SCIPS STATUS REPORT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01139A000200090006-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 5, 2004
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: February 5, 1963
• Content Type: REPORT

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CODIB-I)?82AT .1
5 February 1963
UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE BOARD
COMMITTEE ON DOCUMENTATION
S 8 Ftatus R rt
1. Attached Is a 1 February Status Report, by
Director, Staff for the Community Information. Processing
stww (SCIPS) a
2. Please note In particular the recommendations in para. S.
3. This report will be placed on the agenda of our nest COMB
meeting. Meanwhile I am takkli aetton on some of the more pressing
reconnmendatfloos involving the aus nment of personnel
Paul A. Borefl
Chairman
Attachment
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P,
STAFF FOR THE COMMUNITY INFORMATION PROCESfA[NG STUDY
SAPS-D-2/2
1. February 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR:-- Chalrmati, U8tH 0oun fttee at Docamentatioa
SUBJECT: 8taIua Report
REFERENCE : (aD UM-D$L7/1 dated 24 July 106L jTorms of
Reference)
(b~ USIB-D$9o7/8 dated 23 February 1982 (Stage
I Plan)
(a) U8IB-A[-202 dated 28 February 1962 (Stage I
Approval)
1. This memorandwon reports an the primes of the t& ,
its current stag, and the romabft schedule. My purpose is to keep you
(and DIB & U as appropriate) informed on these aspects and to make
certain recommendations with respect to the further conduct of the sage I
smay.
2. Reference (c) authorized the conduct of a Stage I of the total
Cody approved In reference ($. Principal provisions of the approved
step I plan were;
(1) Staffing o Twenty fully-cleared professionals on detail from the
USIB member Agencies.
(2) Time - Cos year after fully-cleared staff available.
(3) P trove Results - A picture of the total process system
- Standards and specifications for report
formattD.ngo fnde+ag and data exchange
IIdentflfication of critical areas for further
3,, Durbg May 1962 (2-3 months after approval of the plan) there were
only 10 espdvalent full-time members on board of the 20 authorized. COn
29 May 1962 you reported to USIB (CODIB-D-82/14) the progress on staffing
of SCIPS and urged members to take necessary action to enable full stafflngj
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On 1 June 19629 1 developed a Stage I study plan schedule calling for com-
pletion of the Stage I report on I June 1963< This schedule was made
despite the uncertainty of whether and when we would actually realize full
staffing. CODIB was briefed on this schedule last July and gave it their
general approval,
This plan was based on the 20 full-time Utz members plus a projected
number (up to 8D of contractors Jas was envisioned in the original terms of
reference). For the period 1 March 1962 to 31 January 1963 we bare actually
had an average of 13 equivalent full-time members (plus two contractors) $
including normal leaves. Through January 1963 we have eapended only 60%
of the effort anticipated In the 1 June plan. Staffing In January 1963 resulted
In 15 equivalent full-time members plus two contractors (plus four contractors.
see paragraph 4(c) below). At the January rate we will not have expended the
man-months anticipated to the 1 June 1962 schedule until mid-August 1963.
The present staffing level is more likely to go down than up. Transfer and
reassignment of staff members by their parent Departments has or will In
the near future affect five present full-time members.
4. Proaress to date m The Stage I study consists of five phases:
(a) Sutrvey system dssiau - this was completed in July 1962 and
modified in October 1962 0
(b) Conduct of Field survea~ a this was initiated In August 1962
and Is continuing. There are about 175 activities of survey
significance in the total processing system. About 60 of
the 175 activities are the processing elements In the system
which we consider of priority interest to the Stage I tasks.
The field survey of fifteen organizational activates has been
completed and anotherfifteen are now In various stages
of completion. Some activities are very sm&1 and some
quite large.
(c) Data Redaction - this phase includes the transformation of
information as collected in the field survey phase into a
manipulatable form for analysis. ft includes the review,
editing, correction and machining of the collected Informa-
tion. Detailed editing and key punch instructions were
formalized In January. The first field survey package was
p4mched on a trial basis the last week of January. CIA's
1401/1410 (TOpe) computer will be used to manipulate the
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keypunched data. The data files have been designed and a
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(d) sis - A two-month analysis phase was anticipated in
the June 1962 schedule. This phase -includes the manipulation
and collation of the collected information for; (1) presentation
purposes, and (2) to assist staff members in addressing the
problems reflected in the Stage I tasks. Some presentation
formats and first-level analytical questions have been postu-
lated for purposes of designing the data files and computer
programs.
fie) - One month was allotted In the June 1962 schedule
for the writing.of the Stage I report.
5. Problems -
A. Nature of -ft Study - As everyone predicted we are finding
the community information processing "system" a very very
complex beast. No amount of sffmplifioatian of study pro-
cedures will make for an easy studgr e There comes a point
where there are no alternatives to time and manpower.
Where the required information is not available it takes time
to develop it, and where it is available it takes time to
assimilate it. On only two occasions to date has the denial
of Information been a problem. Temporary denial of access
to some activities has occurred but this has resulted in
rescheduling more than actual lost time. In such a study it
also takes time (lapse time more than manhours) to develop,
test. modify, and solidify the, survey system. This has now
been done beat the time taken Is Irretrievable.
Ito Staffin ? The slowness. quantity, and variable quality of
staffing has been a major factor. Even so, with the Ideal
staff it would take a long time to organize, train, and develop
a cohesive and efficient operation -- more time than we were
given. Two new staffing requirements now face us. One
is for data reduction and the other for analysis. I believe
sufficient computer personnel have been or can be allocated
by and CIA. Keypunch resources have not been yet
allocated nor firmly estimated. Security classification Is a
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factor here. Some analytical capability exists on the staff, but
additional talent may be required. The loss of present per-
sonnel as a result of completing one-year-details will be
detrimental to timely progress of the study. It takes
considerable time to absorb and train new people.
C. Time - All of the previously cited problems are reducible
to the time factor. It is now evident that completion of
the Stage I plan can be assured, given sufficient time.
This is not to say that the and results would fulfill all hopes
and objectives. Prognosticating the conclusions and
recommendations. of the study is certainly premature before
the analytical phase too been even Initiated.
6. Dish - The principal ob, eotive of the Stage I study as stated .
in reference 0) fin to enable USIB to detormbne whether such a study activity
should be conftued to the scope caaIlled for In the original terms of reference (a).
A further objective of Stage I is to provide the community with any tools
(pflcture, data, guldsiiumeen specifications, standards) which would be useful
to the .solution of present pressing problems in manqft the information
processing aotlvltles. Its question then at this time in what action on what
factors (staffing, schedulffnga etc.) will give assurance of meeting the
objectives.
There are no actions which can be taken that will guarantee a complete
success. The results of lysla cannot be predicted. I believe that
retention of the present staff and exten d of the reporting deadline to mid-
August 1963, by which. time the. originally estimated man-months would be
expended, would be ample assurance of the prime objectives. These two
actions would probably enable, us to include in our Stage I study some 60
of the 175 principal processing activities. (It should be borne in mind that
the scope of Stage I vs. the total study was reduced not on the basis of the
number of organizational activities to be .studied but rather the depth of
detail and problem areas). On the other band it is probable that the 60
priority activities represent a much larger portion of the total system than
the numbers would indicate.
The extension of the Stage I schedule has Its disadvantages: psycologieal
slow .down, more opportunity for detrimental staff turnover, later availa-
bility* of any management tools that do result from th.e. stuaty. I believe that
certain actions can be taken that would onable us to cover "'45-50 of the
60 priority activities. within the present time schedule of 1 June 1963. The
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field survey to date must be considered lagging appreciably behind the
hoped for schedule. The quality, completeness, and timeliness of the
collected information is only a little less than expected and is considered
generally adequate for the objectives of Stage 1. We are accumulating
statistics which if successfully assimilated are bound to have a beneficial
and important impact an the efficiency and effectiveness of information
processing in the community. Some changes have been made in individual
activities at local initiative as a result of merely requiring them to describe
their activity in our terms. We have not ourselves intentionally drawn
conclusions or recommended changes.
I do not believe that current organizational changes will detract
significantly from the value of the information being collected. The more
documenting of the system which we are doing is going to be valuable
on both a community and departmental level. The sooner the documentation
is completed, analyzed, and made available the more valuable it will be.
Although the "community system" is by far a manual system, it is also
evident that a surge of automation in these activities is not far off.
The degree of success of this automation will depend on how well we know
the present manual system.
7. Summmary - The preceding report of difficulties and limitations
is Made only for the purpose of a frank status report-.not as excuses
for non-performance, not to reflect pessimism on the outcome. Because
of what we are accomplishing, l am. still very optimistic on a successful
Stage I result come 1 June 1963. I believe that complatien of the 45-50
activities will enable us to accomplish the following:
,, Provide an adequate basis for determining the advisability
and nature of any continuation of the study.
B. Identify critical problem areas requiring further study.
C. Present a partial but revealing and useful picture and
statistical inventory of community information processing not
previously available.
D. Document and specify the known problem areas and probably
derive guidelines if not standards for report formatting,
indexing, and data exchange.
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8. Recommendati ; I am confident the study will be a success
despite the considerable difficulties discussed above providing the following
recommendations are implemented:
A. That a replacement for the reassigned staff member from
Army be expedited.
B. That the present staff member from State be retained at least
thru March 1 and that a replacement be assigned now.
C. That the staff member from Air Force (now assigned to INA)
be relieved of all assignments other than SCIPS until 1 dune
1863.
D. That the staff member from Navy be reassigned to SCIPS
immediately.
z. That CODIB members accomplish the assignment of at least
one local assistant to the SCIPS Surveyor In the following
activities:
(I) BR/CIA
(5)
MD/CIA (9) RI/CIA
(2)
Ly/CIA
(6)
CREF/NSA
43)
RM/STATE
('1)
ONI
(4)
INR/STATE
(8)
ARIA/ARMY
This assistant will be utilized for 2-3 weeks in most cases
but need not be designated until requested by the surveyor. A
level of 138-6 or ? is usually adequate.
F. That arrangements be completed for the assignment of
personnel from FTD and the SAC Data Center to survey their
own activities.
G. That key punch resources on three security levels be assured.
H. That CODIB members plan to participate in the analysis
phase on a part-time basis either themselves or thru
designated senior systems analysts. No action on this is
required until March or April.
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1. That the present target date of 1 June 1963 for the Stage I
report not be deferred at this time. Rather that we continue
the field survey at reduced scale thaw the analy^.lcal phase,
and report on 1 June to the extent possible
J. That CODIB and USIB be informed of the current status of the
project as you deem appropriate.
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DIRECTOR
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