CIA PLANNING STAFF

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R001600220005-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 18, 2002
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: August 9, 1965
• Content Type: MF

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MEMORANDUM FOR:
SUBJECT : CIA Planning Staff
REFERENCE : Your memo of 13 July 1965
9 August 1965
1. We believe that there should be a CIA Planning Staff.
2. Its mission should be to examine interlocking
implications throughout the Agency (in the context of Community
intelligence activity) of anticipatable programs, technical
breakthroughs, substantive pressures, policy needs and budgetary
constraints. In other words, to provide advance thinking and
recommendations for overall Agency policy and posture on
significant or unresolved intelligence problems, and thereby
to obviate the chaotic improvisation which always follows when
change hits an organization without a plan.
3. Though called a planning staff, its charter should
not be narrowly confined to the specific preparation of plans,
but enable it to make such studies as would be necessary to
constructively recommend forward action. For example, the
staff should concern itself with the most critical management
problems of the Agency. In so doing it would need to be
involved in PERT or CPM type studies in order to ensure that
for any given program actions were taken as required on
schedule and to meaningfully relate developments in various
components of the Agency.
4. The criteria for the success of such a staff include:
a. Its charter must be unmistakably clear.
b. It must be administratively separate from
budget planning, though the activities of
the Planning Staff and BPAM should complement
each other.
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c. It should be very small--probably limited to
5 or 6 professionals (a couple of which having
had training or experience in systems analysis).
d. It should report to the DDCI or the ExDir.
e. Staff assignments should follow the pattern
established for assigning people to the IG.
Assignments should be full-time, from among
key directorate officers (but not as
representatives of a directorate). Tours
should be staggered and 2-4 years in duration.
f. The tenure of the chairman of the staff should
be for a limited time specified in advance--
say a tour of 4 years.
5. Procedure.
a. With regard to any problem on which planning
is to take place agency-wide, the Planning
Staff would develop and submit to the DCI for
approval an overall agency policy binding on
agency components and general guidelines for
planning at the directorate level.
b. After DCI approval, the policy and guidelines
would be promulgated to the directorates. Each
directorate would further refine and make more
specific the policy and guidelines for the
benefit of subordinate offices. The Planning
Staff would review the directorates' policy
and guidance statements to ensure consistency
with DCI policy before they were issued by the
directorates to subordinate offices. Similarly,
the directorates would review the specific
policy and guidance issued by the offices to
their respective divisions.
c. The Planning Staff would review the consolidated
plans developed by the directorates and their
subordinate elements to ensure consistency and
conformance with the policy and guidelines
approved by the DCI.
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d. The individual directorates would also
participate by having points of contact
through which essential, informal, two-way
communication between the Planning Staff and
Agency operating units would be maintained.
A major goal of such an arrangement would be
to inculcate a "sense of participation" in
all levels of management.
6. Selection of chairman.
I suggest that selection of a head be deferred until
some of the ground rules have been clarified and approval of
a well-defined scheme has been given. The present temporary
staff can develop the rationale and cover the ground indicated
above. I suggest this because the long range planning concept
ultimately approved could well have a bearing upon the
selection of the individual best suited to get the show on
the road.
25X1 cc:
PAUL A. BOREL
Acting Deputy Director for Intelligence
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OR ANru V FOR: Deputy Director/Intelligence
Deputy Director/ Ilan,
Deputy Director/Science k Technology
Deputy Director/Support
Deputy tor National Intelligence
Programs Evaluation
ECT : Permanent CIA Planning Staff
1. one of my directives from Admiral Raborn in connection with the
lona-range Fast% is to create a permanent CIA Planning Staff. In our
discussions we have looked upon the long-range plan, currently in the
process of preparation, ae being the foundation stone for continued planning.
/t is already quite apparent that our long-range plan will indicate many
areas where we feel additional study and planning is recuired and there
should be a central focal point in the Agency for carrying on this task. In
additiem, it is obvious that any long-range plan, is order to be realistic and
effective, should be periodically revised and updated.
2. In contemplating the type of a permanent Planning Staff that should
be sated, it is important that it be so constituted to keep &uprised of
current Agency development*. It should have as its chief an individual who
will be a driver, as well as being aggressive and imaginative. While the
constitution of this sena' staff is still in the "thinking"stage, I believe that
we ought to consider naming an individual as permanent Chairman, and
designating representatives from each of the Directorates to work with him
as rat uired, with the planning asnect of their responsibilitio* having top
riority. The individuals from the Director/A.0 should all be of sufficient
tature and location to be able to speak for their Directorates and to be able
to ?roduce any information rekuired. (I would simply note In passing that
the group working with me at the present time in long range planning baa
indicated not only enthusiasm for the job. but concern that we have not been
doing it.)
3. It is my recitiest that each of the Deputy Directors addressed give
t Otne thought not only to the nomination that they :night mak. for represents.-
tion on a mirmanent klaneing Staff, but also to likely candidates to head
this staff. I have had some preliminary discussions with the DDCI and
there and, urimarily for the nurpose of stimulating some thoughts in this
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regard, would indicate that I I. shortly returning from the
position as Chief of Station, is one individual whom I consider
to be well qualified. I also believe that presently
Executive Officer of VD/SIET, is well qsalified. Then, of course, there
is who is presently the chief of the staff of the planning
group, who is well qualified; but whether his position as Chairman of
CO.,AOR would preclude his appointment should be reviewed.
4. 1 would appreciate any thoughts that the addressees might have on
matter, either orally or in writing, by 6 August 106%.
c :vri-tecutive Director
Chair MIMI COMOR
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