OJCS SUPPORT TO THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR TRADE NEGOTIATIONS (STR), WHITE HOUSE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2002
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: March 4, 1976
• Content Type: MF

IT /A I:_;i_stry
Approved For Release 2002/06/05: CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
t-
, ~ 3 G3C"~s
OJCS-482-76
4 MAR 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Administration
FROM Harry E. Fitzwater, Director of Joint
Computer Support
SUBJECT OJCS Support to the Office of Special
Representative for Trade Negotiations
(STR), White House
REFERENCE Memo dtd 11 Nov 75 to DD/A from D/OJCS,
same subject
1. This memorandum is an update on the status of OJCS
support to STR to keep you current on our involvement.
2. Our major commitment to STR during the last six
months: was, to convert trade data to a GIM data base. How-
ever, the last set of data that was converted was handled
completely by STR. We have given them all the necessary
software and documentation to do the conversions for them-
selves.
3. The STR is building their own GIM programming staff
and has a contract with TRW, Inc. for additional help. Our
only role with STR is in an advisory capacity. We spend
about two hours per month in meetings with STR personnel
and answer an average of two to three telephone calls a
week.
4. We are keeping a copy of the data base at the request
of OER, which has made little use of the information. Their
activity may pick up when the negotiations in Geneva inten-
sify.
Distribution;
Original &
1
addressee
2
O/D/OJCS
1
C/AD/OJCS
1
OJCS Registry
Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
 STATINTL Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
 . .,,
Approved For Release 2002/06/05: CIA-RDP79-00498
I
_ _,Vt ~
Fiie . ~
DD/A 7S-5412
13 November 1975
MORA{DUB FOR: Deputy Director for Intelligence
Ed:
1. 1 would appreciate your review of the issue
discussed in the attached memorandum of 11 November 1975,
from carry Fitzwater to me. by initial reactions are,
first, that enough is enough and, secondly, I think we
would be politically wise to assist the Office of Special
Representative for Trade Negotiations (STR) to effect
other arrangements to have the program. carried on.
2. 1 would appreciate your thoughts on this
STATINTL
.is/ John P. pkuk?
John F. Blake
Deputy Director
for
Administration
Att: DD/A 75-5358 - Mew to DD/A fr D/OJCS, Subject:
OJCS Support to Office of Special Representative
Distri but ia:
Orig i _ i for Trade Negotiations (STR), I'htie douse, dtd
11 November 1975
= DD/A Subject w/Orig of Att
1 - DD/A Chrono w/o Att
1 - JFB Chrono w/o Att
nD/A:JFBlake:der (13 November 1975)
Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
 DD /A :
Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
OJCS-4307-75
11NOV1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Administration
SUBJECT . OJCS Support to the Office of Special
Representative for Trade Negotiations
(STR), White House
1. This memorandum is a summary of the OJCS role in
support to STR. My people and I believe that such support
is a proper Agency and OJCS role, and we are highlighting
it only so that you remain current on this support. Our
role has been extended in time beyond that which we orig-
inally projected. And, in the present climate, some of my
people have expressed apprehension over the possibility of
a leak about our role and of someone then misconstruing it.
2. The United States is currently participating in the
Multilateral Trade Negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Office of the Special Representative for Trade Negoti-
ations is attached to the White House and is responsible
for conducting the negotiations. This Agency has supported
STR in the design and development of its computer system
for this support. Following is a brief history of our
participation and our current commitments.
3. In preparation for the talks GSA gave computer system
support to STR during 1973. STR asked GSA to study the
requirements of all the Government Agencies participating
in the negotiations (State, Agriculture, Treasury, Commerce,
Tariff Commission, and STR), and to design and implement a
system to handle these consolidated requirements. There
were conflicting requirements from the users, and in order
to accommodate such diversity, the data base grew to 200
million characters. Such volume on an interactive system
coupled with the various retrieval requirements created the
need fora sophisticated and complex system. STR became
dissatisfied with the support from GSA and in early 1974 asked
this Agency (through OER for technical support. OER continued
as liaison, and OJCS provided the computer support. In June
1974,"OJCS submitted a Feasibility Study which outlined the
Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
 Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
requirements for a centralized file which all U.S. partici-
pants could share, and this study was accepted. Then, in
October 1974, OJCS followed with a Project Proposal which
specified the details for the design. Because Applications
Division, OJCS had expertise in design of large interactive
information systems, the proposal also recommended that OJCS
develop the software, but that STR should contract with a
private hardware/software vendor to provide the subsequent
production support.
4. STR accepted the OJCS proposal and its recommendations,
and surfaced the additional requirement of having the system
accessible in Geneva for all countries. There were two basic
reasons for the Geneva accessibility.
a) The U.S. negotiators wished immediate access for
updates, queries, and ad hoc reports.
b) STR wanted all countries to use the same data.
During the previous negotiations, known as the "Kennedy
Round", much negotiation time (several years) was wasted
and unproductive merely because the negotiators were
using different data. This time, each participating
country was planning its own computer system and data
base, which was a logistic impossibility in Geneva. STR
felt that the U.S. could contribute to the success of the
negotiations by supplying one comprehensive on-line data
management capability for use of all participants.
S. A study was conducted on the merit of a Geneva based
system versus a real-time data link to a U.S. based system.
On the basis of cost, it was decided to design a system for
Geneva rather than use the expensive services for the large
data volume over an inter-continent data link. The final
design showed a Geneva based system using the United Nations
Service Bureau in Geneva and included a capability for each
country to maintain its private file during the negotiations.
The proposed system had a backup (non-real-time) in Washington.
6. OJCS used GIM as a software tool and designed, built,
tested, and then delivered the system to STR in March 1975.
STR contracted with the Commerce Department for computer
support, and is now using eight hours computer time per day
at the Commerce Department time share facility. Since the
delivered system was GIM based, STR contracted with TRW, Inc.
Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
 Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
(the GIM developer) for such software services as training,
software enhancements, and actual installation in Geneva.
This system is now running on an IBM 370/168 in Geneva.
7. Originally, participation of OJCS was to end with
delivery of the system. However, OJCS is doing the updates
of the data base for STR, and then makes a duplicate copy of
the updated data base for OER. These semi-annual updates
are projected to cost $6,000 per year in OJCS resources.
8. OJCS has assigned responsibility for this file to a
systems analyst (40-60 man hours per year estimated), who
also occasionally provides ad hoc consulting services. Nearly
all software support is supplied by TRW, Inc. All data and
all updates are readily available to all participating
countries.
STATINTL
HARRY E. FITZWATER
Director of Joint Computer Support
Distribution:
Orig & 1 - adse
2 - O/D/OJCS
I - C/AD/OJCS
1 - OJCS Registry
Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
 STATINTL Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7
Next 3 Page(s) In Document Exempt
Approved For Release 2002/06/05 : CIA-RDP79-00498A000300110018-7