RECORDS RETIREMENT PROGRAM, PROGRESS REPORT ON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00099A000200170104-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 2, 2001
• Sequence Number: 104
• Publication Date: August 6, 1968
• Content Type: MF

8 AUG 1968
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orusgryr.,,m FOR:
SUBJECT;
August :1968
Records Retirement Program, Progress Report on ?
1. In ',anticipation of a directive from higher management to reduce
radically our holdings in the Records Center, we have taken certain
preliminary .steps to prepare for such action. CRS Records
25X1A Management Officer, for ISG (represented in part by
25X1A for SSG have served as an informal
ad hoc committee, together with me, in making an initial evaluation of our
records situation and possible courses of action. I have also conferred at
25X1A some length with DDI Records Management Officer, who,
while alerting us to the coming records storage review, indicated that we
should not take caly specific action until we hoar further from the 0/DDI.
Ho stated that guidelines will be isoucd.
2. I had occasion also to talk at some length with
the Agency Records Management Officer) who has prepared the draft
directive for the Executive Director's signature. Ile anticipated that a
memorandum would be forthcoming about 1 August with a request for a
report in 30 days on initial steps that had been taken. (As of 5 Augu.st) the
0/DDI had not received the memorandum.) He estimated that it might take
two years to do the required job but expected that it would have to be done
in one.
3.- After two preliminary meetings of the ad hoc committee, we
visited the Records Center and were briefed by on the status
of our records holdings and steps he fit we rairdit take initially to reduce
them. We have also been reviewing the extensive files at Headquarters
which relate to the nntterial.; deiesited in the Records Center and to
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preeedure s and practioc,,s in sending materials there. On Monday,
25X1A 5 August, and an aseistant spout a day at the Records
Center compiling data on the frequency of use pattern of various
categories of CRS records. We expect also to obtain a recent IBM
listing of all CII3 deposits.
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4. At the present time CM3 has 10,42,4 cubic feet of records in
Records Center, divided as
Permanent
Temporary
Indefinite
3734 Cu. ft.
581 11 ft
6059 "
10424 cu. It.
5. recommendation was that we not attempt to
attack the permanent group now. Technically the documents in this
group are candidates for the archives, will make recom-
mendations r',iYrarding these at a later date. Although some action
could be taken to reduce the time limit en the temporary storage group,
the primary target should be the 5059 cubic feet sent there with no
definite date for final disposition. The sine of this group suggests that
we have either been very lax In attempting to determine the probable
. useful life of records we have retired and have "passed the buck," in
effect, over a long period of time, or else the instructions under which
we have been working have been too general to permit more precision
in providing for the final disposition of obsolete records.
6. On the acsumption that the forthcoming directive will seek to
obtain prompt and substantial, reductions in volume, it is suggested that
we identify some of the larger categories first, and especially those
which, by inspection, appear to be most susceptible to quick and
massive purging. Once these have been disposed of we can proceed
to the smaller categories, including the ones marked "permanent,"
many of which will require aore detailed examination. Some of the
- large categories which seem most likely to yield early dividents are
the following: -
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Total
445 Cu. ft. inactive
cu. ft. Vital Records
583 en. a.
Domment Conect!ori (item 455)? including non-CIA
docun-xato more than 3 years old, foreign documents,
both hard copy and inierefihn.
4400 Cu. ft.
Library Document Files (Item 38),
including documents a other agencies.
. 800 cu. ft. (Est.)
rce. Card Filo: 450 cu. ft..
Card ilcs (15,033,300 cards) -
1600 Cu. ft.
25X1A 7. :a December 1037 Chief, FIB, recommended that
the old Industrial Register files, except those in VMR, be destroyed since
25X1A ? there had been no reference activity in them for some ten years.
Chief, MG.- concurred in the proposal with the exception that he ie 6 646me
25X1A enclosures to for which ta had accepted the repository respon-
sibility, be removed before the files were destroyed. Ile sucrested the
possible use of summer employees for this job. This group of documents
includes
25X1A 37 cubic feet of the verse...as Microfilm Project, which
the D/CaS recommended in January 1037 be retained for another year.
? An early review of the recommendations by a panel of knowledgeable
officers might make it feasible to start the purging of those files even
- during the present summer.
O. A preliminary e?wzninaticya suggests that there may be a large
volume of non-CLA dectunents inactive foL. me,-...et than 5 years in the Item 455
category of 4430 cubic feet. Under the e'freenaent reached in 1061 within the
Intelligence Coran=ity, ths documents should be candidates for destruction.
? ? ,? ? , 4 44 rl
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C. The S files, the Source Card and other card files should be
aailaniy rovie\./ed. has prepared for the committee a
summaz7 of the large colloctiono of cards currently in storage, which
number ahn o et 2.0 , 000, 03-3 .
10. in order to proceed systematically with this massive and
complex operation, it is recommended that a series of small "blue
ribben" panels be cat up, representing the functional areas existing
before the roorganization. These should oonsiet of senior knowledgeable
, officers such as former branch and division chiefs assisted by a small
staff of competent senior analysts who ceuld do the preliminary work in
reviewing and preparing the records for panel consideration. The cas
1-1003zdo Ma maul Officer should ho directed to prepare systematically
for each of these panels, beginning with the large files listed above,
,2,03::::07:s on each group of files consisting of copies of the retirement
schedules and records, ace patterns, and any pertinent directives or
agreements that may affect the diseretionary authority of CRS to dispose
25X1A cf thc records. in this connection, has prepared a compilation
of material covering some of the agreements relating to the retention of
matoriaL This file also contains lists ef selection criteria compiled by
the 'LSO area divisions as paxt of the joint ICG/SSG bibliographic control
study (Projec,t 30). A sio.!ple form should be provided containing, the
identification of the file or files under review, the membership of tho
panel, tho facts bearing on the problem, and the recommendations of
the panel to tho LVCITS regarding the disposition of the records, i.e.,
permanent retention, retention for a specified period, or immediate
? destruction. The recommendations should be. forwarded through both -
group chiefs. Specific caveats oheuld be included to cover mixed files
which would entail box by box examination and purging. Priority should be
given to the IR files and the Rem z.15.5 files noted above, with the possibility
that action on the former might be started very soon.
11. Since the present records retirement schedules are tied almost
completely to the previous functional divisions, it is apparent that these
?sehedule5.,, should be promptly rewritten and simplified to conform to tho
present geographic organisation. This can be best accomplished by a
joint ISG/SSG panel of senior officers supported by an ad hoc staff
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consisting of the C2i,' Zezerde Zfment Offices and selected personnel
huswledgefsie, in Cr.2 se'-cords retiren.zent practices and in regulations and
scnts related thereto. Et is believed that this schedule revision will
be most productive after the proposed review of records currently in
?storage is well advanced. The esean''',";en of past practices should help
to reveal weolmesses is our present schedules and procedures and assist
us in evrtfluating our philosophy of records retirement. This aspect of
the study should address itself also to the status of the records maw:Igo-
-most function within CRS with a view to onhancins its effeetivoncss in the
, future.
12. it is rot possible at this time to estimate whether we can indeed
out our stored r?Scords by 30%. Ii7.asn-lueh asIie have a smaller volume of
Ce In storage today than we did in 1'330, it is apparent that we have
net been progressively acing to the pile without discrimination. On the
other h,,r,d, as noted above, there are some groups of records that appear
ripe for major purging. ClaT-.; is charged also for records which we store
agreenseztt with other cempcsonts? e.g., CS Reports and
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? '7'.;a:is tclicls to innate our holdings and should be tolten into account in
reporting our efforts at reduction. A related matter is the status of the
records collection of some 20,000 cubic feet retained at Headquarters.
13. Another dimension of this problem to which we should address'
cur attention, after the puroing project and the schedules revision are
ocraploted or well advanced, is the Vital Materials Collection which
amounts to 1232 cubic feet. This volume is largely in addition to the
25X1A total storage figures given above, but reports that there is
come overla:7ping. Here again beth the collection and the schedules
should be reviewed and the on-going responsibility clearly defined.
14. ? CRS also has 504 cubic feet of its own publications for
25X1A L'5?122pieracztoxy distribution out of 11),103 cubic feet stored by CIA at
No action is indicated on this material at the present time.
25X1A The space must, however, be vacated by CIA in December
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15. la summary, this report recormaer.ds the following:
a.'Selection, as candidates for an initial effort, of large
categories of records, especially in the "indefinite" group,
which scare rnest eustu.:ytible to major purging to be followed
by the systematic enaminc,,tion of all remaining categories
including those now mari,:ed "permanent."
b. Immediate review and action on the previous
recommendations regarding the disposal of the Industrial
Register records.
c. Adoption of a "panel" system supported by ad hoc
staffs to pre:x.1re reeenamendations for D/CllS approval..
d. Creation of a joint ISCISSO panel, also supported
by an ad hoe staff, to review, 1."-V,"7::.'ita, and simplify the
present records retirement schedules to conform to the
now C,RS organization. This panel should also examine
-critically the selection and retention practices relating to
records maintained at licadzuarters. It should also prepare
re,commoations for the over-all organization and admin-
istration of the CRS Records Management Program and the
Vital Materials Pre ram in the future.
e. Modification of the foregoing to conform to any
specific guidelines that may be forthcoming from the 0/DDI.
f. Continuation of the present committee to provide
over-all guidance, coordination, and support to the program
as outlined above.
Eistribution:
Orig. & 1 '
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