RECORDS PURGE - - INITIAL REPORT ON DCI AREA

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP73-00099A000200040010-3
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
3
Document Creation Date: 
November 11, 2016
Document Release Date: 
April 12, 1999
Sequence Number: 
10
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
September 25, 1968
Content Type: 
MEMO
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP73-00099A000200040010-3.pdf124.58 KB
Body: 
Approved For Release I 999 FBI JCIA-RDP73-00099A000200040010-3 2 5 SEP 1968 MEMORANDUM FOR: Chairman, CIA Records Management Board SUBJECT : Records Purge =- Initial Report on DCI Area The program to purge the Records Center of non-essential paper has been activated by each of t e components of the DCI Area. Responsible officers have been designated., Records Center schedules have been reviewed., some visits to the Center have been made, some materials have been destroyed or earmarked for early destruction, and 25X1A initial plans for proceeding have been developed. Each DCI Area component has submitted an initial status report. A tabular summary of these reports is attached to this memorandum. (The individual reports have been provided under separate cover to the Records Management Board as background material.) 2. Initial Results and Comment At this early point in the purge program, very few inactive records (6 cu. ft.) have actually been destroyed by DCI components and only a modest amount of material (55 cu. ft.) has been earmarked for possible destruction. -Why is this the case? Why haven't the DCI components already destroyed significant amounts of their_holdi.ngs?25X1A Major factors are: (a) Short Time: - This purge effort is only a few weeks old. Purge planning and actions are not yet completed. (b) Small Files: - With two or three exceptions, DCI Area files at the Records Center are very small and have a correspondingly limited potential for significant com- pression through purging or microfilming. (Indeed, all DCI Area materials constitute only 1 1/2% of the Records Center holdings.) (c) Official CIA Files: - DCI Area files tend to be the official files of CIA and are therefore high priority candidates for retention for operational, legal, historical, and Vital Material reasons. 6Rui4P 1 Approved For Release 1999/0(.'A- 0 19 aW~a, A000200040010-3 Approved For Release 1999/0' ~eIA-RDP73-00099A000200040010-3 3. The Potential for Reduction Although some saving in storage space will be realized through purge actions on the smaller files, the main potential for reduction in volume of DCI Area files lies in the following: (a) CIA Cable Reference File, 1963 to present (685 cu. ft.) (1) (2) (3) Microfilm this file, saving c. 675 cu. ft. Reduce the present 15-year retention period.. (Under present policy, this file will grow to 2000 cu. ft. before destruction schedules will stabilize its size. ) Destroy this file, thereby limiting cable retrieval to the 14-month depth .now maintained at Headquarters... and removing this file from the Vital Materials program. (b) National Security Council File (224 cu. ft.) (1) (2) Transfer this file to another component of the government. (This file is now stored by CIA per 1961 agreement between McGeorge Bundy and Allen Dulles.) Drastically purge the contents of this collection through a narrow interpretation of the historical /archival obligation. (c) Executive Registry Files (143 cu. ft.) will conduct the purge review of these DCI materials, under retiree contract. 25X1A Approved For Release 1999/09/1 ~JARDP7300099A0002000400I 0-3 SE6H'E Approved For Release 199 IT CIA-RDP73-00099A000200040010-3 4. Next Steps in Purge (a) Work towards decision on purge actions to be taken on the major DCI Area files listed immediately above. (b) Carry out the other purge actions planned by the components of the DCI Area. (c) Seek quick clarification, through the mechanism of the CIA Records Management Board, on policy, legal, and procedural questions which are expected to arise as this purge progresses. Major relief to the storage space problem at the Records Center cannot derive from purging actions on the comparatively small files of the DCI Area. Reduction in DCI Area files can, however, be effected and such action is vigorously supported by the Executive Director-Comptroller. By the end of this calendar year we hope to have completed most of our record destruction actions and to have made decisions on retention policy changes, microfilming, and file transfer actions in support of the purposes of this records purge. 25X1A O/DCI Representative Records Management Board Attachment: As stated Approved For Release 1999/091CII-RDP73-00099A000200040010-3