COMMENTS ON AGENCY BRIEFING PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP66B00560R000100090029-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 17, 2003
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: June 21, 1963
• Content Type: MF

Approved F rJelease 2004/02/11 CIA-RDP66B0056pR000100090029-5
OSA 3426-63
21 June 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR : Acting Deputy Director (Research)
SUBJECT : Comments on Agency Briefing Program
REFERENCE : Memo for Executive Committee from Executive Director,
dated 11 June 1963; Subject: "Agency Briefing Program"
(ER 63-4754)
1. It is interesting to see that Mr. Kirkpatrick's staff has been able to
identify and separate the various categories of individuals to be briefed, and that
he has then gone on to categorize people in the Agency as to their potential
briefing ability. Unfortunately, as in all such artificial breakdowns, I am sure
that there will be many times when it will be difficult, if not impossible, to
match a briefing for "senior U. S. officials (political)" with a "Category P
briefer. The briefing check list which is attached seems to be another inter-
esting intellectual exercise, but I think it is in slightly too inclusive detail to
be useful as an SOP for briefing, especially of the kind conducted in OSA.
2. On the theory that these comments of mine-will remain principally
in-house, I think it fair to say that most of the qualified briefers I have heard
in this Agency have not come from the Office of Training which is giving the
course. I also think the course, as outlined on Page 5 of the attachment, is too
long in terms of course content and spread out over too great a period of time.
I can see a one-week course, given half days perhaps, as being much more
acceptable than the way this is programed. Having only recently been subjected
to an unexpected requirement to brief the Joint Chiefs of Staff on a subject of
concern to OS?T when I went into the meeting not realizing that I was going to open
my mouth, I appreciate the requirement for some form of instruction in thought
organization. Therefore, please do not interpret my comments as being in the
vein of "against motherhood or the American flag". Finally, I also question how
much some of our technical people will be able to profit from a course in elocu-
tion; however, a good friend of mine in World War II conducted a course like this
at the Naval War College, where as he put it, he concentrated on "keeping the
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OSA 3426-63
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Admirals from stuttering and pulling the buttons off their jackets while conducting
briefings". Maybe there is some good in it after all.
25X1
JAME6 A. CUNNINGHAM, JR.
Deputy Assistant Director
(Special Activities)
Attachment
ER 63-4754
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