STATUS OF FINAL REPORT OF PROJECT ASPIN (AUTOMATED SYSTEMS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF INTELLIGENCE, DATED JULY 1970)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-04723A000300020001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 207
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 31, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 23, 1971
• Content Type: MF

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CIA INTERNAL USE ONLY
MEMORANDUM FOR: Holders of ASPIN Report
SUBJECT
23 April 1971
? ? Status of Final Report of Project ASPIN
(Automated Systems for the Production
of Intelligence, dated July 1970)
1. I noted recently a tendency to regard the ASPIN
Report of July 1970 as a statement of the DDI position
on the use of automatic data processing to support the
production of intelligence. This is not the case.
2. While I agree or have no comment on the majority
of the recommendations, I do disagree with certain key
ASPIN recommendations, particularly those that opt for
forcing centralization of data processing and management
systems. I regard such centralization as premature in
the light of present inadequacies in machines, technology,
and systems programming.
3. I also disagree with the procedures the ASPIN
Report recommends for CRS referring requesters directly
to individuals or for expanding services to other agencies.
I regard the recommendation for charging ADP costs to users
as too expensive for the presumed benefits.
4. A more detailed discussion of these and other
points is available in the DDI Information Processing
Coordinator's memorandum for the Chairman of the Information
Processing Board, dated 28 November 1970.
25X1A
R. J. SMITH
Deputy Director for Intelligence
CIA INTERNAL USE ONLY
GROUP 1
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1 DEC 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chairman, Information Processing Board
SUBJECT: Comments on Report of Project ASPIN
1. The ASPIN Report has helped focus attention on the more
nagging problems of computer and ADP management in the Agency.
Some of the more important of these are addressed below. The
rest are treated separately in an attachment.
are:
2. Deficiencies that appear to need some urgent attention
- There is no clear mechanism to assess the real
need for an ADP project.
- There is a tendency to attempt to solve line
management problems by layering of staffs and
coordinators.
- Present systems of determining the costs of a
proposed application are inadequate and ADP costs
usually do not get to the attention of line management
the way other costs do.
- Present methods of cost accounting for ADP projects
are inadequate because they do not accurately reflect
the ADP resources used.
- Standards for professionalism in ADP personnel
are ill-defined and are not uniformly applied in
recruiting, performance evaluation, and career
management.
LIMET
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- There has been inadequate planning over the long
haul for the acquisition and updating of ADP resources.
3. Working within the general framework of theconclusions
of the ASPIN Report, I urge that attention be focused on the
following:
IP Board:
Costing:
- Strengthen the IF Board as a central point for
recommendations on the need for ADP applications
whose projected costs are above some predetermined
threshold.
- Strengthen the IF Board as the central point for
long-range planning for Agency ADP resources--
men, money, and machines.
- Reaffirm the coordinating and policy advisory
functions of the Board, making it clear that these
functions are not intended to usurp the functions
of line management.
- Generate and apply a good ADP costing model to
existing and projected ADP applications.
- Bring these costs to the attention of higher manage-
ment by requiring that they personally review in
advance the costs for projected applications and
review each final quarter the costs of ongoing
projects.
Centralization:
- Encourage a higher degree of centralization for
major data processing applications.
SECRET
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-Encourage a higher degree of centralization in
ADP personnel management.
JOHN D IAMS
Information Processing Coordinator
DD/S& T
Attachment:
As stated
cc: IPC/DDI
IPC/DDP
IPC/DDS
CONCUR:
Deputy Director for Science and Technology
Date
25X1A
cOECIR
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DDS&T COMMENTS
ON
REPORT OF PROJECT ASPIN
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1. FMSAC
1.4. Agree.
2. OEL
2.4. To insure internal OEL coordination between collection and
analysis operations, an internal Program Review Board takes up the matter
of analysis whenever a new collection system is proposed. The recommenda-
tion to establish a Technical Review Panel is impractical and it is doubtful
that it would perform a useful function if organized and staffed in the manner
suggested.
3. OS1
3.7.1. We agree with the recommendations; OSI has been carrying
them out for sometime.
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(a) Arrangements were made with Mr. CRS, to use
Project VIVAX interests in future development of the automated dissemi-
nation sysiem. Since the subject area of VIVAX is narrow and highly
specific (BW), it should prove a good test vehicle for Mr.
content analysis.
(b) OSI is using CAPRI. This system has potential for automation
of personal files in a batch environment. Also, OSI will use as feasible
the CRS work on personal file management suggested by Dr
report.
(c) OSI recognizes the magnitude of the input/output problem for
ADP applications. The input problem is one of the reasons that OSI is
moving slowly in automating analyst files. Optical character readers
and computer output to microfilm are developments that are being
followed with interest.
(d) OSI has been supporting ADP education and training for its
personnel. During FY 1970, 12 students enrolled in 13 different ADP
courses. Their training program for FY 1971 includes 29 personnel
scheduled for 7 different ADP courses. Training has led to an increased
number of terminal users and a growing number of application programs.
STATSPEC 5.
25X1A
25X1A
25X1A
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5. 6. A study of costs/benefits should be made for the suggested
areas of automated assistance before establishing automation as an ultimate
objective.
9. OSR
9. 5. Agree. We understand OSR is conducting such a test now.
Text Processing Systems
V. A. The major thrust of the recommendations on the development
of ADP systems for text processing is that this effort should be consolidated.
This is probably a worthwhile recommendation when viewed in the light of
altrustic goals such as eliminating duplication, pooling skills, and producing
a single, coordinated plan. Elsewhere in the ASPIN Report the comment is
sEct\ST
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made that the user/analyst is responsible for designing his own system.
It is precisely this responsibility that Will make any consolidation of
effort on text processing difficult. Analysts tend to view their require-
ments as unique. We agree that coordination of these activities needs
strengthening, but structuring a group with Agency-wide responsibility
for text processing may be as difficult as establishing a single computer
center.
Computer Graphics
II. D. This would introduce increased flexibility but for the present
we should be satisfied to get QUIKTRAK operational, get data files built,
and make some evaluation of the system before enhancing it in this
fashion.
II. E. Agree.
II. F. Agree.
Organizational and Management Aspects
IV. A. Agree.
IV. B. Disagree; the recommendation is significantly weakened --
to the point of being =meaningful -- by the hedge of including another
unspecified computer center in the Agency. Let's worry less about
machine consolidation and more about policy, planning, management, and
people.
IV. C. An ADP career service is a red herring and should be a
low priority issue.
IV. D. Disagree; involves major organizational changes which would
need a lot more discussion and greater consideration of pros and cons.
The method of operation also suggests responsibility without authority.
This won't lead to the kind of improvements in application development
that the recommendation seeks.
F. Organizational Implications
The second recommendation applying to the duties of a proposed ADP
advisor to the Executive Director-Comptroller suggests that this advisor be
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the ex officio member of the IPB. We note that this differs from the
ASPIN recommendation that he be Chairman of the IPB. We prefer the
latter if he stays out of line management responsibilities in the technical
review and personnel fields. He should understand that if he is a
substantive person of some stature in ADP, he will want to abolish his
job in a fairly short time. If not, he shouldn't be hired in the first place.
Structural File Systems
V. A. Agree.
V. D. Agree.
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25 November 1970
SG -70/402
MEMORANDUM FCR: Chairman, Information Processing Board
SUBJECT : Plans Directorate's Comments on ASPIN Recommendations
1. The Plans Directorate either agrees with or has no comments
on the majority of the ASPIN recommendations. Our comments will be
confined to those concerning the management of of ADP resources for
the Agency. In paragraph 21 of the summary dated 2 October the cen-
tral management review of major ADP projects was recommended. The
DDP, as is known, has for years had a committee of senior officers,
the CS Record Committee, which considers all proposals for computer
.applications and which gives management guidance to the development
of the CS's computer resources. Additional central management review
of major activities would be welcomed.
2. This paragraph also recommends the establishment of an Agency-
wide ADP career service. While I feel that there are general benefits
for the individual and the service to be derived from rotating individ-
uals among ADP centers, I question the concept of the centralized career
service. The DDP has not been satisfied with the functioning of this
concept for its support officers. Since support officers are rotated
by, and promoted by organizations other than the DDP they are not always
responsive to the DDP's needs. If rotation while maintaining basic
directorate affiliation becomes the practice, it would be necessary to
assure that personnel, particularly systems analysts, assigned to our
Directorate be given sufficient time to become thoroughly familiar with
its peculiar problems.
3. While the economies of scale for large processors are very
great, it appears to us that the software problems are such as to pre-
clude centralization of the Agency's computing powers. The CS's
requirements to maintain and search a very large file with a very high
volume of inquiries and to expand the support of its overseas activities
from its computer center calls for the continued existence of a facility
adequate to fulfill the CS's needs.
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4. The DDP's project justification system provides adequate
management review and the control of ADP costs, and therefore, the
proposal to charge users is an unnecessary complication in our
judgment.
25X1A
IP Board Members:
25X1A
IPC/DDP
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DATE
25 November 1970
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
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DATE
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INITIALS
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
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IPC/DDS
710 Magazine
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23 November 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chairman, Information Processing Board
SUBJECT
? ? Intelligence Directorate Comments on
ASPIN Recommendations
We either agree or have no comment on the majority of
ASPIN recommendations. Our comments on those with which
we disagree either wholly or in part are attached. These
comments are keyed to the attached set of consolidated
general conclusions and recommendations and not to the
original ASPIN report.
25X1A
DDI Information Processing Coordinator
Attachments: a/s
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ATTACHMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS 4, 6, 7, AND 22
1. These recommendations call for:
a. A single interactive system at headquarters;
b. The utilization of general data management
systems;
c. The provision by OCS of an interactive
capability for handling large information storage
and retrieval files such as AEGIS, and;
d. An Agency policy of a centralization of
data processing in OCS.
2. The technical outlook for the machine aspects of
such capabilities seems good for some time past the mid-
seventies, hazards a
"best" guess that by 1975 component costs will have dropped
rather dramatically so that very complex large central
processors will evolve which will be replete with built in
control and reliability (redundancy) features. Such devel-
opments are expected to greatly reduce the present impedi-
ments to the development of large scale on-line systems,
permit mixed mode processing of batch, remote batch and
interactive foreground operations, and, despite the large
increase in complexity, result in system costs half what
they are today. By 1980, this same best guess suggests
the advent of really large inexpensive machines--20 to 40
times the performance of today's large processors at 20-40
percent their cost--and, possibly, the advent of such low
cost solid state memories that memory constraints and
mechanical technology (tape drives, drums, disks, etc.)
will disappear.
3. The foregoing leads us to two reactions to the
ASPIN recommendations that machine operations and interactive
services be highly centralized:
a. While the potential economies of scale and
technical feasibility appear probable, they are still
several years off;
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b. The Board should certainly keep aware in
some detail of the progress of such developments
over the coming years.
4. At present there is to our knowledge no general
data management system capable of handling both large
data files, and a wide variety of mathematical and
statistical calculations. Probably there will never be
a truly general (do anything - do everything) data manage-
25X1A ment system. The consultants to Project
ASPIN suggested at least three types of structured files
might be justified for separate treatment (biographic,
statistical/tabular, and the standard index--coordinate/
hierarchic). The consultants regarded as premature any
judgments with respect to free text and graphic files.
Because of the engineering inefficiency and performance
25X1A degradation inherent in large, general, flexible software
systems, suggests that the future development
of such systems may depend in no small part on the "cheap"
processors referred to above.
5. We support the recommendation that a small set
of reasonably general data management systems be acquired
if the IPB can identify a set which would cover a large
number of Agency applications. We are not, however, very
sanguine about the early advent of a system which will
handle large files although we encourage the search for
such a system.
6. We also would suggest caution on the part of the
IPB in connection with the centralization/decentralization
issue, even in the longer term. We believe that the
machines will eventually become the least weighty of the
elements in the decision. The responsiveness of our
computerized reference activities to intelligence produc-
tion will continue to be one of our principal concerns.
If dedicated systems satisfy our needs in this regard,
we would see little point in moving toward centralization.
7. In light of the above, we feel that to force
centralization in the present environment of inadequate
machines, technology and systems programming is almost
certain to result in more inefficient, more costly and less
responsive processing. Over the next 5-10 years technical
progress may make such centralization feasible. Meanwhile,
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we should continue with our present reasonable organizational
alignment within the Agency and watch technical developments
that might have an impact on our future planning.
RECOMMENDATION 13 (Central Reference Operations)
8. While we agree with the general conclusion behind
this recommendation--that improved knowledge of the existence
of specialized collections of information is desirable--we
disagree with the procedures recommended in two instances:
a. The creation and maintenance in CRS of a
directory of personal and organizational collections,
and,
b. The increased emphasis on establishing CRS
as a point of contact for requests from outside the
Agency.
9. The compilation of a personnel-area-subject
directory of personal and organizational collections of
information is an appropriate function of CRS. Direct
referral of requestors to individuals throughout the
Agency could prove bothersome and have a deleterious
effect on their task of producing intelligence. Alterna-
tively, we would support the establishment of a query
control officer in each office in the Agency which holds
collections of intelligence information, because we realize
that queries of such collections are necessary. In
conjunction, CRS and the appropriate query control officer
could monitor requests and service them in the most expe-
ditious manner.
10. Agency regulations already have established CRS
as a point of contact for information requests from within
the Agency but, except for biographic support, CRS is
required to support other agencies only "to the extent
possible." Because of severely reduced resource levels
in recent years, we have been curtailing our services to
other agencies, particularly in providing them with their
own material or with material which they clearly have
or should have in their own files.
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RECOMMENDATION 21 (ADP Advisor to ExDir)
11. This is apparently recommending a senior technical
ADP specialist as an advisor to the Executive Director-
Comptroller. We feel that technical problems should be
solved at a much lower level and that technical feasibility
should be resolved long before the ExDir must make a policy
decision on an ADP matter. In any event, the technical
group of the Information Processing Board should be able
to handle such technical matters as might need to be brought
to ExDir attention. Tasks in this recommendation relating
to responsibility for establishing standards and ADP
planning are covered by Recommendation 24 with which we
agree. The recommendation that the ADP advisor be the
head of the ADP career service is covered in Recommendation 25
below.
RECOMMENDATION 23 (Charge ADP Costs to Users)
12. The notion that a charge back system somehow
creates conditions of more effective utilization is a
myth in a government bureaucracy. Such a system might
work where personal income and expenditures are involved
but the effect of this recommendation is simply a change
in bookkeeping procedures. Because a charge-back system
will result in an increase in bookkeeping procedures and
thus costs, such a system would be not only ineffective,
but more expensive.
RECOMMENDATION 25 (ADP Career Service)
13. We disagree only with the ADP Career Service
portion of this recommendation. We feel that the
establishment of an inter-Directorate career service is
only worth-while if the tasks are virtually identical
despite component of assignment (e.g., communications).
While there are certain basic skills common to all types
of ADP processing, much of what ADP analysts do depends
on whether their assignments are in a component dealing
primarily with computations, signal processing, large
file storage and retrieval, etc. Commonality of skills
between these types of ADP tasks is probably not great
enough to gain whatever advantages might accrue from a
common career service and would be disadvantageous to
those individuals who would prefer to pursue a career
within one of the functional components.
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2 October 1970
ASPIN - GENERAL CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS*
INTRODUCTION
1. In general, automation systems in support of
intelligence production in the Agency are functioning
well. Many programs are already established as inte-
gral and essential components of the research process
and others will undoubtedly soon achieve this status.
Resources employed in these systems are fairly exten-
sive and compare generally with those utilized in
support of intelligence collection or administrative
tasks. While not all applications have proved cost
effective, the failure rate has been surprisingly low
considering the general state of the art in the computer
applications field.
INTELLIGENCE PRODUCTION
2. The difficulty of communication between analyst
and data processor often causes delays, frustrations,
and even inadequate programming in applications develop-
ment. An active effort to reduce these communications
problems is long overdue. We believe that the identifi-
cation of the problem and recognition of the common
goals of the participants is one avenue of attack on
the problem. The development of programming skills
within production components is obviously another, and
demonstrably effective, way of breaking down communica-
tion barriers.
We recommend that the Information Processing
Board (IPB) create the means for the development of
meaningful communications between the systems analyst-
programmer and the substantive analyst engaged in the
common development of a computer application.
*This summary has been prepared by the DDI Planning
Staff from the full text of the ASPIN Report and
covers only the general conclusions and recommenda-
tions and excludes those relating to specific offices.
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3. The research analyst or the analyst engaged
in data reduction has been more interested in an on-
line, time-sharing system than he has been in the
traditional batch processing activities. Many observers
believe that analyst interest in the time-sharing
phenomenon is transitory. We feel, however, that there
are some basic appeals to the analyst in these systems
which will provide a sustained, widespread use of
this system. There already is a clear demonstration
from observation of NPIC as well as OCS Interactive
Services that established users of ADP service can and
do make wide use of time-sharing. Many analysts want
a facility to create, change and rearrange files on-
line in an effort to escape what they regard as tedious
and unnecessary steps in present file creation and file
manipulation techniques. Some have achieved this
capability to a limited degree; most of this use is
in the offing.
We recommend that the Information Processing
Board assure that the present effort to provide a
general time-sharing capability in OCS to serve the
interest of the Agency as a whole be strengthened to
provide not only on-Line but also remote batch process-
ing and remote job entry via terminals distributed so
as to make them convenient to users throughout the
intelligence production components.
4. The development of multiple systems militates
against one of the basic requirements of the intelligence
analyst -- convenience. The remote user of the time-
sharing computer should be able to communicate in a
single language from a single terminal to the processor(s)
which contain the data he needs. Now, in fact, analysts
who have both an interest in any of the large files and
in quick computational capability must have two consoles
and know two query languages.
We recommend a single, integrated, interactive
system to serve intelligence production components at
headquarters.
5. The Agency has had its most serious difficulties
in trying to implement large ADP applications, a familiar
complaint elsewhere as well. Each of the three processing
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centers serving the intelligence production components,
however, has at least one successful large application
in operation, and each of these applications was
designed to provide broad support to intelligence
analysts; two of these centers are presently supporting
large scale on-line activities as well.
6. We believe that the most likely future approach
to large applications will be via generalized data
management systems. These systems provide a common
framework, yet one with great flexibility, which may
be used to manipulate a variety of analyst files. Most
such systems provide the ability to augment the basic
operations by user supplied functions to permit greater
specificity of processing. General systems to incor-
porate such applications may best be acquired from
commercial vendors in the interest of economy of
maintenance, and simplicity and generality of system
operation.
We recommend that the Information Processing
Board assure the acquisition, development and use of
general data management systems which are sufficiently
close to the general design requirements for Agency
data processing applications to permit their adaptation
and use for a wide range of data processing applications
and data processing centers. The acquisition of such
systems should be coordinated with the major users of
OCS and with each of the components who have their own
data processing centers, i.e., NPIC and CRS.
7. We concur in the OCS judgment that it is
necessary to provide a satisfactory on-line, time-
sharing service for large information storage and
retrieval files. The large, on-line, missile and space
file (MISTAC) is essentially unavailable at present
because of development work undertaken on it in an
effort to get faster response. A large ground force
file (QUIKTRAK) is being operated experimentally with
considerable assurance that part if not all of this
system will require an interactive environment in the
near future. The AEGIS document index system seems
to us an excellent candidate for operation in an
interactive environment in the next two to three years.
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We recommend that the Information Processing
Board, in consultation with the interested parties,
assure that the OCS Interactive Services include a
general data management system capable of providing
quick response capability for large information storage
and retrieval activities of the type characterized by
the MISTAC, AEGIS, and QUIKTRAK data bases.
8. The need for development of special applica-
tions will obviously continue. Analysts will continue
to have specific objectives which must be achieved
and which will not always fit within the framework
of generalized systems.
We recommend that the Information Processing
Board assure that the capability for development of
unique computer programs be maintained for applications
whose objectives are clearly unattainable by incorpora-
tion into a general data management system.
9. Several production components have been hiring
and developing their own computer programmers. Although
few of these individuals have the design and programming
skills necessary to plan and execute a major computer
application, we favor development of programming talents
among production analysts largely to provide better
conceptual design for applications. Professional
programmer-analysts, assigned to the production components
could best undertake the detailed design and programming
of computer applications of any size. They could also
be used to assist the production component in planning
the development and evolution of computer applications.
We recommend that applications programmers (this
would presumably include a major share of the applica-
tions divisions' personnel) from OCS be assigned to and,
where feasible, colocated with analysts in the produc-
tion organization for whom they are designing and
programming. Their work during their period of assign-
ment should be controlled by the host production
organization.
We also recommend that the Agency provide time
as well as professional and clerical assistance to a
few talented individuals each year to explore, develop,
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and test essentially new techniques or new concepts
in the use of ADP to support intelligence analysis
and production. These applications may be developed
under the leadership of either the substantive com-
ponent, or OCS depending upon the nature of the
application and the resources required to do the job.
10. We are impressed with the need to emphasize
the early and complete immersion of those individuals
who do the data reduction and analysis in the design
of new collection systems. We have seen the beginning
of recognition of this proposition in the coordination
of the RH and HX collection programs with the data
processing people. Early access to the proposed format
for reporting by collectors makes possible changes in
the format to accommodate both data processing systems
and analytical techniques which would otherwise be
overlooked. Perhaps more important, early coordination
makes possible the orderly design and development of
the automatic and manual capabilities required to
process the output of these systems once they become
available.
We recommend that the Agency establish as
standard procedure ?in the development of new collection
systems the coordination of the data collection formats
with the individuals who must process and analyze the
data.
11. COINS has been of almost no use to the
production analyst although it represents something
of an achievement in concert of community action on a
collective data processing experiment. We believe
that the procedures used to support and perpetuate
COINS will seriously delay rather than hasten the
advent of an inter-agency system. The emphasis on
the development of automated files and their process-
ing in a large computer network as a gual in itself
is a highly questionable procedure. But it is exceeded
by the notion that this process should continue until
it is successful. Certain of the premises of COINS
with respect to the technical achievement of time-
sharing systems and of the identity and duplication
of intelligence community files appear to have been
seriously in error. The COINS effort seems to have
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generated a life of its own. It has been an exceedingly
expensive effort for the Agency, and it promises to
become even more expensive should the Agency have to
dedicate an entire computer system to it as additional
evidence of good faith.
We recommend that the Agency seek to secure
an evaluation of the present COINS experiment at the
earliest possible moment in an effort to provide
clearer guidance for future Agency planning for partici-
pation in Intelligence Community ADP activities.
12. Computer graphics, which we would define as
the development of programs to transform stored digital
data into meaningful spatial relationships, have been
given little attention in OCS. Aside from AUTOMAP
which was developed to facilitate cartographic presenta-
tion, there has been little use of graphic presentation
or display. We note this omission because CIA analytical
reports are distinguished by their liberal and effective
use of graphic presentation to augment text or data.
We recommend that increased attention be given
by OCS, in close cooperation with NPIC and ORD, to the
development of a strong computer graphics capability
for support of analyst use of the time-sharing system.
INFORMATION HANDLING
13. There are in the Agency a considerable number
of specialized information centers. This requires the
user to be a specialist or to use the services of a
specialist to search and understand the resources of
such a center. Moreover, ?these collections frequently
are not known to analysts. We believe that these
collections would be more effectively exploited if a
central directory of them were maintained.
We recommend that:
(a) the Central Reference Service create a
personnel-area-subject directory of other organized
collections of information in the Agency. This directory
should include both personal and organizational collections
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of information and authorization points for control
of access to the respective collections.
(b) the Central Reference Service be the
point of contact for any general request for intel-
ligence information from outside the Agency or from
within where there is no known point where the informa-
tion is available.
(o) only those data which are generated
and accessioned by CRS be provided as a direct response
and that all other data be sought from the appropriate
center. .
It is also recommended that:
(a) the present concept of CRS indexing be
continued, and a systematic effort undertaken to
encourage indexing input from the substantive analyst.
(b) the Central Reference Service seek as a
general objective a standardized document reference
number which can be put on the intelligence information
document before it is disseminated. This reference
number should be capable of being generated and included
in the format of any automated dissemination system,
and should become a part of that system as quickly as
possible.
14. CRS is presently conducting an experiment
with a General Electric processor (GESCAN -- earlier
called RSM) which will execute high speed search on
machine-readable text. There has been a great deal
of analyst interest in this processor for searching
large bodies of machine readable text. The device is
attractive initially because it can be used essentially
in an interactive mode. While it is slow in comparison
with interactive search of direct access files, it is
the only available method for interactive search of
unformatted text files.
We recommend that the Agency continue to
experiment with a Limited number of applications in
which documents are stored and searched retrospectively
in an electronic full text format.
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15. We believe a concerted effort should be made
to convert AEGIS into an on-line system. CRS should
work closely with OCS to achieve a data base design
and a query language which can be used throughout the
Agency for the exploitation of large, content oriented
files.
We recommend that an extensive interactive
(man - machine - data base) capability with the Central
Reference Services intelligence document index be
developed and tested as quickly as feasible. This is
one of the few large data bases in which there is
potentially wide interest, frequent use and a require-
ment for precise, quick responses.
16. CRS is presently introducing a limited system
for automatic dissemination of documents received in
machine readable form. Preliminary findings indicate
that an operational system is practical and may be cost
effective. We believe that the system may also help
to improve document indexing.
We recommend that the experimental work under
way on an automated dissemination system be maintained
and each distribution point be urged to cooperate with
CRS in providing "dictionary" terms for the system.
We also recommend that planning for under-
taking an extension of the automated dissemination
system to all State, Defense and Agency positive intel-
ligence information received in machine language be
undertaken coincident with the beginning of feasibility
testing of the present experimental system.
' COMPUTER CENTER OPERATIONS
17. The Office of Computer Services was organized
to operate: (1) a general computer processing center
for the Agency as a whole and (2) to provide personnel
with computer programming and computer applications
design experience to assist analytical and operational
components in the development of computer assisted
solutions to their work.
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18. While considerable uncertainty has developed
among ADP users as the result of rapid technological
change, some seems to be the result of premature
announcements of changes in OCS plans. Frequently the
user has no opportunity to participate in the decision.
He must rework his computer applications to accommodate
such changes with no benefit to him.
We recommend that OCS develop a mechanism
for communicating plans for major computer system changes
to user components and of eliciting their viewpoints.
19. Customers who have operational computer
applications tend to be pleased with the service they
receive from OCS. Everyone would like his work done
more quickly but there are few customers who think
the attention their processing requests received is
less than satisfactory. The most frequent complaint
expressed by customers has been their inability to
maintain the job control language and the reference
calls in their programs sufficiently current to assure
that they would run on any occasion without interven-
tion by the OCS production control or technical programming
staff.
20. The present OCS Procedures Manual does not
present a complete set of procedures for the programmer
in the user organization to assure satisfactory prepara-
tion and operational readiness of his program. Either
this manual should provide more complete information
on the Job Control Language (JCL) needed, or someone
should be furnished full time in OCS/Operations who
can prepare JCL for anything that may be brought in
to run. If the JCL procedures manual were in the Inter-
active Services System, the procedures would be available
continuously.
We recommend that a complete set of procedures
be available to assure that a job can be written and
run without intervention from OCS programmers.
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ADP MANAGEMENT
21. We believe that more effective control of
Agency ADP activities is needed. There should be more
complete, clear and formal documentation of computer
processing proposals and applications. There needs
to be both an initial and a continuing systematic
review by directorate management, and a centralized
review of large projects and projects which impact on
more than one directorate.
We recommend that a central technical manage-
ment review of major ADP projects be created under the
present umbrella of Executive Director-Comptroller
responsibility for Agency ADP management and that a
full-time position of ADP Advisor to the Executive
Director-Comptroller be created for an experienced ADP
professional whose responsibility it would be to:
(a) advise the Executive Director-Comptroller
on all professional/technical matters relating to ADP;
(b) be chairman of the IPB and the director
of its permanent staff;
(c) review the various local plans, provide
technical input to the IPB and, periodically, develop
a statement of long-term ADP objectives for the Agency;
(d) assure that computer application design
proposals 'are given adequate review by a central technical
review panel;
(e) prepare Agency-wide ADP technical standards;
(f) serve as chairman of the Agency-wide ADP
Career Service Board; and
(g) serve as focal point for internal leader-
ship and for external relations in ADP technical/professional
matters.
We also recommend that the Director/OCS be
an ex officio participant on the Information Processing
Board and that the DD/ST be represented on the Board
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by an individual who reflects the computer user popula-
tion of the whole Directorate.
22. With the rise of complex computer systems
to which the user is offered easy remote access,
large hardware, programming and communications expendi-
tures are required to provide the speed and reliability
necessary to such systems. Large processors provide
economies of scale not achievable with smaller systems.
We recommend that the Agency establish a
policy which provides a high degree of centralization
in data processing activity in the Office of Computer
Services, but which permits the acquisition of small
or medium computer processors by other offices where
there is a demonstrable economy in using a stand-alone
computer system.
23. We believe that data processing facilities
will be more effectively utilized if the user were
required to bear the costs of ADP services.
We recommend that a means of pricing data
processing services performed by computer centers be
developed, and that each user component be required
to budget for its data processing services in essentially
the same way that property funds are handled.
24. We believe that ADP management would be
strengthened and made more efficient if some genuine
Agency-level effort were undertaken to coordinate and
direct those activities which have multi-office, multi-
directorate impact.
We recommend that the Information Processing
Board provide for:
(a) a more definitive statement of Agency
ADP objectives by regular revision and publication of
the Agency ADP Plan;
(b) the definition and publication of Agency-
wide ADP technical standards beyond the present work
on nationwide (USASI) standards; and,
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(e) minimum standards for control over data
entry, data base documentation and file maintenance
for any ADP application serving more than one component
(defined as a unit under the first-line supervisor).
25. Finally ADP career development and training
should be strengthened.
We recommend:
(a) an Agency ADP Career Service;
(b) ADP training programs with additional
emphasis on the role of the user in an on-line and/or
real-time computer environment; and,
(c) more widespread development of office
level training in the use of ADP in intelligence
production and information processing.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
26. We believe that ADP research and development
activities should be transferred to OCS. OCS not only
has the technical expertise necessary, but, more
importantly, has a better acquaintance with user
requirements arising from its operational responsibility
for ADP processing.
We recommend that the DD/S&T review the
present division of effort between ORD and OCS in the
area of information processing research and development
against an alternative allocation of functional and
effort which would provide for:
(a) the transfer of the responsibility for
computer application design and development effort from
ORD to OCS;
(b) the transfer of appropriate computer
processing equipment from ORD to OCS;
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(c) subsequent ADP equpment Or software test
and analysis to be conducted by OCS except where the
items are a direct adjunct of a special processing
center such as NPIC; and,
(d) OCS to issue a current publication to
announce new activities, new products, and new develop-
ments which its research and development component
considers of general interest for Agency components
engaged in information processing.
In addition we recommend that the DD/S&T and
the Information Processing Board reject the proposal
of the R&D Subcommittee of the USIB Information Handling
Committee for a community-wide R&D center on the basis
that the recent experience with COINS and the IPRD which
we believe demonstrate both the difficulty of an inte-
grated community activity and the impracticality of
performing research and development divorced from both
computer operating centers and ADP users.
Finally we recommend that research and
development projects or programs in the area of informa-
tion processing be submitted to the same scrutiny as
required for regular ADP projects.
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BUILDING
Magazine
REMARKS:
FROM:
DDI/IPC,
ROOM NO. BUILDING
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Briefing Outline re ASPIN
Organization and Management Recommendations
. I. As a general policy the Agency 'should promote a high degree of
centralization in data processing activities. The focus to he on OCS.
2. All major ADP systems proposals be reviewed on the Agency
level by a full time ADP professional who will serve as Chairman of
the IP Board and principal ADP Adviser to the Executive Director-
Comptroller.
3. Create a permanent staff for the IP Board to provide Agency
level review of systems proposalS in terms of Agency goals and
objectives, Agency ADP plans, and Agency technical and procedural
standards which are to be developed. Staff to be chaired by the ADP
Adviser to the Executive Director-Comptroller.
4. Appoint a DD/S&T representative to the IP Board who will
reflect theuser population of the Directorate; the D/OCS lhould be
designated an tes. officio participant in IP Board proceedings.
5. Create an ADP Career Service.
6. Develop a comprehensive cost-accounting system for data
processing services. Components to budget for data processing
services and pay for these services by the transfer of funds.
7. Review of existing ADP training programs to foster increasing. .
involvement of substantive, non-ADP professionals.
Computer Applications in Support of Intelligence Production
J. IP Board should look. to the private sector for commercially.
available general data ma.nagemeut systems which will handle a
wide range of Agency applications in a more economical and timely
manner. (Reference to Agency tendency to develop overly elaborate
specialized systems which are not compatible or standardized.)
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2. IP Board should look for ways to improve communication
between the ADP technician and the substantive analyst who are
involved in the development of an ADP application.
3. Develop means to ensure that the Agency keep abreast of
new ADP techniques and concepts that may be applicable to the
production of intelligence.
? 4. COINS be evaluated soonest to help Agency planning for
participation in Community ADP activities.
OCS Activities
1. OCS plans for changes in major computer systems be
coordinated with user components"before submission to the
IP Board for review.
2. OCS personnel (applications programmers) be formally
assigned to the production component which is sponsoring the
application effort, and their work controlled by the host production
office. (Rotation back to OCS would be negotiated upon completion
of task.)
3. Increased attention be given to the development of a strong
computer graphics capability.
4. OCS to plan for the acquisition of a proprietary general data
management system; this effort to be coordinated with the major
users of OCS services as well as with NPIC and CRS. (This
recommendation also recognizes that certain unique applications
may require unique computer systems.)
5. OCS to provide a single on-line service to all the intelligence
production components at Headquarters.
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Central Reference System
l, CRS to expand its capability to service internal and external
requests for intelligence information in CIA. (Community Information
Services Center concept. Each agency develop such a center as point
of contact for all other agencies.)
2. CRS to continue work on an automated thssemination system
initially for COMINT and plan to extend this eventually to State and
other non-Agency traffic.
3. CRS Document Index'should be developed for on-line, interactive
use by substantive analysts.
4. Although the present method of document storage and retrieval
is acceptable, the Agency should continue to experiment with improve-
ments for compatibility with the speed of an on-line document index
S ystem.
Research and Development in Information Prot essiLig
1. Transfer the responsibility for research and development in
information processing from ORD to OCS: this developmental
responsibility to include problem definition and computer application
and design.
2. Transfer standard computer processing equipment from ORD
to OCS to support OCS's expanded R/D effort.
3. ORD contracts to be reviewed by the IP Board to determine
which should be continued and under whose management.
4.. Testing and analysis of developmental ADP equipment and
software should be conducted by OCS except whete they are in support
of a special processing center like NPIC. (NPIC would procure and
test their own systems.)
5. RID projects or programs in the area of information processing
should be subjected to the same Agency-level evaluation as other ADP
projects,
6. OCS to publish a periodic report on its RID activities for
Agency-w consumption.
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ed For fittlietffifFEKI00105/R3aCkANEMR18-01/122MaNC
OFFICIAL ROUTING SLIP
TO
NAME AND ADDRESS
DATE
INITIALS
1
DD /S IPC
2
3
4
5
6
ACTION
DIRECT REPLY
PREPARE REPLY
APPROVAL
DISPATCH
RECOMMENDATION
COMMENT
FILE
RETURN
CONCURRENCE
X
INFORMATION
SIGNATURE
Remarks:
Fur wat.ver tap it may be to you, attached
is a summary elected ASPIN recommendation*
which was prepared in 0/PPS for our own use.
We beli,4v, th- summary to be faithful to tiv,
original paper, but la havr not verified tbis with
Sweeny.
FOLD HERE TO RETURN TO SENDER
FROM: NAME. ADDRESS AND PHONE NO.
DATE
6E 702, IA ? 6194
11 0
/ACI iFcit1WWWW20010105/23011?1131ANIK9978
728040031
FORM NO. 237 Use previous editions
1-67
(40)
0020001-4
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j v
SECREI
15 OCT 1970
MEMO airman, Information Processing Board
SUBJECT
: ASPIN
1. Attached is a long memorandum quoting recommendations
extracted from the ASPIN Report and my comments about each of them.
Neither the comments nor the ASPIN Report have been circulated or
coordinated amoOg the Support Offices. A copy of the comments has
been made available to the Deputy Director for Support but there
has not been time for him to review them.
2. You will note that I have offered a. comment about nearly
every recommendation in tjhe report. I find this regrettable. You
will also note that the comments are not always constructive in the
sense that they do not offer alternative proposals or suggest means
of accomplishing the objectives of the individual recommendations.
This is also regrettable but I see no reasonable alternative. Too
many of them require separate additional study and staffing before
they can be implemented or acted upon. Too many others are inter-
related or interdependent requiring that they be considered in some
series of aggregates, but the report leaves the development and
considerations of the aggregates entirely up to the individual
reader. Very few readers will have the time or the inclination to
give the report that much study. This seems to suggest that the first
recommendation to be considered is the one which would establish a
full-time information processing capability at the level of the
Executive Director-Comptroller.
25X1A
Chief, Support Services staff
DDS/SSS/RHW:hrf (13 October 1970)
Distribution:
Orig. & 1-Addressee
1-SSS Subject 71K:71
1-SSS Chrono mmek
RET
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.15 OW- 19,0
MEMORAND R: Chairman, Information Processing Board
SUBJECT ASPIN Report
You have asked the Information Processing Coordinators to
comment about the ASPIN Report.
Part II 18720
"Ho. 57. The Agency establish as standard procedure in the
development of new collection systems, the coordination of the data
collection and data forwarding formats with the individuals who must
perform the data reduction and analysis of the data should the
collection system become operational."
COMMENT:
Coordination with interested Support Components, particularly
where there are space or communications requirements, should not be
overlooked in the development of any procedures. This should be
accomplished, of course, in the normal course of events but it doesn't
always happen. The Technical Facilities Committee is available to
facilitate this process and a requirement that it be used should be
incorporated in coordination procedures.
New collection systems inevitably produce new products which,
no matter what form they take, are records and must be considered
as such. Some of the records eventually become archives. Records
management considerations should be taken into account from the
inception of the projects so that retention plans, disposal schedules,
etc. can be developed.
No. 58. The Information Processing Board assure the acquisi-
tion, development and use of one or more general data management
systema which are sufficiently close to the general design require-
ments for Agency data processing applications to permit their adapta-
tion and use for a wide range of data processing applications and
data ptncessing centers...."
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This, and several other recommendations throughout the report,
suggest action by the Information Processing Board which the Board is
ill-prepared or ill-equipped to take, depending upon what is meant by
"assure the acquisition, development, and use". The Board is not
equipped to do analyses of the design requirements of data processing
application in enough depth to permit a reasonable evaluation of their
suitability for general use in all data processing centers. In any
case, I don't believe the Board should attempt to set itself up in a
way which would permit it to look as closely over the shoulders of
the several computer centers in the Agency as would be required to
produce the assurance recommended. The Board has no reasonable
alternative but to rely upon the technical expertise in the several
computer organizations to communicate with each other. Prescription
of a policy that cooperation and coordination will be practiced carries
no guarantee that it will be done. What the Board can do within its
present competence to assure that coordination and cooperation take
place must be pretty much limited to some sort of monitoring and pre-
sumable that will, as a matter of practicality, come down to the
acceptance by the Board of the assurances of the several computer
centers that they are in fact coordinating and cooperating with each
other. There comes a point when good Agency management means simply
reliance upon the management competence of subordinate echelons.
"No. 59. The Information Processing Board assure that the
present capability for development of a unique program to process an
application is maintained, so that any application whose objective is
clearly unobtainable by incorporation into a general data management
system may continue to be developed...."
comma:
Again, I don't know what the Board can do to ensure that they
have this assurance. The normal demand for service is probably all that
is necessary to ensure that this type of capability is maintained.
There should, however, be some way to avoid designs of "unique" appli-
cations being forced into some particular shape to permit their being
serviced by generalized software systems when separate software would
be preferable. But, again, this is more a concern of the individual
customer in his relationships with the computer center than it is a
matter with which Agency level management should be concerned. Perhaps
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there should be some expression of Agency policy which the Directorates
can implement which will protect the customer from having his applica-
tion distorted to fit a generalized software system when specialized
programs would serve the requirements better.
"No. 60. The Information Processing Board and its Technical
Panel be charged with creating the means for the development of
meaningful communications between the systems analysts-programmer and
the substantive analyst who may be engaged in the common development
of a computer application. Have them assure that the requisite
training is given to accelerate the reduction of communication barriers
which still exist."
COMMENT:
This is a 'audible objective but it is difficult to see what
contribution the Board can make toward its achievement. The problem
is more than a problem of communication; it is a problem of attitude
and it may be that only the passage of time will correct it. If there
is some identifiable direction which can be taken, it would seem more
appropriate that it be taken at the Directorate level or subordinate
echelons. The Support Directorate would be happy to have any assis-
tance it can get and will take advantage of any guidance that may be
available to help improve communication between substantive people
and computer people. We have not yet been successful in identifying
what "requisite training" can be given to reduce communication
barriers and influence attitudes.
"No. 61. The Agency provide time and professional and clerical
assistance to a few talented individuals each year to explore, develop,
and test essentially new techniques for new concepts in the use of ADP
to support intelligence analysis and production. These applications
may be developed under the leadership of either the substantive com-
ponent, or OCS, depending upon the nature of the application and the
resources to do the job."
COMMENT:
This recommendation requires elaboration. There is some impli-
cation here of a "think-tank" concept Which would make it possible for
people to be relieved of their normil duties for a year to experiment.
Raving the applications developed under the leadership of OCS for the
substantive component seems to imply an expectation that the recommen-
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dation contained elsewhere in the ASPIN Report to abolish ORD has
already been accepted.
Presumably this recommendation means that the Agency should create
an atmosphere, or establish a policy, which would permit the kind of
activity recommended to occur. The Agency can't provide time. Time has
to be made available in terms of the time of individual participants and
this can only be done by their parent components. This raises the
question of practicality.
I have no problem with the concept but it will require considerable
elaboration and refinement of the definition of what is meant before much
of anything can be done about providing a mechanism for its accomplish-
ment. In any case, if it is to be an Agency concept, then it should be
truly Agency and not limited to intelligence analysis and production.
Talented experimentation and exploration can be applied to moat of the
things in the ADP world which are of interest to the Support Directorate.
I realize that the recommendation may have been stated in this way in
keeping with the scope of the ASPIN study but if we are going to deal
with the recommendations in an Agency context, then this recommendation
is one which should be so considered.
"No. 62. The Information Processing Board assure that the present
effort to provide a general time-sharing capability in OCS to serve the
interests of the Agency as a whole be strengthened to provide not only
on-line but also remote batch processing and remote lob entry via
terminals distributed so as to make them convenient to users throughout
the intelligence production components."
COMMENT:
Again, the scope of the recommendation seems to be intended to
conform to the scope of the study. If the Information Processing Board
is to interest itself in the manner in which OCS provides service to its
customers, then the Board should be interested in the manner in which
that service is provided to all OCS customers. The implication of the
recommendation is that only OCS will have a general time-sharing capa-
bility and, therefore, the Board need only to look over the OCS shoulder
and not concern iteelf with what occurs in the other computer centers of
the Agency. In any case, the question of how the Board, with its present
resources, can provide itself with the assurance recommended; haw it can
provide that assurance within the present management-hierarchical-
structural relationship between the Board, OCS, and the other computer
centers, and whether it should concern itself with these matters will
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have to be examined with some greater care. Even though the arguments
used to support a single general time-sharing capability in OCS to
serve the interests of the Agency as a whole may seem so persuasive
that we evidence an inclination to accept them, we should not act upon
that inclination until all ramifications of how, who, and whether have
been carefully considered,
63. The Information Processing Board, in consultation with
the interested parties, assure that the OCS interactive services system
provides a general data management system capable of providing an on-
line, quick response capability for large information storage and
retrieval of the type characterized by the MISTAC, AEGIS, QUIKTRAK,
data bases. We believe that the present and foreseeable rates of use
for these files in an on-line environment are not high enough to
warrant economic use of individual processers to support them."
COMMENT:
The comment addressed to No. 62 immediately above also applies
here.
I am in no positive to comment about the technical practica-
bility of this recommendation but I would not like to see it inter-
pretated or acted upon in any way which would divert or dilute the
effort to move ahead with the 'CIMS system. The search for a data
management system that can be all things to all people could very
easily mean that we become perpetual searchers while nothing gets
done for anybody.
"No, 64. The agency seek to secure an evaluation of the present
COINS experiment at the earliest possible moment in an effort to pro-
vide clearer guidauce for future Agency planning for participation in
intelligence community ADP activities."
COMMENT:
I suspect that events will have overtaken this recommendation
before it can be acted upon. To comment upon it in this context will
make no coestructive contribution.
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"No. 65. The Information Processing Board define the minimum
standards of control over data entry, data base documentation and file
management for any ADP application serving more than one component
(defined as a unit under the first-line supervisor)."
COMMENT:
I have the same problem with this recommendation that I have
with several of the others. I don't feel confident that I really under-
stand what it means; if I do understand it, I don't see how the Board
can do it; and I don't see how the Board is going to monitor all ADP
applications to ensure that it has been done.
SUMMARY COMMENT:
The sum of the recommendations in this section would seem to
impose upon the Information Processing Board a responsibility for the
direct-line management of the Office of Computer Services, and pre-
sumably the other computer centers, which the Board has neither the
time, technical competence, or staff support to fulfill even if a
management role for the Board were considered to be desirable. Per-
formance of the functions recommended seem to go beyond the proper
role of a Boacd, certainly they do go beyond the role of the Informa-
tion Processing Board as it is presently defined. There is even the
implication of a rather fundamental change in the ADP management
philosophy of the Agency. This is not to imply that a change would
necessarily be wrong or bad. It is to say, however, that these
recommendations cannot and should not be acted upon individually with-
out a very careful assessment of their total effect and a thoughtfully
drawn plan for their aggregate management.
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Part III - Office o Computer Services (OCS) Activities
Pages III. 12-13
"No. 30. We recommend that: OCS develop in consultation with
the information Processing Board a mechanism for communicating plans
for major computer systems changes to user components and of eliciting
and reviewing user iaput to these plans before they are ready for sub-
mission to the Iuformation Processing Board for review antecedent to
approval by the Executive Director-Comptroller."
COMMENT:
We will need to have a careful definition of what is meant by
"major computer systems changes' before we can act on this recommen-
dation. Assuming that it means such changes as the installation of
GIMS or CP/CMS, ttva.n I would agree that coordination and the furnishing
of complete information to users is desirable. On the other hand, not
all users will have the technical competence to respond intelligently
to a request for concurrence with such proposed thanges. The same
applies to review by the Information Processing Board and approval by
the Executive Director-Comptroller. I assume it is this void that the
recommendation seeks to fill, but communication requires understanding
as well as being told. What the Board or the Executive Director can
do in a practical sense to ensure that OCS customers, or the Board
itself, uuderstand proposed Changes, or how the Board could do it
doesn't come readily to mind. OCS has the responsibility for satisfying
the requirements of its customers. There has to be some point where we
are willing to allow them to do that.
Again, the same standards as apply to OCS should apply to other
computer centers.
"No. 31. A complete set of procedures be published and maintained
which provide enough information to assure that a job can be written
(including JCC) and run without intervention from OCS programmers."
COMENT:
am not sure I understand the implications of this recommenda-
tion or how it relates to the recommendation immediately following re-
garding the assignment of OCS personnel to user components. This recom-
mendation would have to be interpreted in the light of actions taken to-
ward the implementation of the other recommendations. In any case, who
is going to develop and maintain such a set of procedures? Why, again,
is attention focused only on OCS programmers?
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"No. 32. Application programmers (this would presumably in-
clude a major share of the Applications Division's personnel) from OCS
should be assigned to and, where feasible, located with analysts in
the production organization for whom they are designing and programming.
Their work during their period of assignment should be controlled by
the host production organization except that their rotation back to
internal OCS assignment should be negotiated with OCS."
COMMENT:
This recommendation relates directly to Recommendation No. 30,
Chapter VI which says that an Agency ADP career service should be
created. If the recommendation that an Agency career service be es-
tablished is adopted presumably the applicatiol\ts programmers currently
employed in the CRS, NPIC, and RID computer centers would be a part of
it. This would mean that they would be subject to assignment in and
out and among the several computer centers as well as user components
throughout the Agency. In one case assignments would be negotiated
with OCS; in other cases assignments would presumably be negotiated
with the computer centers concerned by the Chairman of the Agency-
Wide ADP Career Service Board, who would be the Chairman of the
Information Processing Board. Assignments from as well as to the
computer centers and the user components would have to be negotiated.
While I concur with the concept I believe these recommendations
are intended to espouse, it is unfortunate that they cannot be acted
upon as stated. I believe the Information Processing Board should
pursue the idea of an Agency career service for data processing
personnel and the assignment of applications programmers, and perhaps
other computer specialists, to the components whose systems require
computer programming and systems support. We should create a special
study group, or task force, which would devote its full time to the
development of a detailed personnel management system concept and a
mechanism which would permit its implementation. Alternatively we should
assign the task to one person and make it possible for him to have all
of the access and assistance he needs to get the job done.
"No. 33. Increased attention should be given by OCS, in close
cooperation with NPIC/AID and ORD/AN, to the development of a strong
computer graphics capability for support of analyst use of the time-
sharing system...."
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COMMENT:
This recommendation seems to endorse the solution to problems
which have not yet been adequately defined, or are not adequately
defined in this report at any rate. What and how extensive is the
analyst's requirement for computer graphics support?
I find it curious that so many of the recommendations suggest
that the Information Processing Board should give increased attention
or seek the assurance that particular actions are taken while in this
case the recommendation is addressed to specific organizational com-
ponents in different directorates. Admittedly, the Information Pro-
cessing Board as presently structured is in no better position to take
action on this recommendation than it is on any of the others but in
the interest of consistency, at least, it would seem that the objec-
tive sought to be obtained by this recommendation would be more
appropriately addressed at the Agency rather than subordinate levels.
While we are at it, the use of computer graphics for the
reporting of management information might also be profitably explored.
"No, 34, Present planning for OCS to acquire and test a pro-
prietary general data management system should be encouraged. Plans
for this acquisition should be moved forward as rapidly as a careful
coordination of the proposal can be concluded.... The objectives in
acquirinz general data management software ought to be (1) to move
toward as wide a coverage of our major processing activities within
any given system as is intellectually and operationally acceptable,
(2) to establish each system selected as an Agency standard for the
type(a) of application identified, and (3) to recognize that there
will still exist computer applications which will require unique
programs."
COMMENT:
This recommendation apparently is a modification of duplica-
tion of 11-58.
Action is already under way to accomplish the intent of this
recommendation in the consideration being given to the GIMS package.
The acquisition of this package with the modifications under considera-
tion is of vital importance to the SIPS Program. I agree that the
Agency should take maximum advantage of whatever versatility this
package has to offer and that reasonable modifications should be made
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to extend its utility to other users in addition to SIPS. The
decision of whether or not to acquire the GIMS package should not,
however, be conditional upon its adaptability to all of the require-
ments which may be surfaced for general data management systems. We
should avoid encumbrances which might cause these systems to sink of
their own weight. We should also avoid shaping our production and
information processing systems to fit software packages and thereby
distort the purposes the information processing systems themselves
are intended to serve. We should acquire software packages to serve
the maximum number of requirements; we should not alter the require-
ments simply for the purpose of acquiring a minimum number of software
packages.
"No. 35. A single, integrated, interactive services system to
provide on-line service for intelligence production components at
Headquarters should be the Agency near-term objective."
COMNSNI:
The recommendation clearly is couched in terms reflective of
the scope of the ASPIN study. If it is to be interpreted in an Agency
context, it is open to the inference that a separate interactive
services system will be provided to meet requirements of Support
Information Processing Systems and other systems which do not fit
within the constraints of the phrase "intelligence production components
at Headquarters". The security concerns of sharing interactive
services among community and Agency proprietary systems suggest that
separate interactive services systems may not be such a bad idea.
Clearly the intent of the recommendation is to consolidate
resources and avoid the development of interactive services systems
in every computer center of the Agency. I agree with that intent but
to accept the language of the recommendation literally would be much
too constrained, even as a near-term objective.
I may not understand all of the nuances, but I'm not sure this
recommendation is entirely consistent with 11-58, and 111-34.
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Part IV - A Central Reference System
Pages IV. 11-12
"No. 35. We recommend that: the Central Reference Service be
established as the point of contact for any general request for
intelligence information from outside the Agency or from within where
there is no immediate known point where the information needed is
available."
NO COMMENT
"No. 36. Only those data which are generated and accessioned
by tre Reference Center be provided as a direct response by the Center
and that all other data are sought first from another center in the
Agency which may have resources to respond."
NO COMMENT
"No. 37. Work underway on an automated dissemination system
should be maintained and each distribution point to be employed in the
initial system test should be directed to cooperate with CRS in pro-
viding earefully constructed 'dictionary' terms to try to guide this
system. The work should be recognized as experimental at this atage,
but it should be widely encouraged for its long-term prospects."
COMMENT: See No. 38 immediately below.
'do. 38. Planning for undertaking an extension of the automated
dissemination syatem from SI input to all State, Defense and Agency
positive intelligence information received in machine language should
be undertaken coincident with the beginning of feasibility testing.'
GOMNT:
Members of the Information Processing Board have heard separate
briefings about the automated diesemination system being developed by
CRS and the automated communications terminal (ACT) being developed
by the Cable Secretary and the Office of Communications. It is possible
to come away from these briefings satisfied that they each serve the
purposes of their separate systems which makes it legitimate for them
to be developed and exist independently. Nevertheless, one has the
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nagging suspicion that their independence is more a reflection of
organizational structure than it is a functional distinction. briefing
no matter how complete or competently staged, are not adequate to per-
mit judgements to be made about whether one or the other of these
systems could serve both interests, or each should exist in its own
environment. Unfortunately the Information Processing Board does not
have at its disposal resources necessary to investigate situations of
this kind in enough depth with disinterested objectivity to present the
Information Processing Board or the Executive Director-Comptroller with
the analytical detail necessary to permit judgements to be made. Such
a capability is needed if the Board is to perform adequately even the
limited role which has presently been carved out for it. Meanwhile,
perhaps yet another study group needs to be launched to review the
total communications, dissemination, ADP structure to provide a com-
prehensive picture of the system and develop possible approaches to its
improvement.
"No. 39. The present concept of CRS indexing should be con-
tinued, and a systematic effort taken to facilitate indexing input from
the substantive analyst and to encourage such input to the system."
COMMENT: See below.
"No. 40. The Central Reference Service should seek as a general
objective a standarized document reference number which can be put on
the intelligence information document before it is disseminated. This
reference number should be capable of being generated and included in
the format of any automated dissemination system, and should become a
part of that system as quickly as possible. It should be made an Agency
standard immediately and expanded into a community standard eventually."
COMMENT: See below.
No. 41. The concept and scope of document indexing by a
reference center should be developed by a top management decision.
Established at a lower level, it results either in extensive duplica-
tion effort or in abaadonement of control over the use of intelligence
documentation. Document index processing has, however, been customized
by each processing organization which supports an individual or
organization reference activity."
COMMENT: See below.
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"No. 42. The Central Reference Service should create a
personnel-area-subject index to other organized collections of infor-
mation in the Agency. This index should include both personnel and
organizational collections of information and authorization points
for control of access to the respective collections. This index is
an important and complex system which must be carefully defined,
coordinated and implemented. CRS should be assigned responsibility
for design and development of the system but they must have the full
cooperation of all other offices and directorates. Development of
such a system would pose an excellent test of the Information Pro-
cessing Board."
COMMENT: See blow.
"Ne. 43. The present method of document storage and retrieval
is acceptable and should be maintained. It provides speed when it
is genuinely needed and is far more economical than any system of
electronic storage or video storage that we have encountered. We
believe that the Agency should continue to experiment with a limited
number of applications in which documents are created, stored, and
searched retrospectively in an electronic format, because development
of an on-line document index will almost certainly require a
simultaneous improvement in the speed of delivery of documents."
COMMENT: See below.
"No. 44. An extensive interactive (man-machine-data base)
capability with the Central Reference Service intelligence document
Index should be developed and tested as quickly as feasible. This is
one of the few large data bases in which we think there is both wide
interest and frequent use. Indeed we are told by analysts that the
principle limitation on their use of the system is its slow response
time."
COMMENT:
I have no competence which would permit me to comment about
recommendations 39 through 44 in the context of the systems to which
they are addressed. Documents are records, however, which eventually
will become inactive and some significant fraction of them will
require storage in the Records Center. Many of them, presumably, will
be worthy of permanent retention and should be identified for archival
storage and preservation. While indexing and retrieval systems should
not necessarily be designed specifically with long-term storage and
retrieval from a remote location as constraints upon the systems, the
notion of long-term retention and disposal schedules as well as the
requirement for manual retrieval from a remote location should be kept
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in mind. Systems which permit storage in other than hard copy form
are of vital interest to the Records Management Programs of the Agency.
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Part V - Research and Development (R&D) in Information 'rocessinii
Pages V. 5-6
"No. 14. We recommend that the DDS&T review the division of
effort between ORD and OCS in the area of information processing
research and development against an alternative allocation of function
and effort which would:
a. Provide for the subsequent problem definition and
computer application design and development effort
to be moved from ORD to OCS.
b. Provide for the transfer of essentially standard
computer processing equipment from ORD to OCS and
for OCS to provide a level of experimental or
developmental computer processing time necessary
to support the expanded experimental function out-
lined above. We would for example urge that pro-
cessing time might be made available on machines
appropriate to the work involved rather than on a
single machine which is used only for experimental
work.
c. Provide for the transfer of other equipment from
the IPRD Laboratory to those surviving or antici-
pated development programs which may use it most
effectively, the rest to be transferred to surplus.
d. Provide Seer a review of existing ORD contracts
through the Information Processing Board and
adiected prospective users to determine which of
those contracts should be continued and under
whose leadership they should proceed.
e. Provide that subsequent ADP equipment or software
test end analysis be conducted by OCS except where
the items are a direct adjunct of a special pro-
cessing center such as SPIC. The special unit
would procure and test the latter product.
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f. Provide for UCS to issue a current awareness pub-
lication similar to its present Tech Notes to
announce new activities, new products, and new
developments which its research and development
componeat considers of gOneral interest for Agency
components engaged in information processing.
COMUNT: None.
"No. 15. In addition we recommend that the DDSST and the
Information Processing Board reject the proposal of the R&D Sub-
committee of the USIB Information Handling Committee which proposes
a community-wide R&D Center on the basis of the recent experience
with COINS and the 'PRO which we believe demonstrated both the
difficulty of an integrated community activity and the impracticality
of performing research and development on non-existent or badly
defined requirements."
COMMENT: Concur.
"No. 16. Finally we recommend that research and development
projects or programs in the area of information processing be submitted
to the same scrutiny as that proposed for ADP projects in the section
below dealing with management."
COMMENT:
Concur subject to the comments offered about the recommendations
dealing with management.
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Part VI - Organizational and Management Elements of Automatic Data
Processing
Page VI, 10-11
"No. 26. We recommend that: the Agency reassert a policy of
providing a high degree of centralization in data processing activity
in the Office of Computer Services, that this policy be tempered by-
permitting the acquisition of small or medium computer procesaers by
functional organizations where there is a demonstrable-computational
economy in using a stand-alone computer system, and that this policy
continue the present emphasis on the functional component (user)
responsibility for problem definition and problem solution. In short,
we recommend that computer organizations develop the systems necessary
to run the computers and run them, and that functional production
people prepare the data and the processing steps required for its
transformation by computer."
COMMENT:
I see no particular need for a reassertion of this policy from
the Support Directorate point of view. We have no particular problem
with the intent of the recommendation, on the other hand, as long as
the Office of Computer Services is able to retain the capability to
satisfy thdi requirements that we musy levy upon it. If the other
recommendations of the ASPIN Report are to be taken seriously, however
something more than a simple reassertion of policy is required. At
this point in my review of the ASPIN study I am not able to identify
what that "something more" is.
Someone has to find a way of looking at the ASPIN recommenda-
tions in the aggregate. Too many of them are inter-related and inter-
dependent to permit prudent action to be taken on any of them separately.
11.58, 11.63, 111.34, 111.35, and perhaps others should be considered
together; 11.59, 111.31, 111.32, V.14, V.16, V1.27, V1.30, perhaps
11.64, and possibly others should be considered together; conceivably
1V.37 and 1V.38 should be included in the latter group as well. I
haven't re-examined the recommendations as carefully as I should to
assert positively that this suggested grouping of them should hold.
This is a part of the difficulty. The ASPIN study requires too much
study. Not many of us are going to be able to give it as much study
as it requires. I have already spent more time on it than I feel it
should have required and I am still uneasy about it because my comments
deal with individual recommendations and they might change in the
aggregate if I were to take the time to consider the recommendations
that way.
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"No. 27. A central technical management review of major ADP
projects be created under the present umbrella of Executive Director-
Comptroller responsibility for Agency ADP management, that a full-time
position of ADP advisor to the Executive Director-Comptroller be created
for an experienced ADP professional whose responsibility would be to:
a. Advise the Executive Director-Comptroller on all
professional/technical matters relating to ADP;
b. Be Chairman of the IP Board and the Director of its
permanent staff;
c. Review the various local plans, provide technical
input and, periodically, develop a statement of
long-term ADP objectives for the Agency;
d. Assign computer application design proposals to the
'suitable functional/technical review components;
Prepare. Agency-wide ADP technical standards;
,Serve as Chairman of the Agency-wide ADP Career
Service Board;
Serve as focal point for internal leadership and
for external relations in ADP/professional matters."
COMMENT:
It is interesting that the notion of permanent staff is
buried as a subordinate clause in paragraph b. above and that it is
considered to be a permanent staff of the Information Processing Board.
I realize that this was written before the nonemclature in OPPB changed
to eliminate the term "Information Processing Staff" and leave the
IP&E Team to perform something of a dual role, but even before that
change was made the Information Processing Staff was considered to be
an OPPB unit rather than a supporting arm of the Information Processing
Board. I have some difficulty conceptually with the idea of the IPSE
Team performing a dual role but that concern is not directly germane
to discussion of this ASPIN recommendation. What is germane is the
opinion that the responsibilities identified for the ADP advisor are
more than a full-time job for one man, and probably more than a part--
time job for the ME Team. It is also my opinion that fulfillment
.of the responsibilities prescribed calls for a role going far beyond
ViaWilof advisor.
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The responsibilities suggested for the ADP advisor taken to-
gether with the functions recommended throughout the report to be
performed by the Information Processing Board clearly suggest the
need for an Information Processing Staff at the level of the
Executive Director-Comptroller. Moreover, membership on the Board
will become a full-time task for each of the Directorates representa-
tives.
Essentially I agree *hat there needs to be a small staff
competence at the Agency level. Its role will have to be carefully
drawn in terms of specific functions listed here and the more general
functions suggested elsewhere in the report as tasks for the IPB.
wonder whether any of the recommendations ean be acted upon until after
this one has been dealt with.
"No. 28. Existing Central ADP planning be strengthened to
provide:
a. For a more definitive outline of Agency objectives
to be achieved in related or overlapping office
plans and for regular revision and publication
of the Agency ADP Plan;
b. For the definition and publication of Agency-wide
ADP technical standards beyond the present work on
nationwide (USASI) standards;
For a standard format and procedure for the proposal
and review of major requests for the acquisition of
computer systems or of computer processing applica-
tions."
COMMENT
The idea of ADP planning in its own separate context has always
been bothersome to me. ADP exists only to serve operational and
management programs and planning for it should be carried out in the
context of the programs it serves. We haven't found a way of doing
that satisfactorily, but we haven't really tried. The Information
grocessing and Exploitation (IP&E) Program Category does not serve
the .purpose. Support information peocessing is split among the
Communications Program Category, the Program Wide Category, and the
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IP&E Program Category. It only gets into the latter because the
Office of Computer Services is included in that category and OCS
provides computer support to the Support Directorate. We don't plan
in CIA and we don't program, not really. We budget. We should plan
and we s ould program but we should not delude ourselves into thiniting
we are/doing something that we are not simply because we apply the
terminology. We do not have an Agency ADP plan and we have never had
one. The only visible objective we have had at the Agency level has
been to control the growth of hardware. We need something a great
deal better than that but it will take a great deal more time and a
great deal more thought than anyone has yet been able to give it.
Perhaps what we need as a start is a plan for a plan, but even that
won't occur if it is left as a part-time effort of one or several
people who have 4ozens of other things to do. We do need a definitive
statement of Agency objectives.
Standard formats for the proposal and review of major requests
for computer services may be useful tools but what we really need are
some criteria for judging the content of proposals. The memorandum
the Executive Director-Comptroller addressed to the Deputy Directors
in October 1969 said that decisions to use ADP equipment should be
based on a review of proposals in terms of utility, benefits, life
expectancy, and relationship to other activities. It identified
several bench marks for the review of proposals and it identified
responsibilities to be Charged to Directorate Information Processing
Coordinators and the Information Processing Board. Nothing has been
done in an Agency context toward the implementation of the provisions
of that memorandum. We don't know to what extent individual direc-
torates may have taken independent action toward its implementation
within their own juriedictions but the kinds of things which come
before the Information Processing Board suggest that there may be
some inconsistencies or differences in the approaches taken by eabh
of the Directorates. We need some way of assuring that it is neither
easier nor more difficult in one directorate than another to get
approval of an ADP project and that the same criteria of importance,
utility, benefits, etc. are applied in all of the Directorates. When
we have these things, then we can develop formats and procedures to
ensure their expeditious processing.
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"No. 29. A means of pricing data processing services performed
by computer centers be developed, and that each user component be
required to budget for its data processing services and transfer the
funds to pay for thesis services in essentially the same way that pro-
perty funds are handled."
comENT:
I have commented about proposals for costing data processing
services in a separate context and will not belabor the point further
here, except to say that I agree we should have some way of knowing
what particular computer applications cost for consideration as a
factor in considering whether the application should go forward or
not. Before we dash madly into an elaborate pricing system we should
have clearly in mind what we hope it will achieve. I do not believe
that an elaborate system which would require the transfer of funds
should be the objective, and while we can certainly learn something
from the experience of the PRA (Property Requisitioning Authority)
system I doubt very much that we will find it a useful pattern to be
followed.
"No. 30. An Agency ADP career service be created."
COMMENT:
See earlier comment, Part III, Recommendation No. 32.
"No. 31. Existing ADP training programs introduce, additional
emphasis on the Changing responsibility or role of the user in an
on-line and/or real-time computer environment, and that functional
organizations review the need for unit training of personnel in the
use of quantitative and/or logical techniques in indigenous analytical
problems."
COMMENT: Concur, but first we need some agreement among the
Directorates about what the role of the user should be.
"No. 32. The Director/OCS be an ex officio participant on the
Information Processing Board and that the DDSligT should be represented
on the Board by an individual who reflects the computer user population
of the whole Directorate. The presence of the Director/OCS on the Board
is imperative, but we believe he should participate in his capacity as
director of computer processing rather than as the representative of a
directorate with large processing requirements."
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COMMENT:
The Information Processing Board has already addressed this
recommendation.
25X1A
MIM
Chief, Support Services StaI
DDS/SSS/RHW:hrf (14 October 1970)
Dlastribution:
Orig. 45,, 1-Addressee
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.15 OCT WO
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chairman, Information Processing Board
SUBJECT ASPIN Report
You have asked the Information Processing Coordinators to
comment about the ASPIN Report.
Part II,, 18-20
"No. 57. The Agency establish as standard procedure in the
development of new collection systems, the coordination of the data
collection and data forwarding formats with the individuals who must
perform the data reduction and analysis of the data should the
collection system become operational."
COMMENT:
Coordination with interested Support Components, particularly
where there are space or communications requirements, should not be
overlooked in the development of any procedures. This should be
accomplished, of course, in the normal course of events but it doesn't
always happen. The Technical Facilities Committee is available to
facilitate this process and a requirement that it be used should be
incorporated in coordination procedures.
New collection systems inevitably produce new products which,
no matter what form they take, are records and must be considered
as such. Some of the records eventually become archives. Records
management considerations should be taken into account from the
inception of the projects so that retention plans, disposal schedules,
etc. can be developed.
No. 58. The Information Processing Board assure the acquisi-
tion, development end use of one or more general data management
systems which are sufficiently close to the general design require-
ments for Agency data processing applications to permit their adapta-
tion and use for a wide range of data processing applications and
data pxecessing centers...."
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We recommend that the Agency establish as
standard procedure in the development of new collection
systems the coordination of the data collection formats
with the individuals who must process and analyze the
data.
II. 57. While there have been serious lapses in the past in rnel,,Ing
analysis with collection, these are disappearing. For example, OEL's
Program Review Board considers the analysis problem for each new
collection system, and OSP has its own set of management tools toward
this end. USIB community forums have also been established where such
interfaces can be discussed. OCS feels that from its standpoint, computer
users are becoming more generally aware of the need to make their
requirements known at the earliest possible date. In any case, this is an
OCS problem with its users. No fiat will produce the cooperation that can
be gained by good relations with them.
We recommend that the Information Processing
Board assure the acquisition, development and use of
general data management systems which are sufficiently
close to the general design requirements for Agency
data processing applications to permit their adaptation
and use for a wide range of data processing applications
and data processing centers. The acquisition of such
systems should be coordinated with the major users of
OCS and with each of the components who have their own
data processing centers, i.e., NPIC and CRS.
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COMMENT:
This, and several other recommendations throughout the report,
suggest action by the Information Processing Board which the Board is
ill-prepared or ill-equipped to take, depending upon what is meant by
"assure the acquisition, development, and use". The Board is not
equipped to do analyses of the design requirements of data processing
application in enough depth to permit a reasonable evaluation of their
suitability for general use in all data processing centers. In any
case, I don't believe the Board should attempt to set itself up in a
way which would permit it to look as closely over the shoulders of
the several computer centers in the Agency as would be required to
produce the assurance recommended. The Board has no reasonable
alternative but to rely upon the technical expertise in the several
computer organizations to communicate with each other. Prescription
of a policy that cooperation and coordination will be practiced carries
no guarantee that it will be done. What the Board can do within its
present competence to assure that coordination and cooperation take
place must be pretty much limited to some sort of monitoring and pre-
sumable that will, as a matter of practicality, come down to the
acceptance by the Board of the assurances of the several computer
centers that they are in fact coordinating and cooperating with each
other. There comes a point when good Agency management means simply
reliance' upon the management competence of subordinate echelons.
"No. 59. The Information Processing Board assure that the
present capability for development of a unique program to process an
application is maintained, so that any application whose objective is
clearly unobtainable by incorporation into a general data management
system may continue to be developed...."
COMMENT:
Again, I don't know what the Board can do to ensure that they
have this assurance. The normal demand for service is probably all that
is necessary to ensure that this type of capability is maintained.
There should, however, be some way to avoid designs of "unique" appli-
cations being forced into some particular shape to permit their being
serviced by generalized software systems when separate software would
be preferable. But, again, this is more a concern of the individual
customer in his relationships with the computer center than it is a
matter with which Agency level management should be concerned. Perhaps
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II. 58. There does not seem to be any magic to the acquisition of
general data management systems from commercial vendors as opposed to
in-house development which assures that the former is the best route to
go. Such developments depend on the requirement that we are trying to
meet, what is available in the market place, and our capabilities for
building the system. What is important is that the Board insist on the
review of commercially available systems when in-house development
efforts are proposed. The acquisition of GIMS and AEGIS presumably
follow this ASPIN recommendation.
11,59
We recommend that the Information Processing
Board assure that the capability for development of
unique computer programs be maintained for applications
whose objectives are clearly unattainable by incorpora-
tion into a general data management system.
II. 59. The purpose of the recommendation seems to be to counter-
balance the previous one. Obviously big systems software is expensive
but equally obviously one big system is not likely to solve everyone's
problems. Hurrah for motherhood.
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there should be some expression of Agency policy which the Directorates'
can implement which will protect the customer from having his applica-
tion distorted to fit a generalized software system when specialized
programs would serve the requirements better.
"No. 60. The Information Processing Board and its Technical
Panel be charged with creating the means for the development of
meaningful communications between the systems analysts-programmer and
the substantive analyst who may be engaged in the common development
of a computer application. Nave them assure that the requisite
training is given to accelerate the reduction of communication barrierEe
which still exist."
COMMENT:
This is a laudible objective but it is difficult to see what
contribution the Board can make toward its achievement. The problem
is more than a problem of communication; it is a problem of attitude
and it may be that only the passage of time will correct it. If there
is some identifiable direction which can be taken, it would neem more
appropriate that it be taken at the Directorate level or subordinate
echelons. The Support Directorate would be happy to have any assis-
tance it can get and will take advantage of any guidance that may be
available to help improve communication between substantive people
and computer people. We have not yet been successful it identifying
what "requisite training" can be given to reduce communication
barriers and influence attitudes.
"No. 61. The Agency provide tine and professional and clerical
assistance to a few talented individuals each year to explore, develop,
and test essentially new techniques for new concepts in the use of ADP.
to support intelligence analysis and production. These applications
may be developed under the leadership of either the substantive com-
ponent, or OCS, depending upon the nature of the application and the -
resources to do the job."
COMMENT:
This recommendation requires elaboration. There is some impli-
cation here of a "think-tank" concept which would make it possible for
people to be relieved of their normal duties for a year to experiment.
Having the applications developed under the leadership of OCS for the
substantive component seems to imply an expectation that the recommen-
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11,60 We recommend that the Information Processing
Board (IPB) create the means for the deVelopment of
meaningful communications between the systems analyst-
programmer and the substantive analyst engaged in the
common development of a computer application.
PD
11,61'
4adbio
IV 7,
II. 60. The Information Processing Board can't by itself bring
users and processers together. Both Centers and users must work out
better ways of understanding each other. Centers need to be more user-
oriented.
and test essentially new techniques or new concepts
in the use of ADP to support intelligence analysis
and production. These applications may be developed
under the leadership of either the substantive com-
ponent, or OCS depending upon the nature of the
application and the resources required to do the job.
We also recommend that the Agency provide time
as well as professional and clerical assistance to a
few talented individuals each year to explore, develop,
II. 61. Agree. Providing special support to talented computer/user
p teams would also help further II. 60.
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dation contained elsewhere in the ASPIN Report to abolish ORD has
already been accepted.
Presumably this recommendation means that the Agency should create
an atmosphere, or establish a policy, which would permit the kind of
activity recommended to occur. The Agency can't provide time. Time has
to be made available, in terms of the time of individual participants and
this can only be done by their parent components. This raises the
.question of practicality.
I have no problem with the concept but it will require considerable
elaboration and refinement of the definition of what is meant before much
of anything can be done about providing a mechanism for its accomplish-
ment. In any case, if it is to be an Agency concept, then it should' be
truly Agency and not limited to intelligence analysis and production.
Talented experimentation and exploration can be applied to most of the
things in the ADP world which are of interest to the Support Directorate.
I realize that the recommendation may have been stated in this way in
keeping with the scope of the ASPIN study but if we are going to deal
with the recommendations in an Agency, context, then this recommendation
is one which should be GO considered.
"No. 62. The Information Processing Board assure that the present
effort.to provide a general time-sharing capability in ()CS to serve the
inter(:ste of the Agency as a whole be strengthened to provide not only .
on-line but also remote batch processing and remote job entry via
terminals distributed so as to make them convenient to users throughout
the intelligence production components."
Again, the scope of the recommendation seems to be intended to
conform to the scope of the study. If the Information Procesaing Board
is to interest itself in the manner in which OCS provides service to its
customers, then the Board should be interested in the manner in which
that service is provided to all OCS customers. The implication of the
recommendation is that only OCS will have a general time-sharing capa-
bility and, therefore, the doard need only to look over the OCS shoulder
and not concern itself with what occurs in the other computer centers of
the, Agency. In any case, the question of how the Board, with its present
resources, can provide itself with the assurance recommended; how it can
provide that assurance within the present management-hierarchical-
structural relationship between the Board, OCS, and the other computer
centers, and whether it should concern itself with these matters will
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We recommend that the Information Processing
Board assure that the present effort to provide a
general time-sharing capability in OCS to serve the
interest of the Agency as a whole be strengthened to
provide not only on-line but also remote batch process-
ing and remote job entry via terminals distributed so
as to make them convenient to users throughout the
intelligence production components.
S11 1 II. 62. OCS intends to provide the widest time-sharing capabilities
PJ)-. consistent with its budget.
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have to be examined with some greater care. Even though the arguments
used to support a single general time-sharing capability in OC S to
serve the interests of the Agency as a whole may seem so persuasive.
that we evidence an inclination to accept them, we should not act upon
that inclination until all ramifications of how, who, and whether have
been carefully considered.
"No. 63. The Information erocessing Board, in consultation with
the interested parties, assure that the OCS interactive services system
provides a general data management system capable of providing an on-
line, quick response capability for large information storage and '
retrieval of the type characterized by the MISTAC, AEGIS, QUIKTRAK,
data bases. We believe that the present and foreseeable rates of use
for these files in. an on-line environment are not high enough to
warrant economic use of individual processers to support them."
CO'ea4ENT:
The comment addressed to No. 62 immediately above also applies
here.
I am in no position to comment about the technical practica-
bility of this recommendation but I would not like to see it inter-
pretated or acted upon in any way which would divert or dilute the
effort to move ahead with the GleiS system. The search for a data
management system that can be all thins to all people could vary
easily mean that we become perpetual searchers while nothing gets
done for anybody.
"No. 64. The agency seek to secure an evaluation of the present
COINS experiment at the earliest possible moment in an effort to pro-
vide clearer guidance for future Agency planning for participation in
intelligence community ADP activities."
COMMLNT:
I suspect that events will have overtaken this recommendation
before it can be acted upon. To comment upon it in this context will
make no constructive contribution.
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We recommend that the Information Processing
Board, in consultation with the interested parties,
assure that the OCS Interactive Services include a
general data management system capable of providing
quick response capability for large information storage
and retrieval activities of the type characterized by
the MISTAC, AEGIS, and QUIKTRAK data bases.
II. 63. Agree. There should be a long-term goal to provide on-line
/ facilities for MISTAC, AEGIS, and QUIKTRAK. At present, neither the
capacity nor the facilities for such a system exist.
11,64
We recommend that the Agency seek to secure
an evaluation of the present COINS experiment at the
earliest possible moment in an effort to provide
clearer guidance for future Agency planning for partici-
pation in Intelligence Community ADP activities.
--r II. 64. Agree. The Agency should review the COINS experience
l7Min detail.
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"No. 65. The Information Processing Board define the minimum
standards of control over data entry, data base documentation and file
management for any ADP application serving more than one component
(defined as a unit under the first-line supervisor)."
COMMENT:
I have the same problem with this recommendation that I have
with several of the others. I don't feel confident that I really under-
stand what it means; if I do understand it, I don't see how the Board'
can do it; and I don't see how the Board is going to monitor all ADP
applications to ensure that it has been done.
SUMMARY COMMENT:
The sum of the recommendations in this section would seem to
impose upon the Information Processing Board a responsibility for the
direct-line management of the Office of Computer Services, and pre-
sumably the other computer centers, which the Board has neither the
time, technical competence, or staff support to fulfill even if a
management role for the Board were considered to be desirable. Per-
formance of the functions recommended seem to go beyond the proper
role of a Board, certainly they do go beyond the role of the Informa-
tion Processing Board as it is presently defined. There is even the
implication of a rather fundamental change in the ADP management
philosophy of the Agency. This is not to imply that a change Would
necessarily be wrong or bad. It is to say, however, that these
recommendations cannot and should not be acted upon individually with-
out a very careful assessment of their total effect and a thoughtfully
drawn plan for their aggregate management.
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11,65.
A',1(
(e) minimum standards for control over data
entry, data base documentation and file maintenance
for any ADP application serving more than one component
(defined as a unit under the first-line supervisor).
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Part III - Office of CmIputer Services OCSLActivities
Paaes III. 12-13
"No. 30. We recommend that: OCS develop in consultation with
the information Processing Board a mechanism for communicating plans
for major computer systems changes to user components and of eliciting
and reviewing user input to these plans before they are ready for sub-
mission to the Information Processing Board for review antecedent to
approval by the Zxecutive Director-Comptroller."
COMMENT:
We will need to have a careful definition of what is meant by.
"major computer systema changes" before we can sac t on this recommen-
dation. Assuming that it means such changes as the installation of
GINS or CP/CHS, then I would agree that coordination and the furnishina
of complete information to users is desirable. On the other hand, not
all users will have the technical competence to respond intelligently
to a request for concurrence with such proposed changes. The name
applies to review by the Information Processing Board and approval by
the Executive Director-Comptroller. I assume it is thia void that the
recommendation seeks to fill, but communication requires understanding
as well as being told. What the Board or the Executive Director can
do in a practical sense to ensure that OCS customers, or the Board
ituelf, understand proposed changes, or how the Board could do it
doesn't come readily to mind. OCS ha a the reaponsibility for satisfying
the requirements of its customers. There has to be some point where we
are willing to allow them to do that.
Again, the same utaudards as apply to OCS should apply to other
computer centers.
"No. 31. A complete set of procedures be published and maintained
which provide enough information to aasure that a job can be written
(including JCC) and run without intervention from OCS programmers."
COMasNT:
I am not sure I understand the implications of this recommenda-
tion nor how it relates to the recommendation immediately following re-
garding the assignment of OCS personnel to user components. This recom-
mendation would have to be interpreted in the light of actions taken to-
ward the implementation of the other recommendations. In any case, who
is going to develop and maintain such a set of procedures? Why, again,
ia attention focused only on OCS programmers?
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We recommend that OCS develop a mechanism
for communicating plans for major computer system changes
to user components and of eliciting their viewpoints.
III. 30, Agree. OCS should keep its user better informed of equip-
ment changes. Also needed is a better means for communicating user
requirements for ADP services to OCS in advance of OCS planning
activities. As it is now worded, the recommendation implies that OCS
should plan first and then ask for user input.
We recommend that a complete set of procedures
be available to assure that a job can be written and
run without intervention from OCS programmers.
III. 31. Agree generally. However, a complete set of programming
procedures will not assure that a job can be written and then run without
intervention from OCS programmers. OCS has the continuing goal of
improving system documentation and procedures so that programmers
have a better chance. of having their job run without intervention.
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"No. 32. Application programmers (this would presumably in- ?
elude a major share of the Applications Division's personnel) from OCS
should be assigned to and, where feasible, located with analysts in
the production organization for whom they are designing and programming.
Their work during their period of assignment should be controlled by
the host production organization except that their rotation back to
internal OCS assignment should be negotiated with OCS."
COMMENT:
This recommendation relates directly to Recommendation Na. 30,
Chapter VI which says that an Agency ADP career service should be
created. If the recoMmendcation that an Agency career service be es-
tablished is adopted presumably the applications programmers currently
employed in the CRS, NPIC, and RID computer centers would be a part of
it. This would mean that they would be subject to assignment in and
out and among the several computer centers as well as user components
throughout the Agency. In one case assignments would be negotiated
with OCS; in other cases assignments would presumably be negotiated
with the computer centers concerned by the Chairman of the Agency-
Wide ADP Career Service Board, who would be the Chairman of the
Information Processing Board. Assignments from as well as to the
computer centers and the user components would have to be negotiated.
While I concur with the concept I believe these recommendations
are intended to espouse, it is unfortunate that they cannot be acted
upon as stated. I believe the Information Processing Board should
pursue the idea of an Agency career service for data processing
personnel and the assignment of applications programmers, and perhaps
other computer specialists, to the components whose systems require
computer programming and systems support. We should create a special
study group, or task force, which would devote its full time to the
development of a detailed personnel management system concept and a
mechanism which would permit its implementation. Alternatively we should
assign the task to one person and make it possible for him to have all
of the access and assistance he needs to get the JO done.
"No. 33. Increased attention should be given by OCS, in close
cooperation with NPIC/AID and ORD/AN, to the development of a strong
computer graphics capability for support of analyst use of the time-
sharing system...."
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III, 33
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We recommend that applications programmers (this
would presumably include a major share of the applica-
tions divisions' personnel) from OCS be assigned to and,
where feasible, colocated with analysts in the produc-
tion organization for whom they are designing and
programming. Their work during their period of assign-
ment should be controlled by the host production
organization.
III. 32. OCS is now detailing systems specialists to help users
communicate with OCS programmers and systems analysts. We do not
intend this kind of support to include "a major share of the applications
divisions' personnel" since this would unduly fractionate scarce OCS
resources. Where smaller numbers of people are involved, where
adequate professional, mature guidance can be obtained from the produc-
tion analyst, and where specific projects can be delineated, OCS will
follow this recommendation.
We recommend that increased attention be given
by OCS, in close cooperation with NPIC and ORD, to the
development of a strong computer graphics capability
for support of analyst use of the time-sharing system.
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Thie recommendation seems to endorse the solution to problems
which have not yet been adequately defined, or are not adequately
defined in this report at any rate. What and how extensive is the
analyst's requirement for computer graphics support?
I find it curious that eo many of the recommendations auggest
that the Information Processing Board should give increased attention
or seek the assurance that particular actions are taken while in this
case the recommendation is addresaed to specific organizational com-
ponents in different directoratee. Admittedly, the Information Pro-
cessing Board as presently etructured is in no better position to take
action on this recommendation than it is on any of the others but in
the interest of-consistency, at least, it would seem that the objec-
tive sought to be obtained by thie recommendation would be more
appropriately addressed at the Agency rather than subordinate levels.
While we are at it, the use of computer graphics for the
reporting of .management information might also be profitably explored.
No. 34. Present planning for OC S to acquire and test a pro-
prietary general data 'management system should be encouraged. Plans
for this acquisition should be moved forward as rapidly as a careful
coordination of the proposal can be concluded.... The objectives in
acquiring general data management software ought to be (1) to move
toward as wide a coverage of our major processing activities within
any given system as is intellectually and operationally acceptable,
(2) to establish each system aelected an an Agency standard for the
type(a) of application identified, and (3) to recognize that there
will still exist computer applications which will require unique
programs."
COMMENT:
This recommendation apparently is a modification of duplica-
tion of 11-53.
Action is already under way to accompliah the iatent of this
recommendation in the conaideration being given to the MOS package.
The acquisition of this package with the modifications under considera-
tion is of vital importance to the SIPS Program. I agree that the
Agency should take maximum advantage of whatever versatility this
package has to offer and that reaeonable modifications should be made
GLOW I
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III. 33. Agree. We recognize the growing interest in graphics and
4 C on-line capabilities of all kinds. A considerable amount of OCS development
i2P*
effort is going into such requirements.
11,58
111,34
001
We recommend that the Information Processing
Board assure the acquisition, development and use of
general data management systems which are sufficiently
close to the general design requirements for Agency
data processing applications to permit their adaptation
and use for a wide range of data processing applications
and data processing centers. The acquisition of such
systems should be coordinated with the major users of
OCS and with each of the components who have their own
data processing centers, i.e., plc and CRS.
III. 34. Agree; the recommendation, in essence, will be accomplished
with the procurement of GIMS. OCS, per se, does not see the need for
special authority to establish each system it selects as an Agency standard.
Most users are reasonable people and will accept any standard system that
will meet their needs.
a% ?
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to extend its utility to other users in addition to SIPS. The
decision of whether or not to acquire the CIMS package should not,
however, be conditional upon its adaptability to all of the require-
ments which may be surfaced for general data management systems. We
should avoid encumbrances which might cause these systems to sink of
their own weight. We should also avoid shaping our production and
information processing systems to fit software packages and thereby
distort the purposes the information processing systems themselves
are intended to serve. We should acquire software packages to serve
the maximum number of requirements; we should not alter the require-
ments simply for the purpose of acquiring a minimum number of software
packages.
No. 35. A single, integrated, interactive services system to
provide on-line service for intelligence production components at
ileadquarters should be the Agency near-term objective."
COMILNT:
The recommendation clearly is couched in terms reflective of
the scope of the ASPIN study. If it is to be interpreted in an Agency
context, it is open tu the inference that a separate interactive
services system will be provided to meet requirements of Support
Information Processing Systems and other systems which do not fit
within the constraints of the phrase "intelligence production components
at Headquarters". The security concerns of sharing interactive
services among community and Agency proprietary systems suggest that
separate interactive services systems may not be such a bad idea.
Clearly the intent of the recommendation is to consolidate
resources and avoid the development of interactive services systems
in every computer center of the Agency. I agree with that intent but
to accept the language of the recommendation literally Would be much
too constrained, even as a near-term objective.
may not understand all of the nuances, but I'm not sure this
recommendation is entirely consistent with 11-58, and 111-34.
i?ECRET ,i..,cmcied tam wonatIc
I
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We recommend a single, integrated, interactive
system to serve intelligence production components at
headquarters.
III. 35. The recommendation is not clear. Is it suggesting that the
OCS interactive system be moved to the DDI? Is it suggesting that OCS
set up one system exclusively for intelligence production components and
others presumably for intelligence collectors (OSP, OEL, OSA) and support
components? We don't feel that systems in OCS should be dedicated to a
type of user such as "intelligence production components".
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L.tJ1C
I;
-11-
Part. IV Central Referencestem
pAy&ILIV. 11-12
"No. 35. We recommend that: the Central Reference Service be
established as the point of contact for any general request for
intelligence information from outside the Agency or from within where
there is no immediate known point where the information needed is
available."
NO COMMENT
"No. 36. Only those data which are generated and accessioned
by the Reference Center be provided as a direct response by the Center
and that all other data are sought first from another center in the
Agency which may have resources to respond."
NO CO'frDIENT
"No. 37. Work underway on an automated dissemination system
should be maintained and each distribution point to be employed in the
initial system test should be directed to cooperate with CRS in pro-
viding carefully constructed 'dictionary terms to try to guide this
system. The work should be recognized as experimental at this stage,
but it should be widely encouraged for its long-term prospects."
COMMA;NT: See No. 38 immediately below.
"No. 38. Planning for undertaking an extension of the automated
dissemination system from Si input to all State, Defense and Agency
positive intelligence information received in machine language should
be undertaken coincident with the beginning of feasibility testing."
GOMMLNT:
Members of the Information Processing Board have heard separate
loiefings about the automated dissemination system being developed by
CRS and the automated communications terminal (ACT) being developed
by the Cable Secretary and the Office of Communications. It is possible
to come away from these briefings satisfied that they each serve the
purposes of their separate systems which makes it legitimate for them
to be developed and exist independently. Nevertheless, one has the
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4,
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(b) the Central Reference Service be the
point of contact for any general request for intel-
ligence information from outside the Agency or from .
within where there is no known point where the informa-
tion is available.
(c) only those data which are generated
IV,36 and accessioned by CRS be provided as a direct response
siZi5-(15,06and that all other data be sought from the appropriate
center.
IV,37
IV,38
We recommend that the experimental work under
way on an automated dissemination system be maintained
and each distribution point be urged to cooperate with
CRS in providing "dictionary" terms for the system.
We also recommend that planning for under-
taking an extension of the automated dissemination
system to all State, Defense and Agency positive intel-
ligence information received in machine language be
undertaken coincident with the beginning of feasibility
testing of the present experimental system.
IV. 37. Agree. Work on automated dissemination should be
continued.
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-12-
nagging suspicion that their independence is more a reflection of
organizational structure than it is a functional distinction. Briefings,
no matter how complete or competently staged, are not adequate to per-
mit judgements to be made about whether one or the other of these
systems could serve both interests, or each should exist in its own
environment. Unfortunately the Information Processing Board does not
have at its disposal resources necesaary to investigate situations of
this kind in enough depth with disinterested objectivity to present the
Information Processing Board or the executive Director-Comptroller with
the analytical detail necessary to permit judgements to be made. Such
a capability is needed if the Board is to perform adequately even the
limited role which has presently been carved out for it. Meanwhile,
perhaps yet another study group needs to be launched to review the
total communications, dissemination, ADP structure to provide a com-
prehensive picture of the system and develop possible approaches to its
improvement.
39. The present concept of us indexing should be con-
tinued, and a systematic effort taken, to facilitate indexing input from
the substantive analyst and to encourage such input to the system."
COMIeNT: See below.
"No. 40. The Central Reference Service should seek as a general .
objective a standarized document reference number which can be put on
the intelligence information document before it is disseminated. This
reference number should be capable of being generated and included in
the format of any automated dissemination system, and should become a
part of that system as quickly as possible. It should be made an Agency
standard immediately and expanded into a community standard eventually."
COMMLNT: See below.
"No. 41. The concept and scope of document indexing by a
reference center should be developed by a top management decision.
Established at a lower level, it results either in extensive duplica-
tion effort or in abandonement of control over the use of intelligence
documentation. Document index processing has, however, been customized
by each processing organization which supports an individual or
organization reference activity."
COMeNT: See below.
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It is also recommended that:
TV,39(a) the present concept of CRS indexing be
. .
.3_(01/0conti-nued, and a systematic effort undertaken to
" I encourage indexing input from the substantive analyst.
IV,40
(b) the Central Reference Service seek as a
1.3
general objective a standardized document reference
itiaz zs-3-639.number which can be put on the intelligence information
7 document before it is disseminated. This reference
number should be capable of being generated and included
in the format of any automated dissemination system,
and should become a part of that system as quickly as
possible.
IV. 40. Agree. Standardization of document reference numbers
is a useful goal.
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No. 42 4.2. The Central Reference Service should create a
personnel-area-subject index to other organized collections of infor-
mation in the Agency. This index should include both personnel and
organizational collections of information and authorization points
for control of access to the respective collections, This index is
an important aud complex system which mast be carefully defined,
coordinated and implemented, CRS should be assigned responsibility
for desi?,n and development of the system but they must have the full
cooperation of all other offices and directorates. Development of
such &system would pope an excellent test of the Information Pro-
cessing Board."
COMMENT: Sc h41ow.
"No. 43. The present method of document storage and retrieval
is acceptable and should be maintained. It provides speed when it
L, genuinely needed and is far more economical than any system ol
electronic storage or video storap:e that we have encountered. We
beliave that the Agency should continue to experiment with a limited
number of applications in which documents are created, stored, end
searched retrospectively in an electrenie format, because development
of an on-line document index will almost certainly require a
simultaneous improvement in the speed of delivery of documents."
COMMENT See below.
44. An extensive interactive man-machine-data base)
capability with the Central Reference Service intelligence document
Index should be developed and tested an quickly as feasible. This is
one of the,few large. data banes in which we think there is both wide
interedt 4nd frequent use, Indeed ye are told by analysts that the
principle limitation on their use of the system is its slow .response
time."
COMIF,NTI
have no competence which would pernit me to -comment about
recommeudatious 39 through 44 in the context of the systems to which
they are addressed. Documents arc records, however, which eventually
will 'become inactive and some significant fraction of them will
require storage in the Records Center. Many of them, presmnahly, will
be worthy of permanent retention and. should be identified for archival
storage and preservation, While indexing and retrieval systems should
not necessarily bp designed specifically with long7term storage and
retrieval from a remote location an constraints upon the systems, the
notion of long-term retention and disposal schedules as well as the
:toquirement for manua1 retrieval from a remote location should he kept
ryi 0
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We recommend that:
IV 42 (a) the Central Reference Service create a
personnel-area-subject directory of other organized
/-
, collections of information in the Agency. This directory
,vhould incZude both personal and organizational collections
3?
IV,43
P5-i 7-
IV,44
of information and authorization points for control
of access to the respective collections.
We recommend that the Agency continue to
.experiment with a limited number of applications in
which documents are stored and searched retrospectively
in an electronic full text format.
IV. 43. Agree.
We recommend that an extensive interactive
(man - machine - data base) capability with the Central
Reference Services intelligence document index be
developed and tested as quickly as feasible. This is
one of the few large data bases in which there is
potentially wide interest, frequent use and a require-
ment for precise, quick responses.
IV-. 44. Agree, assuming that cost figures are developed to
determine which method is the most economic way of overcoming the
potentially slow response time limitation of CRS on-line document index
processing.
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in mind. Systema which pemit storage in other than hard copy form
are oi vital intorout to the Records Management Programs of the Agency.
iu.n1:4;ft:;2 Jo,/
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-15-
.Part_112,,_Research_and:Devele=t) in Inforpation
Vt_k"A
No. 14, We reco:)imead that the DDS &T review the division of
effort between 0130) and OCS in the ar4.;!a of inEormation prk.)cessing
research and development against an alternative allocation of function
s.nd. effort with would:
? Provide for the subsequent problem definition and
computer application desi,gn and development effort
to be moved from ORD to OCS.
b. Provide for Vile transfer of essentially standard
computer processing equipment from ORD to UCS and
for OCS to provide a level of eparimental or
developmeutal computer processing time necessary
CQ support the e.:,:.panded experimental function. out-
lined above. We would for example urge that pro-
cosair4; time might be made available on machines
appropriate to the Wo4V. involved rather than on a
&dual* mac:aloe which is used only for experimental
work. .
Provide for the transfer of other equipment from
the IVRD Laboratory to those surviving or'antici-
pated developm,eut programs which may use it most
effectivoly, the Mit to be transferred to surplus.
d. Provide gor a review of e.1,Asting 04D contracts
through the Infor,Aation ?roconoing Zoard and
selected prospective users to determine which of
those coutracto should be continued and under
whoue leadership they should proceed.
e. Vrovide that subsequent A:OP equipment or software
test and analysis he conducted by OC S c-&copt Where
the items are a direct adjunct of a special pro-.
cessing center such as aPiC. The special unit
would pvaeure and test the latter product.
. ? 4
nn0
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We recommend that the DD/S&T review the
present division of effort between ORD and OCS in the
area of information processing research and development
against an alternative allocation of functional and
effort which would provide for:
(a) the transfer of the responsibility for
V. 14. The subject of IPRD is under management review in the
PC1 DD/S&T at this time.
p17-1
V,16
processing equipment from ORD to OCS;
(c) subsequent ADP equipment or software test
and analysis to be conducted by OCS except where the .
items are a direct 'adjunct of a special processing
center such as NPIC; and,
(d) OCS to issue a current pUblication to
announce new activities, new products, and new develop-
ments which its research and development component
considers of general interest for Agency components
engaged in information processing.
V. 15. This recommendation may represent a popular, intuitive
judgment on the value of a community-wide R & D Center, but a more
substantial treatment of the R & D Subcommittee's proposal is needed.
Such proposals have, however, come to little in other fields in the past.
we De17,eVe demonstrate oovn vne, a241.1-7,cuLty o.1- an 7-nye-
grated community activity and the impracticality of
performing research and development divorced from both
computer operating centers and ADP users.
Finally we recommend that research and
development projects or programs in the area of informa-
tion processing be submitted to the same scrutiny as
required for regular ADP projects.
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f. Provide for OC S to issue a current awareness pub-
lication similar to its present Teen Notes to
announce sew activitiea, new products, and new
developments which its research and development
component considers of g:neral int for Agency
eomponentS eegaged in information processing.
CONI-4,NT: None.
"No. 15. in addition we recommend that the DDS&T and the
Information Processing Board reject the proposal of the R&D Sub-
-committee of the 'WAS Information aaudling Committee which proposes
a community-wide R&D Center on the basis of the recent experience
with COINS and the 'Rao which we believe demonstrated both the
difficulty of an integrated community activity and the impracticality
of performing research and development on non-existent or badly
defined requirements.'
COMENTz Concur.
."No. 16. Finally we recommend that research and development
projects or pro8rams in 04 area of information processing be submitted.
to the same scrutiny as that proposed for ADP projects in the section
below dealing with management."
COICEST: ,
Concur au ject to the comments offered about the recommendations
dealing with management.
Exc:lalvanatO
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V. 16. The question, "Why treat ADP R & D differently than
other R & D?", needs to be answered.
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Part VI - Oresnizat4oaal a d lanspement F ements Automatic Data
,
"No. 26. We recommend that: the Agency reassert a policy of
providing a high degree of centralization In data processing activity
in tha.Office of Computer Services, that this policy be tempered by
permitting the acquisition of small or medium computer processera by
functional organizations where there in a demonstrable-computational
economy in using a stand-alone computer system, and that this policy
continue the present emphasis on the functional component (user)
responsibility for problem definition and problem solution. In short,
we recommend that computer organizations develop the systems necessary
to run the computers and run them, and that functional production
people prepare the data and the processing steps required for its
transformation by computer."
COMMENT:
I see no particular need for a reassertion of this policy from
the Support Directorate point of view. We have no particular problem
with the intent of the recommendation, on the other hand, as long as
the Office of Computer Services is able to retain the- capability to
satisfy th6 requirements tht we musy levy upon it. If the other
recommendations of the ASPIN Report are to be taken seriously, however,
something more than a simple reassertion of policy is required. At
this point iu my review of the ASPIN study I am not able to identify
what that "something more" is.
omeone hes to find a way of looking at the ASPIN recommenda-
tions in the aggregate, Too many of them are inter-related and inter-
dependent to permit prudent action to be taken on any of them separately.
11,53, 11.63, 111034, 111?350 A'n.C1 porps others obould he co:oldoreA.
toffq.11x; 11.59,J i $., V,14, V,16, VI ,27, V1.30, pers
11,64, and possibly 00:sets shoulj be coastiored together; conceivably
IV.37 and 1V,33 should he included in the latter group as well.
haven't re-examined the recommendations as carefully as I should to
assert positively that this suggested grouping of them should hold,
This is a part of the difficulty, The ASP1N study requires too much
study. Not many of us are going to be able to give it as much study
as it requires. I have already spent more timo on it than I feel it
should have required and I am still uneasy about it because my comments
deal with individual recommendations and they might change in the
agsregate if I were to take the time to consider the recommendations
that way.
ngraN) aod
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We recommend that the Agency establish a
policy which provides a high degree of centralisation
in data processing activity in the Office of Computer
Services, but which permits the acquisition of small
or medium computer processors by other offices where
there is a demonstrable economy in using a stand-alone
computer system.
VI. 26. Agree, greater centralization of data processing activities
is desirable especially for standards setting, purchase of equipment, and
personnel. How this is done organizationally and functionally is a matter
requiring additional management discussion.
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-18-
"No. 27. A centrai technical management review of major ADP
projects be created under the present umbrella of Executive Director-
Comptroller responsibility for Agency ADP management, that a full-time
position of ADP advisor to the Executive Director-Comptroller be created
for an experienced ADP professional whose responsibility would be to
a. Advise the aecutive Director-Comptroller on all
professional/technical matters relating to ADP;
b. Be Chairman of the IP Board and the Director of its
permanent staff;
Review the various local plans, provide technical
input and, periodically, develop a statement of ,
long-term ADP Objectives for the Agency;
d. Assign computer application design proposals to the
"suitable functional/technical review components;
e. ? Prepare Agency-wide ADP technical standardn;
? i
Serve as Chairman of the Agency-wide ADP Career
.Service Board;
g. Serve as focal point for internal leadership and
for external relations in ADP/professional matters."
COMENT:
It is interesting that the notion of a permanent staff is
buried as a subordinate clause in paragraph b. above and that it i3
considered to be a permanent staff of the Information Processing Board.
I realize that this was written befre the nonemelature in OPPB changed
to eliminate. the term "Information Processing Staff" and leave the
ME Team to perform something of a dual role, but even before that
change was made the Information Processing Staff was considered to be
an OPPB unit rather than a supporting arm of the Informatiou. Processing
Board. I have some difficulty conceptually with the idea of the IPE
Team performing a dual role but that concern is not directly germane
to discussion of this ASPIN recommendation. What is germane is the.
opinion that the responsibilities identified for the ADP advisor are
more thau a full-time job for one man, and probably more than a part--
time job for the IP&E Team. It is also my opinion that fulfillment
of the responsibilities prescribed calls for a role going far beyond
the role of advisor.
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VI, 27 We recommend that a central technical manage-
ment review of major ADP projects be created under the
present umbrella of Executive Director-Comptroller
sy responsibility for Agency ADP management and that a
iir,5;,--c./!)5z, full-time position of ADP Advisor to the Executive
Director-Comptroller be created for an experienced ADP
? professional whose responsibility it would be to:
(a) advise the Executive Director-Comptroller
on all professional/technical matters relating to ADP;
(b) be chairman of the IPB and the director
of its permanent staff;
(ci review the various local plans, provide
technical input to the IPB and, periodically, develop
a statement of long-term ADP objectives for the Agency;
(d) assure that computer application design
proposals 'are given adequate review by a central technical
review panel;
,21
VI,28.3)
IV,41 24
VI,32
IV 5
(e) prepare Agency-wide AD? technical standards;
(f) serve as chairman of the Agency-wide ADP
Career Service Board; and
(g) serve as focal point for internal leader-
ship al,61 for external relations in ADP technical/professional
matters.
We also recommend that the Director/OCS be
an ex officio participant on the Information Processing
Board and that the DD/S&T be represented on the Board
by an individual who reflects the computer user popula-
tion of the whole Directorate.
? 4
a
VL 27. Disagree strongly. The Office of the Executive Director-
Comptroller is not the place for "technical management review" which is
a proper function of the Directorates. Any technical advisor to the
Executive Director-Comptroller should be actively engaged in the ADP
business; otherwise he will lose his technical ability in short order. The
job suggested is a staff one: haw can he expect to manage AEG) personnel
as a staff officer even if designated as chairman of a career service --
or for that matter how could any computer center or office permit this
sort, of assumption of line management by staff? The proposal of this
recommendation effectively aims at the perversion of management
functions and the creation of a permanent empire.
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The responsibilities suggested for the ADP advisor taken to-
gether with the functions recomartended throughout the report to be
performed by the Information Processing Board clearly suggest the
need for an Information Processing Staff at the level of the
Executive Director-Comptroller. Moreover, membership on the Board
will become a full-time task for each of the Directorates representa-
tives.
Essent?aily I agree that there needs to be a small staff
competence at the Agency lovel. Its role will have to be carefully
drawn in terms of specilic functions listed here and the more general
functions suggested elsewhere in the report as tasks for the IPB. I
wonder whether any of the recommendations ean be acted upon until after
this one has been dealt with.
23. Laisting Central ADP planning be strengthened to
provide
a. For a more definitive outline of Agency ohjecives
to be achieved in related or overlapping office
plans and for regular revision and publication
of the Agency AD? Plan;
. For the definition and publication of Agency-wi'e
ADP technical standards beyond the present work on
nationwide (USASI) standards;
c. For a standard format and procedure for the proposal
and review of major requests for the acquisition of
computer system or of computer processing applica-
tions."
C'010.1.6NTz
The idea of ADP planning Its owe separate coat at:Ixwq always
been bocheioome to me. /WV e;Usts only to serve operational and
management programs and planning for it sould be carried out in the
context of the programs it serve*. We haven't found a way of doing
that 4atisfactorily, but we havon't really tried. The Information
Processing and ie:Kploitation (IP60 Program Category does not serve
the purpose. 6upport information puocessing is split among the
Communications Program Category, the Program Wide Category, and tbe.
cr
r
?..04 L
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VI,28
VI 28
;28
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We recommend that the Information Processing
Board provide for:
(a) a more definitive statement of Agency
ADP objectives by regular revision and publication of
the Agency ADP Plan;
(b) the definition and publication of Agency-
wide ADP technical standards beyond the present work
on-nationwide (USASI) standards; and,
VI. 28. Agree. The concepts of "proposal and review" needs
some "review" in itself. Why should the review of ADP equipment
acquisition go beyond that for other R & D activities?
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IP&E Program Categorye it only gots into the Latter because the
Office of Computer Services is included in that category and OCS
provides computer support to the ,$upport Directorate. We don't plan
in CIA and vs; don't program, not really. We budget. We should plan
and we should program bet We should not delude ourselves into thilaing
we are doing something that we are net pimply because we apply the
terminology. We do not have an Agency ADP plan and we have never had
one. The only visible objective we have had at the Agency level has
been to control the growth of hardware. We need something a great
deal bettor than that but it will tnke a great deal more time and a
great deal more thought than anyone has yet been able to zive it.
Perhaps what we need as a start is a plan for a plan, but even that
won't occur if it is left as a part-time effort of one or several ,
people who have dozens, of other things to do. We do need a definitive
statement of Agurtcy objectives.
Standard tOmats for the proposal and review of major requests
for computer services may be useful tools but what we really need are
some criteria for judgin tne con 'at of proposals. The memorandum
the Executive Director-Comptroller addressed to the Deputy Directors
in October 1969 said that decisions to k.130 ADP equipment should be
based on a review of proposals in terms of utility, benefits, life
expectancy, and reiationship? to other activities. It identified
several bench marks for the review of proposals and it identified
responsibilities.. to be charged to Directorate Information Processing
Coordinators and the information Processing Loard. Nothing has been
done in an Agency context toward the implementation of the provisions
of that memorandum. We don't know to what extent individual direc-
torates may have taken independent action toward its implementation
within their own jurdictioas but the kinds of thinga which come
before the Information Proceasinz Board suggest that there nay be.
vomc inconsistencies or differences in the approaches taken by es4h
of the Directorates. We need 6eme way of aosurinz that it is neither
easier nor more difficult in one directorate than another to get
approval of An ADP project and that the name criteria of importance,
utility, benefit6, etc. arca applied all of the birectorarcz.then
we have 0.1esa taint*, then we can Oavaiop fomato and procedure.o to
ensure their expeditious proccoGing.
I
ectwngrg&ii.V, AN/
5 5 r)
JNINsFiti,,41i)q
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SECKL
"No 29 29. A moans of pricia3 data processias services performed
by computer centers be developed, and that each user component be
required to budget .for its data processing services and transfer the
funds to pay for these services iu essentially the same way that pro-
perty funds are handled."
COMMJCNT:
I have commented about proposals for costing data processing
services in a separate context and will not.beldhor the point further
here, except to say that I agree we should have some way of knowing
what particular computer applications cost far conuideretion as a ,
factor in considering whether the application should go forward or
not. Before we dash madly into an elaborate pricing system we should
have clearly in mind wast we hope it will achieve. 1 de not believe
.that an elaborate system which would require the transfer of funds
should be the objective, and while wa ca a certainly learn something
from the experience of the nA (Property Requisitioning Authority
system 1 doubt very much that we will find it a useful pattern to be
followed.
"No. Ageacy ADP career service be created."
COMW.NT:
See earlier comment, Part III, Aecommeadation 13o. 32.
No 31. Existing AD? training programa introduce additional
emphasis oh the changing raTponsibility or role of the user in an
on-line and/or real-time computer environment, and that functional
organizations review the need for anit training of pereonnel in
U? . of quantitative and/or logical techniques in indizenous analytical
problems."
COMMENT: Concur, but first we need some nfxcoment among the
Directorates about what the role of the user should be.
32. Vas DirectoriuCS be an klx uf.ficio participant au tlku
Information erocessing 'Award and thaL tact 1.4).;&T uhould he represented
oit the Board by an individual who re.aocto the computer suer population
of the whole Directorate. Tic presence of tho DitectorNeS on the kleard
in imperative, but we believe he should participate in hi a capacity as
director of computer processing rather than as the representative of a
directorate with laro processing requirements."
,
0, i4
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We recommend 'that
processing services perform
developed, and that eaoh us
to budget for its data proc
the same way that property
a means of pricing data
ed by computer centers be
er component be required
essing services in essentially
funds are handled.
VI. 29. Disagree. The effect of this recommendation could be
to diffuse the resources being programmed for ADP services so that
they appear as a lot of line items for various user components. This
.054 1-- would make for less top management control and focus on ADP expendi-
tures. This seems to be the opposite effect from that which is desirccl.
We should properly cost data processing services and make sure they
arc reviewed regularly by the user before moving to the step of having
all users budget for ADP services. If this fails, the budgeting will
probably be the simplest way to force priorities on managers.
pPs4--1
VI ,30
V1,31
. VI, 31
/1*
pDSci-j?
VI. 30. The career service matter is a low priority issue. In
any case it would tend to be incestuous or cannibalistic as its members
feed on them.selves without outside influence from other professions.
? - 25. Finally ADP career development and training
should be strengthened.
We recommend:
(a) an Agency ADP Career Service;
(b) ADP training programs with additional
emphasis on the role of the user in an on-line and/or
real-time computer environment; and,
(c) more widespread development of office
level training in the use of ADP in intelligence
production and-information processing.
VI. 31. Agree. The users' understanding of system analysis and
the on-line environment needs strengthening.
VI. 32. This recommendation has already been discussed by the
s'.47- Chairman of the IP Board with the Director of OCS. The Director of
OCS should also be Technical Advisor to the Board.
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SECRET
-22-
COMHENT:
The Information Vrocessinz Board has already addressed this
recommendatiou.
.25X1A
ChieX, Support Si .1)taxf
DDS/SSS/RHW:hrf (14 October 1970)
Wistribution:
Orig. & 1-Addressee
1-SSS Subject
1-SSS Chrono
;EC
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aavitsgROn4
5./6. (II, 5::
7. (II, E=
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1.)ATIONS
Improve Programmer -
User Communications.
Strengthen OCS
Time-Sharing.
Single Interactive
System (OCS).
- 111,34) Acquire general data
management packages.
to. =7
(IT -)
"
Acquire general data
management package f:2
large files (AEGIS,
etc.).
Special programs for
unique needs.
Assign OCS Progre-23
to User components.
Formal effort at ILDP
innovation.
Collectors to
coordinate with
processors and
Evaluate COIITS
ASAP
co,:--2p-iacuxrc,nce assumed.
77:,:!ISION MATRIX
DD/I*,
ED I-
DD/s, DD/S:
DD/P*, DD/=f
DD/P*
DD/P*, rDP-==
DD/P* -
DD/P*, DD ,
DD/S&T
DD/P*, DDJE,
DD/P*, DD/S,
DD/S&T
ED,!
DD/P*'
DD/SPAT
i,L/P/ =--
LD/S
riPro0OCUPPFCE
DD/I, DD/S,
DD/S&T
ii':COUCLUSIVE
DD/S
DD/S&T
DD/S
DD/S, DD/I
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DD/S and DD/ST question means of
achievement.
DD/S&T opposed to lirriiting such syste-::Is
to a single function (e.g., intel. rood.).
DD/S concurs in principle on III,
does not concur on II, 58 (IP2: as
decision making fo=n on generr>1 f,ata
management systems).
nr,/,
1.1.)/0 questions roLe .1-7_3 in such
DD/S&T and DD/S agree rrncin7e
see no requireont to
coordination.
12.
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.HCOIT INCONCLpSIVE
(III, 33)
Develop computer
graphics.
DD/P*, DD/I*, DD/S&T
DD/S
13.
(IV, 42)
(IV, 35)
CRS to serve as direc-
tory to all CIA files.
CRS point of contact
for external requests.
DD/P*, DD/I
DD/P*, DD/I
DD/S, DD/S&T
DD/S, DD/S&T
DD/S
for IV,
dld n
-; T:here njr
(IV, 36).
CRS to service only
from own files.
DD/P*, DD/I*
DD/S, DD/S&T
(IV, 39)
Continue shallow
indexing in CRS; User
indexing encouraged.
DD/P*, DD/I*
DD/S, DD/S&T
(Iv, 4o)
Standard document
number system
DD/P*, T`D/S&T, DD/I*
DD/S
14.
(IV, 43)
Continue RSM
experiment.
DD/P*, DD/S&T, DD/I*
DD/S
DD/S dii
comment en _
15.
frrr 1.1,1
Put AEGIS on line.
DD/P*, DD/I*, DD/S&T
DD/S
16.
(IV, 37)
Support automatic
dissemination.
DD/P*, DD/I*, DD/S&T
DD/S
(IV, 38)
Expand automatic
dissemination.
DD/P*, DD/I*
DD/S, DD/S&T
:7./18.
(III, 30)
OCS coordinate changes
with user.
DD/P*, DD/I*, DD/S&T
DD/S
1./20.
(III, 31)
Improve OCS Procedures
DD/P*, DD/I, DD/S&T
DD/S
Manual.
*Dp comment?Concurrence assumed.
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?ION
,z10,;
-.1
15)
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ADP Advisor to
ExDir-Compt.
OCS Ex officio on
IDB.
Centralize most
computer in OCS.
User budgeting for
ADP.
Develop ADP objectives
and plan.
Technical and data
standards.
Career Service.
Develop Training.
Transfer IPRD functions
assets to OCS.
Reject Community R&D
Center.
CONCURRENCE
DD/P, DD/S
DD/P, DD/S, DD/S&T
DD/I*
DD/S, DD/S&T
DD/I*, DD/S&T, D/P*
DD/P*, DD/I*
DD/S
DD/S,
Tyrd-rw.
A.A.L1 "
DD/S&T, DD/I*,
DD/I*, DD/P*
DD/S, DD/I*, DD/P*,
Same management control DD/S, DD/P*
for R&D as other projects.
-2enc.-.9. assumed.
NOHCOHCUPITIICE
DD/CM, DD/I
DD/P, DD/I
DD/I, DD/S&T,
DD/P, DD/S
DD/I, DD/S&T., DIVP
IMONCILSI77
LD/I sutl-,orts status cu.o and
fu.ture technical develonents.
DD/9 2D/S sees need for ADP objeetice
2annet see relevance of an o7.-crall
-c7an dvorced frcm the fun :..tions
DD/S, DD/S&T
DD/S, DD/S&7,'
DD/S&T
DD/S&T
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9 October 1970
ASPIN - OFFICE- CONCLUSICNS & RECOMMENDATIONS
1. FOREIGN MISSILE & SPACE ANALYSIS CENTER (FMSAC)
The comprehensive ADP needs of FMSAC for its intel-
ligence production require daily consultation and support
from the Office of Computer Services (OCS). The most
burdensome aspect of ADP involves the continuous redevelop-
ment of FMSAC intelligence _production computer programs
for operation under the changing OCS data processing
environment.
We recommend that:
(a) eooi,dination ot.:ween OCS and FMSAC be expanded
when changes in OCS digital computer equipment, systems,
and/or operating procedures 7re to be implemented.
(b) OCS efforts be -xtended to obtain and/or
evaluate a general purpose r.ta management system for
Agency use and to supp)rt F,..:SAC's Information System
requirements.
(c) experimentatio, with use of ADP for intelli-
gence production be continu.'d (e.g., generate the FMSAC
quarterly reports.of analyss on foreign missile and space
events from the new comprehensive Information System).
(d) capabilities he expanded to improve data
processing of current information receipts, to economically
process peak loadings of information, and to process a
growing volume of foreign missile and space information.
2. OFFICE OF ELINT (OEL)
We believe that the ,development of advanced ELINT
processing systems is essential. Better coordination of
OEL and its contractors wit-r1 OCS systems analysis efforts
seems to be needed to support both the OEL processing and
moel
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the OEL collection actiVitie. The techniques. involved
have many attributes in common and can, in many instances,
be solved by common techniqu.
We recommend that:
(a) a technical pc w panel be established in
OEI, to review past, exictin proposed analysis
programs and projects to dol. ,Itline their relative
effectiveness, relationship each other and to othel,
work 1,Ing done on signal an '1:ysia and that the panel
n'presenLativcc frog th other organizations
involved in signal pro sine and, possibly, an outside
cont.ra,ftor.
(I)) personnel be pPidod to Analysis Division/OEL
to permit it to undertake in ernally the conceptual and
detailed design of the proc,-;sing interface to OEL col-
lection systems presently pe,,,Pormed under contract.
3. OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE (OSI)
OSVs cautious approach to ADP seems proper. In
solving calculations that would be impossible because of
their complexity or number of interadtions, ()SI has been
successful and these efforts seem to be evolving satisfactorily.
The recent addition of remote terminals in an on-line
system will particularly facilitate program development
and test as well as interactive running of computational
programs. In general OSI!s computer usage is growing
steadily.as more .personnel 'become familiar with it, and
more equipment becomes available.
The area that seems to Lold promise for the greatest
improvement is in data indexing, storage, and retrieval,
(ISR), but there appears to e no single high-priority
OSI intelligence problem tha would justify an ISR research
effort by itself.
We recommend that
? (a) OSI support strongly, with money and manpower
if needed, promising research and development efforts in
the following areas:
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(1) .Automated c:seemination of information
along the lines bei, -.7 pursued in CRS;
(2) Converting 'ncoming hard copy and
personal resetreh files to machine readable
form; and,
(3) Retaining fld exploiting information
in machine readable form.
(b) OSI train its ohm personnel in ADP so that
they may better adapt this technology to the analytical
and operational problems of ,he office. This training
should cover both interactive services and batch processing.
. CENTRAL REFERENCE SERVICE (CRS)
Computers are making sicThificant contributions to
the information handling aspc!cts of CRS' mission and
their contributions can be expected to improve further.
A centralized document storage and retrieval system
is essential to the Agency and also provides valuable
service to other agencies in the intelligence. community.
- The automated subject retrieval system (AEGIS) has improved
overall response to users, and further improvements are
possible. A survey of potenial users, however, revealed
? many with little or no knowldge of the capabilities
and usefulness of CRS machina systems. Automation also
promises to improve the quality of CRS' dissemination
.services.
We recommend that:
(a) efforts be cont 'Hued to extend the on-Zine
remote query capability within CRS to improve the quality
and timeliness of responses;
(b) more user participation be encouraged in
determining AEGIS data base :!overage and indexing policy;
(c) the availability of AEGIS and other CRS
services be publicized more ,laely and effectively;
,rr
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(d) CRS analate be made more intimately aware
of users' needs throNh raving and tours of duty in
user offioes;
(e) the possibilit. of expanding,the use of
computers to support CRS' 'iog..,,aphic, installations and
photographic functions be i,vestigated, in particular,
the possibility of extendi.,_ the ability to build and
maintain special files on-lines and,
(f) the development of the .automatic dissemina-
tion system be continued.
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STATSPEC
010FICE OF BASIC & GEOGP ,PNIC INTELLIGENCE (0EGI)
OBGI is engaged in an active ADP program which, at
present, is largely oriented toward the cartographic
responsibilities of the Office. ADP support for geographic
research and NIS production is essentially experimental.
We recommend that:
(a) development of the AUTOMAP system continue.
The pace of development should be guided by the availability
of resources and by the capacity of the cartographers to
absorb extensions of the syq.tom into their day-to-day
operations.
(b) Experimentatio? with techniques of statistical
and numerical analysis be ei,couraged. Newer collection
activities are yielding more numerically manipulatable
information related to ODGf's interests, and the number
of potential production car/fluter applications is increasing.
7. OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE (OCI)
The manual files maintained in OCI are adequate for
most of the Office's requirements. Except for a few
situation-oriented retrieval problems there is little
felt need.for ADP support for information storage and
retrieval. The need for ADP computational capability is
small?currently limited to Tayesian probability calcula-
tions. _Although text proCesing routines'-promise ultimately
great power to manipulate. information, they are currently
too primitive and take toe -,ach computer and analyst time
to be, cost effective.
No recommendations.
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. OFFICE OF ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE (OER)
Most of OER's ADP applisations originated to relieve
analysts.of.the burdens of etensive manual calculation
and to permit the useof sophisticated mathematical-
economic models in analysis of intelligence problems.
Most applications of this type have been demonstrably
cost effective. The relatively few file management
applications in OER's inventory of ADP applications
suggests that there is substantial room for growth in
this area. Indeed, several n.alysts specifically mentioned
that the "record keeping" beLind their ADP applications
might be automated. .?Small file management applications
can build from the lessons csL the successful CHILEC and
COMPIN projects: carefully selected subsets of existing
systems were redesigned for the specific applications.
We recommend that:
(a) OER continue vu develop and improve its
rio calculation capa;iLities by providing more
icntific szt7,19ou ic packages, by training OER
- the ase oy Dackages and basic programming
pro9iriin on-, ne access, and by developing
to in the initiation and maintenance
,e,cations.
'd) OER move towar(1 developing banks of raw,
zted intelligence data maintained at the branch
.,,Ys L. and repositories of finished, evaluated intelligence
data maintained at the Office level. These sources would
provide data for inter-country studies and for current
intelligence support.
. OFFICE OF STRATEGIC RESEARCH (OSR)
OSR has numerous and,varied ADP applications which
are demonstrably cost effective. .Indeed, some of the most
important analyses accomplished by the Office would be
prohihitively expensive if C't0 manually making machine.-
assistence es,sunt:Lal to th ()trice's mission. The most
ambitious ADP applicationeurrently under development is
QUIYTRAK. While the basic QIKTRAK concept is sound,
programming design and subrustine structures may be less
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? easily modified than i?s d,2.-cable and input costs my
turn out to be significantly higher than anticipated
originally.
QUIKTRAK files 11,,ve be-a Loo limited thus far to
test the system on live pro lems. Moreover, there is no
plan for a controlled test or evaluation to measure the
effectiveness of the applicalion and to determine detailed
requirements for expansion -ad/or modification.
We recommend that. a controlled test be conducted
to measure the effectiveness of QUIKTRAK and to determine
the detailed requirements fop expansion and/or modification.
10. NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER (NPIC)
NPIC currently ,has its full share of problems in the
ADP field. It is expected, however, that when the
Integrated Information Systm (IIS) becomes operational
(scheduled during second :(711:17,rter of FY 1971) most, if not
all, of these proh1crir will i)e, alleviated and/or solved.
Thi: is not to say that NP should then set back and
be satisfied with its ADP pctuxe. Rather, as soon as
poSsible, after declaring. IIS operational, NPIC should
devote a continuous effort t) expand, improve, and update
the system.
We recommend that:
(a) Both FORTRAN ani COBOL programming capabilities
be provided at upwards of 100 terminal devices to NPIC
professionals throughout the Center. Such capabilities
will permit the computers t help solve specific problems
encountered by these personn,l.in their particular areas
of professional expertise.
(b) Efforts to deveop a capability to search
of documents be continued.
(;) ADP support to :he research, development,
7ineering work of NPIC he expanded. In the past,
Lit , such .-Support was possible because of the priority
need to develop and implement the ITS.
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(d) Emphapi's coninued on the need to -Improve
etructure, /c) optim-wle the utiligation
of :,,!;nacc,04116. maev oto:eaLie, and to -eeek a bettor method_
1;he two central- procecoors and associated core. ? ?
.1.WOMATION RIT.QUIREMENT STAPP (IRS)
hai. undertaken aItantia1 effort to provide
tor trequent and general evuation of intelligence
information collection syst. Only an automated system
is. likely to contain the scr:: and flexibility necessary
to exploit these data oxtensvely on a cost-effective basis.
Wo recommend that the d, ';a being obtained in an
attempt to evaluate intalligneo collection activitice
be recorded in machine readaiile form and a program be
developcd for its analysis.
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TO:
Mr.
ROOM NO. BUILDING
710 Magazine
REMARKS:
FYI - per IP Boar, discussion today.
FROM:
ROOM NO. I BUILDING EXTENSION
F8F144:716s 200M5/23 : CIA- Iii?-O472
FORM NO .0A 1 REPLACES FORM 36-8
I FEB 55 4-1- WHICH MAY BE USED.
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fir
IV. IMPACT ON THE SUPPORT DIRECTORATE
GENERAL
Part VI of the ASPIN Report should be read in its antirety
by senior Support Directorate officials as its impact could be
far-reaching if adopted by management. This section contains
implications for virtually all offices within the Directorate.
The report on Organizational and Management
Aspects of ADP in the Agency should also be reviewed.
ASPIN has recommended strongly that the research conducted
by ORD/An in the field of Automatic Data Processing be brought
under the cognizance of OCS; that all outstanding contracts
being sponsored or monitored by ORD/An be reviewed by the IPB;
that the hardware resources of ORD/An be transferred to other
ADP components or be declared surplus; that ADP development
projects be given the same scrutiny and review that has been
established for major equipment and software acquisitions. This
recommendation will have some impact on the Office of Logistics
if adopted.
The ASPIN Report recommends that Applications Programmers
be assigned to tours of duty with customer compone7- - much
in the same way that Security Officers, Logistics _:s and
Communicators are assigned to customer elements. If accepted,
this recommendation could prove a considerable boon to DD/S
offices as these programmers would serve in the offices con-
cerned and would report to the office heads rather than to OCS..
Under this scheme the Applications Programmers would tend to
become thoroughly familiar with the problems of the offices to
which assigned and be able to present solutions to problems more
cogently and comprehensively by virtue of being "involved" to a
greater degree. Being responsive to the "customer" will, we
feel, make the programming effort more viable over the .long haul
in addition to effecting better day-to-day solutions to intelli-
gence problems.
Implicit in the ASPIN Report (at least to this writer) is
the need to create another study group to review the entire
information handling process within the agency, i.e., the receipt
control and?alstri ution of?all documentary material regardless
of the means by which it is received. At this late date there
.does not appear to be any appreciable standardization in the
field of information handling; each directorate and each office
within tli directorates has developed its own proprL440y means
of receiving sorting, and distributing info?iation. The DD/P
has itsRID, DD/SU tasks FMSAC for some basic distribution of
electrical materials, DD/I relies on CRS, OC has its RMB, OS
has its own telecommunications network, OSA has a comprehensive
telecommunications capability, etc. It would seem salutary to
(conduct a review of the total communications-dissemination-ADP
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structure extant to provide management with a comprehensive
picture of the system, possible approaches to its improvement
and the elimination of duplication where indicated.
A great amount of material received by the Agency in
"machine language" is reproduced as a document and subsequently
reprocessed into "machine language" for storage, retrieval and
manipulation in computer based files. It would appear that the
time is upon us to study the somewhat amorphous relationships
that exist between our electrical communications services, the
several dissemination services and the automatic data processing
activities of the agency. Such a study is particularly apt at
this time in view of the work being done by CRS in the realm of
automated dissemination and the joint efforts of OC, the Cable
Secretariat and the Intelligence Watch with regard to the ACT
Program.
SECURITY
By virtue of having sensitive operational files, adminis-
trative files, payroll records, name check files, TKH data,
etc., resident in a computer based system which is connected to
remote points via communications lines, a serious set of security
considerations are raised. The resolution of the problems en-
gendered by this situation becomes complex and involves a number
of technical disciplines ranging from physical security pre-
cautions, through and inc,luding issuance of clearances, EMSEC,
and the design of algorithms to prevent release of information
to unauthorized persons. Security officers must become broadly
aware of and personally involved in the data processing milieu.
This is being done at present by training, by assignment of
security personnel to the Office of Computer Services and by
review of computer security problems within the community.
Security and privacy in computer operations is an esoteric field
and it would appear that the Office of Security will have to
identify and develop personnel resources to cope with this con-
tinuing problem. I foresee the assignment of both OS personnel
to OCS and OCS Applications Programmers or Systems Analysts to
OS in order to arrive at meaningful solutions to the several
problem areas extant.
LOGISTICS
STATS P EC The automation of certain functions will have an im-
pact on the Printing Services Division of the Office of Logistics.
The study on the Office of Basicand Geographic Intelligence will
also be of interest to the .Printing Services Division as will
25X1 A the Report on Text Stream Processing.
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HXAN BUMET
WR oxporionce in the', use of the proprietary proram
package CROSSTABS should be of interest to Support Directorate
personnel engaged in SIPS, financial accounting, payroll. and
budgeting.
COMMUNICATIONS
In addition to the comments made under the GENERAL heading,
the following are of interest to the Office of Communications:
The implementation of the Integrated Information .
System at NPIC could result in a substantial technical engineer-
ing and installation workload for OC as the need for remote
terminal devices connected to the system is felt.
The report on Monitoring, Filo Pro-
cessing and Computational Support to Missile and Space Related
Systems will be of interest.
The study on the Office of ELINT should be reviewed
by the Special Programs Division r- the Office of Communications.
Much of the work being conducted by the Office of ELINT in the
realm of signal analysis and machine-ded collection systems
is of direct interest to OC-SPD ..r.d a cialogue between these two
elements should prove mutually beneficial.
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DATE
INITIALS
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DISPATCH
RECOMMENDATION
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FILE
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CONCURRENCE
INFORMATION
SIGNATURE
Remarks:
Bob,
h/w the bit I wrote on ASPIN impact on
Support Directorate.
i
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FORM NO. 037 Use previous editions
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10 JUL 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Project ASPIN
SUBJECT ASPIN Draft Dated 7 July 1970
1. The Security Records and Communications Division is in
general agreement with the content of the subject draft as it
applies to the problems we have experienced. We, however, would
like to take issue with the statement made on page 12 that the
degradation of TSMON service bothered no one and therefore
"perhaps measures the need for the service."
2. During the pant year, the Office of Security has con-
tinually voiced its disapproval with the quality of interactive
service received from OCS. We have registered our complaints
through IPC channels and at almost every Computer Users Group
Meeting. It is partially as a result of our complaints that
OCS decided to move the SANCA file to the 360/65 at the cost of
$90,000 per month, which perhaps better measures either the need
for the service or the amount of complaining done by TSMON users
or both
3. The fact that Security was able to "retreat" to its
manual files during periods when the system was useless pre-
vented a potentially disasterous situation. Fortunately, the
Office of Security anticipated the possible breakdown of remote
terminal services and maintained its "hand-files" and it will
continue to maintain this file until a reliable back-up computer
system is provided.
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co: Mr.
Approved For
Chief, Security Records and
Communications Division
ocom
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, ASPIN Staff
SUBJECT
Leo:
R