING ON THE PRDBIEM:
budget is ed on an on strength of underce`ii
ereas act -duty a is underiling.
a. Total obligations against ceiling (on-duty strength, candidates in process,
and active recruitment requests) were examined by principal component in
a. As there are positions in the Director,-"76-
serve. Against this, there are in process requests for-'civilian ceiling
b. The total Agency civilian cei is . Against this, the civilian
Were all of these to result in EOD'e, the potenttl reserve of
c. There are candidates in process and recruitment requests,
to thg:,Interim Assignment Branch (IAB).
d. Of the apparent potential excess over Agency ceiling, _4e chargeable
would be exceeded by
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.CIA-RDP57-00042A000100020003-4
an endeavor to locate slack which might be tightened to replenish the
Iirector's Reserve. Attempt was made in this examination to correct the
in-process and recruitment-request figure to allow for probable loss in
order to obtain the most realistic picture possible of obligations
against ceiling. (See Tab ) Differences in practice on the part of
principal components, plus the difficulties in arriving at acceptable
correction factors, detract from the significance of the in-process and
recruitment-request figures, both raw and corrected,
be The IAB, which accounts for of the uncorrected potential excess
over Agency ceiling, has an on-duty strength of and candidates
in process, against a ceiling of . As a reservoir of provisionally
qualified clerical and sub-professional personnel, the function of the
IAP is to provide insurance for the Agency at large against the relatively
high attrition in these two categories. The application of ceiling to
the IAB1,serves no practical purpose except that of earmarking payroll
funds. In effect, if the IAB is to perform its function effectively, its
strength, real or projected, must bear a direct relationship to total-
Agency need as reflected through the expressed needs of the principal
components; its strength cannot, realistically, be governed by an arbi-
trary ceiling. Further, inasmuch as the personnel of the IAB are oriented
toward ceiling positions in principal components, the validity of reserving
a segment of Agency ceiling for this common-concern contingency function
is subject to question. Exclusion of the IAB from the application of
ceiling, would result in the reservation of ceiling to operating com-
ponents of the Agency. Until such time as on-duty strength more closely
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approximates ceiling, (it would appear that) payroll for the JAB could
'e
25X9A2
(readily) .mob absorbed by the_ differential between budgeted a under 25X9A2
25X9A2 ceiling) and actual (=under coiling) total-Agency "01" funds.
4- CONCLUSIONS
a. There is considerable variation in the approach of the principal components
toward closing the gap between on-duty strength and ceiling. Because of
the lack of uniformity in policy and procedure, any arbitrary seizure
of reserves without a thorough study of the situation in each component
would be premature, inequitable, and disruptive,
b. The application of ceiling to the unique IAB function is unrealistic in
that (1) it does not set a firm limit to on-duty or in-process strength,
and (2) to the extent that JAB personnel are directed toward specific
ceiling positions in operating components, it represents a ceiling dupli-
cation.
co Without imminent risk of over-obligation of "Ol" funds, withdrawal of
the JAB from ceiling would result in:
(1) The reservation of ceiling to directly productive operations in
fulfillment of Agency responsibilities.
(2) The freeing of positions for a ceiling reserve.
5. RECONM1NDATIONS
a. That the IAB be excluded from the application of ceiling.
b. That the civilian ceiling positions thus freed, plus any posi-
tions remaining in the Director's Reserve, be placed in an Agency Ceiling
Reserve to be administered by the DD/A without reference to the DCI.
c. That all problems which have a bearing on the Agency ceiling continue to
be referred to the DCI.
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d. That the Management Staff study the personnel statistics each month for
the total Agency and for each principal component, and call to the atten-
tion of the DD/A any situation which seems to be out of line or deserving
of special continent.,
e. That the above recommendations be put into effect immediately*
f. That the Management Staff, working with the Office of the Comptroller
and the Office of Personnel, study the related problems of T/O v. ceil-
ing, impact of ceiling on personnel practices (e.g., use of recruitment
requisitions, double slotting and over-recruiting in the attempt to bring
strength up to ceiling, hedging against possible reductions, etc.),
appropriateness of present ceiling allocations, budgeting for personal
services, and personnel accounting; and that the Management Staff develop
and present recommendations designed to produce (1) uniformity in under-
standing and practice with respect to the impact of and operation under
ceiling restrictions, and (2) simpler, more meaningful personnel statis-
tics as an aid to improved operation.
25X1A9a
Chief, Management Staff
ADTPers?nnel
Comptroller
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 Approved For Release 199 : CIA-RDP57-00042AO00100020003-4
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy Director (Administration)
-5-
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