ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE - - AN ACTION PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M01082A000600130005-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 20, 2004
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: November 7, 1974
• Content Type: MF

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USIB / IRAC -D -44. 1
7 November 1 ?74
UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE BOARD
INTELLIGENCE RESOURCES ADVISORY COMMITTED'
MEMORANDUM FOR THE UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE BOARD
THE INTELLIGENCE RESOURCES ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
SUBJECT : Economic Intelligence -- An Action Program
The Director of Central Intelligence has requested that his
attached report on this subject be circulated for information and
action as appropriate.
Attachment
cc: D/DCI/IC
D/DCI/NIO
Chairman, EIC
Chairman, HSC
Chairman, COMIREX
Chairman, SIGINT
Executive Secretary
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SECRET Attacrmen
USIB /IRA( -D_
7 November 191
ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE -- AN ACTION PROGRAM
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Among the Objectives for the Intelligence Commun_itt
that the DCI presented in September 1973 in a memorandum to
the President was one requiring action to enhance the
utility of intelligence in support of "economic policies: of
the U.S. Government:." A program meeting this commitment is
outlined below. While this program focuses primarily or
formal institutional arrangements, it is recognized that to
a great extent the effectiveness of economic intelligence it
supporting policymakers is governed by the day-to-day,
informal contacts between intelligence officers and those
officials responsible for policymaking and negotiations.
A. With respect to management, the following
steps are being taken to increase the responsiveness
of the intelligence community:
-- The policy-level Requirements Advisory
Board (RAB) will be reactivated this fall under
the chairmanship of a senior.economic policy
official. This body will play a central role in
identifying high-level user needs. In effect,
it will function as a subcommittee of NSCIC, wiel
now includes a Treasury representative.
-- The NIO for Economics and Energy, in
consultation with policy officials, has drafted
eight economic Key Intelligence Questions (KIQs)
for FY 1975. They, and others containing economic
aspects, will soon be vetted by NSCIC and USIB.
-- The EIC Chairman and his committee will
work in concert with the three USIB collection
committees -- the Human Sources Committee. the
SIGINT Committee, and COMIREX -- to improve
collection guidance and to facilitate the
coordination of the economic intelligence col-
lection effort. In so doing, the Economic
Intelligence Committee will be responsive to the
priority needs of the policymaking departments
and agencies.
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-- The EIC will continue to provide reportinq
guidance to the Foreign Service and other non-
intelligence officers abroad via the Combined
Economic Reporting Program (CERP), which is
administered by the Department of State.
-- The Human Sources Committee will encourage
ETC members to supplement their formal reporting
guidance by responding positively to the State
Department's recent invitation to provide missior,s
abroad with informal, working-level feedback on
economic reporting.
-- The Intelligence Resources Advisory
Committee (IRAC) will be tasked to recommend
suitable resource levels for economic intelli,.jerice.
Invitations to participate in the work of IRAC
.will be extended to representatives of non-member
agencies and, departments with economic interests.
Based on the work done in FY 1975, it should be
possible for IRAC to examine NIP resources allocated
to'
,political-economic intelligence collection in
FY 1976.
economic intelligence responsibilities will be allocated,
taking into consideration not only the traditional
intelligence collectors but also the capabilities of
other organizations, namely the Treasury, Commerce, and
Agriculture departments. The goal is to achieve greater
responsiveness to the needs of policymakers while at the
same time minimizing both risks and costs. Specific step..
include:
-- Efforts will be made by the NIO for
Economics and Energy and the SIGINT Committee to
identify the impact of user needs for increasing
economic intelligence support on the coming five-
year consolidated cryptologic program.
B. With respect to the national collection apparatus
-- The Human Sources Committee will assess
c the limitations and potential of overt and
clandestine activities directed against economic
targets in selected, non-Communist countries.
The EIC and the NIO for Economics and Energy
will assist the committee in the preparation
of this assessment.
-- The NIO for Economics and Energy, with the
assistance of the EIC and economic intelligence
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consumers, will review responses from the
field to collection guidance, taking into accourt
information available from open sources. In
particular, he will review the posts to which
Treasury officers are assigned to determine
whether the establishment of new positions should
be recommended. He will also evalue the reporting
of the financial attaches in terms of responsiveness
to national intelligence priorities.
The EIC Chairman and the Chairman, SIGINT
Committee, will institute a procedure for providing
coordinated community guidance to NSA for SIGINT
economic collection.
--- The NIO fo.r_? Economics and Energy will wore
closely with representatives of policymaking deprt-
ments and agencies and of NSA in an exploration of
the possibility for increasing the SIGINT contri'..)utic.-
to the economic intelligence effort.
` -- The OER Director will complete his initia'_
evaluation of the application of overhead photo-
graphy for estimating crop conditions.
C. With respect to the economic intelligence
products efforts are being concentrated on the K:r s.
Thus, intelligence producers are supporting a Substantive
Objective of the Intelligence Community for FY 75 to
"Provide reliable, timely and comprehensive information
and assessments relevant to US international economic
policy decisions and negotiations." The intelligence
producers will also work toward improved early warninc
of international developments of priority interest to
economic policy officials.
Past experience clearly indicates that a
substantial number of demands placed by policymakers cn
economic intelligence producers cannot be foreseen far
in advance because of the rapidity with which new
economic events occur. Therefore, economic intelligence
producers (and collectors) will be prepared to shift
their efforts and resources in line with changinq needs.
Efforts will be intensified to improve the
quality, scope, utility, and timeliness of the economi
intelligence product and its relevance to policy needs
through the establishment of better communications wit-i
consumers and the freer interchange of research plans
among the Washington economic community. Specific ste)s
include:
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-- The NIO for Economics and Energy will
expand his contacts, formal and informal, with
consumers or economic intelligence to gain bett,r
guidance on subjects of concern to policymakers
and to provide more effective feedback to producer:.
and collectors.
ILLEGIB
--- Under the aegis of the RAB, the EIC will
hold annual meetings to discuss the direction ad
focus of economic research programs and to deter-
mine how these programs relate to the KIQs and to
the expressed needs of policy officials. The
Department of State representative will report the
committee's findings to the NSC/USC Subcommittee
on Foreign Affairs Research (FAR).
-- The NIO for Economics and Energy and the
Intelligence Community Staff's Coordinator for
External. Research, working with the EIC and FAR,
will provide advice to contract managers of external.
research so that there will be a minimum of unn(?ce!,