COMMUNICATIONS FUTURE LEADERSHIP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78S05452A000100050007-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 10, 2002
• Sequence Number: 7
• Content Type: REPORT

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 u Approved For'Release 2002/OQi05 'CREID
COMMUNICATIONS
II. Assumptions
III. Facts bearing on the problem
IV. Discussion
A. Personnel Input
1. General
2. CT/R, CT/C, ET, WET
3. Special Programs
I. Purpose
4. Engineers
B. Review of present OC Supergraded officers
C. Training trends
1. OC Internal Training
2. Internal OTR training
3. External Academic or Specialized training
4. External Government training
5. Correspondence training
6. Career rotational training
D. Tomorrow's Leaders - the problem
E. Comments
F. Recommendations
m m w
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1. Purpose
To inventory present and forecast future position qualification require-
ments Of OC; from this forecast develop recruitment re
l
t
d
i
p
acemen
e
ucat
onal
,, and training needs for the next ten years so as to assure the advancement of the
most promising personnel of the Office to its management and executive positions.
This
d
paper
oes not cover OC adiittililh
mnsrave, cerca nor oter non-technical
Lcareerists within the OC structure.
II. Assumptions
a. There will continue to be scientific advancements in the fields of
communications and electronics, probably on an accelerating basis, in
the next few years.
b. A future prerequisite for the middle and senior level officer positions
of the Office of Communications will be greater technical background and
experience. A `
c. Any program concerning future leadership within the Office of Communi-
cations should accent promotion fron_within with the concomitant require-
ment on the part of the Office to provide a career assignment, development
and training program which will equip personnel to advance within the system.
d. Recruitment of junior personnel must recognize the future technical
and managerial requirements of the Office if "promotion from within" is to
be a valid management program.
III. Facts Bearing on the Problem
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b. Between 60-65 percent of the present OC positions are of a type require-
ing procedural proficiency gained only by experience and based upon techni-
cal skills not necessarily enhanced by academic education.% In this category
are clerks, radio operators, code clerks, and SP operators.
c. In an organization as large and involving so many diverse fields as OC,
some specialization, even in senior positions, is normal. Therefore, not
all of the middle and upper level graded positions will be true management-
positions.
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 Almost from its beginning, OC has practiced a policy of pro-
motion from within. One result is that new personnel, almost without
exception today enter at the bottom level of their particular functional
speciality, whether CT/R, CT/C, ET, WET, or Engineer. It follows,
therefore, that tomorrow's Office leaders are today's recruits. How
well equipped our future managers will be to assume roles of leader-
ship is then a function of what education, experience, motivation and
potential they have upon EOD plus what contribution to these factors OC
can provide in the course of developing their careers.
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e. The completion of four years of formal technical education does not
equip a person to handle all of the many types of operations and activities
conducted by OC; neither does it assure that such a person has the potential
to become a good manager.
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d. Adequate or even superior performance of an individual in a
specialized job does not alone indicate top level management capability.
It is difficult to make an effective generalist out of a dedicated specialist.
~. "C'_- IM
f All personnel do not aspire to positions of increased responsibility.
g. A high rate of attrition is detrimental to the establishment and main-
tenance of an experienced, professional organization.
h; Not everyone has the natural aptitude or inherent capability to become
technically trained.
i.. OC has followed a progressive rotation plan for most of its middle
and top level positions in order to develop its leadership and technical
experience patterns in the management sector.
j. The Office of Communications has
K
level positions in the
grades of GS- 14 - GS- 18 distributed as to functional category, location
and age as reflected in Attachment B.
k. Within the next 10 years we may anticipate the retirement of most
of the current incumbents in the positions GS- 14 - GS- 18.
1. Attachment C lists references which were used in preparing this
paper and which relate to the subject.
A. Personnel Input
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2. CT/R, CT/C, ET, WET
The radio operator, code clerk and technician, "new recruit"
has typically been a high school graduate who has satisfied his
military service commitment. Since 1960 he has averaged 24. 2
years of age at the time of EOD. OC has been fortunate thus far
in generally having been able to recruit individuals who in the course
of their military service were trained and in varying degrees, ex-
perienced in a communications /electronics specialty. It is worth
noting that the degree of communications proficiency attained by an
individual while in military service varies considerably. Also, the
applicability of military training and experience to CIA Communications
functions varies. For example, manual CW operations (required by
OC) have been steadily decreasing in the military. One result is that
our current CT/R basic class reflects a high percentage of men who
were trained and experienced by the military in receiving (COMINT) only
The increasing complexity of and reliance on electronics in the mili-
tary is reflected in the fact that many of our ET recruits have had
fire control, radar, navigation, or guidance electronics training and
experience on a specialized basis rather than general communications
electronics. Also, the degree of proficiency attained varies between
the services and as a function of the extent of training and experience
attained while in military service.
Upon entering on duty, our new recruits, whether CT/R, CT/C, ET
or WET, are subjected to a basic CIA oriented, training course of
several weeks' duration in the functional specialty for which they were
recruited. At the end of this basic training course conducted by OC,
the new recruit becomes a journeyman CT/R, CT/C, ET or WET
and so begins his career in CIA Communications.
3. Special Programs
Personnel under the career cognizance of the Special Programs
staff represent the most varied backgrounds in OC. This fact is
explained by the diversity in position qualification requirements,
involving, as they do, technical, analytical, linguistic and collection
functions. SP tends to be a component which emphasizes the role of
the specialist. People assigned to SPS reflect backgrounds in every
one of OC's functional fields in addition to Linguists who have been
detailed to OC by other Offices (e.g., FDD/OCR). In point of fact,
however, the majority of the current SP positions are COMINT'
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C. Training Trends
Training sponsored by OC may be categorized as follows: (1) inter-
nal OC, (2) OTR internal, (3) external academic or specialized, (4) ex-
ternal government, including the military schools, and (5) correspondence.
Let's review our training by these categories and attempt to develop
patterns or trends which relate to the purpose of this paper.
1. OC Internal Training
As reflected under Personnel Input, new EOD's are given basic
training in their functional specialty prior to initial assignment. This
basic training is almost universally required. This has been true
since the beginning of OC. While the OC Communications Course
Catelog lists a number of additional resident training courses avail-
able, the fact is that internal training, beyond the basic specialty
course, is not nearly as widespread in application. Additional train-
ing is given (a) when time permits before or between assignments,
(b) when an assigroment requires such specialized or advanced train-
ing, (c) when time and scheduling permit, and (d) due to demonstrated
lack of competence or failure of an assessment examination by the
individual. These statements apply to cross-specialty training as well
as to more intensive or advanced training in a given specialty. Thus,
while all new EOD OC personnel are basically traiiied in their communi-
cations specialty, the record of training beyond basic is generally in-
consistent and "spotty." RAD103, the former "one-man"' station exer-
cise, is considered to be an extension of basic CT/R training rather
than advanced or specialized training. Special note should, however,
be made of the commendable effort by OC-E to cross-train WET's as
basic ET's in recent months. Also, OC-E has made a real effort to
assign its technicians, both ET and WET, to specialized and cross-
training courses as time and assignment requirements have permitted.
OC-E, more than other components, first feels the effects of the cynam-
ics of increasing technical complexity, and it is not surprising that
their personnel lead the other functional specialties in advanced and
specialized training. We should not forget, however, that OC-E has
proportionately more people assigned to the Washington area (where
they are at least physically available for training) than the other staffs.
2. Internal OTR. Training
OC training statistics, FY-65, (Attachment D) reflect limited parti-
cipation in a wide range of courses available under this heading. An
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area positions, were enrolled in the Operations
emphasis, both Agency and OC, on supervision and management
training is reflected by the statistics. Such related subjects as
effective speaking and writing workshop, are included under manage-
ment training. The number of personnel (15) in language training
is interesting but not conclusive except in the case of four SP people
in full-time language training. Considering the rotational turnover
in instructor positions, it is not too surprising that 19 people re-
ceived a one-week course in instructor training. OC's participa-
tion in the new Agency Mid-Career Course is reflected in the five
people who completed that 6-week program. Particular note should
be made of the four OS officers, who, while assigned to Washington
oriented functional courses. It is noteworthy, however, that SPS
had three officers enrolled in the Clandestine Scientific and Technical
Ops Course. The general conclusion under this category of training
is, like advanced or specialized OC internal training, that OC does
not have a career program involving OTR internal training.
3. External Academic or Specialized Training.
This category encompasses a potpourri of training, invblving
specialized techncial training conducted by manufacture rs, advanced
training sponsored by other Government elements, and academic/
specialized job-related courses in commercial educational institutions.
Training on a given manufacturer's product which OC uses or will use
is both logical and worthwhile. Such training is widespread and has been
increasing over the years--another example of the expanding complexity
and diversification of equipment in use by OC. This trend, which should
continue, will require increased budgetary provisions (travel and per
diem are usually involved in addition to basic course expenses) as well
as programmed time being made available for participation on the
future.
Here, as under other headings, we see an emphasis on management
training. As reflected in the Department of Agriculture program,
Brookings Institute, University of Wisconsin and the Civil Service
Commission's course in financial management.
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4. External Government Training
External academic training sponsored by OC is, of course,
subject to the general approval criteria of the Government and
the Agency. OC has taken a liberal view in applying such cri-
teria and has sponsored personnel for mathematics, science, and
engineering training at all levels. Capitol Institute of Technology
(old CREI) and local university courses are reasonably well sub-
scribed. Additionally, OC has assisted its established career
officers to complete their baccalaureate requirements in those
cases where such officers already possess two or more years of
college credit.
External training also covers senior officer training at the
Armed Forces Staff College, War Colleges, and the Interdepart-
mental Seminars. OC has been a major Agency subscriber to the
Armed Forces Staff College program for some years, and two
graduates are now supergraded. OC has also endorsed the National
War College Program.
5. Correspondence Training
In an overseas oriented organization which has been consistently
taxed to fulfill its day-to-day staffing requirements, it follows that
heavy accent is placed on correspondence training. The Basic RCA,
ASA Extension, CREI, Philco and Motorola courses have been widely
used through the years. In FY-65 OC had one man complete the CREI
course while 17 enrolled. There were 41 RCA course completions to
122 enrollments and 106 completed ASA courses agaiTs-F-B5 eenroll-
ments. These are alT tec iiit-'cat' communications courses. Recently
OC added two supervision courses to the correspondence program,
the Department of Agriculture-course and the CREI Leadership Course.
Both appear to be excellent courses and may well provide an answer
to the oft heard (in the field) query, "What can I do to learn to be a
supervisor?".
6. Career Rotational Training
As we stated at the outset, the OC executive of tomorrow will be
a product of what the person possesses at EOD plus what training,
experience and conditioning that person receives in the course of
his career. Training while in service is therefore an important
factor in the development of tomorrow's OC managers. One element
of training for which statistics are really not available but which is,
perhaps, our most important element is that of on-the-job training.
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OC operating personnel do, indeed, learn and grow by doing the
job themselves. The degree of supervision, however, varies
widely with the circumstances of a given assignment. As regards
assignments, the Office has followed a policy of rotation on the
basis of career development for many years. Such career develop-
ment rotations involve assignments which develop experience in
different facets and at ascending levels within a given Coremo specialty.
At higher levels in the course of career development, assignments
are also made within different OC career specialties for the purpose
of broadening the experience and knowledge base of senior OC career-
ists. As OC has grown, so has its leadership. The dynamics of
growth and the increasing diversity of function have been -met by
Commo through the years. Career rotational assignments and the
training and experience which have resulted represents a key element
under the "training" caption. Such rotations must continue to make
their contribution if the Office is to prepare its leadership in the years
ahead. This warning is sounded because one notes aaincreasing tendency
for longer duty tours in a given job, a tendency to remain in one
career field and, indeed, to specialize to the detriment of' bradening.
Our present career service panel system tends to result in there
being six separate'career services (SORP is, of course, Office-wide).
This is not to argue that some specialization is not appropriate, but
rather to remind all that our potential leaders must continue to gain
diversified training and experience through career rotational assign-
ments. Further, it follows that the Office will be a more collegial
"team" if we keep selected personnel moving between and among
career areas, at home and abroad.
D. Tomorrow's Leaders - the problem
OC has been fortunate in the availability of executive leadership
thus far. Ours is a new Organization which has grown dynamically
within a new Agency; an Agency chartered to perform in a new (to the U. S. )
field. Our initial leadership has been based on World War trained and
experienced officers. The dedication and "can do" attitude induced by the
war was carried over and on into the Cold War. In recent years we have seen
the rise of a follow-on group of leaders who have been recognized and
promoted through the competitive evaluation and selection process.
This system, like any system, is not infallible. As the Office
rapidly expanded, some were perhaps promoted too quickly and others
were promoted more on the basis of availability and a lack of competition
at points in time. But, by and large, it has been an effective system.
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 tinuing policy? Will these first rate leaders also be technical -quah-
fied? Others argue that we should look to the Agency Career Trainee
Program or perhaps start a Junior Officer Training program of our own
in order to be assured that OC will have qualified executives in the
future. No one subscribes to bringing "on board" at executive levels
officers experienced in other organizations at this time.
Almost all of us agree that Communications will become more
technically complex in the future and that we shall need more and better
qualified engineers it proportion to other OC officers. On the other hand,
a crackerjack engineer is not necessarily a first class executive. Should
OC's future leadership be based on graduate engineers ? Is there, in
fact, one approach to the problem, one pat solution? I doubt it. In the
first place we have proven in practice that the competitive evaluation -
promotion system is sound. As long as we recruit sufficient qualified
people who possess the inate qualities of executive leadership, recognize,
and develop them, we should have no dearth of leaders in the future. It
is self-evident that personnel input must be a continuing function so as to
maintain a viable replacement upward situation through the years. Com-
munications today has a disproportionate number of officers in their
forties and is faced with the possibility of a major turnover in the manager-
ial positions encumbered by these officers should these people, due to
concurrent eligibility, retire at about the same time. In the long term OC
should obviously avoid this situation and can do so by regularizing per-
sonnel input vs output over the years. In assuring a steady, continuing
stream of selected recruits, OC should take what action is practical to
also assure that the "unusual" men, the potential leaders of tomorrow,
EOD on that same continuing basis. All this is well and good, you say,
but how do we recruit, retain and develop the right people to assure that
Communications has first rate executives in the future ? In addition to
developing executive leadership how do we assure that tomorrow's
managers will be technically qualified?
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OC has now come of age. As Mr. Kirkpatrick is alleged to have
remarked recently, "while we are still young, we are fully grown
and know what we want. " If we subscribe to this thesis, as most of
us do, the problem before us is then one of how do we get what we
want. Specifically, and in the context of this paper, how do we assure
that the Office of Communications has available the best possible quali-
fied leadership in the future. Some may hold that we are in excellent
condition and that the OC policy of competitive promotion from the
bottom up is alone sufficient to assure us of first rate leadership in the
years to come. Should we place sole reliance on this basic and con-
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OC has not followed a program of establishing and enforcing a system
of detailed job criteria (requirements and prerequisites) on an ascending
grade basis. While it is true that we have had assessment exams for
CT/Rs for some years they are not applied to Panel T assignees beyond
GS-9. Recently OC-E has begun to assess ETs and have been rather
amazed at some of the results! SP does ` fsubject its personnel. to
assessment examinations at all. The extreme in this job requirements
and examination to provie competence approach is probably the U. S. Navy.
It can be validly argued that OC cannot be directly compared with the Navy
and yet there are sufficient common denominators to cause this writer to
pause in rejecting the Navy system. It would seem that we should have
job criteria requirements catalogued and we should be assured that assignees
technically meet such criteria at all working levels. The assessment exam,
where applied, is, after all, much like the Navy's exam given to strikers
for the next higher rate. By applying such techniques much of the "grousing"
over promotions going to "undeserving" people might be substantively mini-
mized.
OC should have available within its own resources a ready supply of talent
The question of language proficiency as a requirement in OC occasion.
ally arises. We have generally responded that, aside from a few training
positions and specialized SP jobs, OC doesn't require language proficiency.
We encourage, as all overseas components of our government should,
the development of a working knowledge of one or more of the world's
recognized languages. To attain a real proficiency in an exotic language
almost implies specialization as to type of assignment and location. This
can easily shortstop career development. The present procedure of having
language specialists detailed to SP positions in order to cover the rare
languages has been demonstrated to be effective - both for OC and for the
linguist (who might otherwise not have an opportunity to apply his linguistic
talen in the field). These arrangements hould continue. On the other had
and Arabic are important. We are, however, communicators first.`
in tiussian, Lierman, French and Spanish. To a lesser extent, Po`rtugueae
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1, Engineering Co-op Program
Continue and expand if possible the co-op program for student
ngineers: This can well be a major source of OC leadership in the
since all indications to date are that these student engineers
overwhelmingly indicate a desire to make, a career in OC.
2. OC Career Training Program
It is recommended that a career trainee program be established
and maintainc7_aay- OC. Three or four young engineers (GS- 1 l) per
-annum should enter the program for a three year period. These
Panel N trainees must be selected and recommended by their super-
visors and have indicated their desire to participate in the program.
OTR assessment tests might be applied in the selection process.
The first year would be spent in formal training (Ops Familiarization
plus other selected ,pTR courses, augmented with OC training which
should emphasize OJT and rotational assignments among the head-
quarters staffs. At the conclusion of this first year of headquarters
training the OC Career Trainee will be sent to an Active area for a two
year tour. During the tour the trainee under the direction of the Area
Chief, will be deliberately assigned duties and training of a broaden-
ing and cross-specialty nature. At the conclusion of the three year
training period these Junior officers will be assigned to a regular T/O
Career Specialty position on the basis of preference. At this juncture they
"graduate" from the program.
3. OS College Graduate Program
This program should be continued and individuals under it monitored
during their first five years. These non-technical baccalaureate degree
holders will probably not up-grade the technical quality of the Office, but
should up-grade our representational and liaison image generally.. We
may anticipate a number of general communications officer supervisors
and managers in the years to come from this input group.
4. Basic Specialty Training Phase
The technical content and time allotted to the basic specialty train-
ing phase of OC is subject to continuing review and change as appropriate.
We do a good job of this. On the other hand, the new employee's reali-
zation of his place in the government, in CIA and in OC deserves attention,
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must (a) be recommended by supervisors and (b) successfully pass
both WET and ET assessment examinations and have demonstrated a
pro ' icncy in both electronic and wire equipment maintenance.
9. Recruitment of Engineers and Technicians
Panel N uffers more than any other Panel in terms of recruit-
ment, turno e)and T/O lapses. Particular emphasis must be
given to recruiting engineers and technicians on a continuing basis.
The OC Career Trainee and Senior Maintenance Technicians which
have been recommended in this paper plus sponsored external
training should reduce the Panel N losses due to transfer or resignation.
10. Blockage at Mid-levels in Panel N by Designated Engineers
A developing problem in ngineering~positions at the middle
levels is that of slots encumbered by "designated" engineers who
have been overtaken in a professional sense by younger college
trained engineer. O_C shottld_encour~ge_~_r]y retirement.in the
case of some of these individuals.
11. Graduate Level Engineering Training
Rapid and dynamic changes in the technology upon which our
communications system is based requires that we sponsor selected
engineers for specialized graduate courses of an advanced nature.
Additionally, it should be our goal to have one or two doctorates in
science in OC, obtained on a career basis and sponsored by the Agency.
Obviously, candidates must be carefully selected and detached for
training on a career program basis.
12. Graduate level Training - General
The new University of Oklahoma program for baccalaureate
degree holders working in government service appears most promising.
Interested and deserving OC bachelor degree holders can and should
be` sponsored for this program in government - especially in the
foreign affairs field. The Oklahoma program involves minimal time
away from the job in terms of on-campus work and thus is admirably
suited to OC's requirements. Again, this in-service program would
broaden OC's representational base and serve as a career Inducement.
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13. Undergraduate Sponsorship
OC has followed a liberal policy in sponsoring careerists for
college courses. The basic government requirement is that such
courses are job-related and that the sponsorship is not for attaining
a degree, per se. It is recommended that such liberal sponsorship
continue. We should particularly encourage careerists who have
completed two or more years of college to complete their degree
requirements. Majors in government, political science;, language,
administration are all government related and thus afford prospective
students considerable latitude in course selection.
14. Mid-Career Course Sponsorship
It is recommended that only those careerists placing in the
upper third of their CEL's be sponsored for this Agency program.
Selectees should be selected and programmed for attendance in this
course on a career program basis - not simply on an availability basis.
15. Senior Externf.l Training
OC senior careerists should continue to be sponsored for the
senior military schools, Harvard Management, etc. Our record thus
far under this heading has been fairly good but statistically, since we
represent more than ten percent of the Agency it can and should be
improved in the future.
16. Assessment Examinations
The principle of assessment examinations should be applied to
all career specialties at the non-executive level. It is recommended
that the Navy method, modified as appropriate, be adapted by OC and
applied to insure that technical proficiency standards are satisfied by
technical specialty and in the degree commensurate with the grade of
a given job. In this context, the technical requirements and standards
of each job should be reviewed on a continuing basis. It follows that
the assessment exam should measure competence and knowledge against
these job requirements. What was required five years ago does not
necessarily hold today.
17. Job Mobility
As pointed out under the discussion portion of this paper, there
has been an increasing tendency for longer tours, specialization within
a specialty and a general decrease in the cross fertilization by specialty
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which characterized OC a few years ago. Advancement possibilitieo
vary by career panel and at points in time. It is our .duty to assure
that the best people reach the top regardless of career panel spore-
sorship. This is a continuing study in itself. SP, particularly, should
be monitored so as to assure movement in - and out amongst the
other Panels of OC. It is recommended that an on-going monitor
of cross-panel assignments be conducted by the Executive Officer
and that greater assignment movement between career Panels be
effected.
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