ARCHIVES, HISTORY, AND RECORDS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP78-00433A000100080013-0
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
26
Document Creation Date: 
December 12, 2016
Document Release Date: 
November 19, 2001
Sequence Number: 
13
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
January 1, 1972
Content Type: 
MF
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PDF icon CIA-RDP78-00433A000100080013-0.pdf1.49 MB
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' rJat3i a5d'. 11 ch ~. Approved For Rase 2002/01/07: CIA-RDP78-00433A100080013-0 MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Intelligence Deputy Director for Plans Deputy Director for Science and Technology Deputy Director for Support SUBJECT : Archives, History, and Records 1, Executive Order 11652 and the implementing National. Security Council Directives governing the classification/de classification of nationall, security infor- mation must be implemented by 1. June 1972. While classification is the subject which these directives address, the overriding implications of their provisions seem clearly to place compliance within the province of records management, histories, and archives administration. Classification and declassification are command responsibilities but so are records management and history. It seems to follow that we should provide the single mechanism for the management of these programs. 2. It is my intention, therefore, to create a new Records Management Board with senior level representation from the Office of the Director and each of the Directorates which will serve as the internal Agency Classification/ Declassification Review Committee in compliance with Executive Order 11652. The first order of business for this board should be the development of a system and structure for the integrated administration and management of the archives, history, and -records declassification systems. Regulations developed for pub- lication. in time to meet the 1 June deadline of the Executive Order and implementing instructions are to be regarded as interim measures to satisfy the immediacy of the deadline and serve to highlight: t:he importance of immediate concerted effort to establish. orderly and meaningful. lorrg-?term programs. 3. Cons:i.derablc study and ('discussion have taken place of the Agency 1Rsto:r:ical Program and i:l.r.e Records Management and Archives Programs, This rr:ierrror~~_rrcium outlines a basic a.pproacli to the in.t:errelatior.rsh:i.lr of these three subjects in an effort to improve the Agency's perfoi:enance in all. the sc. CiFelds, i,:98UP 1 Approved For Release 2002/01/07 Iq RpP78-9Q4,3t3AA0 D100060 l9'~ 0 7 Covafl,,eaa~aq a.; r ? }.:b deciussrnaanon Approved For Rei se 2002/01/07 : CIA-RDP78-00433A0100080013-0 4. In essence, the three subjects all record our experience to make it available for future use as required. This use includes file searches for current operational support, briefing and training new personnel, answering press or congressional questions as to the Agency's role in earlier events and now must be extended to include compliance with the Freedom of Information Act and E.0. 11652. The problem is to design a system which will satisfactorily answer the needs of the future in these fields with a minimum expenditure of man-hours and funds at present. In these clays of declining personnel ceilings, we obviously cannot dedicate large amounts of current manpower to making immediately available detailed answers to all contingent questions. On the other hand, some records have direct value to future operations, and certainly our need to handle press or congressional questions and comply with the law executive directives warns us of the need to devote an appropriate effort in this direction. 5. In our approach to this problem in this internally compartmented Agency, it is essential to decentralize much of the responsibility and most of the actual effort. At the same time, this decentralization needs to be matched by a system which will indicate the degree to which minimum standards are met by all units, and a mechanism by which units can profit by interchange of experience and by sharing solutions, 6. In our analysis we must clearly recognize different kinds of record material and the different purposes we expect them to serve. Some of our records arc important basic reference tools, e. g., Cl files, Some are analyst working files of moderate life requirements. Some are formal publications of the Agency distributed elsewhere in the government with source sanitization. Some are operational records and documents, and some of these are highly sensitive and must remain compartmented as well as classified. Some of our reviews of past events are essentially chronicles of these events, which have value to new arrivals. Some should be analytical reviews drawing lessons and conclusions. Our system should reflect these differences if it is to do the job needed. 7. The following overall approach to this situation has been developed for implementation through the iiiechanisms indicated: a.. Records Managcmen 25X1A (1) Effective records management is the foundation stone of any sati.sfaet:o:my action in these fields, as well as current operations depending upon effective records. It must: be the subject of continuing and serious attention at a11 levels of the Agency. The Executive Di.rector will report on it periodically to the Director and JDepu::y Director, and it will be rev.ic~ ed scn_iiannually with the D?puti.es, Approved For Release 2002/01/0 , Ci.A RDP18 0"i33A000100080013-0 NJ :all ti'1 ki ::.'a J';l 5 l3 ~!':~r Approved For R se 2002/01/07 : CIA-RDP78-00433AOW00080013-0 (2) The Records Management Board will report its conclusions, recommendations, etc. (with any dissents) directly to the Executive Director. The present CIA Records Administration Branch, Support Services Staff, DDS, will be transferred to the Office of the Executive Director-Comptroller and will become a Secretariat for the CIA Records Management Board. The CIA Records Center will remain under the supervision of the Chief, Records Administration Branch in the Office of the Executive Director. The Records Management Board will make semiannual reports to the Executive Director, out-- lining the status of the Agency's Records Management Program, any problems it is experiencing, and its recommendations for improvement of the program (including reports on records management to be sub- mitted by the Directorates). The Executive Director will consult with the Deputy Directors before implementing any such recommendations. (3) The Records Management Board will furnish a nonvoting member to the Agency Information Processing Board, with authority to submit agenda items and recommendations to the Information Processing Board. He will particularly bring to the attention of the Information Processing Board those aspects of the Agency's Records Management Program which should be considered by the Information Processing Board, with any recommendations for support of the Agency Records Management Program requiring Information Processing Board action. He will similarly make available to the Records Management Board all infor- nia.tion coming before the Information Processing Board which might he of value or be appropriately considered by the Agency Records Management Board and its members. (4) The Records Management Board will develop recommendations as to categories of Agency records (such as the categories in paragraph 6 above, plus any others deemed appropriate) and as to specific guidelines for the selection, retenition, and declassification of records in these categories. These guidelines should also, where appropriate, include time periods for retention and declassification by. category and indicate disposition tl.iereafte:r, and include appropriate measures to comply wi.t:h l.eg~l and executive requirements for retention and dec]assification. In part cu1a.r, recommendations should be ni.ade as to ti:ic identification of categories which might appropriately be retired as classified govcrn.?? rnent documents under GSA au spices or passed to the National. Archives, .rather than hold solely Linder. CIA control. to protect intelligence sources and methods. Approved For Release 2002/01/07 CIA-RDP78-00433A000100080013-0 -3 is 4;4 Approved Forlease 2002/01/07 : CIA-RDP78-0043300100080013-0 (5) The Records Management Board will serve as the forum for recommendations for declassification., Agency contributions to other Agency historical programs and other interagency problems involving the Agency's records. In this process, coordination will be made as appropriate with the General. Counsel, the Director of. Security, etc. b. Archives (1) Each unit submitting an annual report (see below) will identify its key documents and files for permanent inclusion in Agency Archives. The Records Management Board will develop the system or systems by which such documents will be identified on a systematic basis during the year and indexed for later access and declassification review as an element of the Records Management Program. Annually, each unit will make an overall review to ensure that the documents marked for archival retention are neither excessive in detail, inappropriately classified nor incomplete through omissions. A certificate to this effect will accompany the unit`s Annual Report, and the Agency Archivist will report any problems in this process to the Executive, Director through the Records Management Board (2) An Agency Archivist will be appointed to supervise the ve Agency's Archives Program and will report directly to the Executive Director. He will be a. member of the Agency Records Management Board and will coordinate the execution of the Archives Program through this Board. He will also work in close coordination witl.i the Agency Records Management Officer and the Agency I-Ii storian, Archivists will be appointed by the Deputy Directors in their Directorates to supervise this program in the Directorate. These officers will, be of senior grade, alt"nodgh they may be appointed as Directorate Archivist in addition to other duties, T'hc--y will. be assisted by the Directorate Records Management Ofl:_icers. The Agency and Directorate Archivists will. supervise compliance with overall. Agency Archives regulations to be drawn up and issued after consultation with the Deputy Directors. A semiannual. report to the Executive Director on the Archives Program will. b prepared arrd coord.izrat:ed with. the Records Managen ent Board. (3) Arrangcnnerits will. he made for the segregation of archival clocuin.ents from those held for records purposes, in order to pe:rallt the automatic; re,?t i.r?eruent and disposition of iiecords without loss of kcv ~_I reidval do;cuirrc~rrt:s. Archives will l,e plr~ s~cali .. held b r the established by the.Agcrrcy Archivist. Approved For Release 2002/01/q75..p RDP;7r&; 00433A000100080013-0 ?,._ ~-7 . .... .. .... ....i. S . 'S F'i`g ~_. (9 'i G"~. I irate, Approved For Ruse 2002/01/07 : CIA-RDP78-00433A100080013-0 C. llisto:ry The major thrust of the Agency Historical Program will be placed on the development of analytical histories of important Agency activities and operations. The "Office History" approach to date, which has been largely successful in bringing our history up to 1965, will no longer be the major focus of the program, as the chronicling of future Agency activity will take place under the Annual Report system outlined below. Tints, future Agency histories will take major subjects of Agency activity and analyze the ways in which the various elements of the Agency worked together to produce the overall Agency contribution to the operation in question. There will be some siuiations in which a single element of the Agency provided all or most of the Agency participation in any one activity. There will be occasions also when sensitivity will require that any analytical review of an operation be conducted in a most restricted fashion. This will apply to many Clandestine, Service histories. Priority will be given to establishing the basic Agency history of the more prominent operations and 25X1A activities in which the Agency has been engaged, e. g. , Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs, War in Vietnam, U??2 Operations, etc., with particular attention to lessons derived from these experiences. These histories should also be indexed in a fashion to permit their use to provide immediate response to public or congressional inquiries on these prominent events to the extent feasible. Hi.sto:rics will in the future depend upon Annual Reports for general chronicle and upon the Archives Program for identification of key documents. The Agency Historian will. be an ex officio member of the Records Management Board, will report directly to the Executive Director, and. will work in close coordination with the Agency Archivist and the Agency Records Management Officer, d. .Annual Reports (1) To provide the necessary chronicle of the A oe.rncy's activities at minimum ex.pe.ndi:ture of effort, a. system of annual reports of the 111-rit and offices of d:h.e Agency will be developed. These will. be str:l~n:~itted to the next senior command level for review anal then held by the originating unit, with a copy incorporated in the Agency's Archi.ves, The annual report will. be compiled during Jainuary, covering the previous caierular year. Tuee irlcl,nti_fication of the c:J.enlent:s to subl.11J0: annual rcpor(a and an ou(a.z.c of t;lci.x. focrnat Nvil.l be developed by t:he A.(gency liistori.an for the Executive 0433A000100080013-0 Approved For Release 2002/0117, .Jivd 4-~:yi1~ 7 dSa~-? Approved ForQlease 2002/01107 : CIA-RDP78-00433'00100080013-0 Director, in coordination with the Deputy Directors. 'T'hese may include, significant contractor units, when these played a significant :role in. Agency programs o:r oiler?at:ions. These annual reports should highlight: major accomplishments, major problems and overall con- clusions and recommendations for future action in the unit itself or by elements supporting, or associated with it. As required, cornpart - ment.ed annexes can be compiled and held separately covering particularly sensitive events*'" (2) In many areas it will be essential to produce one--time reports to cover the years from 1965 (o.r the most recent history) to the current Annual Report. This will be undertaken by units identified to submit future Annual Reports. In those situations in which an overall Agency history to be produced will cover the period in cuestion, a separate Annual. Report need not be developed (e. g. , the 25X1 A War in Vietnam), as the necessary chronicle and Archives can be developed at the same time as the analytical. history. In other cases, however, a one-time, effort to catch up to the current annual report system will be necessary, and this will be undertaken by the unit i:a quesLi.on. Staff supe:r.`visioxi of this activity will be provided by the A ency Historian and Archivist. e. Classification and Declassification the Records Management Board will be the focal. point for the Agency*s implementation of the classifical.tion and doclassifr.caa.tion procedures required by Executive Order 11652, The Board will coordinate as required. with the General Counsel, the Director of `,'ccur_i.t\r and other's 3.11 ca.r:ryin ; out this responsibility The CIA. Ge:nc: -1_rzlscl. is .~ de.:~:.~, i n-n~~.ted under r.' S':rc.t:ioh1 7 of this 5 Order as s tl l ce ra.l. Co A` Agency to fl-l.c., Interagency Classification Review Con111 .lace, acting undeer the supervision of the Executive D.recltor. W. E, Colby I xec_ ti. c; 1).r.cetor: -Comptroll.c:r cc: In:, i1 i.or.: Gc:11o::rn1.1. General. Con1lnd lei rc:;i:o.t: 0.1 Cccl1?_i.11", Approved For Release 2002/01/07,` GIA-ROP78;-00.4 3A000100080013-0 STATINTL Approved For Release 2002/01/07 : CIA-RDP78-00433A000100080013-0 Approved For Release 2002/01/07 : CIA-RDP78-00433A000100080013-0 Approved For Rely 2002/01/07: CIA-RDP78-00433A00868?0080013-0 10 May 1972 Mr. Cofcy: i1 r. Colby's memorandum about the Archives s nd History programs has some modest changes from the earner version but is not completely responsive to some of the fundamental points raised with him in response to the earlier version. Rather than d:vel1 on these differences it may be more productive to look at the current paper by itself. The overall concept of having the archive &nd-history,,records and class ificatlon/declassliication put together organ ationally l think is fundamentally sound; the problem is that the soundness of the basic concept is likely to be shattered lay the discussions that are bound to be generated in reaction to some Of the specifies. 't'he e o ds .t~clrrlinistrst?on O fiver s to ~:i it t:re Records Mar..;-i ement Board and report directly to the Executive Director; the DD/S is to provide general support to the 11,--cords Management Program; the Records N ama-gement Board is to have a secretariat reporting to the Executive Director; the "Records Center is to he under the mmiagement o:f ti`~e Records Management Of facer. the w.-,ley of interpreting t . a is that all of the existiz Records Management bra ncn of the Support Services Staff would be trans- , forred to the Ta~ecutlve Director to provide secretariat support to the board but th a :laves unanswered the question of. what is me.ant by the s atement that DD/S will provide general support for the p 3 `a.2'n. l understood you to say this morning that It was your impression that the Records Center would be left in Vie DD/S; that the Archivist would chair the Records M anagenaent card and that the Records l~ ;nag x e Officer Nvould act as secretary to the board. None of these t 6iln-s come t .-irough in Mr. Colby's rilemorandum. The memo s ly'r hlat the, Archivist will report directly to the Executive Director; t: alt he will be a member of the Records Management Board and coordinate L'he archives program through 'till.' l ~ari,t. He Is to work ?~ o{~ ?T~ ?'-1 '(,~ e R e s n en}. and G~,~~S2 e s 'I' CI V SPAY the 1...Co.r _Is ~. ~._ana- yl ~~. w. LL V1..L,a r ~..L ~. ~.. SR 4l V.4 .L' J..1.o ii. e hi on 1 ~.gTl T also -port directly to the Executive Director w nd will he a e officio member of the boa-,,:Y .- Approved For Release 2002/01/07 : CIA-RDP78-00433A0001.00080013-0 Approved For ReIse 2002/01/07: CIA-RDP78-00433A0 100080013-0 Deputy Directors are to appoint archivists of senior grade who may fulfill these responsibilities in addtition to other duties. They are to be assl.sted by the Directorates' Records Mk--Lnagern-ent Ofice:rs. There is no similar prescription for Directorate ihistorians; only the requirement that histories be prepared. Histories are to be dependent upon annual reports for general chronicle and upon the archives program for identification. of key documents. Taa zny opia i.on raucla of this detail Is superfluous to the basic purpose of cstl-blishing the concept of closely Interrelated archives, histories, and records management. it zr~l ;lot be better to simply state the concept, outline the basic structure,. appoint the Directorate representatives and then charge them with the responsibility for worleng out the functional. and operational details. The most significant basic. chwige is this memo from the earlier edition is the addition of the classillcation/c7ec?assiflca ern fu ou as a responsibility of the Records Management Board.. I applaud Mr. Co.,'oy's t dopti.on of the idea that ol~ass ioatioza/~ieolassif c xtion should be treated as a records management problem but the validity of that notion is based on the assumption that will be a si ni is t upgradirk of the board whose prim-na-ry function iss, not records management and :Mr. Colby's Memorandum would use the Records Ni agement Board as the substitute for, or instead or, creating a z w intra Agency :las 1i' i,cation/ Declassification Review Committee as required by Executive Order 116521. The Chairman of the Records {bard would be the Agency re-'present ative to the Interagency Classification Review Colnl]m itte e. Validity of his of course d-- upon wino is designated. We are told that liefen.se sand State plan to nominate the .r General Counsel= to the inter:. ency Committee which suggests d hat our nominee should be at an equivalent level a and is difficult to see how anyone in that stc fir. could be e-,nected to accept the chairmanship of the S7 to 'tv~>ords Management y~a d. 5'YF~ pro ably need separate ? eap?a; one o represent the Agency on the Interagency Col mi'M e and another to chair whatever group is finally d .cided upon the ~1 gez:ncy. STATINTL P. S. You recall that is chat, i.i1~, assignments this surnaier and it e ~i.: _ em E nt ~'s4ih .>7rg w ;t he t be unfair to ehis to f:ti 7v ?sfact o?-tiy any a Eel l'r"Jt1LCl ! t". expect senior liovei res onsibi iti s contemplated In Nlr. Colby's i lemorandura. Approved For Release 2002/01/07 : CIA-RDP78-00433A000100080013-0 Next 1 Page(s) In Document Exempt Approved For Release 2002/01/07 : CIA-RDP78-00433A000100080013-0 Approved For Release 2002/01/07 : CIA-RDP78-00433A000100080013-0 Approved For Relee 2002/01/07;: CIA-RpP78;100433A00 8001 -V/" 9 May 1972 MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Intelligence Deputy Director for. Plans Deputy Director for Science Technology Deputy Director for Support General Counsel Inspector General SUBJECT : Agenda for the Deputies Meeting on 10 May 1972 At our meeting on Wednesday, 10 May, at 2:30 p.m., the fol- lowing subjects will be discussed: a. Com r?tmentation Systems. The Director of Security will brief on this subject. b. Archives, Histor,y-, and Records. See my revised draft, attached. c. Classification and Declassification. Please refer to the following xnemora.nda:___4 OGC Memorandum of 21 April 1972, "CIA Implemeuta-- tion of New Executive Order Which Protects National Security Information" OGC Memorandum of 25 April 1972, "Draft NSC Direc- tive Implementing E. O. 11652" DD/S Memorandum of 5 May 1972, ' Implexi-lentation of Executive Order 11652" Executive Di~:e:cto:E. Comp roller cc' Director of Security :r)/ _) CI/IC Approved For Release 2002/01/07: CIA-RDP78-00433A000100080013-0 General discusssion25X1A 25X1A Approved For Re a 2002/01k/04A LA-11DF 8- 0433A0 00080013-0 9 May 1978 \t EUv!ORA.NDUM F'OR: Deputy Director for Intelligence Deputy Director for Plans Deputy Director for Science & Technology Deputy Director for Support ' : Archives, History, and Records SUBJECT 1. Considerable study and discussion have taken place of the Agency Historical Program and the Records Management and Archives Prograrns. This memorandum will outline a basic approach to the interrelationship of these three subjects in an effort to improve the Agency's performance in all these fields. 2. In essence', the three subjects all record our experience to Ilia k.e it available for future use as required. This use includes file searches for current operational support, briefing and training new personnel, answering press or Congressiona.1 questions as to the Agency's role in earlier events, etc. The problem is to design a system which will. satisfactorily answer the needs of the future in these fields with a minirm'ium.expenditure of man hours and funds at present. In these days of declining personnel. ceilings,. we obviously of ca iriot dedicate large amounts of current manpower to making irn.medi-- a:tely available detailed answers to all contingent q estions. On the other hand, some records have direct value to future operations, and certainly our need to handle press or Congressional questions warns us of the need to devote an appropriate effort in this direct ion. v~Q 3. Iri. our app:r.'o:]cl1 to this p:col~!Iern. in t is internally eoze31)ar merited Agency, it is essential to de cef?.t:rali.ze much of the responsi.- 'bili.ty and most of the actual effort. At the same tin-le, this decentra,li- ._.=?tio'i I1t.:eds I,-() be by a which will. 1:iS.dic to ;[1L CiC:`' C:e l ~;Jll""ich m i't~1.171iJ ] n rd::, a.., t by