RESULTS OF A PRELIMINARY SURVEY MADE OF THE AGENCY'S CORRESPONDENCE PROCESSING SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00211R000800070037-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: January 4, 2017
• Document Release Date: May 18, 2006
• Sequence Number: 37
• Publication Date: May 31, 1962
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000800070037-5
RA ~;P 'T i
~^S w. LD!tiv
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. Kirkpatrick
SUBJECT Results of a Preliminary S*rv.y Made of the
Agency's Correspondence. Processing System
25X1
1. A preliminary survey made of the Agency correspondence processing
system reveais & .number of instances which reflect a duplication of effort,
waste of manpower and a general disregard for good management practices.
2. As background information, I would like to mention that the Central
Mail Room in the new Headquarters Building receives a total volume of about
1. million pieces, of mail a year with the principal sources being the'-U. S . ' Post
pattern exists an each and every floor. However, 1 would like to point out further
that thermals 161 registries here at Langley are aniy the service points where .
Office Department, interdepartmental courier service, letter drops, and direct
liaison with other departments of the Government, ign embassies, private 25 1
enterprises, etc. The Central Mail Room employ couriers, operates on a 24-
hour basis, and makes deliveries daily to some 1 registries. 61 of these are
located in Headquarters :;]are located in the various Agency buildings of
delivery of
a.t
downtown Washington. The Central Mail Room couriers do. not offe
mail beyond one of the registries, since that is a responsibility,of th registry.
As an example of the number of places serviced by these couriers, the USIB
material alone is delivered to approximately Z8 widely s rat d receiving points,
and it is necessary, on occasion,,to .assiign 4 conrie 1 aud 4 ?v+ htcl * on this run.
3. Listed below are some examples of what I ctnsider nos gennent.
REGISTRIES. The 61 registries located within then now Headquarters Building are
b 1di~ gs dov mown b ore
the same units. which. existed in the various temporary
the move to Langley. No effort .has been made+ to reduce , ,r number, an siise
after our consolidated move to the now building. As a rest, we.btveAa the new
building some 19 separate' registries servicing the first floor alone, and W# same
mail is delivered from the Central Mail Room. 01 the au ra div , ions of DD/P
s s
there is not only a wain registry but all br~nncher i the divisi shave regi trio
which are not shown. in the total figure of 61. Ana lip of this situation is in
the EE Division which has -a main registry and a er registries within der brancheo~.
Some of these branch, registries consist of one girl; the branch working part time
to to and disburse incoming and-outgoing doc~ej-f oho ease, au+ ; us the
25X1 the registry consists of 4 or S employees working fell-time.:-
Attached is a list of the 61 registries in the new builxg.
Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000800070037-5
 Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000800070037-5
COURIERS. The Central Mail Room uses some of its couriers to deliver mail to
State Dept, AEC, White House, Pentagon, FBI, etc.' There are also couriers
operating out of DD/P, O/Security, OCI, as well as out of O/DCI making separate
deliveries to these same points, with the result that you have a duplication and a
crisscrossing of couriers on deliveries made to downtown Washington..
LOGGING PROCEDURE. There is no mandatory' requirement within the Agency
for the use of 8taaa d. Form 240, Co'rfespondence Receipt and Log Record
Document, However, the Central Mail Room requires .each of its, couriers to
use this document when Secret or Confidential material is delivered.' '(T4 Secret
material-requires separate procedures.). Since the use of this form is not
required, it is therefore left to the judgent of other couriers within the Agency
to use or not to use this document. This results in an Agency-old practice,
particularly within the DD/P area.of the use of bootleg forms (forms which are
not Agency approved and are merely devised to suit the needs 'of a particular office)..
-POST OFFIOE DEPT DE4IV'ERX.:.The,U, S.. Post Office Dept. makes 5 deliveries
daily to R&S Bldg downtown. There, the mail received from the P. 0. Dept is
sorted and.distributed. : Even though. the Agency has .moved to. Langley, it is
interesting to note that the- P. O.. Dept still delivers its mail to R&5 Bldg rather
than making direct delivery to the new building. This is particularly interesting in
view-.of the fact that 9.0% of..the **,ail .receivred in. R&*,:ie. -sorted and merely sent on tl::
to the Central Mail Room in Langley. The P. 0. Dept has deliveries of mail to
the Pentagon each da-ft as well as to the post office in McLean, and there would
appear-to be no great proUlem in the P. 0. Dept revising its schedule for deliveries
direct; from the city post office downtown to, the, new buildi*g here in Langley.
4.: fi would- like 'to point out that the Records Management Staff of the D1/S
will be conducting a survey very shortly of the courier, system within the I'DJP.
As I understand it, this will be a fairly comprehensives study, and it will probably
take several weeks before it is. completed..
CONCLUSIONS. The processing of correspondence is a very extensive one and
involves not only the efficient operatiop of the registries, but also the judicious
use of couriers. The Central Mail Room, by. working 24 hours. ;a. day ..and with
its 4 deliveries, daily to the various registries within the Agency, Is making
every effort to see that the mail is promptly collected and distributed.: However,
it is_ through the vast network of registries that the processing of correspndeexec:as
is hindered and needlessly delayed. Some of theses registries should be r on
solidsted with other registries or eliminated in tot*, . In essensee, there are too
many people engaged in the handling of correspondence thx'pn? hout:.#h 'Agekn .
u,A
Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000800070037-5
 Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP7D,7.00211 R }0Q300070037-5
x 'a
RECOMMENDATIONS. In view of the magnitude of the problem and the need
to alleviate this particular situation, it is recommended that Records Management
Staff immediately conduct ie survey of the Agency's correspondence procedsing
system with emphasix' on 1) reduction of a large number of then registries through
elimination, consolidation, etc.; 2) centralized control over the use of. Courier
throughout the Agency; 3),/implementation of approved standard procedures for
the. legging of all correspoAdence; 4) delivery of mail by the Post Office Dept/
to the new Headquarters Building, . rather U *U, tv..RAS'Buildiug.
Assistant to the Director
2
Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000800070037-5
 STATINTL Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000800070037-5
Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000800070037-5
 Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000800070037-5
T?RA 1SMITTAL SLIP
FATE 31 May 1962
TO:
Chief, Records Management
ROOM NO.
BUILDING
604
1016 16th St
REMARKS:
Lou:
Please look this over and let's
discuss.
ff +
~4 ea
FROM: EA-DD/S
ROOM NO.
BUILDING EXTENSION
7D24
I Hdqts
I FORM FEB 55.24 I REPLACES FORM 36-8 GPO: 1957-0-439445 (47)
WHICH MAY BE USED.
Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-002118000800070037-5
 Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000800070037-5
Q
Approved For Release 2006/05/18: CIA-RDP70-00211 R000800070037-5