CONTROL OF THE AGENCY'S RECORDS STORAGE GROWTH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00099A000200160007-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 4, 2002
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: June 10, 1971
• Content Type: MF

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0 JUN. 1971 Exo tive g ,61.xy
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PEMORANDIZI FOR: Zzeentiva Diractor..Comptroller
THROUGH : Deputy Director for Cort '
SUBJECT : Control of the k3ancy's Records
Storage Growth
? 1. Paragraph ai of this memorandum contains a recommends
tion for your approval.
2. For many monthst the Records Managokvit Board and. the
,encyts Records Management Staff have devoted a major portion
? of their efforts to the problcm. of containing a constantly
increasing .Ageney records storage apace reouirernent, within a
:25X1A limited fixed L Over the
past two yonrsv interim steps have been tahen to postpone
? reaching fun and final capacity at the Ce7.xter. These wacastu'ea
included the falowing _four principal approaches:
a. A concerted effort IVA di initiated in 1963 to
achieve a substantial reduction in Directorate ho1d-
25X1A Inge in storage For two and a half
years a records purge wae. COndizeteA. by each Director.
ate and rcosulted la a k' W.,1 Agency reduction or about
8.000 cu. ft of records. This net reduction is a
tcrvorary reversal of the previous i'wowth rate which
avereNged about 61500 cu ft per year cawing the
pre eding ten.year period..
b, Resources were made available and action
initiated .at year to install modern records storage
equipment' and to renovate warehouse storage apace at
25X1A I I in order to slake available
approximately 20 so 401) u ft of additional oapaeity.
A total of 1530000 cu ft, of storage apace vi3.1 be
available when this work ?is completed se.'ketime late
in 1971.
a, Concarrantly1 a variety of prograAs were
initiated to explore record miniaturization teebniques
and applications in order to reduce the volume of
records requiring storage space and to improve retrieval
and utilization of filed data.
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1
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d. Each. Directorate cent ed, with varying degeo
? of success, to examine records creation and ototio
policies in order to .try to reduce the growth burden
on the records storage facilities of the Agency.
3 Two of the foregoing approaches -. the, npurge" and the
acquisition of space and equipment .- are in terms of accrued
benefitsi "one.shot" affairs. Although they have provided a
breathing spell -- perhaps six or seven years -. they will not
result in any long-term permaaent solution to the Agency's
records storage growth problems. Althoue?h they should continue as
an element in each Directorate's records management program4 addi-
tional purges in the foreseeable future will provide substantially
fewer benefits. The allocation of significant resources for further
physical expansion seems very anlikely. NO permanent solution is
possible uslemsnat growth rates are reduced ultimately to zero.
The other two approaches to the problem .- miniaturisation and
policy changes for records creation and retention .- ere slow-
moving and complex efforts which impact on each Directorate's
record probleme in varying degrees.' There is reason to believe
that the success of these approaches relates directly to each
Directorate's motivation to attach the problem. Nowover4 it is
within these two areas -. miniaturisation and more rigorous control
over records creation? retention, and destruction .. that the long.
term resolution of the Agency's records storage problems lies.
4. All Directorate* are rully aware of the stringent records
storage space situation at I R entlyo each performed
well in "purging" its storage oz of &nthte no longer having
retention value. Each is exploring Werophotography an a space-
saminz end retrieval device.. Offices are reviewing the level of
their ."supplementn1 distribution.'" documnt ntocks.
5. The conclusion reeched as a result of these efforte is
accomplishments depemi to a larva extent on the degree of
itY and importance which the line comand'in end) Directorate
on the records atorage end control problem. Even eo in
)sence of specific gonle? achievement is sporadic and
enpredictsble. Given the Agency's heterogeneous activities,
organizations, end spprosches to manageelont problems any ettezopt
to in titationalize unifor.:alty or ce.r&trtaiZatv101.1 elUr,Mg Direct r1; a w
microfilming aysteraso policieS9 end prcKlotiurek le of dovOtrul
utility, and in the long ran? la probably Counterproductive and Dny
be impossible to define. In other wordaa each Directorate mast do
its own job end run its own program. P. central 'Yency staff component
can only -advise .. it can accomplish little.
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The ot remains that the & has fixed and 111:I1tod
records stor aze capacity tc. accc.mmodate what 1 11 be a continually
inereasinz records storage load. If nothing is dcaelo the CIA
Reeords Center ulli reach nextaum capacity in six or seven years.
Since the Directorates have control of their own records creation
and retention policies and prourams they must also assume the
responsibility fOr controlling tho size or the storage burden imposed
on the Agency storage facility as a result of their records creation
and control setivities? This means that each Directorate munt be
limited to a fsradually decreasing annual net croltrI;i1 in rceores stored
At the ,TAecords. Center and eventually the annual NVIume accessions
must equal annual destraction volume, This ii tion must be riDC4
on a date in the future when the cable feotazo of new records stored
each year will equal that of old reoe.,?mle. removed. Concurrent179, on
Agency policy prohibiting the procurement of additional Atornge
facilities ... safes and files ..? at !h re and. other Azaney
1oeationsi except perhaps when a new organization is created will
prevent rierely tr nsforring the problem froml----lo other Azency
locations,
7, The allocation of an annual net records stoma increase to
each Directorate will control the flow of reec,n?ds to the Records
Center,0 but 4tt, the same timeo the solution to each Directorate's
records storage problem in clearly the responsibility of the
individual Directorate. Each Directorate will determine for iteen
whether 'micron:Laing reductions in records creation and retention;,
the storing or raterofilmnd, compater.produced reports in lieu of Mrd
copy9. or any other approach is cost.effective, This will contribute
materially to its ability to livm within the allocated annual storage
rate. The Directorates will have to assusAe the responsibility for
developing and implementing records reduction actions -within their
own cress- of M8mcemant responsibility. The rotirwent of reeords to
the Records Center will continuo to he accopplished through the
existing :Records Control gchedeles 'processes to ensure that legal
retention' ro4airementa are observed. ?
,25X1A
8 The following data le presented to (clarift this approach;
a, Total records atoroge capacity
at the end of 1971
b, Lase &gency ardhives storaae
at present
Capacity for geuerel porpose
to e
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Reserved for erchivos growth 5,000
e. Reserved for continzencies Z5,222
f, Capacity available for
Directorates (and DCI area) 117,000 Cu. ft.
Current Directorates an
DCI storago levels (as of
1 April 1971)
Ii. Not capacity available for
future growth
75,000 Cu. ft.
42,000 Cu. ft.
A net growth capacity of 42;000 Cu. ft. means that, in order to avoid
further investment In additional storage space, each of the four
Directorates must be limited to a. growth of 10,000 Cu. ft. (and DCI
area 2,000 cu. ft.) over whatever period of time is deemed advisnble.
When this 421000 additional cu. ft. has been occupied, annual levels
of the introduction of rocords into storage must equal annual records
destruction levels. It vould appear that a twenty-year program of
gradually decreasing annual records storage authorizations is neconsary
to provide Directorates with i time-frane within ubich to explore,
establish, and implement the 'mans to achieve equilibrium between
records creation and records destruction.
9. The following system imposing a reduction each year in the
annual net increase in space allocated for records storage by 25X1A
each Directorate will serve this purpose.' each Directorate will be
required to limit net increases in its annual records storage levels
25X1A 1 aa follows:
int Yr. V/ 1971 1,000 cu. ft. .
2nd yr. 3.972 950 Cu. ft.
3rd Yr. FY 1973 . 900 ca. ft..
etc. (annually reduced by 50 Cu. ft. each year)
. 19th yr... (17Y 1989) 100 Cu. ft.
20th yr. .(rr 1990) 50 Cu. ft.
Eadh year thereafter -- no not increase is authorized.
Of course, if new Directorates are created, or if unknown requirements
. appear which cannot be mat through the contingency space available,
. these annual net increase allocations can be further reduced or
- reallocated at any time as circumstances warrant.
CNOENTIVit
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10. Prior to the puree- eampeign the storage burden on the
Records Center increased on the average or about E,),500 ou. a7t. per
year. Application of the propeeed approach, nhould not impose en
unacceptable burden en any Directorate. IT?the program is success-
ea by the tenth yearx, the znnual net increase mill have been cut
in half end by the 20th year 14111 have ended. .
11. It ie recauended that the ikaplementatien of the approach.
zet forth in this memorandum be approved end that you sign the
attached memorandum addressed to the Deputy Directors informing ?
them of thin nem policy end establishing Directorato. annual net
increase ellecationo. The memorandum to tbe Deputy Director for
Support cements on the additional responsibilities of the Support
Directorate in connection with the impleentation of this policy.
DD/S Distribution:
Orig Adse
1 - ER
2 - DD/S
1 - Sec/R04----
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Concur with recommendation contained in Paragraph 11:
John W. aofliy
Deputy Director for Smpport
cconmendation made in Paragraph 11 is Approved:
1" L K- Whltg
t.
Execntive.Director-Comptroller
- 6
" 17,
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Date
JUL 1971
1)ate
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IviEMOP,ANDi.Zi :=0;;: Col. White
Here for your approval is a plan by the
Records Management Board which limits the net
growth of records in storage. Each Directorate
will be allocated 10,000 feet of the available
capacity and may use only 1,000 feet of it the
first year. Each subsequent year the net new
volume decreases by 50 feet, thus their alloca-
tions should last 20 years. .Eventually they
should be destroyln as much old volume as they
are storing new material.
The Boardmmbe-,:s coordinated this proposal
in their respectve Lirectorates.
Memos for c,:,( Df.r signature to the Deputies
attphorl .;- r, .- .lownn.,- .:t 71ano
I [
are
Joan )'. t.:,ortcy
(DATE)
ronm NO.
I AUG 54
101
REPLACES FORM 10.101
WHICH MAY LA: USED.
(47)
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