COMMITTEE ON PROFESSSIONAL MANPOWER DD/S&T - DFCHAMBERLAIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP71R00510A000200090006-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 21
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 22, 2004
• Sequence Number: 6
• Content Type: REPORT

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COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL MANPOWER
DD/S&T - DFChamberlain
An ad hoc Committee oniProfessional Manpower was formed
via a memo from the Executive Director - Comptroller to the
four Deputy Directors, dated 13 December 1967 and attached as
Tab A. The Committee is to submit a final report by
29 February 1968.
The Committee membership is as follows:
DD/S - John Richard on, Chairman
25X1 DD/P -
DD/I - Paul Borel
DDS&T - Donald F. Chamberlain
The Committee was directed to "examine the recent input
of professional officer personnel with respect to the quality
of these officers in relationship to near and long-range
Agency manpower needs." In carrying out this study the Committee
was directed to review such questions as:
.(1) Sources of new officer personnel
(2) Qualitative standards applied in their
selection
(3) Adequacy of these standards
(4) Are these standards being maintained
(5) Measures being taken to provide for the
continuing development of professional officer personnel
(6) Action if any, necessary to improve the
Agency's competitive position with respect to attracting
and retaining highly qualified personnel.
The Committee obtained the information contained in its
report via use of pertinent special studies, extensive use of
a questionnaire, briefings by selected senior officers, and
special interviews.
In attempting to set some limits on its explorations, the
Committee decided to focus major attention on junior personnel
DD,S&T
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recruited in five fiscal years (FY 63 through FY 67). Some
comparison, however, has been made via supervisory comments
concerning the quality of personnel recruited in the five
years previous to FY 63. Also, although the Committee rec-
ognized an interest on the part of the Executive Director -
Comptroller in all recent professional hirings, because of
the importance 3-1-the CT program in overall Agency recruit-
ment and because of the probable impact of junior professionals
generally on the long range leadership problem, the Committee
decided to devote most of its attention to these "junior".
professionals.
It was generally agreed that "junior" professionals would
include those in the GS-7 through GS-12 ranks. In DD/S&T's
case, however, because of the considerable number of personnel
hired at GS-13's and GS-14's, many of whom are young enough to
have an impact on the long range leadership problem, the DD/S&T
survey also includes these grades.
In order to simplify subsequent discussions on an Office
basis, the following symbols have been used for-the various
Offices in DD/S&T:
FMSAC -
Foreign
Missile and Space Analyses Center
OCS -
Office
of
Computer Services
OEL -
Office
of
ELINT
ORD -
Office
of
Research and Development
OSA -
Office
of
Special Activities
OSI -
Office
of
Scientific Intelligence
OSP -
Office
of
Special Projects
A. As a young Directorate, with several new Offices, the
DD/S&T has been growing slowly but continuously since its
formation. This growth rate, if continued in the future, when
coupled with anticipated personnel losses, results in an average
demand for hew employees per year. This number when
compared to the total non-military professional TO II(as of 25
FY '68) indicates that in any given 5-10 year period, enough
newcomers enter on duty such that they are bound to have a defi-
nite impact on the overall technical competence and leadership
capabilities of the DD/S&T and its various Offices.
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B. The system which has evolved in the DD/S&T for
establishing both junior and senior professional position
standards appears satisfactory, at least in the sense that
use of these standards has resulted in the recruitment of
new employees who, as a class, enjoy a very favorable per-
formance rating from their supervisors.
C. DD/S&T recruitment of new personnel is an area in
which its various Offices have expended a very considerable
effort. With regard to hiring junior professionals, the
Directorate primarily undertakes to support the recruitment
effort of the O/P. In the senior professional field it does
most of its own recruiting, or at least provides the initial
leads to the 0/P.
D. In the period FY '63 through '67, the DD/S&T recruit-
ment program has resulted in the following rather surprising
'distribution of new employees:
It would appear from this distribution that the
DD/S&T draws most of its senior technical and supervisory
personnel from the outside, rather, than via promotions from
within the junior ranks.
E. Conclusion D is also supported by data obtained
from three DD/S&T Offices (OSI, OEL, FMSAC) which have existed
in one form or other for 18 years. Their supervisory patter n
is thus rather set, and looks about as follows:
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Comparison of data in Conclusions D and E does
indicate the difficulty junior professionals have in moving
up the ladder, in competition with the more experienced person-
nel hired from the outside.
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F. Individuals hired at these senior levels are young
enough so that they will be in competition for DD/S&T manage-
rial positions for many years to come. The average age of
the 12-14 group, for example, is only 35 years.
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H. One third of all new employees have advanced degrees,
and of these, almost half came from the 36 schools in the
nation which have the highest graduate school rating in science
and technology. This is judged to be a very satisfactory per-
centage.
J. Ratings from supervisors covering employees with
advanced degrees from both ranked anr~ unranked graduate schools
show that a very distinct edge in performance goes to those who
come from the 36 ranked schools.
K. The overall recruitment record of the past several
years strongly indicates that with few exceptions the Directorate
is able to hire the quantity and quality of personnel necessary
to carry out its mission. The few exceptions are very senior
positions where we have been unable to meet industrial competition.
L. The DD/S&T does not plan a detailed career development
program for each of its employees, but does review the perform-
ance and rate all employees at least once a year, and examines
carefully its nominees for the various senior schools and for
overseas or other special assignments. It also makes a distinct
effort to identify "comers".
M. The overall attrition rate of the Directorate is.
difficult to ascertain because of reorganizations, TO growth,
newness of several offices, shifts in responsibilities, etc.
What data we have suggests it is below general government aver-
ages.
N. A major reason for professional personnel leaving the
DD/S&T is the lack of adequate technical challenge; this prob-
lem may become worse rather than better in the future.
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0. The Agency Mid Career Course, as presently constituted,
is not a useful tool for aiding in the development of many of
the DD/S&T's most competent personnel.
III. Discussion
A. Professional Manpower Requirements
(1) This problem divides itself into two
parts:
a, How does the DD/S&T establish the quali-
tative requirements (statement of position quali-
fications or standards) for its various positions?
b. How many individuals does the DD/S&T need
in a given year to fill its anticipated vacancies,
taking into account estimated attrition and proposed
TO increases or decreases?
(2) Qualitative Requirements
Although.there are variations from Office to
Office, in general position standards in the DD/S&T are
set about as follows:
Immediate supervisors (Branch Chiefs, usually)
develop the position standards for the personnel they
supervise. These are approved (perhaps with modifica-
tions) by the Division Chief concerned and in most but
not all cases by the Office Director, prior to trans-
mittal to the Office of Personnel. The standards are
based on evaluations of the responsibilities of a given
position and a determination of the capabilities
(academic background; industrial experience; special
analytical, writing, programming experience or other
skills, etc.) required to carry out these responsibil-
ities. In two offices, (OEL, OCS) the Office Career
Service Panels review these standards as part of their
Office's procedures. In the case of OCS, largely
because many of the positions are similar to outside
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positions in the computer field in industry and
business, OCS uses bo1-h in-house experience and
the standards set by these outside groups to
establish its own requirements. In the other
Offices, because of the uniqueness of their func-
tions as compared to business, industry and other
government departments, there appears to be rela-
tively little impact by these outside groups on
the establishing of Office position standards.
b. Senior Professionals (GS-15's, super-
grades).
The number of these positions of course
is much smaller than in the junior area and they
usually require either highly specialized and
often quite advanced scientific and technical talents,
or are important supervisory spots. Therefore the
qualifications for these positions are given detailed
examination by the Division Chief or Program Director
concerned and by both Deputy Directors and Directors
-of each office. Most of the position standards at
these levels are not transmitted to the O/P, for
reasons discussed in the section III C.
In attempting to provide data from which
to answer such questions as whether our position
standards, once established, are adequate, and also
whether these standards have tended to vary over a
period of time, up or down, questionnaires were sent
to each Office Director (Tab B).
With regard to the adequacy of current
standards, all Offices believe that, with few excep-
tions, their individual position standards, although
high, do define reasonably well the qualifications
they believe are needed to accomplish their respective
missions. In certain cases it was pointed out that
these high standards have in part been responsible for
their inability to hire an acceptable individual.
There is a general feeling that the Offices would
rather not fill the position if it meant accepting
someone not capable of carrying out the job satis-
factorily.
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The answer to whether these position
standards have gone up or down in the past varies
more on an office by office basis. A summary of
each follows:
ORD - It reported some change in
emphasis despite its short period of c::istence.
in its first year or so OR,D concentrated on
recruiting very senior people, largely through
its own efforts, as Division Chiefs and for senior
technical positions. Later ORD shifted toward a
broader mix, including the selection of younger
individuals with less experience to fill lower
rated positions.. Position standards were set high
and as a result some positions have not been filled
to date. ORD has existed for too short a time to
do much altering of its position requirements.
OEL - This Office feels that its mission
has stead=y- increased in complexity over the past
five years and as a result its position standards
have also increased significantly.
OSI - in 1963 OSI made a major revision
in its posi-lion standards, increasing its efforts
to find outstanding engineers and scientists, and
largely dropping any effort to find generalists with
good intelligence backgrounds but little or no S&T.
In other words, the new position requirements placed
a premium on scientific and technical skills rather
than on intelligence experience. Standards for cer-
tain senior analytical positions were increased also
with the advent of the Scientific Pay Schedule (SPS)
positions. Even though OSI has not always been able
to fill all of its positions, it has not lowered its
position standards because of this problem.
OSP - This Office feels that even though
it is very new, its position requirements have risen
somewhat recently, as a result of having fewer vacan-
cies and thus an ability to concentrate more effort
and attention on these vacant positions.
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FMSAC - It feels its position standards
have remained about the same since its formation
several years ago.
OCS - In one sense it believes th^t its
position standards have gone up ws s.ts compute..., nd
related equipment has beccrie more complex. Howev3:: ,
because of inability to meet industrial competition
it has lowered its recruiting standards, pointing
toward the selection of capable individuals without
specific computer training. It is providing formal
in-house training for these individuals to overcome
this problem.
CSA - It has relatively few DD/S&T
careerists and believes that, its :ndards are high
and have not changed much in recent years.
(3) Quantitative Requirements
Accurate estimates for the number of personnel
at different grade levels which the DD/S&T expects to
acquire in subsequent years by external recruitment are
difficult to obtain. Such figures must be based on antic-
ipated annual attrition plus planned TO increases or de-
creases. Because many of the DD/S&T offices are compar-
atively new and are still in their initial growth phase,
or just completing it, and some may experience a number
of TO changes in the future as things shake down, accurate
projections are difficult to make. These offices have also
had insufficient experience to provide any realistic data
on attrition rates.
The O/P has made some estimates of anticipated
rates of attrition in the DD/S&T in grades GS-12 through
18 in the next'ten years. These figures have been extrap-
olated to cover all professional grades, and then were
combined with projected future increases and/or decreases
in the TO's of the various offices in the DD/S&T, leading
to the following average figures:
a). DD/S&T professional TO FY '68 (not
counting military assignees in OSA) 770
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b). Average professional growth in
numbers projected in current draft of the
Combined Program.Call over the period FY 169
through '74.
c). Average anticipated attrition
over the period FY '69 through '74.
d). Average annual personnel require-
the magnitude of our average annual recruit-
ment requirement, 116, indicates that the DD/S&T must
recruit enough individuals each year such that without
question the number and quality of these newcomers in
any five--;-,en year period will have a definite impact
on the overall technical competence and leadership
capabilities of the DD/S&T and its various Offices.
B. Professional Manpower Sources
1. The data discussed below came from these general
sources:
(a) Answers to a questionnaire sent to
IF- I period k-I.f 163 throu h '67, in grades GS-5 through
14 (Tab C). These individuals are hereinafter
referred to as the group studied."
(b) A university ranking (graduate level only)
compiled from a report by the American Council on
Education, entitled "An Assessment of Quality in
Graduate Education." The University ranking list is
given as Tab D.
(c) A listing prepared by the DD/S&T Personnel
Officer of those individuals EOD'ing in the DD/S&T
in CY 1967.
2. Distribution of EOD grades in group studied:
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Whether this sample is stat stica__ly mean-
ingful is not clear, but the figures do indicate
interesting relationships. Advanced degree holders
show a small but distinct superiority in rating over
the overall group studied. Advanced degree holders
from ranked schools show a very distinct superiority
over advanced degree holders from unranked schools.
Likewise, although the few (3) "Outstanding" ratings
were not given to PhD holders but to MS's, the PhD
holders from ranked schools clearly outrate the PhD
holders from unranked schools. These figures do
indicate that the DD/S&T should continue and even iii-
crease its very active efforts to recruit advanced
degree holders from the 36 schools having the best
graduate programs, nationwide.
7. A final question reviewed in.this section
appears of minor importance to the DD/S&T but should
be looked at in order for our results to be comparable
with results in other directorate reports. This deals
with the question of supervisors providing rankings on
four broad manpower input sources: CT Program, direct
recruitment, lateral transfer and promotion from sub-
professional ranks. Previous figures cited have shown
that 937o of DD/S&T new professionals came from the
universities, business and industry, other government
agencies or the military. Thus there can be little
doubt about how supervisors would rank the above sources,
inasmuch as "direct recruitment" includes all of these
major categori In any case, the figures based on
25X1 rankings from supervisors are as follows:
Percentage Who Ranked Source As:
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These figures clearly bear out the above comments.
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C. Professional Manpower Selection
Having set u;D position s'taa:s.r- s, : he question
is, how does the DD/E,&T ec: u -t agu:_il; ie11 i1u i':vw
successful has it. been. There are some partial answers
to these questions in the previous section, but a number
of points have not been looked at. First, there is a
clear distinction made in all Offices of the DD/ti&T in
establishing procedures for the recruitment of junior
professionals, who for this purpose probably do not go
above a GS-13, and senior professionals, largely GS-14,
15, SG's and SI?S's. As was indicates: in Section I!I A,
standards for junior professicnals, once established,
are transmitted to the O/P as targets for recruiting,
assuming there are Office vacancies at the appropriate
grade levels. Most offices, with the exception of OCS
and OSI, do not additionally do much more than review
junior applicant folders, interview applicants brought
in, and make recommendations or not re hiring. OCS has
done extra wow k in cooperation with the O/P in attempt-
ing to meet industrial competition for programmers, etc.
it has had to adjust; standards and provide extensive in-
house training in order to acquire. ultimately the trained
talent it needs. OSI, on the other hand, with substantial
sup-Dort from individuals in other DD/S&T Offices, has
worked in the field with recruiters, especially on days
devoted to science and/or engineering recruitment. In
FY '67, the DD/S&T made about, 47 such trips, of which OSI
was involved in 2--. So far in FY '68, with smaller recruit-
ment needs, OS-7 personnel have worked with sixteen of the
eighteen field recruiters, against a plan to work at least
once with all of them. OSI has also participated actively
in discussions with field recruiters during headquarters
visits. Addi tionally, it has as have other Offices in the
DD/S&'.." worked actively with the Office of Security and the
Office of Medical Services in order to achieve expeditious
handling of key recruits, and has even paid the visitation
expenses of key recruits in order to expedite overall
handling. In general it can be concluded as a result of
experience in FY '66-'68 that by actively working with the
O/P, the DD/S&T can recruit the junior professionals it
needs, in the quality and quantity required to fill its
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vacancies at the junior grade levels. The O/p,
incidentally, and its field recruiters, must be given
major credit for this generally satisfactory situation.
2. The problem of recruiting senior profess_on-
als, from Grades GS-L4 through the SG"s and S~~S4s, is
a much more d_fficult one, and in general is undertaken
directly by DD/S&T personnel. in the main such recruit-
ing has been done via friends anc associates in business,
industry, i,:.e un_versi ,ies, and research foundations.
Of course some recruiting in this area has been under-
taken by the 3/?., and its total contribution including
necessary processing has been significant. On tie other
hand, the -,n-*-,-- a' leads to these kind of personnel have
most often come from DD/S&T efforts. A general look at
this senor group tends to indicate that the DD/S&T has
been quite successful in its recruiting efforts, but
import-ant vacancies exist, and only the current ceiling
on the SG-S2S total has made it appear that the DD/S&T
has reached its Quota. One scheme that perhaps deserves
special mention was an attempt over a 3 or 4 year period
on the part of 3S:-rMSAC
'resent ceilings have terminated ti is approacn,
but at some time in the future it might well be tried
again.
In general, recruits for all senior positions
in the DD/S&T are measured in terms of their university
training, technical and managerial experience, personality,
performance record, recommendations from associates and
extensive personal interviews at all levels, against the
stated position requirements. t appears true that as a
directorate we have been reasonably careful about hiring
individuals in this category, and our current assessment
is that in the main, few individuals with less than sat-
isfactory competence have been brought on board. It does
appear that the DD/S&T will always need to recruit some
individuals from the outside who are highly talented in
specialized fields, at these higher grades, and that it
would be undesirable from the competitive as well as from
the specialized knowledge vie~r~o_nt, to attempt to fill
awl our senior positions 'ay promotion from within.
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D. Professional Manpower Development
in many ways this is the most important
problem the DD/S&T faces in its efforts to obtain
and hold competent personnel. it does not ~.ppear,
however, realistic to make any major atte :_~t to
plan for each individual a aid-our, 23 year plan
for his development. :n the main our basic yroblem
is to provide a cha~ . e .ge 'Co ea; ilell-
surate with his scientiic, technical and managerial
abil-_ tyes .
The DD/S&T ''himself takes considerable
interest in the more promising individuals in his
Directora;,e. He reviews all ~iitness Reports on
individuals whc receive an ttloiutstanding't rating.
He personally i._,,,.:-views all individuals who enter
the DD/S&T Development Course, bock before they begin
the Course and after they have completed it. This
Course is intended to train annually 12 or so of the
brightest young (relatively) individuals from the
various Offices of the DD/S&T, in order to fit them
ultimately for a broadened DD/S&T career, as opposed
to a narrower career entirely within a given Office.
The DD/S&T also passes on all nominees for the Mid
Career Course and for the senior schools.
Senior responsibility under the DD/S&T for
surveillance of its personnel rests with its Career
Service Board, made up of all of its Office Directors
and the ADD/S&T. The Board reviews the performance
and potential and competitively rates all of the
Directorates' GS-15s, SGs, and SPSs, on a quarterly
basis. The only exceptions to this review are the
members of the Board itself and their alternates (Office
Deputy Directors). These reviews are for the purpose
of identifying corners, establishing relative promotion
rankings, denoting possible candidates for new assign-
ments and new responsibilities, identifying possible
senior school representatives (including the Mid Career
Course) and selecting personnel for possible overseas
or out of the area assignments. Wherever such activities
require DD/S&T action, the Board makes its recommendation
to the DD/S&T for his decision.
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Under the goneral cogn:_zance o:*` he DD/S ,^
Career Service 3oard each t:':_ce :.. eer Se 'v` ce
anel, chaired by either its ~~~:_ce Dt o
,a ~Y
Director. These Panes per=:,~_.. unc: ^- s
,.. i.,.. s m ar -'o
those of the DD/S&T Career Serv_ce board, for -
person-nel CS-l~- and under. . All personnel in hese grass are
discussed and rated at least once a yea:-'. This review
involves discuss ions concerning ,,e a _ ^~'S in ne
1_. Wiest f ;,ness as we---- as 1-
ua':.ions wi:_cih may upon occaS_on, vary frcm mat g_ven.
in the lioness Reports. :n cs offices e__ ._er e
Dire. ,
the .1epu"-y Director these ra".,_~.g
rev iews " s
and also &.11 fitness Reports.
S pec_al men ,_on shou--d be made of the fact
that, for a var_e"ty of reasons, the Agency hid Career
Coarse, as p~esen-ly constituted, is no";, a useful tool
for development of ma,-.-.y of DD/S&T's most competent
personnel. ~t is certainly clear, from data presented
earlier, that many of the DD/S&T's best personnel are
recruited at grade levels such that by the time they
have finished their necessary three year hitch, their
grade level prevents many of them from being assigned
to the course. As a result the DD/S&T is consistently
submitting less than its best candidates for this course.
This prob, '- .. 11 be overcome somewna- by the availability
in the more personnel in the proper grade levels
in such Cff:.ces as OSP and ORD, as -these Offices come of
age, but "LL-.e basic problem w_ll still exist as long as the
present ground rules are in vogue. The course was clearly
designed for other directorates than the DD/S&T.
3. In many areas, career development in the DD/S&T
consists prf_rarily of tackling increasingly difficult
technical taszs. A raacor problem existc in ensuring that
such tas.'-~s are available in numbers sufficient to chal-
lenge our manpower. seems qu_te clear that mashy, pos-
sibly most-, of DD/S&T personnel engaged in R&D are not in
the Agency to make intelligence a career, but to make R&D
a career. if a suitable technical challenge does not
exist, many of --hem including often the most experienced,
will leave. There is further discussion on this point in
the next section, which deals with the problem of attrition.
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! , ace. as i ., is w _ Lh ?asks of ever-inc_ a~n
-