CHARTER OF THE PRODUCT REVIEW DIVISION (PRD) OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY STAFF

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M01133A000600190011-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 29
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 9, 2004
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: May 15, 1974
• Content Type: MFR

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15May1974
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD'.
? SUBJECT: Charter of the Product Review Division (PRD) of the
Intelligence Community Staff
The Mission of PRD is not defined in any one document. But various;
? official paper's do describe the functions and objectives of the Division, as
determined in the first instance, rather broadly, by the President (for the
DCI); then, fairly specifically, by the DCI (for the D/][ CI7TC); and finally,
quite explicitly, by the D/DCI/IC (for PI-1,D). App-ropriate quotations lice-,
these papers, and from one additional DCI study, are listed at Annex,
'arranged according to source. An iriterpreLive summary based oar these
quotations and arranged by principal function--product review, product
improvement, and structural i.mprov.ernent--is provided below.
PRD Charter
Product Revie,v: PRI) is responsible for re\riewing and eval.u-ttin_
the performance of the Community as.a producer of finished intellige r
?--PRD must assess the adequacy and'th lines of reportixip,
-n e
the quality of presentation and analysis, and the responsiveness
of the intelligence product to the concurri.ers` needs.
--It must review the effectiveness of the Community as a
conveyor of warning and as a provider of vital inforniation during
periods of crisis.
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-lt must, `in close association with the NIOs,..continue to
contribute to the refinement of key Intelligence Questions (KIQ),
..spur the development of the process which accompanies the KTQ
procedure, and in general monitor the entire KIQ system,
Product Improvement: Pursuant to its review activities, PRD, in
cooperation with other elements of the Community, is charged with pro-
posirig and implementing diverse rhea
utility and 25X1
quality of finished intelligence.
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--It should -recommend ways to provide high-level consumers
with better, more timely, and less redundant products.
-It should continue to develop the concept.of the "Family of
National Products" and encourage the adoption of specific proposals
growing out of this concept, as it applies both to serial intelligence
production and production during crises:
-It should make proposals concerning the revamping of
warning mechanisms, procedures, publications, and doctrines.
--It should establish -a Community effort to improve analytical
methods.
-.-It should develop regular systems (for implementation by the
NIOs) to ensure that serious divergent points of view are properly
expressed in finished products, and it should formulate ways to
introduce systematic challenge procedures into the Cornmunit.y's
deliberations.
--It should help the Community's production agencies to improve
publication formats and production procedures.
--It should seek means to strengthen the Community's arnal.ytica]
resources, principally by finding ways to develop the r-rost p: opi_tiou:;
working environments; the most effective personnel rnanagerreut,
and the' highest.pos_sibie level of individualcompetence.
Structural Improvement: PRD, in its efforts to improve product, is
tesp.onsible for concerning itself with those organ national is8ues and
problems which affect the quality and timeliness of finished production.
---PRD must devise ways and m eans to ensure that unnecessary
production activities are eliminated and that the Community adheres
to a'rational division of labor.
?-It must'encourage.the formatioh of a'closer and more fruitSul
relationship between the producers and the collectors of intelligence.
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ANNEX
The PRD Charter: Relevant Quotations from Official Documents
i. s
1. The President's directive of November 1971 specifies inter
alia that:
The responsiveness of the US intelligence effort with
respect to national requirements must be subject to
continuing review.
Assignment of intelligence functions within the community
must be reviewed and revised to eliminate inefficient,
~.:.,xn.necessary or outmoded activities.
The quality, scope and timeliness of the cor m rnity'.s
product must be inmproved.
2. In response to this directive, the DCI committed himself on
6 September 1973, inter alia, to:
'"Through the NSCIC, determine by December 1, 1973 which
national. intelligence products satisfy.. user needs and idc .tify
new product requirements.
Achieve significant improvements in product formats and
production procedures to increase responsiveness early
in 19 74.
Establish by December 31, 1973 procedures to enable the
NSCIC and my own staff to review the responsiveness and
quality of the comrmmunityts product.
,evievv programs to upgrade the quality of intelligence
personnel and improve personnel rnanagement in the
community.
Undertake specific studies to evaluate the intelligence
product and its worth to the consumer and eliminate
intelligence collection and production effort of marginal
usefulness.
Undertake selective review during the next 18 months
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of labor and increase the. number of services of common
concern performed within the community:
Indications and warning intelligence
-ELINT processing and exploitation
Current intelligence reporting
- HUMINT operations and foreign service
reporting
Identify during the second quarter of 17-Y 1974 the current
needs of the -users of foreign economic intelligence.
3. The DCIrs Letter of Instruction to the D/DCI/IC of 13 March
1974 states that the IC Staff would be responsible for the implementation.
of many of the commitments listed above. Specifically, in areas of
concern to PRD, the IC Staff would:
Establish and maintain a procedure for the evaluation of
community efforts in analysis and production, collection
and processing, and resource utilization,
Insure the evaluation of the utility of community intelligence
products and advise me and the NIOs of ways and means to
improve them.
Provide a focal point for DCI planning activity for the
community and for the drafting and circulation of appropriate
DCI guidance papers including the DCI Perspectives.
Establish a coordinated community effort to improve analytical
methods and to improve the quality and acceptability of outside
substantive research.
4. The D/DCI/IC in his turn instructed the Product Review Division
(in his Letter of Instruction of 15 March 1974) to:
Create and maintain a staff representative of the Community
capable of creating'and maintaining procedures for evaluating
Community efforts in analysis and production, and establish
systems to perform this function effectively.
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Determine and assist in the implementation of ways to
improve the Community's performance in the area of
finished analytical intelligence.
Play an active role in the continuing, process of refining
Key Intelligence Questions and in the use of KIQs by the
NIOs to evaluate Community performance.
Formulate and gain acceptance of ways to introduce a
systematic challenge mechanism into the workings of
the finished intelligence community.
Continue to, develop the concept of the Family of National.
.Product .s and to -encourage .the. adoption-.of specific recom-
mendations growing out of this concept:, .s if applies both
to the regular, serial production of finished intelligence
and to the production of intelligence in times of crisis.
Specifically concerning the Tatter, assess the performance
of the Community in times of crisis and recommend ways
to provide high-level consumers with better, more t.i..rnely,
and less redundant products (including warning notice-,)
during such periods.
Establish and chair a coordinated Comrnraiity effort to
improve analytical methods and the. quality and acceptability
of outside (contract) research.
I