Draft Terms of Reference

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00506R000100010042-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 30, 1998
• Sequence Number: 42
• Publication Date: April 17, 1972
• Content Type: MF

Approved for Release 2000/09/Q3;1; P84B00506R000100010042-8
17 April 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. Bronson Tweedy
Chairman, NSCIC Working Group
1. This is in response to your request for written comments
on the draft terms of reference of the NSCIC Working Group which
you distributed at the 12 April meeting. Although I could concur
in this draft as it stands, I would like to raise two points which
you might consider before issuing the document in final form.
2, First, I feel that the membership of the Working Group
should have a broader representation from the consumers of
intelligence. Although the Group appears to have equal representation
from consumers and producers of intelligence, in reality it is heavily
weighted toward producers, Neither Marshall nor Hall are direct
consumers of intelligence. I would recommend that you try to broaden
the membership to include Commerce, Treasury, and perhaps the
Council on International Economic Policy. Although these components
do not have membership in the NSCIC, I believe that their inclusion
would facilitate giving "direction and guidance on national substantive
intelligence needs and provide for a continuing evaluation of intelligence
products from the viewpoint of the intelligence consumer".
3. Second, I feel that paragraph 6, Method of Operation, is
overly specific and could reduce your flexibility unnecessarily. I
would suggest that you reduce this paragraph to a few essentials and
perhaps announce some of the items you decide to drop at our next
meeting,
EDWARD W. PROCTOR
Deputy Director for Intelligence
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be a clear cut difference of opinion, principally along a split of con-
sumers as contrasted with producers on some issues, it would raise
awkward problems. I feel, however, that things have worked
reasonably well so far. In any case, something worth thinking about
is the matter of the most appropriate decision process for the Working
Group.
At lunch the other day I mentioned to you the general feeling
I have that we still do not have a handle on the problem of assisting
the NSCIC to provide guidance as to the needs of the top level policy
makers. I am less concerned than you about the problem of the
distortion of top level policy makerst judgments in the process of
having him provide guidance. I do not believe that one has to force
them to provide guidance, but rather we ys to make it
easier for them to respond. For exampl suggested a few 25X1A9a
days ago it might be good if major collectors or program managers
formulated their needs for guidance and had the top level people respond.
When faced with a more concrete formulation of what is needed, they
might provide the really necessary guidance. They may be more able
to respond to well formulated specific issues than they are to produce
de novo comprehensive guidance for the intelligence community. In
any case, I am not certain that we have exhausted, or even tried many
devices, to make it easy for the top level people to give their judgments
on the relative importance of policy issues and intelligence needs.
Earlier I raised the possible value to the NSCIC principals of
a descriptive study of the current working of the requirements process
and other influences upon the allocation of collection resources. What
guidance is now available to the community? What perceptions do they
now have of the needs of top level decision makers? With a more
specific picture before them of the current working of the community,
they might better see how they can help to supply the most needed
guidance.
Sincerely,
A. W. MARSHALL
Director, Net Assessment
Group
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