THE DIVISION OF BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (BI)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81S00991R000100180001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 20
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 22, 1958
• Content Type: REPORT

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-2- BI PM No. 6
IV. CHECK-OFF LIST: Each new BI employee will complete the standard BI
orientation and indoctrination process within two weeks after entering on
duty. His immediate supervisoryor branch chief dhould initial the various
items on the list as they are completed. After signing the sheet to
certify that the points listed were covered to his satisfaction and that
the specified reference materials were rade available and explained to
him, he should return the signed sheet to BMOC, where it will become part of
BI 'Oersonnel records. The various steps should be completed in approximately
the order listed below=
Step pf Procedyte To Bg Corleted
Be introduced to the Division Chief, his deputy,
and the BI/OC staff;
Be introduced to the chief of the branch to whieh
aSsigned and to other personnel in that branch;
Be briefed by the Unit Security Officer, and become
familiar with the Departrent Security BecUlations;
Be given for retention a copy of the BI Procedures
Initials of
Date Supervisor or
Completed Braneb, Chief
Manual, with an explanation of its purpose and use;
Be given fairmammille a brief oral description of his
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duties, and of their relationship to the over-all
operations of the branch, Division, Office (RFB),
Bureau (IIIR), the Department, and the intelligence
Community;
Be given for retention a copy of the individual
relief folder for the position, with an
explanation of its purpose and use;
Be introduced to the other braneh chiefs, the
personnel of their branches, and FSU personnel;
If an analyst, be introduced to the Office Director
and his staff, and. check out the RFB Orientation
Notebook (reading file);
Complete and return to INR/EK the INR orientation
check-off list;
If in a supervisory position, be introduced to the
Executive Director of INR;
If an analyst, be introduced to counterparts in the
regional offices of INR, the geographic bureaus,
and other agencies (Departmental and intelligence
community contacts with whom he will have frequent
contacts);
Be introduced to the Acquisition and Reader Services
personnel and facilities in LR; and
Sign this list and return it to BI/OC.
(Signature)
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rs: 1/7/6t
C0MMENT4 N RPB QTJABTERLT PRWECTIOW OF TIMMS
I. The figures for*Data ProcessineAppear to reflect an increasingly
acute problem in BI. The only way in which BI can reduce the long-run
adverse consequences of rather severe personnel cuts is to insure thrt
the time involved be absorbed by dropping or curtailing current production
projects, rather than by reducing time devoted to data processing.* When
such cuts are permitted to cause major fluctuations in the amount of time
devoted to data processing, the end result is that all future BI production
suffers in direct proportion to the degreeethat thet is permitted, and almost
all production will continue to suffer Imm in quantity or quality or several
years, until any essential is time cut from data processing is made up in
adeition to current data processing work. A low level of data processing
almost certainly rPsulte in a deterioration of the condition of the files
and therefore the quality and efficiency (hence the quantity) of production
in BI. It would seer highly desirmble to set a minimum lefel below which
data processing would not he permitted to drop except under the most extreme
circumstances, in which case any such cut would be made up promptly.
Although data processing is the category of work that is the baits for
almost all BI production, it is the very category that has suffered more than
any other from tte personnel cuts in BI. The effects of the very low level of
data processing maintained in DI in the 3rd euerter of 1960, AnA to only a
slightly lesser degree, in the 4th quarter, Obviouely are being felt now.
In the zth quarter data processing increased 6.0 percent over the 3rd quarter,
even though the "Total Time-Use" in BI decreased 7.0 percent during the same
period. Projections for the 1st quarter of 196/ anticipate a further increase
in data processing to a level 25rsik 25.3 percent over the 3rd quarter 1960
level, even though the estimated"Total Hours Available*during the 1st quarter
1961 mx is alightly less than "Total Time-Use" during the 3rd quarter 1960.
It appears that the minimum level at which data processing should be maintained
in B1 should be in the vicinity of P0000 hours per quarter. On that besis
at the end of the the 4th quarter 1960 B1 had accumulated a deficit of
3,149 hours over the last half of 1960, and if that were to be worked off
during 1961 it would be necessary to schedule data processing at the level
of 02ut 8,800 per quarter during 1961. The following statistics should
helpninderatend the problem:
Ital
Data Proc. (dours)**I'Lle:Ree4040cw)
Data Proc.: Change fm. prev. qtr. (Hrs..)
Data Proc.: Charge fm. prev. qtr. (%)
Flees'Pro mmeACC5 tViri,m )
BI Total TU minus 4;e6bars.
Total TU minus. Lv.: Change fm. prev.qtr.
Total TU minus Lir.: Change fm. prev.qtr.
Data Proc./Total TU minus Leave (IP)
Data Proc./Programmed TU (%)
Data Proc. (Est.)/Hours Programmed (%)
* *
eeeimai pi 2.4
Aeeigro eml*
22524 20582
ars) -1942
- 8.6
41.9
61.5
56.7
21942le. 66*0?7795
412 / 413 /1163
?28.0 / 6.6 417.5
81,3 3 *6/1t2Y ,J
173 T 16154 17360
-3199 -1226 /1203
-15.5 - 7.1 7.4
35.8
59.9
56.3
It is also possible that data processing efficiency could be
improved by revising and standardizing operating procedures in BI.
It way be worth noting that for the last three quarters of 1960 the average
estimate for data processing was almost exactly the SW) as the average
actual time used for data processing, whereas the average estimate for
"Hours Programmed" was tfx about 15 percent higher than the actual
"Progremmed Time4se."
This figure would have been 52.4.percent if BI had not been overprogrammed.
41.0 44.9
66.0 JIM
47.0***71.0
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APPENDIX VII
TAND LMEUREgffallif,
The card file of each individual should be arranged according to
a standard pattern to nal* possible the most efficient use of the
informetion contained in the file and to facilitate orderly filing. Cards
in an individual card file sheuld be arranged as follows from front to backs
1. Name tab card (blue bard with yellow tab), if any
2. BF card (blue card), if any, referring to a Biographic Folder (dossier), or
At card (blue card), if any, referring to a single document in the
Alphabetical File
> 3. Information cards (white cards or pouches) chronologically from the
latest date (in front) to the earliest date (in back)
4. Biography cards (white cards or pouches), if any, containing complete
biographies as of a given date, with "Bio* jotted in at the left of
the data (which are enclosed in parentheses)
5. Photographs (glossy prints), with top of heads to left
.6. Blank buff index card indicating the oncl of an individual card file
(only where the individual card file is preceded by a name tab)
no. es .1= Oa MO 4.111
Because the standard individual Card file arrangement outlined
above differs somewhat from previous practices, which did not place
sufficient emphasis upon the importance of such an arrangement, some
additional explanation of each point is given below.
1. The name tab card, which should always contain a complete name9 should
never be grouped with the other cards of an individual card file under a
rubber band, since it Sheuld remain in the file tray to mark the place
when the individual card file is removed for any purpose,,and since it
tends to become mutilated quickly when included under a rubber band. The
new name tabs shoed be inserted as the first step in the filing operation9
because they greatly facilitate the other steps in the filing operation.
After the cards from the Old File and the Backlog File have been filed into
the New File, a check should be made to see which additional name tabs
should be prepared because when the Old File is abolished some large
individual card files will be integrated into the New File and because as
the Backlog File is filed into the New File complete names will be found
for many persons for whom they were not previously available.
2. The blue BF or AF card, if any, should always give the most complete
name available on any of the cards in the individual card file.
Transliteration errors on the BF or cards should be corrected as part
of the filing process, since such a correction may involve moving that
individual card file to another point in the file and since that card will
always be the first card in the file (except for name tab cards). When
this filing process is completed, there should be no AF cards in the files,
since ail documents are being removed from the AF File and incorporated
into other files as part of this filing process.
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3. Information cards are chronologically arranged according to the date
in the upper right-hand corner of the cards with the latest such date
toward the front and the earliest toward the back of the file. Thus, if
there is no BY or AP card, the first card in an individual card file will
be the information card bearing the latest such date. If the most complete
name available in the file is not included on thst card as it was prepared,
it should be inserted in a snail, neatly penciled notation (entries in ink
or colored pencil should not be made). Only 'white cards should be used in
preparing information cards, though a few cards of other colors have been
used in the past. Aside from the obvious numerical order, the fallowing
rules should be observed in arranging cards chronologically;
a. A card bearing a date consisting only of a yenr should be
chronologically arranged as though it fell before any other date in that year,
and a date consisting only of a month and a year before any other date in
that month.
b. If there is no date in the upper right-hand corner, a date agreeing
as nearly as possible with the date of the event or information reported
should be inserted there.
0. If the date in the upper right-hand corner is not approximately the
same as the date of the information or event reported, a more accurate date
should be insert& in its place. The same rule should be followed for the
"date prepared" entries on the old "change of position" cards (yellow cards),
since the "date prepared" entries are in the upper right-hand corners, and
since they. frequently differ contiderably,from the date of the event,
d? If the (late in the upper right-hand corner is not a single data but
an inclusive date covering a certain period (for example, 342 Aug 19599
Aug-Sep 1959, 1950-51), it should be chronologically arranged according to
the first part of the date oblyc;
4. Biography cards are those that contain biographic sketches rather than
miscellaneous reports or bits of imformation? and they should be filed just
in front of photographs and just behind the earliest information card. Thus,
when a card or pouch containing a complete biography is filed under a certain
date, the date Should be enclosed in parentheses, the notation "Bic)" jotted
in at the left of the date, and the card or pouch filed as explained above.
Just as prepared biographies are separated from the miscellaneous reports
and raw information in dossiert? it is logical that when biographies occur
on cards or in pouches in an individual card file that they should be
separated in some way from the miscellaneous information cards, and the above
procedure provides for such a separstion.
5. Photographs should be filed at the back of an individual card file with
the top of heads to the left. Among the reasons for this arrangement of
photos within an individual card file are the following:
a. Photos are now the first cards in an individual card file when there
is no BF or AF card, and when this occurs the photos will soon be mutilated
by the rubber bawl and frequent bending to see the information on the first
regular informetion card.
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b. The information contained on photos is soon out of dates so it is
rarely of interest to anyone checking the file.
c. Only relatively infrequently is it necessary to check the files for
photos, and when it is, they will be just as accessible at the back of the
file as they would be in front of the information cards.
d. If the photos are placed in front of the information cards, they
must be removed each time new cards are placed in the file to permit checking
dates and inserting the information cards in chronological order before
replacing the photos. There is a tendency either to neglect or to forget to
do thin/0 with the result that photos tend to become buried in the middle of
the individual card files.
e. If the first card in an individual card file, is a photo, it is more
difficult to read the names when filing, since photos must be placed on their
sides in the card file.
f. Photos are printed on glossy paper and frequently bear incomplete
names or names that are incorrectly transliterated. The front card of an
individual card file must have the complete and correctly transliterated
name inserted on it; however, making such insertions or corrections on
glossy prints is not only difficult to do legibly, but also mars the
appearance of photos in case they are needed. When photos are arranged at
the back of individual card files, only if they are not grouped behind
information cards for the same name should ink corrections or insertions
be made in the name on the photos themselves.
6. When the individual card file is preceded by a name tab, a blank buff
index card is inserted after the last card to mark the end of that individual
card file. If no name tab is prepared to precede an individual card file,
the cards of the individual card file will be grouped and no index card will
mark the end of that individual's cards. The buff index cards used for this
purpose should always be in the two right-hand positions. If used in the two
left-hand positions the buff index cards would interfere with the reading of
the name tabs, and by reversing the buff index cards in the two left-hand
positions they can be made into right-hand positions. The center position
of the buff index cards will be used for year markers in the New File and as
alphabet tabs in the Retired File.
7. Tear markers should be used to divide individual card files which are
more than two inches or so thick. Buff index cards (in the center position)
bearing the date of a year (or years) should be inserted in front of the
information cards of the year (or years) designated.
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