SURVEY OF OFFICE OF POLICY COORDINATION BY DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

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CIA-RDP80R01731R001100120001-0
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RIPPUB
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T
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26
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December 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
January 27, 2003
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1
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Publication Date: 
May 24, 1951
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MF
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Approved For Release 20 0R017318001100120001-0 SrUff TS # 43999 24 May 1951 MEMORANDUM TO THE DIRECTOR SUBJECT: Survey of Office of Policy Coordination by Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Introduction During the period 16 April to 7 May 1951, a survey was conducted of each Division and Branch of the Office of Policy Coordination by DDCI. The purpose was to develop the facts applicable to OPC's organization, workload and efficiency to discover both weaknesses and strengths in order to correct the former and exploit the latter. A memorandum issued by ADPC at the beginning of the survey is at Tab "A"' of Appendix. Survey notes were made as each OPC element was covered during the survey (Appendix Tab ""B"') . A summary of detailed findings from such notes was prepared by Colonel Johnston (Appendix Tab "C"). ? was also prepared by Colonel Johnston who gave me mostAvaluablefass tance throughout the survey. Although this draft expressing and recommendations and in part those of ColonJohnston,l ispart superseded by this memorandum, the draft is submitted herewith (Appendix Tab "D""). The mission of OPC and its accomplishments from 10 September 1918 to 1 September 1950 were fully and accurately stated by Mr. Wisner in the re- port he made to you at the time you assumed the duties of DCI A Tab "ER"). A further report containing a summary (uringit third quarter of the fiscal year 1951 has also een ubmitteds touyou by ADPC (Appendix Tab ""F""). These reports and the memorandum, dated 8 May y :1951, to the National Security Council on the Scope and Pace of Covert Operations ("Magnitude Paper"-An "" the present broad scope and importance PPendix Tab G ) offer convincing proof of increase in magnitude of theses operations inetheCnearsfuture. tIe personnel now on duty, exclusive of its deep cover probable terms of OPC In personnel, employs 5X1 of CIA. Its percentage of personnel on duty,awaitinetrancee on 5X1 duty and pending security clearance is 0 on in 1 c d 2 2 25X1 u ed in the Agency's annual budget for OPC activities whichreresents # An of the total Agency's detailed 1952 bud et. Approved For R 2SE(Rfl CIA-RDP80R01 tU '12000 -1L_____ DATE REVIEWER; I C Approved For Release 2003/0., f01731R001100120001-0 25 Findings A. General 1. Despite confusion as to the responsibility of the DCI for the operations of CIA resulting from Admiral Hillenkoetter's interpretation of NSC 10/2 and often a lack of sympathetic support from central administration, there has been outstanding accomplishment by Mr. Wisner and the Office of Policy Coordination in the face of almost insuperable obstacles and diffi.> culties. This Office has shown great initiative, imagination and devotion ? to duty unsurpassed if equalled anywhere in the Agency. 2. OPC is undermanned for the proper discharge of its current workload. The principal causes are the inadequacy of the security clearance machinery and the failure of the recruiting service to produce sufficient candidates of adequate caliber, Be Staff 3. a. The OPC Staff is acutely undermanned qualitatively especially in the Strategic Plans Branch and the Logistical Plans Branch. Staff officers, trained in the techniques of operational and logistical planning for undertakings of the magnitude contemplated for OPC, are badly needed. The best and most available pool of such personnel consists of those trained in the Armed Forces. The need here is urgent, with- out regard to the final outcome of the NSC "Magnitude Paper," There is also need for strengthening the Personnel and Fiscal divisions of the OPC administrative staff and the Operations division of the planning and operational staff* be Research and Development. The functions of technical Research and Development are presently being performed by an undermanned branch of Logistics Division where it tends to be submerged and relatively ineffective. This function should be separated from the Logistics staff and given greater emphasis. Approved For ReleasY /TRDP80R01731R001100120001-0 Approved For Release 2003/05/ i 731 R001100120001-0 C? Area Divisions 4. a. The OPC Area Divisions are undermanned quantitative) even to carry their current operational workloads& y' current planning is way behind schedule. Consequently, vital areas are only just being organized;Fsome aretnon-existen most of them are understaffed. In Washington, there is a general shortage of operational and logistical planners , of area special- ists, and of key administrative personnel. is a great discrepancy between the most highly qualifieedy, Divisi Chiefs and the least qualified. This same dicrep cynd lack of balance is observable as between the highest and the least qualified Branch Chiefs within each Division. recognized by ADPC and his staff. It is a s the This fact is wn well of the organization and the speed with Which the burdens of opera- e tional commitments have overtaken the capacity to recruit highly qualified personnel. y b. Latin Amer;na ..,A o---. . 25X1 0 Co Near East and Africa Division, though having a competent Chief and more area know-hog, than operational and logistical planners and in competent administra- outline, organization has been staffed only in d. Eastern Europe Division throughout reflects, at the same time, the ability, zeal and impetuousness lacking in qualified technicians inoperati nalsandilogistical Planning. The lack of area know-how is most marked in this 1 Division, and is very thin in even its most sensitive Branch i.e., U.S.S.R. s e. Far East Division is ahead of the other divisions in quantitative stren th (partly by virtue of high Korea an priorities in balanced qualitative) than an It is also probably better Europe. However, it is still n y derstrengthtas agthan ainst there tude and pace of its large high priority projects and is weak gin- political and psychological warfare and in adminis- trative know-how. Approved For Release I-RDP80R01731 R001100120001-0 Approved For Release 20 180R01731R001100120001-0 25 D. Functions 5* a. Of three contemplated Fu ti nc onal Staff Diii vsons (Commercial, Psychological Warfare and Para-Military) only one, the Commercial Division has been i , organ zed to dated tht , ana was formed during my survey and is j t b us ecoming optil eraona. It is in such a preliminary form that I w as unable to evalt uae it except to find that it needs hel fr th D p om e irector'ffi s oce- to staff it promptly to the point where it can begin to perfor its important function. b. The Psychological Warfare Di i v sion is als bdl oay needed. ? At present there is a nucleus of such a division in a Psychological Warfare Branch of the Special Projects Division. But it is so placed organizationally and is so undermanned that it is not equipped to give adequate staff supervision to the psychological warfare function throughout OPC. c. The Para-Military function is, at present, represented at the level of staff coordination by six junior officers in the Plans Division of the OPC staff, none of whom is capable of serving as chief of a special staff division in this field. At the area division level it is spotty, depending largely on the personal background and experience of the division chief and his key subordinates. It is most fully developed in Far East as might bee ect organ ed from the bac iza ion o a c Iona sta division in this field is The urgently needed. 6. The Training function, although of more concern to OPC than perhaps to any other office in CIA, is represented in OPC by one junior staff officer, In Washington, all training of OPC personnel is the responsi- bility of OSO's Training Division under Colonel Baird's general (although OPC has a voice on a joint training committee) supervision 7. The Communications function, which is the lifeline of covert operations, is similarly covered in OPC by a junior staff officer, the Communications Division being an 050 element, 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80R0l 731 R001100120001-0 TOP S ECRU Approved For Release 206f' " 5 S 8, The Intelligence function is not, as such, a prime function of OPC, but intelligence is a vital by-product of covert operations and is a vitally needed factor in planning covert operations. I found generally, throughout my survey of OPC, a deficiency in the necessary two- way channel between OPC and the rest of CIA to insure that intelligence, as an OPC by-product, is properly transmitted to the rest of CIA and to insure that intelligence, as a vital factor in OPC planning, is properly siphoned off the rest of CIA and fed into OPC. I also found that there is a detailed level of area-operational intelligence required for covert operational planning which is not available in CIA and which will require new mechanisms and techniques to acquire. E. Organization 9. OPC Organization. The present outline organization of OPC is sound but it has not yet been staffed to the point where it can be fully effective (Memorandum Exhibit 2). It is basically a staff-line organization, with the chain of command running directly to the Area Division. A typical organization chart of an area division is at Exhibit 3. The staff assists ADPC primarily in the fields of research, planning, coordination of opera- tions, inspection, review and evaluation of results, and in the administra- tion of men, money, materiel and services. However, the staff is not yet fully effective, partly because of its newness but more importantly due to a tendency toward over-centralization of administration in CIA. This leaves ? the OPC staff in the position of responsibility for results but little authority over means, The Area Chiefs have tended more and more to short- circuit ADPC's office and staff and to deal directly with the administrative elements of CIA headquarters, where there is authority over means though no responsibility for results. This has resulted in uncoordinated staff actions and in important OPC matters, involving command decisions, being referred to DDCI and DCI through the administrative channel, which have never been in the command channel (ADPC - DD/P) at all. 10. Organizational Anomaly in CIA. The situation described in paragraph 9 above is due in large part, in my opinion, to an organizational anomaly in CIA. The central organization for administration is eminently satisfactory for the overt intelligence offices, which receive their missions and means through the same channel, i.e., DDCI, who has coordinate authority and responsibility over them and over the Deputy for Administration. In other words, DDCI, who has responsibility for the intelligence mission per- formed by the overt intelligence offices, is also in a position to insure that this mission receives adequate administrative support. Yet, DD/P, who has responsibility for covert operations, has no direct control over the resources demanded by these operations. The intelligence offices are essentially central offices whose resource problems are comparatively un- important and do not run to the essence of their missions. They lend them- selves readily to central administration and to the type of staff coordination which a single DDCI can give without necessity for a well-developed opera- tional staff above them. Whereas the covert offices, especially OPC, are Approved For Release 2 -5 - 9/05;-91 pP80R01731 R001100120001-0 0 ? Approved For Release 200 not essentially central offices at all, but are global command-type operations. They require a command and staff for their coordination which requires daily adjustments of means to mission. Their present mission is largely one of building an apparatus, i.e., welding men, money and materiel, into a world-wide machine, comparable in many ways to a military force, in terms of the logistical and administrative prob- lems involved. OPC has nevertheless little effective control over covert personnel procurement or covert training, or over covert logistical pro- curement or covert communications, all of which are the essence of building the covert apparatus. These essential functions are almost wholly controlled by CIA central administration or by OSO. Thus OPC has its mission requirements imposed through one chain of command (which has no control of administration), and gets its means resources through another chain of authority (which has no responsibility for operations). Much of the criticism of OPC's,administration and much of the weakness of OPC's administrative staff is due to this split between responsibility and authority between responsibility for results and authority over the ,means to accomplish those results, F. Administrative Procedures 11. Administrative Relationships and Procedures (CIA-OPC). a. I was unable to discover any clear understanding of the divisions of responsibility and authority for administrative matters between OPC and the CIA administrative agencies. The CIA manual merely puts DD/A, "in charge" of personnel, materiel, money, services, etc. But it does not relieve ADPC of any responsibility for those matters in the field of his operations. There seems to be no clear distinction or common understanding as to what: (1) CIA Administration does as a central "service" to OPC under OPC's responsibility and authority--if any. (2) CIA Administration does as "administrative support" to OPC, i.e., taking up responsibility and authority in the administrative process, where OPC leaves off, W (3) CIA Administration does as DCI's "Staff Office" for administration, i.e., exercising "staff supervision," review, audit, inspection, etc., over OPC's delegated responsibilities and authorities for the administration of men, money and materiel, b. Due to the lack of such distinctions between "staff," "support" and "service" functions, CIA Administration apparently tends to perform many functions directly as a central operation Approved For Release 200 05-:^CIA RDP80R01731R001100120001-0 i Lts Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80R01731 R001100120001-0 to the exclusion of any ADPC responsibility or authority. Yet, ADPC continues to be held responsible for operational results and OPC continues to be criticized for administrative deficiencies. Specifically, it is not at all clear to me just what authority, if any, CIA Administration has or ought to have over OPC's Area Divisions to the exclusion of the responsibility and authority of ADPC's office and staff. However, this is a spotty, makeshift type of symptom-treatment which does not attack the causes of the malady. In fact, it actually tends to aggra- vate those causes by serving as a short circuit between ADPC's line sub- ordinates and DD/A's subordinates to the exclusion of ADPC's Office and Staff. This results in piecemeal, uncoordinated solutions to piecemeal, unsatisfactory situations as they arise. This is in no sense in derogation has, by his personal intervention as a trouble shooter, tended to mini- mize many difficulties arising from these unclear and unsatisfactory administrative relationships, which otherwise would be insufferable 12. The Deputy Director Administration (Special). Mr. organizational relationships, have probably saved the day up to now, 13. The recently revised Project Review Committee will tend to remedy part of the basic organizational deficiency, in that it will make project approval largely a command decision, in which DDCI and DD/P will ? participate with DD/A in such a way as to effect balance and priority among operational requirements and resources, which is not provided for in the basic organization or procedures. However, this device will tend to remedy the problem at the level of project approval only. It will not attack the basic organizational and procedural problem of achieving a balance between operational necessity and the careful administration of resources, in the daily course of project execution and administration, This requires an operational and administrative staff groupment under an executive who has coordinate authority over covert mission and means. Under our present organizational scheme, the logical place for such a staff groupment is under DD/P. The lack of such a staff limits DD/P to the potential of one man's abilities as a coordinator, special project sponsor or operational trouble shooter. He is, of course, further limited by lack of authority over operational resources, The command and staff techniques developed in both commercial and military organizations would seem to offer a solution to this problem, 14. Merger. Although sufficient facts to form a definitive conclusion could not be obtained without a survey of OSO, my survey of OPC indicates that: Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80R01731R001100120001-0 25 Approved For Release 2003/05 4I 01731 R001100120001-0 a. Ultimately, Covert Intelligence and Covert Operations should be administered through a single command chain down to the Station level and then should branch into separate chains of specialized operatives. But, distinct and strong separate staff elements for intelligence and for special operations should be preserved at each command level to provide the necessary guarding of the valid peculiarities of each, and to prevent one swallowing the other. Unnecessary duplication is undoubtedly using up badly needed administrative resources due to the present degree of separation of OPC and OSO. The same conclusion is indicated with regard to the question of how best to organize for para-military activities as distinguished from political-psychological activities, i.e., a single command chain down to the level of specialized field operatives but with strong staff elements to preserve the expert qualities of each. This finding coincides with the report of an ad hoc committee appointed by Mr. Dulles (Committee Report on "Inte- gration of OSO and OPC," Appendix Tab "H"). b. However, reorganizational steps should be most care- fully phased toward this ultimate solution so as not to destroy the morale of the separate OPC and OSO Area Division Chiefs or unduly disrupt operations at this critical time. I found that an integration of the Latin America Divisions of OPC and OSO is contemplated on a trial basis as a pilot model. Geographical boundaries are already being made coterminous and the OPC and OSO area divisions are being moved to contiguous office locations. co Despite nay finding of the necessity for a very care- ful phasing of the merger of OPC and OSO at the area division level, I found that the need for the creation of a planning, operational and administrative staff at the DD/P level is immediate and urgent. A summary of the reasons supporting this is as follows: (1) The job of DD/P exceeds the capacity of any single man. (2) There is a serious discrepancy between DD/P's responsibility for operational results and his lack of authority over means. The introduction of an administrative staff element in his office is an attempt to give him some measure of control or at least close liaison with his administrative support. (3) There are many functions of common concern to OS:O and OPC such as communications, training and research and development, and commercial activities Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80ROl 731 R001100120001-0 W^P :.t Approved For Release 2003/05/0$ - _ 11Y31 R001100120001-0 which are now either operating on a cross-service basis or as a duplicating service which could be more economi- cally and efficiently administered as common services under DD/P and the proposed staff. One of the main reasons why these services have not been so organized has been the absence of physical capacity on the part of DD/P to take on the extra load without staff assistance. (4) There are issues between OSO and OPC which have not progressed satisfactorily to a solution because of the absence of staff assistance at DD/P's level. (5) Such a staff is a necessary first step in any closer relation between OSO and OPC. (6) The proposed staff does not represent pyramiding in the form of an additional staff echelon. It is rather the strengthening of staff at an existing echelon. A. Strength 1. That every effort be made to speed up security clearances and to improve methods of recruiting high level personnel. 2. That the Director and the Deputies assist OPC in filling the following key positions at once: a. Chief, Administrative and Logistics Staff b. Chief, U.S.S.R. Branch c. Chief, Commercial Division d. Chief, Latin America Division e. Chief, Para-Military Division f. Six (6) highly qualified militarily trained logistical planners (preferably two each from Army G-4, Navy Supply Corps and from the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff Materiel of the Air Force. Approved For Release 2003/05/05 :,CIA-RQP80F 01731 R001100120001-0 Approved For Release 2003 g. Six (6) highly qualified area experts in Eastern Europe. h. Three (3) highly qualified area experts in Latin America. i. Three (3) highly qualified area experts in Western Europe. j? Three (3) highly qualified psychological warfare planners. B. OPC Organization 3. That the Psychological Warfare Division of the functional staff be activated with a nucleus drawn from Special Projects Division. 1, That an Economic Warfare element be created at the ADPC Special Staff level (probably initially attached for administration to the new Psychological Warfare Divisio. 5. That a Para-Military Division be activated as soon as a competent Chief is found. ? 6. That a more detailed survey be directed to discover ways and means of improving the two-way channel of intelligence between OPC and the rest of CIA. C. CIA Organization 7? That the office of DD/P be immediately staffed with a Planning office, an Operations office, an Administrative office and a small Secretariat. 8. That the present DD/A (Special), while continuing in his present capacity, also be designated as a member of this staff in order that close liaison be maintained between operational plans and the logistical support and administrative assistance now supplied by central administration. 9. That the Training and Communications Divisions be detached from 080 and report to DD/P. 10. That the Research and Development elements and Operational Aids Division be detached from OPC and OSO respectively and be combined in a research and development division at the level of covert technical service on a special staff division under DD/P. 4 - 10 - Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80ROl 731 R001100120001-0 ( is 25 Approved For Release 2003/0Wa 12. The above recommendations on CIA organization, which may properly be considered the first phase in a continuing reorganiza- tional development, are indicated by chart (Memorandum Exhibit No. 4). 13. That if adequate logistical and administrative s rt I cannot be obtained from central administration through -acting 25 both as DD/A(Special) and as a member of DD/F's staff, the covert adminis- trative elements of Personnel, Procurement and Confidential Funds should be transferred to his office on the staff of DD/P. This change, constituting phase II of a possible reorganizational development, is shown by chart (Memorandum Exhibit No. 5). 14. That ultimately covert intelligence and covert operations should be administered through a single command chain down to the station level, provided a survey of OSO confirms the finding made on the basis of the survey of OPC. Phase III of the reorganizational development could then be accomplished as shown by chart (Memorandum Exhibit No. 6). 15. That a survey of 00 be made with a view to determining whether or not this Office, less Contact Division and any other covert elements, be detached from DD/P and added to the overt intelligence offices. VVILUAW/ly. 77-90-N Deputy erector of Central Intelligence 25 Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80R01731R001100120001-0 TOP SF(R ET Approved For Release 2003/071?18 :P80R01731 R001100120b01-0 SIGNATURE- RECORD AND COVER SHEET DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION REGISTRY f OUFIC&-- _ . _ . _ WTn.J&ckson CIA CONTROL NO. 43999 DO C. N0. OPC-SuFvey Part I) DATE DOCUMENT RECEIVED DOC. DATE 1 COPY NO. orig LOGGED BY NUMBER OF PAGES Z - NUMBER OF ATTACHMENTS Part II, Appendix ATTENTION: This form will be attached to each Top Secret document received by the Central Intelligence Agency or classified Top Secret within the CIA and will remain attached to the document until such time as it is downgraded, destroyed, or transmitted outside of CIA. Access to Top Secret material is limited to those individuals whose official duties relate to the material. Each alternate or assist- ant Top Secret Control Officer who receives and/or releases the attached Top Secret material will sign this form and indicate period of custody in the left-hand columns provided. The name of each individual who has seen the Top Secret document and the date of han- dling should be indicated in the right-hand columns. REFERRED TO RECEIVED RELEASED SEEN BY OFFICE SIGNATURE DATE TIME DATE TIME NAME AND OFFICE SYMBOL DATE f.tl 7:.".Y~Z 25X1 ER I yp 25X1 25X1 r !4 ^ C e_~s J .. : i P : i S S b Ii AU T E EV4 _' i L. iTE: H: H t(70 2 1 25 IMTIeE OF DETACHMENT: When this form is detached from Top Secret material it shall be completed in the appropriate spaces below and transmitted to Central Top Secret Control for record. THE TOP SECRET MATERIAL DETACHED FROM THIS FORM WAS: BY (Signature) DOWNGRADED ^ DESTROYED ^ DISPATCHED (OUTSIDE CIA) TO OFFICE DATE FORM NO. 38-1 MAR 1951 v Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80R01731R001100120001-0 TAB . Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80ROl 731 R001100120001-0 Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80R01731R001100120001-0 9 101ORANDUM EXHIBITS 1. Chart - OPC Budget, Fiscal Year 1952. 2. Chart - Present OPC Organization 3. Chart - Organization of Typical Area Division 4. Chart - Phase I in a Continuing Reorganizational Development 5. Chart - Phase II of Possible Reorganization 6. Chart - Phase III of Reorganizational Development ? 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CIA Field Reps Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80R01731R001100120001-0 TAB Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80ROl 731 R001100120001-0 Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80R01731R001100120001-0 Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80ROl 731 R001100120001-0 Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80R01731R001100120001-0 TAB Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80RO1731 ROO1100120001-0 Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80R01731R001100120001-0 Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80ROl 731 R001100120001-0