Progress Report on the NSCIC Working Group Program

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00506R000100030004-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2004
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: November 29, 1972
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Rele~e 2004/10/08: CIA-RDP84B00506R000100030004-8
THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20505
Office of the Director
29 November 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR: National Security Council Intelligence Committee
SUBJECT Progress Report on the NSCIC Working Group Program
1. The NSCIC Working Group has held six meetings in the period
13 December 1971 - 3 October 1972 in furtherance of the NSCIC mission
to "give direction and guidance on national substantive intelligence
needs and provide for a continuing evaluation of intelligence products
from the viewpoint of the intelligence consumer."
2. As indicated in the initial Working Group progress report of
9 February 1972, its program involves projects of several types:
a. Those focusing on consumer needs to insure the
adequacy of guidance to the intelligence community and of
communications between consumers and intelligence producers;
b. Those involving product evaluation by consumer repre-
sentatives; and
c. Those addressincl production improvement, and dealing
with an examination of ttie resources being used, the analyst
situation and research ar~d development requirements.
3. Most Working Group studies are conducted by ad hoc task groups
and effort is made to include representation from both consumer and
intelligence production offices. Staff support to the Working Group
is provided by the Product Review Group of the DCI's Intelligence
Community Staff.
4. Studies thus far completed are of two kinds:
a. Case studies of intelligence support in political-
military crises to identify "lessons learned" for future
application.
A Case Stud of the India-Pakistan Crisis of 1971
5 October 197;?
(Guidance implications of this study are to be
discussed by tiie NSCIC at its 29 November meeting.)
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b. Descriptive studies intended to provide basis for
Working Group consideration of passible proposals or recom-
mendations for submission to the NSCIC.
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U.S. Intelligence Activities Relatin
Narcotics Tr~~ffic 21 March 1972
o International
Resources Devoi;ed to Production b the U.S. Intelli ence
Community 2f3 March 1972
5. Currently in prepar~~tion are the following studies:
a. Case studies oi~ intelligence support in politica1-
military crises:
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b. Production areas selected for evaluation because they are
of special interest:
Review of the Intelligence Inputs to NSSM-69: Strategy
and Forces for Asia
Review of Intelligence Products Related to the Cruise
Missile Threat
Study of Intelligence Production on Yugoslavia
c. Surveys to identify possible problem areas for NSCIC attention:
Man ower and Cost Trends in U.S. Intelligence Production
Fisca Year 1966 - 1973
Current Intelligence Production in the U.S. Intelligence
Commun i t_y
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6. Research now underway in the QCI intelligence Community Staff
is expected to result in several additional studies to be completed
under Working Group sponsorship. A survey is underway on the training
being provided intelligence analysts in the new analytical methodologies
developed in the behavioral and information sciences. Study is being
given to means of optimizincl consumer participation in assessments of
the responsiveness of specific intelligence products to user needs.
Techniques for stimulating experimentation with the development of new
or improved products are also being examined.
7. Overall, during its first year of operation the Working Group
has been "feeling its way" a.nd almost all that has been undertaken has
been with the objective of pinpointing areas in the intelligence production
process, viewed in the broad sense, which need improvement. The program
has proved time consuming and demanding of manpower, but progress is
being made. At the risk of oversimplification, completion of on-going
studies and projects involving improvement in consumer feedback and
raising the quality of substantive analysis are~~~~~ to be the
major focus of Working Group attention in the n ar- erm future.
ronsan wee y
Chairman, NSCIC Working Group
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