REPORT ON INDIVIDUAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01826R000900060050-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 20, 1998
• Sequence Number: 50
• Publication Date: February 18, 1956
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2001/0 .,~ P80-0182QR000900060050-6
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Chairman, CIA Career Council
FEF i6 1856
SUBJECT: Report on Individual Career Development Planning
Program
1. It is impossible for this Office to answer the specific
questions incorporated in the memorandum from the Executive Secretary,
CIA Career Council, dated 9 February 1956, subject as above, as we have
in fact prepared only three official career development plans, all in
connection with the Junior Officer Career Development Program.
25X1A9a
25X1A9a
25X1A9a
However, the first step in the plan has been implemented, and
the balance of the plan will probably be carried out in modified
form.
c. A plan was also prepared for
25X1A9a but Mr. was not accepted for the Junior Officer Career
Development Program.
2. At various meetings over the past two years, the Office of
Operations Career Service Board has discussed the advisability of pre-
paring career development plans for all personnel. The Board has always
been of the opinion that such plans should be optional and not mandatory.
This policy was reaffirmed in the Quarterly Report to the Chairman of
the CIA Career Council, dated 18 January 1956, paragraph 6. The sub-
paragraphs of paragraph 6 are herewith quoted:
"(a) That career plans for all employees should not be
mandatory;
"(b) That long-range career plans for all employees could
give rise to a very serious morale problem in that the
vast majority of these plans could not be implemented; and
"(c) That (a) and (b), above, should not be construed as
prohibiting the drafting of career plans by individual
DOCUMENT NO. employees with the assistance of their supervisors or
NO CHANGE IN CLASS. 13 by Division Chiefs when deemed appropriate."
rover l ASSIFIED y ppropriate."
CLASS. CHANGED TO. TS S (s 4 .
e
NEXT REVIEW DATE:
d
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3. The question of formally approved plans for career development
must be considered very carefully, and the difficulties and dangers
involved must be recognized. For instance:
a. Should career development plans be prepared for personnel
who are not members of the Career Staff?
b. Should career development plans be on a three year basis?
Five year basis?
co Should career development plans envisage rotation inside
the office? To other segments of the Agency (almost impossible to
implement)?
d. Should career development plans be prepared for persons
over 50 years of age? Over 60 years of age?
e. Should career development plans be prepared for various
categories of individuals, such as those in production units
(typing pools), teletypists,, custodians, etc.? In some cases,
such persons have no ability or desire for any other form of work.
f. Should career development plans be prepared for married
women who hope to have families and will thereby completely disrupt
any such plan?
g. Should career development plans be prepared for all grades
or only for GS-g's and above? GS-11's and above?
he Should career development plans be prepared for personnel
who are exceptions to CIA Regulation No. or who, for other
reasons, are cleared for Top Secret in a par cular segment of the
Agency only and presumably cannot be rotated to (or seek later
careers in areas requiring special clearance?
J, If any categories are excluded from planning, does this
not automatically set up certain inequities?
k. What happens to morale if plans are not implemented?
4+. In the past there has been considerable discussion in regard
to career development plans on a three to five-year basis, envisaging
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SUBJECT: Report on Individual Career Development Planning Program
rotation some time during this period to some other component of the
Agency or within the office of assignment. We would consider it
exceptionally unfortunate if plans of this type were made mandatory.
It hardly need be pointed out that if one-year rotations were envisaged
in every five-year plan, 20% of the Agency would be rotating at all
times. At least another 100 to 15% of the Agency would be spending a
minimum of two to three months a year indoctrinating and briefing the
rotatees. This would obviously be insupportable. In our opinion, it
would be extremely difficult to rotate 5% of the Agency in any one year.
Even if this proved administratively possible, it would mean that at the
end of five years, 75% of the career development plans would not have
been implemented and, presumably,the morale of 75% of the personnel with
plans would have deteriorated.
5. We readily admit that preparing career development plans for
some personnel would have a good effect on morale in the initial stage.
The bad morale effects would not become evident until after the first
or second year when it became apparent that such mandatory career de-
velopment plans were not being implemented.
6. We firmly believe that individual career development plans
represent only an aid to proper career development and personnel manage-
ment, and we fear an aid of very doubtful value if not promptly and
effectively implemented. We feel that career development is essentially
the utilization of manpower, first for the greatest benefit to the Agency,
and secondly for the greatest benefit to the individual; that it is
knowing the capabilities of our personnel, recognizing their desires,
and assuring that personnel are well trained and available for more
responsible jobs either in the various Divisions of this Office or in
other components of the Agency. It is a matter primarily of good personnel
management and training.
7. In our programs for career development and personnel management,
almost never reduced to formal writing, we believe that we have been
eminently successful over a number of years and are continuing to be so,
As evidence of this, we again bring to your attention our list of
"graduates" who, when with us, were in grades of GS-11 and above (Tab A).
In addition, there were many more in grades GS-10 and below who have
rotated to other parts of the Agency and have developed promising
careers. This is because we have trained and brought good men up through
the ranks and made them available to the Agency at large.
8. Although we have not prepared formal career development plans,
career development is in fact constantly going forward. The Division
Chiefs, their Deputies, and their Branch Chiefs know their personnel well
and, in most cases, are aware of their abilities and desires. With this
intimate knowledge of their personnel and by developing their careers
step by step, Division and Branch Chiefs are often able to uncover unex-
pected talents and capabilities which would have remained undiscovered
under a more rigid career development n program. We have attached
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 FEB 1 C 1956
Approved For Release 2001/09/ - 80-01826R000900060050-6
SUBJECT: Report on Individual Career Development Planning Program
under Tabs B, C. and D, some instances of the type of career develop-
ment, without formalized planning, which has been accomplished by our
Divisions. These examples for the most part represent career develop-
ment within the Divisions of this Office, but we believe that, as a
general rule, career development, at least up to and including the
grade of GS-12, should be within the office of assignment.
9. We repeat that in the opinion of this Office career develop-
ment planning is only an aid to career development, and career develop-
ment in itself is only another phrase for proper personnel management.
Therefore, to avoid the difficulties and dangers of mandatory formalized
career plans, we recommend:
a. That formal career development plans approved by a
Career Service Board be not made mandatory. These should be
optional as under present regulations.
b. That, although not mandatory, individuals should be
urged to make a short statement in regard to their desires and
intentions. This might include:
(1) Agency background;
(2) Present abilities (or assets) and an estimate of
future capabilities;
(3) Statement of what they would like to do in the
Agency in the future and the training they consider necessary
to reach their goal.
c. That these statements should not receive formal approval
by Career Service Boards and should merely be incorporated in office
personnel files as management tools and guides to be used by super-
visors. This should be firmly understood by all personnel.
d. That the initial statement of desires or intentions
should be attached to the retention copy of the next fitness
report. This would insure automatic review on a yearly basis.
Enclosures
Tabs Al B, C, and D
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