ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGY BOARD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01065A000200020013-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 25, 1999
• Sequence Number: 13
• Content Type: REPORT

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ROTE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRAY-GY T3011TtP
The President's Directive creates the Psychological Strategy Board
to nrovide more effective planning of psychological operations within
the framework of approved national policies, to coordinate the psycho.
logical. operations of all departments and agencies of government, and to
evaluate the effectiveness of the national psychological effort
The members of the Board are the Under Secretary of State, the
Deputy Secretary of Defense, and the Director of Central Intelligence.
The Director, appointed by the President, sees that the decisions of
the Board are carried out. A representative of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
site with the Board as its principal military adviser; and the Board my
add to its number from time to time appropriate representatives of the
heads of other governmental units.
The Board is the nerve-center for strategic psychological operations.
At the apex of government, it provides a focal point for assuring the
planned use by all governmental units of activities to influence the
opinions, attitudes, emotions and behavior of foreign groups in ways that
will support the achievement of our approved national aims. Through-the
Board, the President is enabled to turn to one body, instead of marry,
for a prompt -assossment of these psychological operations-as to magnitude,
emphasis, pace, effectiveness, and responsibility for execution. Thus, a
unified base is afforded from which to take from an enemy the initiative
in psychological operations.
The Board itself does not engage in operations. It is not concerned
with day-to-day problems arising in the psychological field, except as
they may affect progress toward major strategic objectives. The Directive
reposes in the Board the responsibility for over-all psychological pol't
cies, objectives, and programs, and their coordination among the various
departments and agencies; provides for adjustments to be made by such
departments and agencies in their existing arrangements in this regards
and amends previous National Security Council instructions to that extent,
To execute its roles
1. The Board will prepare, in order to determine the framework
of its action under the Directive, an inventory of those approved
national policies which may directly or indirectly involve psyahologi.
cal operations; recommending to the appropriate agencies the adoption
or development of such additional policies as may directly or indir+erst3y
involve psyeholo~:icsl. operations,
2. In support
Approved For Release 2000/09/11 : CIA-RDP80-01065A000200020013-0
 Secu7rit Infornation
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2. In support of such approved national policies, the Board
will formulate and promulgate over.-all policies, programs, and
objectives for psychological operations; including over-all strategic
plans in such detail as to enable operational planning by departmonts
and agencies.
3. The Board-will stiff aitate all de artments and agencies engaged
in operations having psychological aspects, to set un effective pay-
chological operational plans:
a.. by assigning to such depart*hts and agencies the
p eparation of psychological operational plans to carry out
a- part of such over--,jl.l strategic plans as to which no psycho.
logical operational planning has been initiated;
h. by reviewing all psychological operational plans already
initiated by departments and agencies in order to assure that
they are consistent with such over-all strategic plans., doter..
mining those plans which may be left to the initiating departments
and agencies without further action by the Board and those plans
as to which the Board should take some further action.
4 `T';ze Board v ll determine as to the various psychological
operational plans: (1) errphaais, (2) priority., and (3) pace.
5. The Board will coordinate the execution by departments and
agencies of all. such plans within the f rework of oven-all strategic
plans.
6. The Board will evaluate the programs of departments and
agencies and their execution through psychological operational clans,
in terms of effective accomplishment of the national psychological
effort; selecting programs and plans for evaluation which are most
important to the attainment of national objectives.
Approved For Release 2000/09/11 : CIA-RDP80-01065A000200020013-0