NATIONAL SITUATION REPORT TEST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83M00171R001200070013-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 20, 2001
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: May 23, 1975
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2002/01/04:
ITEM FOR COMMENT
National Situation Report Test
At USIB's direction, the IC Staff has been testing the
feasibility of producing a national situation report during
periods of crisis. This test has run into a snag--the
principal problem being our present inability to communicate
and adjust text at remote locations on a real-time basis. We
therefore intend to delay further tests until CONTEXT is
operational.
Approved For Release 2002/01/04: CIA-RDP83M00171R001200070013-4
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IC 75-1475
2 3 MAY 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: National Situation Report Test
1. Several of our post-mortems have shown that consumers are
interested is receiving a single national situation report during periods
of crisis in lieu of the overlapping reports now being prepared by
individual agencies.
2. On 9 January 1975, USIB asked the IC Staff to conduct a
feasibility study, which we did on 18 March. For the test:
--OCI/DDI acted as chairman;
--CIA,. DIA, INR, and NSA participated;
--a. six-hour period was used; and
--Indochina and Thailand were the venue.
3. Our test showed that it is possible to produce a national crisis
report within the six-hour time frame. However, the test was not a
success in terms of manpower savings and improved product. The
principal shortcomings were both technical and bureaucratic.
--I; rorn a technical point of view, the current means
of communicating between agencies is inadequate. Until
CONTEXT is fully operational, we will not have the means
to edit text between remote locations.
--Bureaucratic problems are potentially more serious.
DIA strongly resisted the idea that the DCI's national crisis
report should be produced at the CIA Operations Center.
Approved For Release 2002/01/04 : CIA-RDP83M00171R001200070013-4
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 DIA argued that crises, particularly those with a strong
military character, should be directed from the NMIC--
which would provide reports to the DCI--because of its
superior communications and its link with those making
US operating force decisions. DIA agreed to participate
in the test only after it was clearly spelled out that its
participation did not constitute agreement that the center
for producing a national situation report should be at CIA.
4. I recommend that this project be shelved temporarily. Once
CONTEXT is operational we should try again. We should first solve
the technical communications problem. Once we prove that we can
talk and edit text, we will be in a better position to tackle the
bureaucratic problem.
ecommend that at the next USI13 meeting you make a verbal
ent along the followingnit ei
"At USIB'S direction, the IC Staff has been testing
the feasibility of producing a national situation report
during periods of crisis. This test has run into a snag-.-
the principal problem being our present inability to
communicate and adjust text at remote locations on a
real-time basis. V e therefore intend to delay further
tests until CONTEXT is operational. "
25X1A
Lieutenant General, USA
D/DCI/IC
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Approved For Release 2002/01/04: CIA-RDP83M00171R001200070013-4