RECOMMENDATIONS OF SEMINARS ON CREATIVITY AND ETHICS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A000300050017-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 18, 2006
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: February 25, 1977
• Content Type: MF

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Executive Registry
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2 5 FEB 1977
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Administration
Deputy Director for Intelligence
Deputy Director for Operations
Deputy Director for Science and Technology
FROM E. H. Knoche
Acting Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT Recommendations of Seminars on Creativity
and Ethics
1. As you are aware, two seminars dealing with the
subject of creativity and ethics in CIA have been conducted
in recent months under the auspices of the Center for the
Study of Intelligence. The first seminar was composed of
senior Agency officers while the second seminar group was
made up of younger personnel and included a broader repre-
sentation of the Agency population. With a few exceptions,
the conclusions of the two groups tended to coincide as
regards basic issues. I believe the findings that have
resulted are thoughtful and deserving of serious study
regarding implementation.
2. As a result of a recent discussion I had on this
matter, it was concluded that all the recommendations do
not necessarily lend themselves to across-the-board Agency
implementation, at least in terms of applicability or
emphasis. Another question presents itself and that is
whether or not a more broad-based constituency would agree
with the findings. In order to pursue both these points,
I would appreciate your doing the following. In the
course of the next two months would you or your Deputy
hold a special staff meeting with each of your operating
components to discuss these findings. I believe some are
more applicable to specific Directorates than to the Agency
as a whole. Your meetings would be helpful in validating
this opinion. Such meetings also would either enhance the
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credibility of the findings or give us some different insights.
The Center for the Study of Intelligence will shortly
designate an officer to devote himself for some period of time
to this matter. The results of your meetings will be made
available to that individual for correlation.
3. Attached for your convenience is a combined listing
of the most significant recommendations of the two groups.
This combined listing may serve as a useful summary of the
recommendations I am asking you to consider. Since it is a
summary and a combination, it should not be considered a
substitute for the more detailed and separate recommendations
contained in the two reports distributed by the Center.
4. The recommendations of the two seminars are of
personal interest to me, and I look forward to continuing
progress reports from both the addressees and the Center as
regards their implementation.
7.67 F R T'nocFe
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1. Innovative Approaches to Decisionmaking
Decisionmaking authority should be delegated down-
ward to a greater extent. In addition, interdisciplinary
approaches to decisionmaking should be used to include all
office-level components involved, even across directorate
lines, where appropriate. Pre-decisionmaking periods should
be designated to allow open discussion and dissent prior to
a final decision.
Increase the use of non-cost methods of recognition
to demonstrate management's continuing interest in fostering
individual initiative.
T
3. Improved Personnel Management
Develop programs to improve career opportunities-
thru better counseling, accurate evaluations, and increased
rotational assignments. Periodic zero-base review of such
programs will ensure effectiveness.
4. Fostering Creativity
Review the application of MBO to determine whether
it stifles creativity and, if not, that it is implemented
uniformly with the degree of participation necessary for
success. In addition, encourage development of informal
"think tanks" to allow officers to express their original
idea without fear of supervisory reprisal.
5. Liaison Relationships
Take a cost/benefit approach to liaison relation-
ships and prepare defense papers for justification to critics.
In this regard, request officers volunteer ideas for alterna-
tive collection techniques to compensate for future liaison
losses.
E_-__IMPOET Cl: BY
DNFIDENTIAL
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6. Ethical Issues
Develop a canon of ethics for CIA and establish
an open forum for discussion of ethical issues relating to
operations. In this regard, disseminate a statement of
Agency policies on covert action and other constraints
under which CIA operates.
"NFI 1A[
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