NATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE CAREER SERVICE AWARD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00313R000300010086-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 28, 2002
• Sequence Number: 86
• Publication Date: October 17, 1966
• Content Type: MF

S
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NU
17 OCT 1966
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Personnel
SUBJECT : National Civil Service Career Service Award
1. I visited Mr. Jean Couturier, Executive Secretary of the National
Civil Service League, on Friday, 14 October. Mr. Couturier knows I have
worked in the CIA Public Service Award Program and we have had numerous
discussions on the League's Awards Program. During our visit, I told him
I was retiring this year and was particularly anxious to do what I could to
ensure that we submitted a strong justification for our candidate for the
1967 League Award.
2. I said I was concerned that possibly we "let our candidate down"
last year by not adequately describing his achievements -- a difficult thing
to do because of security considerations. Mr. Couturier assured me that
our nominating document last year and those the Agency had submitted in
the past were considered very good. He told me in confidence that our
candidate last year was in the top group of fifteen who were considered in
the final selection. (As you know, ten winners were picked and two were
women. ) In an "off-the-record" statement, he explained that factors other
than accomplishments of candidates are considered in the final selection --
"passing around the honors", emphasis on selecting some winners who are
working in the field outside of Washington, and representatives from
minority groups. My conclusion from this discussion was that in his
opinion the candidates from CIA and the Department of State have been
for years fhe)top contenders, but evidently the odds were against us last
year.
3. He emphasized the fact that agencies should renominate good
candidates. Our five winners in the past were selected the first time they
were nominated, but many winners each year have made it on the second
or third try.
4. The procedure for selecting winners is as follows:
The one-page summary on each nominee is reviewed by 40
members of the League. Mr. CodiLturier and one other person
read the entire nominating documents for all candidates. All
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candidates are ranked during this initial screening and then
Mr. Couturier submits the nominating papers for the top group
to the Selection Committee. I am sure that Mr. Couturier does
not serve on the Selection Committee, but he is the "prime mover"
in the initial screening and probably meets with the Selection
Committee.
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5. sugges edythat a private briefing on our candidate would be
helpful for us since we were limited in expounding on the specific achieve-
ments of our candidate. He agreed that this could be arranged. In view
of the manner winners are selected, I would recommend that the Director
send forward our nomination,and in a separate letter to Mr. Day ask that
y..C,Rt be given the privilege of briefing an appropriate official of the League.
This official would probably Mr. Couturier who would be in a position
to put forth the case of +? -r - candidate in the final selection and to ad-
vi,de the Committee that if they needed more informatione" Pe'Tx epresent-
ative would brief them.
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