POLICY CONCERNING MEMBERS' ATTENDANCE AT R&D COUNCIL MEETINGS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M01082A000200150022-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 18, 2004
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: March 15, 1974
• Content Type: MF

GFE TMML
Approved For Release 2004/10/28 : CIA-RDP80MO1082A000200150022-4
IC/CPAG/74-0734
15 March 1974
MEMORANDUM FOR: Dr. Malcolm Currie
SUBJECT: Policy Concerning Members' Attendance at R&D
Council Meetings
1. In the process of scheduling Intelligence Research Council
meetings, even as much as 3-5 weeks in advance, it is difficult, if
not prohibitive, to select a time for which 100 percent attendance of
the designated members can be assured. My purpose in writing this
memorandum is to gain approval and establish some range of conditions
acceptable to you that carries out your desires to have members in
attendance in lieu of an array of alternates.
2. First, there is some attractiveness to establishing a set
schedule for Council sessions. Knowledge that the Council will meet
at a particular time or day(s) of each month should permit the members
to arrange their schedule sufficiently in advance to attend meetings.
This subject could be addressed at the next Council session. Sampling
of members' schedules as held by their secretaries indicates that the
second Tuesday of each month at 1000 hours is the most suitable. Agendas
would still be promulgated. Additional meetings could, of course, be
called as required. Nevertheless, whether the schedules are set well
in advance or not by whatever means, there undoubtedly will be some
cancellations at the last minute due to illness, late requests for
appearances at Congressional Committees, etc. Some issues evolve:
a. Should the meeting be cancelled when two or more
members cannot attend?
One might set the number three as the criteria for
cancellation except in the catastrophic case wherein the
cancelling member is, in fact, the briefer. Eight members
should be able to conduct Council business effectively.
If (b) below is acceptable, this condition should seldom
occur.
b. Should designated alternates attend when, due to
extenuating circumstances, themember cannot attend?
Some alternates are, in fact, the member's alter ego
and participate almost equally in R&D matters. This is
true in the case of
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Subject to General Declassification
Schedule of E.O. 11652, Automatically
Downgraded at Two Year Intervals and
Declassified on 31 December 1976.
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 CONF! ENT!AL
Approved For Release 2004/10/28 : CIA-RDP80MO1082A000200150022-4
SUBJECT: Policy Concerning Members' Attendance at R&D
Council Meetings
(NSA), and Dr. Koslov (Navy). Permission for these
individuals to attend meetings when the member cannot
need not detract from Council effectiveness; their
presence could, in some context, be considered more
representative of member's interest than the case where
the chair is left vacant. Organizational continuity is
also important in the longer term sense.
3. In summation, I believe that establishing a set time and place
on a recurring basis for Council meetings should in the long term reduce
the probabilities of a scheduling conflict for the members. Scheduling
latitude is also requested as a function of the number and composition
of members present for any given session. The lower bounds of three
absentees is recommended as a criteria for meeting cancellation with a
mix of designated alternates accepted as part of this criteria.
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Executive Secretary
Intelligence Research and Development Council
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Distribution:
Orig. - Addressee(../c1J~j
1 - IR&D Council File
1 - CPAG Files
0- IC Registry
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Approved For Release 2004/10/28 : CIA-RDP80MO1082A000200150022-4