PROGRAM FOR THE NSCIC WORKING GROUP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M01082A000200040003-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 26, 2004
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: December 7, 1974
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2004/03/31: CIA-Rb-138OM01082A000200040003-7 C J
9C5
,
7 December 1974
MEMORANDUM FOR: General Wilson
SUBJECT: Program for the NSCIC Working Group
1. Attached is my draft of a proposed memorandum from you
to the NSCIC Working Group outlining the next steps in the
Group's program. I suggest that consideration of this memorandum
be the topic of your next meeting of the Intelligence Panel before
it is sent to the Working Group members.
2. With respect to the proposed briefings:
a. No contact has been made with George Carver re the
NIO briefing which I propose be given at the next meeting
of the Working Group. Mr. Carver will be away from the
headquarters until 16 December. The kind of briefing which
is proposed would require little preparation on his part.
.b. Preparation of a report on the "people problem"
which could be accompanied by a handout, was tasked by you
to MPRRD on 16 October. You asked at that time for an early
indication as to when such_a report could be available?
c. Likewise, preparation of a report on the "warning and
crisis response problem" was tasked by you to PRD on 16 October,
along with a request for early indication as to when such a
report could be available.
3. Preparation of handouts for the Group on the topics mentioned
in paragraph 4 of the attached memorandum could be assigned to PRDO
I have not discussed this with PRD.
4. The proposed action projects listed in paragraph Sa of
the attached memorandum have been deliberately limited to five,
I think the number of projects should be kept fairly small. You
may have in mind other projects which could be substituted for those
I have listed.
I izas the back-up file on papers relating to 25X1
5.
the attached memorandum, including minutes of both Working Group 25X1
meetings, the inputs from Mr. Morell and 25X1
the stSIGINT Users Handbook" and your memorandum to MPRRD and PRD
I
Chief, Coordination
25X1
 Approved For Release 2004/03/31 CIA-RDP80MO1082A000200040003-7
SUBJECT: Program for the NSCIC Working Group
Distribution:
1 - Adsee., w/att
1 - CS Subject
1 - CS Chrono
25X1
00 DCI/I/De~vdrt~
(10 Decem er 74
Approved For Release 2004/03/31 ?CIA-RDP80MO1082A000200040003-7
 Approved For Release 2004/03/31 : CIA-RDP80M01082A000200040003-7
MEMORANDUM FOR: I.C_
P/pc~ Nei
CS
(DATE)
10-101
MAY FORM
FORMN 101 WHICH REPLACES
BE
1 AUG 54 USED.
Approved For Release 2004/03/31 : CIA-RDP80M01082A000200040003-7
 717 4
Approved For Release 2004/03/31 CIA-RDR80MO1082A000200040003-7
MEMORANDUM FOR: Members of the NSCIC Working Group
SUBJECT : Program for the Working Group
1. The following proposals for a program to be undertaken by the
NSCIC Working Group have been distilled from discussions at our two
meetings, from supplementary comments provided by Mr. Morell and VADM
Rectanus, and from discussions within my Intelligence Community Staff.
I recognize that these proposals represent only a beginning" and that
our program will be constantly evolving as we go along.
2. I visualize the program as having three elements:
a. Briefings which will respond to questions posed by members
of the Working Group on matters for which additional background
data would lend support to our program. No more than one briefing
per session would be scheduled. The briefing would last no more
than 30 minutes.
b. Short summations in handout form to be provided by me on
what is being done within the Intelligence Community as regards
specific problems identified by Working Group members as requiring
attention.
c. Action projects to be sponsored by the Group and to be
conducted in one of several ways. In some instances individual
submissions from the Group members would be consolidated into a
report to the NSCIC. In other cases, responsibility for conduct
of a particular study would be either the responsibility of an
individual member as designated by the'Group or would be assigned
to a special subcommittee of representatives selected by Group
members.
3. Briefings which I am currently proposing to schedule are as
follows:
a. Functioning of the NIO system. At our next meeting,
Mr. George Carver and a selected group of NIOs will be requested
to brief the Working Group on the responsibilities of the NIOs
and how they are functioning in their roles as representatives
of the DCI in substantive intelligence matters.
25X1
f?.
Approved Fob
66 --2 31 : CIA-
 Approved For Release 2004/03/31 CIA-RDP80MO1082A000200040003-7
b. The Intelligence Community "eople problem." This will
be a presentation by the Intelligence Community Staff on what
has happened over the past several years in terms of personnel
reductions and expected future trends, with indication as to how
personnel constraints are likely to impact on the responsiveness
of the Community to user needs.
c. The warning and crisis response problem. This will be
a presentation by the Intelligence Community staff on'actions
underway and programmed to improve the acquisition and handling
of warning intelligence and the provision of information to users
in pre-crisis and crisis situations.
d. The estimative process. An explanation of who does what
and when in the preparation of major estimative products of the
Community.
4. Examples of the kind of summations which I would propose to
distribute to Group members for their use are the following:
a. The exDlicit expression of uncertainty: A report on the
use of such tools as the Sherman Kent "fever chart" and on efforts
underway, in the Community to improve user understanding of the manner
in which uncertainties are expressed.
b. The scheduling of estimates: What is being done re the
distribution of schedules of estimates and the manner in which
such schedules are developed.
c. The development and review of NIE Terms of Reference: An
explanation of how this is done, who participates and at what points
consumer inputs are solicited.
d. The NIE process: How topics are selected, who does it, the
basis for selection, etc.
5. The following are proposals for action projects which I am
requesting the Working Group consider at its next meeting.
a. The provision of consumer guidance to the Intelligence
Community.
The stated mission of the NSCIC is to provide substantive
guidance to the Intelligence Community. Preparing recommendations
as to how this can best be done is fundamental to the role of the
Working Group.
Approved For Release 2004/03/31 r Cl -RDPB *01982A000200040003-7
 Approved For Release 2004/03/31-: CIA-RDP:8+OMD1082A000200040003-7
I propose that each Group member nominate a representative
to an ad hoc sub-committee which will be charged with preparing
a report for Group consideration by no later than 1 March 1975.
The sub-committee would examine various means by which
the NSCIC could provide guidance to the DCI, the scope and content
of such guidance, and the primary areas toward which it is
recommended attention be directed.
b. Inputs to the KI
s for FY-1976
Each Working Group member would be requested to submit
at our February meeting a listing of not more than ten brief
statements identifying "the most important questions of current
policy interest for which a responsive high quality intelligence
input is urgently required."
The resultant listing of 50 or fewer statements would be
submitted to the NSCIC for approval and forwarding to the DCI as
guidanc _ _1r the development of the Key Intelligence Questions for
~L'{V 7 nor ~ _ - ..
This project would not involve the actual drafting of
KIQs, but would represent the identification--in terms of the
interests of State, Defense, Treasury, the JCS Joint Staff and the
NSC Staff--of those important policy questions to which the KIQs
should relate.
It is quite likely that there will be overlap between
the inputs from different members and if this is the case some
elements of the listing could be consolidated.
Concern has been expressed as to the means of making
intelligence producers and collectors aware of shifting policy
needs, and a listing such as is proposed if repeated, perhaps
semi-annually, could be'a means of heightening Intelligence
Community perception of the requirements of policy making levels
of the Government for intelligence.
c. A Handbook for Intelligence Users
The Working Group would task its Intelligence Panel
to prepare a "Handbook on the Intelligence Community" at no
higher than a Secret classification, although it might have
y
Approved For Release 2004/03/3-'x'~CIARDl ) 1O1082A000200040003-7
 Approved For Release 2004/03/31 CIA-RDP80MO1082A000200040003-7
annexes of higher classification. This would respond to the
proposal made by Mr. Ellsworth (see para. 4 of the minutes of
the Working Group 20 November meeting).
Reference could be made in this handbook to other handbook's
applicable to particular systems (such as the NSA "SIGINT Users
Handbook" issued 22 April 1974.
. An alternative approach would be to assess the utility
of existing handbooks and the possible need for additional
specialized handbooks, with recommendations for the.NSCIC to
pass to the DCI as warranted.
d. Critique of Intelligence Publications
Each Working Group member would be requested to select
five individual publications or types of publications, and prepare
a critique of each of these in terms of its usefulness to his
organization, its strong and weak points, and suggestions for
improvement. The critiques would be assembled as a report to the
NSCIC with a recommendation that the report he sent to the DCI for
dissemination to the appropriate production offices of the Intelli-
gence Community.
e. Systematic Consumer Evaluation of Current Intelligence Products
A task force representing the Working Group would be appointed
to develop a proposal for specific procedures to be utilized in
obtaining consumer evaluations of current intelligence products.
Focus would be on procedures which would not be so time-
consuming as to discourage a reaction from high level users of
intelligence, but yet would provide meaningful comments to the
intelligence producers.
One possible procedure might be for the Intelligence Community
staff to assemble, on a daily basis, clippings as to how the same
subject is treated in different current intelligence publications
and utilize the Working Group members as a channel through which to
obtain consumer assessment as to the value, pertinence and quality
of the different publications,along with suggestions for improvement.
Approved For Release 2004/03131 : CIA-I dFdOM 1082A000200040003-7
 Approved For Release 2004/bb/3 . P80M01082A000200040003-7
F. Discussion of these projects, along with the NIO briefing,
will be the primary agenda items at the next Working Group meeting,
which I propose be held at ifrf1 hours on in the White House
Situay,-ion Room.
Samuel V. Wilson
It. General, USA
Chairman
Distribution:
1 - Each Member
1 - D/DCI/IC
1 - CS Subject
1 - CS Chrono
I Ch rono
A - egis ry
DCI/ICS/CS 74) h~
(10 Dec
Approved For Release 2004/03/SW:? C1A-Rd P8" 1 1082A000200040003-7