RECORDS, ARCHIVES AND HISTORY (ANNUAL CHRONICLES)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00764R000400030045-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 5, 2000
• Sequence Number: 45
• Publication Date: May 18, 1972
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2000/08/04: CIA-RDP83-00764R000400030045-7
1)1)P 72-2228
18 May 1972
MLitiORANDUM FOR: Executive Director -Conit)troller
SUBJECT: Records, Archives and History
(Annual Chronicles)
1, This memorandum is restricted to a discussion or the Annual
Reports requirement outlined in your 9 May 1972, pieniorandum. Other
features of that memorandum will be the subject of brief follow-up
comment later.
2. The proposed requirement for units and offices of the Agency
to prepare annual chronicles of their activities in the context of
archival and historical use continues to cause the CS serious concern.
Reservations stem, in part, from the unknown -- what units would be
required to compile chronicles, what degree of detail is contemplated,
what ultimate use is envisaged, etc.
3. As noted in my memorandum of 25 April, the narrative
included in the CS Program submission highlights operational thrusts,
progress, problems, plans, operational activity, and collection
levels in sufficient detail to tell where we are, results to date, and
where we think activity will take us. In most cases, the data
included in the Operating Program does and will surface those
subjects which can be the theme of subsequent historical study.
With the program inventory in hand, is there really a compelling
need for annual chronicles that will in large measure duplicate this
already existing material?
4. From the CS standpoint, duplication is only a part of the
problem. Experience in preparing historical papers in the past
and the shortage of manpower have led us to conclude that future
efforts will be attempted only when writing talent is available. We
know such talent is not uniformly available in all CS components,
and that, if it is available, the demands of more urgent business
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has usually pre-enmpted these skills, The several recent lrtp~~rs
that out line the CS history i>ro ram have recw,,ni/ed these realities.
Tilusy the usefulness and primary pu1'poSe,ot annual chronicles are
questioned, because we simply could not exploit them.
5. An annual report based upon the calendar year has an easily
reco