BIG SYSTEMS PLANNING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP76B00952R000400020006-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 27, 2005
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: July 22, 1971
• Content Type: MF

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22 July 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR: Executive Director-Comptroller
SUBJECT: Big Systems Planning
1. The other day Bob Wattles presented to the Director the status
of a study on the location of the He also discussed the
2. The placement of the in juxtaposition one day
with NPIC probably is correct. The fundamental question that keeps
bothering me, however, goes beyond the content of Bob's briefing and
reaches to the consequences of decisions made today concerning
processing. For instance, what are our expectations from
I and our requirements, and how do these interrelate with
What bearing might these
expectations and relationships have on the determination now of a
location for or an NPIC A&E survey?
3. In the FY 1972 and 1973 budgets, funds are provided to NPIC
for research and development on recessing and equipment. In
FY 1973 we also included over~for support of special studies
or task groups we felt are needed to prepare for the receipt and use
of the products from and to look into the analytic
implications of real time information. Recently, during
visit to NPIC, questions were raised about the utilization of these
monies in the context of all reconnaissance systems and customer needs.
[Note bserved to me later he had hoped, by raising this
question, to hear more on the analytic rationale associated with the
:handling of the =data and other systems, including He
observed that before funds could be considered formally by OMB for
exploring the processing issue or for new installations, a more careful
statement of rationale and plans would be needed.
4. The need for a special center and specialized people to handle
the real time imagery is not in question. The principal question which
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precedes the physical plant (the A&E for which we are proposing
in FY 1973) concerns the postulating of the analytic processes, their
relationship to the hardware design and the production methods which
would be employed in using the product, including considerations of
manpower mix, communications equipments, and physical space
determinations.
5. Planning to date on the analytic front has been diffused. Dick
Kerr has been appointed by the DDI to explore and coordinate elated 25X1
considerations within his Directorate; as far as I know, he has begun
that task well. COMIREX is probing a number of the issues related to
targets, other systems, resolution and the like. OSP operational aspects
are coordinated with NPIC, COMIREX, and others. General Taylor, NIPE,
has a number of things going which touch on aspects of this problem;
e. g. , his photo reconnaissance group (PRG), strategic warning indications
group (SWIG), and the USIB information handling committee (IHC). [At
this writing it is unclear to me how the NIPE pieces tie together to
provide the needed pattern of relationships of the many big systems to
the Community's analytic needs now and in the later 70's. ]
6. In his most recent Program Plan, the DDI emphasized the need
for "a mechanism to investigate, initiate and oversee completion of the
steps necessary to enable the Agency to utilize fully capabilities. " 25X1
To do this, the DDI has proposed the establishment of a full-time Agency
study group consisting of representatives of the Intelligence Directorate
and other affected components which would be administratively assigned
to the Office of the Deputy Director for Intelligence, but as a Group
with Agency-wide responsibility would report substantively to the
Executive Director-Comptroller. PPB has long urged the establishment
of some such focal point to concentrate on the impact of =in context 25X1
with both the Agency's analytic and collection functions and on the
phasing of manpower and support related thereto. [I have attached a
copy of the DDI proposal and recommend that it be taken up at the
earliest opportunity with the Deputy Directors and that the proposal be
implemented. ]
7. The need for coordination and preparation for "reaches also
to the Community multi-source systems which already are collecting
a wide variety of data. New systems are planned for the 70's and the
adequacy of current systems pending I.s 'a subject of serious review
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by ExCom. The analytic task of the 70's -- or perhaps it is the
information processing task -- is to correlate data from all systems
in such a fashion as to reduce uncertainty, provide us with a better
warning system, improve our capabilities to monitor SALT agreements
and crises, and support deeper analytic inquiry -- and in a real time
mode. Community collection efforts and the processing and analytic
tasks involved in correlating all-source information are highly inter-
dependent; accordingly they should also be studied as a total system.
The USIB represents the foremost institutional structure representing
the total systems on the requirements end. Responsibilities for the
variety of inputs range across the Community as do funding and budget
authority, and USIB is not designed to meet these coordinative tasks
at present. This point seems to be at the heart of the recent OMB
report on the organization of the Community, which emphasized a
Director of Central Intelligence as the manager of the Community, working
from a controlled processing and analytic base.
8. How does this all tie into the decision options for an
or an NPIC building? Planning for the location of processing plants,
communication links, ADP software, etc. , for all systems including
is a vast job. It should start from the objective of reaching the most
effective correlation of analytic intelligence output for the U. S.
Government that is possible and at the lowest effective cost. The
dimension of that objective is almost overwhelming but some aspects of
the matter are directly related to decisions we want to make now --
decisions where tradeoffs of manpower and dollars will be required
or example,
There are good evidences that building too large a
total system is counterproductive. [The military have had numerous
failures at such attempts and NSA is a good example where the principle
of "economies of scale" may not be working.] There are also political
and possible security problems in locating too many intelligence entities
at one point. Nevertheless, in this day of "decision options" prudent
planning by CIA would seem to require that while A&E studies are being
programmed for an NPI location, we should also have
going some institutional charge to make a Community assessment of the
relationship of analytic processes and people to all-source material,
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transmission forms and methods, and location. Such examination might
show that, however politically difficult, the NPIC processing capability
should be housed nearer to the analysts in Langley rather than to
perpetuate a separation. It might show that the proposed DIA new building
should be nearer receipt points for real time source processing. There are
no clear answers but it seems to me that if the Community is to get funds
for whatever is to be done, analytic expectations and requirements will
have to be spelled out more clearly so that they may have their proper
influence on whatever forms and, physical plans these multisystems are
likely to generate for a cost-conscious economy.
9. DOD has made mistakes in planning some of its big systems.
Mr. Mahon referred to these in our recent hearing, criticizing "... committing
systems to production while major uncertainties of method and use remain
unsolved, and authorizing engineering development and plant construction
before the analytic requirements are understood or defined. " We cannot
afford to ignore these observations.
10. Leadership in this matter is likely to fall upon the Director.
Without new authorities, I believe Mr. Helms can take the initiative to
assure that the Community's planning for the absorption of all systems gets
underway, and by so doing can give visibility to a far better degree to the
needs, issues and costs. The place to start is not in building plants alone,
but in defining the Agency and Community analytic requirements and
methodologies in the light of:
b. Foreseeable technologies (improved computer programming,
communications links, equipments).
c. Relationships of geographic locations of processing elements
(NSA, NPIC, ELINT centers, etc.) to the analytic forces who use the
data (DIA, CIA). [In this context. there is a whole range of behavioral
overlays which, in our language, we call "political. "]
11. As stated, this obviously is a big bite; we will have to do it in
pieces. The DDI proposals should receive serious consideration now.
The construction of s, underway. The marriage of the NPIC
is a logical decision point. There are many more. Our time
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at this point needs to be spent on more than just exploring geographic
areas for likely sites. The institutionalizing of a plan targeted from a
clear conception of analytic methodology should be the driving force
to ultimate decision on physical plant design and location.
12. Lastly, if you will permit a little idealism, this opportunity
for leadership will set the stage in coordination and management of
intelligence information for the next 20 years.
13. I urge you take steps to have the different Agency inputs being
made on this subject clearly presented and systematically laid out, and
that you explore with the Deputies -- particularly the DDI and DD/S&T --
a proper institutional approach to a Community effort as well as within
CIA.
ionn ar e
- Director/PPB
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Attachment
DDI Proposal for F-Istudy Group
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