INTELLIGENCE PRODUCTION COURSE NO. 21 (1/68) CHIEF INSTRUCTOR'S COMMENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03526A000100090002-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 11, 2009
• Sequence Number: 2
• Content Type: REPORT

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INTELLIGENCE PRODUCTION COURSE N0. 21 (1/68)
Chief Instructor's Comments
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. This course is intended principally to help prepare the Career
Trainee (CT) for an assignment in the Deputy Directorate for Intelligence
(DDI). To achieve this objective, the course is structured to give the CT:
a. A detailed look at the major intelligence production and col-
lection components within the DDI and a less detailed, but nonetheless
critical, look at other CIA and USIB components which work closely with units
of the DDI
b. An appreciation of the coordination functions, both intra-
and inter-Agency, that bulk so large in the collection, production, dissemi-
nation, and utilization aspects of the intelligence business.
c. Wide exposure to DDI personnel at all levels of responsibility
from Office Chief to research analyst.
d. Some practical exercises--evaluation of the finished products
of both OCI and OER and preparation of a substantive intelligence report in
a field of the CT's own choosing--designed to emphasize the nature of the
problems encountered by DDI intelligence producers.
e. A sense of the importance of intelligence requirements to the
finished intelligence product,
COURSE CONTENT
2. During IPC No. 21, the CTs were exposed to:
collection and/or requirements activities of the
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briefed about the technical collection capabilities ~and~activities of~given
DDS&T components.
b. Intelligence repositories and collections of intelligence in-
formation including, among others, Central Reference Service, FBIS, OCS, IAS,
NSA, and the Map Library.
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c. Intelligence production responsibilities of and the use of
intelligence produced by the Office of Economic Research, Office of
Strategic Research, Office of Current Intelligence, Office and Board of
National Estimates, USIB, Othe Ops Center, FBIS, DIA, INR/State, 25X1
and the White House Staff.
d. Intelligence coordination responsibilities at all levels
within CfA through the national estimative process with ONE/BNE and in the
USIB community, particularly the relationships between CIA production
units and DIA or INR.
COURSE INNOVATIONS
3. For purposes of IPC No. 21, the following innovations were intro-
duced with varying degrees of success as noted:
a. Formally structured critique seminars. In order to provide
greater opportunity for IPF members to evaluate CTs and, at the same time,
to determine whether various of the revised presentations on CRS, IRS,
DDS&T, and IAS, for example, were meeting the intended course objective,
three new seminars were added to the program. For purposes of these
critique sessions, the class was divided into groups of 3-4 CTs. Each
group addressed itself to discussion of a particular segment under review,
and the group opinions were presented by the respective chairmen. Plan-
ning the first such seminar to coincide with the completion of the first
week's activities did much to give the IPF some indications of the CTs'
abilities to coordinate different viewpoints as reflected in the group
critiques and students' abilities to react to both hostile and friendly
questions raised during the seminar.
b. Elimination of the traditional "intelli,~,ence problem" research
report (for th_e course research project) and substitution of a substantive
intelligence report. Although my initial thought was that the student should
have the option of doing either the problem or substantive type of research
paper, the. continuing pressures on the CTs to make decisions about possible
interviews made it clear that "problem"' type research reports, which depend
almost entirely on a heavy schedule of personal interviews, would be infeasible
for students already more than usually concerned about placement. Considering
that the requirements for job interviews overlapped the final four and one
half weeks of the course, it is most remarkable that-some of the CT final
reports were quite good rather than that a few left something to be desired.
c. Substitution of the Imagery Analysis Service presentation on
photographic intelligence for an NPIC presentation. The more specific focus
of IAS was better than the "big picture" presentation so dear to the NPIC
people, but the presentation will require revision for the next IPC. It was
interesting to note, however, that one of the specific problems which was
discussed as illustrative of the IAS work for the DDI was picked up in the IPC
sessions with OSR, ONE/BNE, and, also, with the DIA guest speaker.
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d, Expansion of the program for the Office of Economic Research. In an
attempt to give the students a better understanding of the problems faced by
the OER analysts, the program for this component was expanded from 1 1/2 to
5 days. In addition, the whole program for OER was revised and a series of
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cussion of the policy-oriented support typical of one of the OER Branches;
and then they heard a discussion about the basic skills required in OER--
economics, Russian language, and technical/industrial knowledge. All of the
foregoing was completed in a day, and the remainder of the time was spent by
the CTs in preparing critical evaluations of the finished intelligence reports
prepared by given OER Branches. Upon completion of their critiques, the
students then had to discuss their findings with the OER Branch Chiefs or
analysts who had prepared the specified reports. These face-to-face sessions--
aithough embarrassing to some of the CTs who felt that they should not be
forced to criticize the experts' work--provided the trainees with good ex-
posure to the problems faced by the producers. Finally there was a seminar
session to review the week's activities. (This review session, incidentally,
certainly can be shortened, if not eliminated, for the next IPC; and, with
some other revisions, the OER program can be reduced by a'full day).
e. The Analysis Exercise was eliminated. Traditionally an introductory
feature of the IPC, the time was more meaningfully spent on seminar sessions
and increased effort on OER. Questions of analytical techniques were em-
phasized as a normal part of the presentat-ion on the various components, but
a few students did indicate that they would have preferred specific discussion
sessions on "analysis" and "analysts."
f. Visit to NSA. In response to suggestions from previous IPCs, a visit
was scheduled to NSA. A11 indications are that this trip was a waste of time,
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PROBLEMS
4. The most serious problem faced during the IPC was the co t'
n
inuous
pressure from the CTP Office to have the students make decisions about poten-
tial offices of .employment. This reflects the panic that led the CTP Office
into its initial approach to the ODI Administrative Staff for a "pre-IPC Week"
which would have immediately preceded the scheduled date for beginning the IPC.
My comments for the IPF weekly reports have reflected some of the ups-and-downs
of the DDI Administrative Staff (25,September 1967), Mr.
had agreed that there would be no interference
with the CTs until the end of the sixth week of the IPC. Plans for interview-
ing and scheduling of interviews were to take place during the final three
weeks of the IPC when the students were devoting full time to research on
their course reports. It is my understanding that had discussed this
matter with and that he had received assurance that
in the future, even though there is no period of trial attachment for the CTs,
the CTP Office will make no noises about potential offices of employment or
job interviews during the first six weeks of the IPC. (I have already noted
the undesirable effects of these intrusions on the course research papers. See
Par. 3 b, above.)
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5. Considering that practically all U members of the IPC No. 21 we 25X1
interviewed for, and accepted jobs in the DDI components by the end of
the first week of. interviews, I wonder if it really is necessary for the
CTP Office to impose on the IPC at all? Is it impossible to extend the CTs
for another week or ten days beyond the IPC and to use this time for- the
interviewing? Certainly it would make-the course research paper more mean-
ingful, particularly since the .substantive research effort could be made
available to potential employers rp for to their selection of particular CTs.
As evidenced in the CT critiques of .this IPC, many of the students would
prefer that the paper have some purpose other than that. of a "practice exercise."
6. The size. of the IPC class was anything but ideal--room 518 was far
too crowded with 0 members, and many of the offices which we visited suffered
because their facilities, too, were not ample for such a large group. Another
conference table has been ordered for room 518 which will help relieve some
of the congestion in the future, but the fact remains that the maximum number
for effective instructional purposes in a course of this nature is 0 Any
number above makes use of the seminar-discussion technique difficult; and
for the IPC, I think that there is no substitute for this method. 25X1
7. Failure of the CTP Office to obtain the proper clearances for the
Program Office for the IPC shat. ly limited the number of sessions, particularly
the seminars that could observe. This matter has already been t
brought to attention. 25X1
8. Presentations by some of-.the DDI components suffered because of
recently completed reorganizations. Both CRS and IAS, in fact, welcomed the
opportunities to hold the sessions with the IPC because it forced various
of their componenets to prepare their first oral presentations. Based on IPF
reviews of such presentations, there is no doubt that upcoming meetings with
the groups will be much more sharply focused.
g. I think that there needs to be a greater degree of participation in
the course by members of the IPF, particularly for those sessions held at ~ ~`t
1000 Glebe Road. It seems to me that those faculty members who have limited
responsibility for the course should attend seminar sessions, participate in
some of the visits to DDI components, and otherwise get more involved with
the program. 1 would suggest that for the next IPC at least two instructors
be in attendance for each activity which requires some faculty participation,
and, if the next class is as large as IPC No. 21, it is probable that more
faculty members will be required to participate in the seminar sessions.
ASSIGNMENTS OF MEMBERS OF IPC N0. 21
10. The assignments of members of IPC No. 21 were as follows:
a. OCI
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e. OTHER
- COMIREX Staff
- NPIC
- CRS
COMMENT ON CAREER TRAINEES
11, t have been more impressed by the students of IPC No. 21 than any
other similar group with which I have been associated. Considering the
serious disruptions caused by the end of the trial attachment period, the con-
tinued pressures to "choose" offices, the frequently jammed up working con-
ditions, and despite the fact that most of the class had firm job commitments
well before the end of the IPC, it would not have been unexpected if class
morale had gone to hell early in the game. However, those of us who partici-
pated most closely with the group were impressed by the willingness with which
the group participated in practically all scheduled activities. At no time
was there a failure or hesitation during a question period, queries were
usually thoughtful and legitimate, and the group appeared to be taking full
advantage of the opportunities for investigation of the DDI for which the course
is intended.
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