CIA CAREER SERVICE PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05551A000200050026-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 28, 2002
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: February 17, 1959
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2002/07/10 : CIA-RDP78-05551A000200050026-2
FEB 1959
MEMORANDUM FOR: Comptroller
SUBJECT CIA Career Service Program
REFERENCE Memorandum dated 29 January 1959 from
the IG to the Deputy Directors
1. In reference memorandum numerous points in the
form of questions concerning the operation of the CIA
Career Service Program are stated and you requested my
written comments with respect to them for consideration
in the consolidated report to be made by you.
2. My comments, identified to the questions
submitted by the IG, are as follows:
a. It is my view that an Agency such as this needs
to develop a career-minded attitude among its
employees. The necessary strict security require-
ments place employees in the position of being
somewhat isolated and compel them to be real
devotees to their jobs. Further, considerable
training is required in most of the activities
and it is essential that all employees in whom the
Agency has a sizeable investment consider their
employment as a career and likewise that the Agency
protect such employees through a career service
program,
b. It seems to me that eligibility in the Career
Service should be more restricted in order to
permit personnel selected for the Service to feel
that acceptance into the Service has some signifi-
cance. The present criteria for selection has
resulted in nearly all employees being eligible
and accepted provided they work with the Agency for
the minimum of three years. Some advantage would
appear possible by establishing more rigid require-
ments, such as perhaps on the basis of dividing
employees between professional and non-professional.
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This might be worthy of consideration as I believe
there is a difference in the amount of investment
that the Agency has in these categories and that
more extensive Career Service benefits could properly
be provided to the professional than to the non-pro-
fessional group. In the non-professional category
there is that large g our of clerical and general service
personnel which normally has more turnover ....and..- there could be more limited application of "career"
responsibilities and benefits without jeopardizing the
normal rights and benefits of government employees. In
the professional area, which requires higher education
and more experience, there are technicians in all areas
of operation; e.g. intelligence officers, logistic
officers, accountants, auditors, lawyers, personnel
officers, administrative officers, security officers,
engineers, communication technicians, etc. Responsibilities
and benefits of the professional category of employees, I
would think, should be more extensive than for the non-
professional, thus creating through a segregation in this
way more significance than at present to Career Service
for the professional category.
c. As indicated in a. above it would seem that the
basic concept of separate career services for CIA is
sound; however, it is conceivable that a single career
service program mi em race the enegovernment
intelligence community and - thereTyy-'enable better
u-ti~a41.jon of .
persoonnel and afford greater opportunities
to employees. This might-be--particularly 'approp'flate and
cesira le` in the intelligence, communications, and
security areas.
d. The requirement for identifying individual positions
under the Career Service has proven helpful in the
designation of properly qualified personnel to fill
specific positions.
e. I have no particular comment to offer on this point.
f. I believe this Office should have no objection to a
greater interchange of employees on a rotation basis
among major components provided that the policy would
result in the arrangement of assignments so that the
Agency and the individuals would receive benefits to
its and their long term objectives. The Agency would
benefit if incumbents of certain positions in the
SF Career Service were to rotate to selected positions
in other Career Services, such as Administrative,
Logistics, DD/P, DD/I, etc., since upon return to
appropriate SF Career Service positions their viewpoint
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would be broadened by such experience and they would
be enabled to better perform in their SF positions.
g. The following comments are offered with respect
to the CIA Career Service Program as a whole:
(1) While most employees have been accepted into
the Career Service it is my view that many
question the advantages accruing or which will
accrue to them under the program. The employees
are required to commit themselves to serve the
Agency anywhere the Agency determines, subject,
of course, to consideration of personal factors,
but there has been little evidence of specific
benefits to the employees which are not provided
under regular Civil Service. It would appear
desirable for the Agency to take action to
identify to the members of the Career Service
the benefits currently available to them and to
expedite statutory recognition and additional
benefits to the extent possible.
(2) One of the objectives of the Career Service is
to develop career plans for individuals so that
over a period of time they can be provided adequate
training and experience to qualify for improved
status and to better serve the Agency. It is
believed that this aspect of the program should be
accelerated to provide evidence to the members of
the Service that the Service has real meaning and
potential to them.
25X1A9A
Chief, Technical Accounting Staff
alkyr--
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