PROGRAM CALL - - SENIOR SEMINAR

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80-00308A000100010007-0
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
3
Document Creation Date: 
December 9, 2016
Document Release Date: 
July 10, 2000
Sequence Number: 
7
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
January 17, 1972
Content Type: 
MF
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP80-00308A000100010007-0.pdf245.58 KB
Body: 
Approved For Release 0$9/08/29: CIA-RDP80-00308A00010 AD07-0 17 January 1972 Itls? 4J;1Ri t111'A FOR: office of Training :Plans Staff S1111XI]CT Program Call--Senior Seminar 1. The major new development in CY1971 was the development and Conduct of the CIA Senior Seminar. In November 1970, the Director or Training proposed the establishment of a new training pr ogra i to be conducted on an in-house basis for higher grade CIA officers. Following di.sc.ussion by the Executive Director and the Du' Duties, the proposal was approved by the Director in Decen5cr with the u>.idor:_tanding that attendance would be limited to 2t officers of minimum grade CS-15 and that the Seminar would not exceed 3 nonts.2s in length. The Director also stipulated that tae first Senior Seminar be given a hard evaluation after waicht a decision would be made as to the continuation of the program. 2. Planning for the now Senior Seminar commenced in late December. An analysis of the characteristics of the Agency's senior officer population was made, and the organization and con- tent of other senior officer courses--the National War Collage, Senior Serainaar on Foreign Policy, and the Federal Executive Insti- tute--wore reviewed. The objectives for the Seminar wore developed and. approved. These were as follows a. To develop greater insight into problems and pressures facing CIA nanagemont, the processes of change within the Agency and in its external relationships, strd developments in American society which are relevant to CIA as. an organization. b. To acquaint the participants with current thinking on U.S. foreign policy equities and developments abroad which are the subjects of CIA's business. c. To provide an opportunity for senior officers to re- new their sense of personal motivation and appetite for achievement and to renew and broaden their understanding and appreciation of "tlla other guy." Approved For Release 2000/08/29 : CIA-RDP80-00308A000100010007-0 pproved For Relea Q /08/29: CIA-RDP80-00p08A00010 1. p07-0 3. T:-acre followed a sequence' of model building and cxtyensive consultation at all levels t:hrout,ao'iat the Agency involving approx- imately 80 officers outside the Office of Training. Over the spring and summer, plans for- t:ae Seminar were translated into an operating progran. Speaker. were identified and invited, topics to be covered and bihliogre;seaies were developed, and extensive reference materials were collected. The running of the first Seminar was set for 19 September through 24 November. 4. As this work proceeded, the Senior Seminar Staff was assembled, including three officers, a secretary and a training assistant who were detailed from various components 'of titer Office of Training. One officer - as loaned to the Staff by the S&T Directorate, one by the Clandestine Service, and one from the Support Service; a Career Trainee w as detailed to tae Staff on an interim assignment basis? Each of the officers worked on. the deveeloprient of the Seminar and during its running participated as "manager" of one or more "blocks" of content. In late August the Staff moved, along with other co-Mone:ats of the Office of Training. to the Chamber oof Coirsaerco building where tine Staff occupied the suite which had been deesigned expressly for the purpose of conducting the Seminar. S. Following the announcement by the Director of Training of the Seminar 'throughout tic Agency on 1 S June 1971, the Direc- torates nominated 35 qualif'Led officers. From this group, the Training Selection Board picked 20 officers aw;ho, taken as a group, net the criteria that the Scr)iinar b o composed of participants with a variety of Agency occupational backgrounds and faith ex- perience on each major fore L gn area. A precourse session was held with ttae sele/cte d parts cipants on 3.1 Au ust 1'71 to brief thezm on the development of the Seminar a:ad its met and of operation, and to pass out advance reading material. 6- The Seminar covered a va>.ty of subjects which are directly relevant to the activities, relationships, interests, policies, and problems of CIA. Its final format consisted of Blocks on "Thee Senior Agency Officer," "The Intelligence Business," "Major World Trends and Their Significance for Policy and. Intelli- gence ," "Covert Action: The Hidden :Side of Foreign Policy," "The Environment of CIA: Official. Relationships" followed by "Unofficial Relationships" (the latter incorporating presentations on facets of the American domestic situation which bear directly on the Agency) , ''New Tools and Methodologies for Intelligence," and "The Management of Intelligence and the ;Future." The first Block 25X1A ~~Ap~'' i 200W08'/2#: CtA-RDP80-00,308A000100010007-0 oved For Releas 18.11 00/08/29: CIA-RDP80-00308A000100 0007-0 ~.- 25X1A was conducted in residence at numerous short trips in the headquarters area were made, such as "A Day on The Hill" and "A Day in the State Department." Three-day trips to optional East or West coast installations of interest were taken by Seminar groups. 7. A 'total of 53 non-Agency and, 99 Agency guest speakers and panelists accepted invitations to participate in the pilot running. Their presentation:: provided a stimulus throughout the Seminar's running for the participants to make full use of their own experience, knowledge and judgments in lively exchanges both with guest speakers and with each other. 8. In. keeping with the Directo:r's instructions, heavy emphasis was placed. on evaluation of the Seriinar. Each Block of content concluded with a written evaluation and discussion session. The Seminar also was completed with an extensive overall written and oral critique which evaluated the progr.am:i.n terms of its standard objectives and a variety of other bases such as its usefulness of the participants in their current jobs or in future assignments. 9. From the participants' evaluations and critiques and from memoranda voluntarily submitted by eight participants, it can be concluded that the Seminar was successful and that the partici- pants profited significantly from their attendance. Accordingly, the Director of Training proposed to continue the Seminar on a twice annual basis with spring and fall runnings. Based on this proposal and a review of the participants' critiques, the Director approved, in early January 1.972, a second running of the Seminar which will be conducted for nine weeks from March through May, 1972. The Executive Director-Comptroller has emphasized the need to nominate to this runninf, highly qualified officers who have a potential for advancement. 25X1A 25X1A Distribution: O i g r 25X1A 1 - SS chron. 1 - chron.. 1 - Charter file i 25X1A OTR/SS cd (17 Jan 72 A Approved or a ease 2000/08/29: CI -RDP80-00308A000100010007-0