THE CAREER STAFF OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01826R000900050018-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 17, 2001
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: January 1, 1958
• Content Type: REGULATION

25X1A
CONHUtN I IIAL
THE CAREER STAFF
OFTE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
25X1A Kescissions: (1) dated 6 December 1955, Revised 10 July 1957
(2) 2 dated 15 October 1954
GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page
DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CREDITABLE SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . .
POLICY . . . .
ORGANIZATION OF THE CIA SELECTION BOARD
AND PANEL OF EXAMINERS . . . . . . . . .
RESPONSIBILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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1. GENERAL
The Career Staff of the Central Intelligence Agency was established effective
1 July 1954. This regulation prescribes policies, responsibilities and pro-
cedures with respect to the Career Staff. Membership in the Career Staff will
be limited to United States citizen Staff Employees and Staff Agents who are
eligible for consideration and are accepted for membership in accordance with the
provisions of this regulation.
2. DEFINITIONS
a. THE CAREER STAFF
A group of carefully selected and trained individuals who accept an obliga-
tion to devote themselves to the needs of the Agency, and who intend to
a career with the Agency.
b. TRIAL PERIOD
The first year of service in CIA, as defined in section I of _ 25X1 A
c. PROVISIONAL PERIOD
Three years' active service in CIA which is a prerequisite to consideration
for membership in the Career Staff.
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will include any of the periods defined or qualified in paragraph 3 below.
3. CREDITABLE SERVICE
a. Generally, active service will include any of the following periods:
(1) Time on duty, under one or more appointments as a Staff Employee or
Staff Agent, on or after 18 September 1917, the official date of the
establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency.
(2) Absence on leave with pay.
(3) Continuous absence on leave without pay which does not exceed 30
successive calendar days, except that absence on leave without pay for
Agency-approved external training will be fully counted.
b. Active service, for the purpose of 2c above, may include other service not
to exceed two years in the Agency in a civilian or military status, when
detailed to the Agency, provided:
Such service was performed on detail under military orders or on
official civilian detail from another Government agency, and
(2) Such service was in a capacity essentially similar to that to which the
detailed individual was subsequently assigned as a Staff Employee or
Staff Agent, and
(3) In no case will such service be credited until one full year has been
served as a Staff Employee or Staff Agent and the employee has passed
the one-year trial period.
c. Military service of a Staff Employee or Staff Agent who has been restored to
civilian employment with CIA after military duty will be counted.
d. Service which includes the following categories, career agent, contract
employee, contract agent, field agent, consultant, and other types of
associations can be credited, when requested by the Head of the appropriate
Career Service, to a Staff Employee or Staff Agent toward the req ired
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three-year provisional period only after review and decision by the
CIA Selection Board in each individual case.
e. An individual who is re-employed b CIA must serve another three-year
provisional period before becoming eligible to apply for membership in the
Career Staff if his prior resignation was not in the 'best interests of CIA."
"Best interests of CIA" is defined to include a resignation at the insti-
gation of CIA to gain employment elsewhere for cover purposes, education
or for additional experience if the reasons were made a matter of record at
the time of resignation; and b resignation to accompany s use to new
duty station if the spouse is an employee of the enc . Effective dates
of membership in such cases will include service under all a intments.
4+. POLICY
a. The Career Staff of the Central Intelligence Agency will consist of personnel
selected from among Staff Employees and Staff Agents. Personnel selected
for membership will be afforded, within the framework of applicable laws,
preferential consideration for job security and special training as well
as other benefits and facilities now or hereafter provided for members of
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the Career Staff. Those individuals selected for membership in the Career
Staff will be designated as Career Employees.
b. Personnel who are accepted for membership in the Career Staff will have the
obligation to serve anywhere and at any time and for any kind of duty as
determined by the needs of CIA and they are assured that, in order to carry
out this policy, full consideration will be given to their particular capa-
bilities, interests, and personal circumstances.
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c. The relationship between an individual member of the Career Staff and the
Agency is one of good faith on the part of each--a determination on the rt
of the individual to serve faithfully and understand the Agency's needs and
a determination on the part of the Agency to act objectively and humanely in
furthering the careers of its members. All employees who personally desire
and intend to make a career with CIA can make application for membership in
the Career Staff in good conscience even though personal circumstances or
family responsibilities might limit their freedom to serve in some assignments.
d. The selection process will encompass the evaluation and development of each
Staff Employee and Staff Agent during his provisional period. In this
manner, the individual's capabilities and deficiencies will be evaluated in
order to determine his suitability for selection into the Career Staff. The
selection process will include these stages of employee evaluation and
development:
(i) A review and determination of each individual's suitability, in
25X1A accordance with M for continued Agency employment prior to
the expiration of the trial period.
(2) The preparation of Fitness Reports, as required by- 25X1A
(3) A review, based on the selection criteria of job performance, personal
conduct, and evidence of intent to fulfill the obligations of Career
Service, after the individual concerned gains eligibility for con-
sideration by completing the provisional period. In evaluating an
employee's suitability for membership in the Career Staff, it may be
more difficult to determine his suitability if he has not been within
the purview of CIA for a considerable period immediately prior to the
time he applies for membership.
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(4) The provision of continuing instruction and developmental guidance and
assistance to each individual throughout the provisional period, in
order that he may demonstrate his suitability for membership in the
Career Staff or eliminate or satisfactorily resolve any deficiencies.
e. Consideration for selection into the Career Staff will be based upon formal
application by personnel who have completed the provisional period. Those
who fail to make application or whose applications are not accepted will
continue to possess the benefits accorded by law to employees of the
United States Government.
f. After consideration for selection into the Career Staff, one of the follow-
ing types of action will be taken for each applicant:
(1) Acceptance in the Career Staff (Type A);
(2) Action deferred (Type B); or
(3) Acceptance into the Career Staff denied (Type C).
g. If an individual applies for membership in the Career Staff and is not
accepted, he will be informed of the reasons for the rejection or defer-
ment and he will be given assistance and guidance in order to correct or to
eliminate the causes of his rejection or deferment so that he may have an
opportunity to demonstrate his suitability for membership in the Career,
Staff. In such cases, the Selection Board may entertain an appeal by the
individual, at his initiative, to appear before the Board or, at its
discretion, an Examining Panel to reconsider the case.
h. The Director of Personnel will be responsible for giving preferential
consideration for re-employment to those women who were members of the
Career Staff and who had to resign staff employment in order to accompany
a CIA spouse to a new dut station. These individuals will not only be
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given preferential consideration for vacancies within their former Career Service,
but also for any Agency vacancy for which they are qualified.
5. ORGANIZATION OF THE CIA SELECTION BOARD AND PANEL OF EXAMINERS
a. CIA SELECTION BOARD
(1) The CIA Selection Board is established and will consist of seven voting
members or their alternates including the Director of Personnel who will
act as permanent Chairman. A quoriun of the Board shall consist of four
present voting members or their alternates. The Director of Central
Intelligence will appoint two voting members and two alternates each from
the Offices of the Deputy Directors (Plans), (Intelligence), and (Support).
These appointments will be made for one fiscal year in each case. Indi-
viduals appointed to the Board may be reappointed, however, at the ex-
piration of their period of service. In the event that the Director of
Personnel is temporarily unable to serve as Chairman, he will designate an
acting chairman from among the members or alternates to serve in his
place.
(2) The CIA Selection Board will be provided a Secretariat consisting of an
Executive Director and such other administrative and clerical personnel as
are required by the Board. The Executive Director will be selected by and
function under the direction of the Director of Personnel.
b. PANEL OF EXAMINERS
A Panel of Examiners is established and will consist of members of the Career
Staff, GS-l4+ and above.
(1) Each of the Career Services in the Agency will have generally proportional
representation on the Panel based on the personnel strength of the Career
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Services and their anticipated workloads as of the beginning of each fiscal
year, except that at least one member will be named to the Panel from each
Career Service.
(2) Members of the Panel of Examiners will be appointed by the Director of
Central Intelligence. He will give due consideration to those nominated
by the Heads of Career Services after the Director has received the recom-
mendations of the CIA Selection Board.
c. EXAMINING PANELS
Examining Panels convened pursuant to this regulation will consist of at least
three examiners selected by the Executive Director. Examiners will be chosen in
a manner that will be appropriately representative of Agency interests. The
Executive Director or his designee will serve as nonvoting chairman on each
Examining Panel.
6. RESPONSIBILITIES
a. DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL
The Director of Personnel is responsible for directing the selection program
herein established and will ensure that the program is administered in accor-
dance with personnel policies of the Agency. He will recommend to the Director
of Central Intelligence such additional policies and procedures as he may
consider necessary. The Director of Personnel is responsible for notifying
employees when they complete their provisional period and thus become eligible
to apply for selection into the Career Staff.
b. CIA SELECTION BOARD
The CIA Selection Board is responsible for formulating appropriate criteria for
selection into the Career Staff; discharging the responsibilities and activities
assigned to it by this regulation and entertaining appeals by individuals.
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c. EXAMINING PANELS
Subject to the direction of the CIA Selection Board, Examining Panels are respon-
sible for performing the activities assigned to them as specified in this
regulation.
d. SUPERVISORS
(1) Supervisors are responsible for completing Fitness Reports on employees
under their immediate jurisdiction and for recoomending that such employees
either be retained in Agency employment or be separated from CIA before the
expiration of their trial period. They are also responsible for recommend-
ing the acceptance or rejection of such employees for membership in the
Career Staff when the provisional period has been completed.
(2) Supervisors at all levels are responsible for assisting and instructing
employees under their jurisdiction to eliminate any general weaknesses
or specific deficiencies in performance detected during their trial period.
They are also responsible for assisting employees who have completed their
trial period to overcome any inadequacies that might prevent their eventual
selection into the Career Staff.
e. HEADS OF THE CAREER SERVICES
Head of Career Services are responsible for reviewing the recommendations of
supervisors specified in paragraph 6d(l) above and then forwarding their own
recommendations to the Executive Director of the CIA Selection Board for further
review and action as herein described.
7. PROCEDURES
a. PB SING OF APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE CAREER STAFF
(1) An official notification of an employee's eligibility to apply for member-
ship will be forwarded by the Director of Personnel to the individual
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concerned 90 days prior to date of eligibility.
(2) The application will be submitted by the individual through official
channels to the Head of the Career Service concerned. Supervisors in the
channel will add their comments as appropriate.
(3) The effective date of membership in the Career Staff will be as prescribed
by the CIA Selection Board and normally will be the date on which an
individual signed his application or the date of eligibility, whichever
date is later. Effective dates of membership in the Career Staff for those
individuals whose applications had previously been deferred or denied, will
normally be the date on which the Selection Board accepts the individual's
application for membership in the Career Staff.
(4) If the signed application has not been received by the CIA Selection Board
within 90 days of date of eligibility, it will be assumed that the
employee does not wish to apply for membership in the Career Staff.
Official Agency records will be documented to this effect.
(5) Failure to apply for membership in the Career Staff when notified of eli-
gibility does not invalidate an individual's right to make future appli-
cation.
(6) An individual who is departing for overseas may sign his application
prior to his departure from headquarters if he has completed his trial
period.
(7) Suitability of Staff Employees and Staff Agents for membership in the
Career Staff will be determined as follows:
(a) The Head of the Career Service concerned will review the application
and obtain the comments of the appropriate Career Board or Panel if
such comments are desired. He will forward the application to the
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Executive Director of the CIA Selection Board together with his recom-
mendation within 90 days of the date of signature by the applicant.
Upon receipt of the application, the Executive Director will ensure
that eligibility requirements have been met, will assemble all
available documentation pertinent to the case, and will convene an
Examining Panel to consider the application.
(b) In all eases, the Examining Panel will base its recommendations to the
CIA Selection Board on all pertinent information concerning the employee,
which is professionally appropriate and operationdly secure, including
information furnished by the Office 'of Personnel, Office of Security,
Office of Training, Medical Staff, Office of the Comptroller, the
Inspector General, Inspection and Review Staff, and the organizational
component and Career Service having jurisdiction over the individual.
If necessary, the Panel may request further information from the
offices concerned. The Examining Panel may interview the individual
and, if desired, his supervisor or other Agency employees.
(c) If an Examining Panel considers that information available to it on a
particular case appears to be inconsistent with the recommendation
of the Head of the Career Service concerned or might not have been
available to him when his original recommendation was made, the
Executive Director of the CIA Selection Board will forward the
Finding of the Examining Panel to him on an EYES ONLY basis 30 days
in advance of the proposed Selection Board meeting. This will enable
the Head of the Career Service to reconsider his original recommenda-
tion in the light of any new information and to modify it if he so
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forward the Finding and the comments of the Head of the Career
Service directly to the CIA Selection Board for action. )i h$u%
u't$e}' jeji~w/b j '{n/E i~i}dg/P~n~l/. If the Head of the Career
Service has not replied within 30 days, it will be assumed he is in
agreement with the Finding of the Examining Panel and the Finding will
be submitted to the CIA Selection Board for action.
(d) If the individual is overseas at the time he becomes eligible for
membership in the Career Staff, and if an interview by the Examining
Panel is felt necessary, the consequent decision on the acceptance of
his application for membership in the Career Staff may be deferred
until he is physically available in headquarters.
(e) The Examining Panel will recommend to the CIA Selection Board that the
employee be selected into the Career Staff, that his case be deferred,
or that his selection be disapproved.
(f) The CIA Selection Board on behalf of the Director of Central Intelli-
gence will take formal action on the recommendation of the Examining
Panel.
(g) When the finding of the CIA Selection Board is in disagreement with
that of the Head of the Career Service, this fact shall be reported
to him. He may either accept the Board's decision or refer the
case, within ten workdays, to the Director of Central Intelligence
for final decision.
(h) The Chairman of the CIA Selection Board will officially notify the
individual of its finding by classified nemorundm. The individual
will acknowledge receipt on the memorandum of action of the CIA
Selection Board. It will then be forwarded through the Head of
the Career Service to the Executive Director of the CIA Selection
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Board. The acknowledged memorandum, together with the individual's
application, will then be placed in his Official Personnel Folder.
b. SEPARATION FROAI TEE CAREER STAFF
(1)
If an individual's employment as a Career Employee is terminated, his
i,ertbership in the Career Staff is automatically canceled. If he is sub-
sequently reemployed, he must reapply for membership in order to become a
member of the Career Staff and a determination will be made following the
orocedures contained in this regulation.
(2) If an individual elects to. resign from membership in the Career Staff but
rishes to retain his status as a Staff Employee or Staff Agent of CIA, he
Uill so notify the CIA Selection Board in writing through the Head of his
Career Service and will state the reasons for his request. The Board will
formal action on the request for resignation from the Career Staff
and will notify the member of its finding in writing.
(3) Recommendations for the removal of an individual from the Career Staff
fivst be submitted to the CIA Selection Board through the Head of the
ar?propriate Career Service who will review the recommendation and submit
iJJs comments. No recommendation for removal will be considered by the
Board until it has been reviewed by the Head of the Career Service
concerned.
Subject only to the recommendation of disapproval by the Director of
Security, the C L% Selection Board will ensure that each individual, whose
removal from the Career S-aff has been recommended, will be offered the
oT_pportunity of being interviewed by the Board, or at its discretion,
y the examining Panel.
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(5) Separation of an individual from the Agency will be governed by
applicable Agency regulations.
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