FEDERAL CIVILIAN HIRING FREEZE

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP84B00890R000500110003-0
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RIPPUB
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K
Document Page Count: 
13
Document Creation Date: 
December 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
July 8, 2003
Sequence Number: 
3
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Publication Date: 
January 24, 1981
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BULL
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PDF icon CIA-RDP84B00890R000500110003-0.pdf594.53 KB
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EXECUTIVE OF=F=ICE OF THE PRESIDENT OFFICE = MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET ,Approved For Release 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B0089Q000500110003-0 WASHINGTON. D.C. 20503 Bulletin No. 81-6 Januaryt24, 1981 TO THE HEADS'OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ESTABLISHMENTS SUBJECT: Federal Civilian Hiring Freeze ?1. Purpose. This Bulletin provides for an immediate and total freeze on the hiring. of Federal civilian personnel as directed by the President on January 20, 1981. Instructions are also provided for appeals in a very limited number of situations where exceptions may be warranted.. 2. Rescission. OMB Bulletin No. 80-7, dated March 17, 1980,- i.s hereby rescinded, together with any exemptions granted under its provisions. 3. "Authority and background. The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921,.as amended. The President has directed that a total freeze be placed on the hiring of Federal civilian employees in the Executive Branch. . This Bulletin outlines the steps-- that will betaken tb carry out this directive. 4. Coverage. These instructions apply to,all Executive Branch departments and establishments. 5. Policy.' It is the policy of this Administration that the overall size of the Federal civilian workforce shall be reduced as expeditiously 1as possible. Toward that end, Executive Branch departments and establishments are directed to stop immediately all hiring. Except for the exemptions listed below, this hiring limitation applies to all departments and establishments and to all types of appointments, temporary as well as permanent. Contracting with firms and institutions outside the Government will not be used to alleviate or circumvent the effect of this hiring freeze. 6. E+:emntions. The following exemptions to the hiring freeze are permitted: Approved For Release 2003/08/13 CIA-RDP84B0089OR000500110003-0 ?Approved For wtelease 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B0089eR000500110003-0 presently exempt from employment ceilings. hiring in . ccordance with firm written -com-nitments made on or before November 5, 1980, by agency personnel of-Eicers. ' d. hiring by the U.S. Postal Service. e. reassignments of personnel within an agency. appointments to Executive Level positions and noncareer appointments in the Senior. Executive Service. appointments to Schedule C positions. In filling these positions, the number of such appointments may not exceed the number of Schedule C positions existing in each agency as of November 5, 1980. a. upon determination by the agency head that hiring is necessitated by emecency situations involving directly the safety of human life or the protection of property. The determination must be based upon a clear indication that human safety could be affected directly or that property could be damaged', Such a determination may be applied in situations where medical, hospital, or other health care is furnished directly and where protection of property or persons is the primary purpose of. employment. Air safety functions are also included. This exception does not apply to employment involving research, or other activities, that.ultimately affect human safety. It .also does not apply to employment for maintenance of facilities or-land and forest management. An agency head who determines that this exemption is applicable must immediately notify the Director of ~..~f3$SQ?:_in? writing that the exemption is being used and state the reasons therefor' as well' as the number ofr positions involved. The-Director of OMB may overturn p h i i i i i e exem t on, t n his view, t f, s not warranted b. the 'f111.ing:.'of- positions under programs that' 're "-' h. shifting of employees from one agency to another because of a transfer of functions resulting from Presidential reorganization or legislative action. i. hiring by Executive Branch agencies whose on-board total em ploym.ent as of December 31, 1980, was less than 100. . (Miring by such agencies will not exceed the number of vacancies that occur after December 31, 1930.) Approved For Release 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B00890R00050,0110003-0 ?Approved For"Release 2003/08/13: CIA-RDP84B0089IM000500110003-0 seasonal hiring of temporary employees consistent with historical hiring patterns may be continued, provided that the agency informs OMB in writing in advance of its hiring plans. Such hiring of temporary employees may not be used as a means to circumvent this Bulletin. k. to facilitate the transition, a limited number of noncareer positions may be established for up to 120 days. 1. hiring for positions in the Executive Office of the President that are necessary for an orderly transition and operation of the new Administration. 7. Appeals. Additional exemptions may be granted in a very limited number of cases -if * a determination is made by"the Director of the Office* of Management and Budget that such action. is necessary, to assure that essential services are ?` vied,. fue prod''ndamntal n eds ``' are""~tiiet;" '' and zpplicable '= `''~`= provisions of. law are carried out. When an agency head believes that circumstances warrant an exemption other than , - :..those . automatically .:permitted . under: section b of thi , . s ..,.. Bulletin, an appeal -must -be*:?made by le't*ter, a`dressed to,th.e:~~`:~ Director of th.e Office of Management and Budget and signed by the a e h d g ncy ea The need fordditill . aona personne must be fully justified, .including an explanation as to why reallocation within the agency is not feasible. 8. Use of savings. Dollar savings generated from personnel reductions may be applied to other approved program activities within the same appropriation in the following order of priority: . a. to offset the need for mandatory program supplemental appropriations or amendments that could otherwise-be submitted to the Congress under the provisions of the Antideficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 665(e)). b. to reduce the 1981 pay; supplemental transmitted with the 1982 Budget. However, where personnel reductions result in withholding of appropriations from obligation, the reporting requirements prescribed by the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 apply, as set forth in OMB Circular No. A-34 and OMB Bulletin No. 75-15. In such cases, rescission proposals or deferral reports will be prepared and submitted to O.'?:B for inclusion in a special message on rescissions and deferrals. Approved For Release 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B00890R000500.110003-0 Dale R. McOmber Acting Director .Approved For.Bielease 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B0089GR000500110003-0 4 9. Revised 1982 Budget. The personnel reduction will be a part of the Administration's revised 1982 Budget. Further instructions will be provided in a later bulletin that will address budget revision procedures. 10. Effective dates. The instructions in this Bulletin are effective immediately and will remain in effect until further notice. 11. Inquiries. Questions regarding the instructions in this Bulletin will be addressed to the 0MB representatives in charge of the agency's budget estimates. Approved For Release 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B00890R000500110003-0 Approved For Reypase 2003/08/13: CIA-RD 84B00890RG~D0500110661 X '_ DDA 81-M" FEB i9PJ' The Honorable David Alan Stockman Dear Dave, I have assessed in some detail the impact of the President's hiring freeze on the CIA. I am now satisfied that the Agency will suffer from even a short freeze because of the unusual nature of its hiring process. You are no doubt aware of the stringent security requirements that must be :yet by all prospective Agency employees--an exhaustive 15-year background investigation, poly- graph interview, and the like. This selection and clearance process typically stretches out over six months and, as you migh1expect, we lose a lot of good people just because they either can't or chose not to tolerate this inconvenience. Those who stick with it do so in largest part because of the good faith that CIA demonstrates. Even in the best of times, CIA has trouble fillings its authorized position ceiling. This factor, coupled with the fact that over the last three years the Agency has suffered an inordinate skills loss, puts CIA in a very difficult position. The Agency has, within the past year, implemented sweeping improve- ments in the way it selects and processes prospective employees. While these changes have been productive, CIA has still not been able to significantly shorten this so-called pipeline--the end to end recruiting and processing system used to acquire new employees. If the Agency is required to turn off its pipeline, Approved For Release 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B0089OR000500110003-0 Approved For Release 2003/08/13: CIA-RDP84B00890ROAD500110003-0 it will take literally years to turn it back on again. The CIA will be most vulnerable in a hiring freeze in what it calls its Hard-to-Get Critical Skills, a longstanding collection of skills that have been particularly difficult to acquire in recent years. Each of these -skills categories is significantly under strength now. The Agency has estimated its attrition through the end of the year, and the dilemma looms much larger. The following specifics wil give you an appreciation of the dilemma: Occupational Category (Hard- to-Get) Under Strength As of Estimated FY 1981 Attrition Communications Specialists 100 49 Operations Officers (foreign intelligence collection) 100 100 Engineers and Physical Scientists Computer Specialists Security Officers and Couriers Linguists Clericals 165 475 Communications Specialists The CIA's Office of Communications provides a worldwide service Approved For Release 2003/08/43 : CIA-RDP84B00890R000500110003-0 Approved For Re sse 2003/08/13: CIA-RDP84B0089ORWO500110003-0 of its serious understrength condition, is and will continue to be unable to satisfy overseas communicator requirements in 17 different foreign locations--some new activities, others necessary expansions of existing activities. Moreover, reduc- tions will very shortly have to be imposed at other foreign posts. This will be accomplished by reducing seven overseas stations from a four-communicator complement to a three-communi- cator complement; reducing Stations from three communicators to two communicators; and reducing additional Stations from STATl two communicators to a single communicator. These cuts would result in a reduction of overseas communications operations percent and would eliminate some percent of cur- STAR! rent overseas electronic reporting of foreign intelligence. Domestically, the Office of Communications is also responsible for the maintenance and repair of CIA's metropolitan Washington, D.C. telephone service, both unclassified and secure. It works. The Office is now estimating that it will increase its usage of overtime some 65 percent just to maintain existing levels. of support. If the freeze continues for any appreciable length of time, an additional 10 percent will be necessary. Notwithstanding this extensive and inefficient use of overtime, significant operational delays will occur. Operations Officers Personnel reductions imposed on the Operations Directorate in 1978 and 1979 combined with a very high retirement rate not unassociated with the reductions have resulted in a significant Approved For Release 2003/08/13 3 CIA-RDP84B0089OR000500110003-0 Approved For Reisase 2003/08/13: CIA-RDP84B00890RQ&0500110003-0 loss of unique intelligence skills. The CIA is only in the very early stages of recovering from these losses. Current understrength in this area coincides with dramatic increases and demands for: -- Clandestine intelligence collection against economic, monetary, nuclear, science and technology, and political targets; -- The rebirth of the Agency's covert action capability resulting from events in the Near East, Latin America, and Africa; STAT -- The necessity to open new stations overseas. In order to satisfy these requirements under less than ideal conditions (hostile overseas environment not conducive to normal family living), it is necessary that we bring 160 career trainees and 40 nonofficial cover officers through the pipeline each year. The pipeline for these officers begins with their initial identification and stretches through heir subsequent interviews, security processing, unique tradecraft training, and culminates with foreign language training some 24 to 30 months later. This pipeline is carefully structured continuum. Interrupt any part of it, and you seriously unbalance all other segments. Engineers and Physical Scientists As with all other hard-to-get ocupation categories in the CIA, engineers and physia l scientists also present us with unique acquisition problems. All Agencies of government have difficulty Approved For Release. 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B0089OR000500110003-0 Approved For Release 2003/08/13: CIA-RDP84B00.89OR000500110003-0 competing with the private sector for the skills of these profes- sionals. As a part of the improvements made in the Agency's selection and processing procedures, as previously discussed, major recruiting emphasis was placed on this category. It has taken us eight months to get 86 people with these skills into our pipeline. These skills are most urgently needed in the Officeof Development and Engineering, in support of national reconaissance programs; at the National Photographic Interpretation Center, where we are initiating major. improvements in our ability to process collection data that will be acquired with a new generation of overhead collection systems; in the Office of SIGINT Operations, to work on developing capabilities to recover Soviet data that was STAT lost at the closing of ourl ites; and in the Office of Logistics, which is tasked with supporting all of these endeavors that require some combination of civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering skills. In addition, the Office of Scientific and Weapons Research will have increasing difficulty in providing to me analyses f foreign space weapons systems, nuclear warheads, and computer technology. ( ) Computer Specialists The CIA has as much difficulty acquiring computer specialists as it does engineers and physical scientists for all of the same reasons sited above. Programs like SAFE--a large computer system being developed to improve the tools available to intelligence analysts--will be significantly impacted because of an inability to acquire supervisory and operating personnel to man the computer Approved For Release 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B0089OR000500110003-0 center ptAJ_WPPABqQM9RQa%-& because of the length of the pipeline for people with these skills and heir need for extensive training, the SAFE system may well not begin operation as scheduled. Because of the dynamic nature of the marketplace for these skills, attrition in this category is typically higher than others and will impact ongoing computer operations that this Agency has become so dependent upon. Security Officers and Couriers The CIA relies on people with these skills to protect our classi- fied information and to protect our facilities, both at home an. d. abroad, that contain not only classified information, but our people as well. Given increasing political instability in the major areas of the world, as most recently evidenced by incidents in the Near East and Latin America, CIA security officers are taking on increasingly responsible assignments with respect to the protection of our employees and our property located overseas. Our.security officers play critical roles in performing security investigations, not only for prospective CIA employees, but also for the myriad of people in the private sector working on classified CIA contracts--some with the very highest clearance requirements of our govern-.ent. CIA security officers are also very heavily and continual;y involved in counter- intelligence and antiterrorist activities overseas. R~a~a Approved For Release 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B00890R000500110003-0 Approved For Release 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B00890RQy0500110003-0 Regarding o.ur couriers, we rely on them to routinely service over 700 delivery and pickup points around the world on a 24-hour-a-day basis. We are presently some 30 percent under strength in this occupational category and, without relief, will have o recourse but to 4e-vat-e professional employees from their primary intelligence-related responsibilities to perform these courier duties, to the further detriment of CIA's intelligence collection and production responsibilities. Linguists Skilled linguists are a vanishing breed in America. This comes at a time of increased demand for linguists by:both the govern- ment and multinational corporations. For example, increased requirements to have been levied on The Operations Directorate is debriefing an ever-increasing STAT number of and has requirements for overseas operations officers for very esoteric languages overseas. At this time, the DDO is 50 percent below its language capability need. In many cases, there are only a few people in the United States who speak and read the more difficult languages-- Chinese, Russian, and Arabic, for example. Once an applicant with a language capability is found, it is absolutely necessary to hire the person if he/she meets other necessary qualifications. Clericals experience As you might suspect, we espegzs~lxxaxe our.highest attrition rates in the clerical fields and yet in many ways are most depen- dent upon these skills to make our daily processes operate Approved For Release 2003/06/13 : CIA-RDP84B0089OR000500110003-0 Approved For Relwaase 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B0089OR 05001.10003-0 effectively and efficiently. We are talking here not only about typists and stenographers who produce our large numbers of intelligence reports, but also with the file clerks who help compile volumnous data and with the payroll clerks who ensure that our employees are paid. Based on the Carter hiring freeze, for example, the Operations Directorate has already accummulated 75 clerical vacancies in Headquarters and 30 addi- tional clerical vacancies in the field. CIA has historically utilized spouses of their employees to satisfy clerical requirements in the field. This has obviated the need to sendSecretaries around the world at a significant annual savings. This hiring freeze, while precluding us from SQL- .,,'clerical requirements overseas, is also precluding us from satisfying these requirements in the most efficient manner. This is just one example of our clerical difficulties. Others of equal magnitude exist everywhere in the Agency. Applicants in Process The CIA's selection and processing pipeline that I have previously described is a very expensive one. Nearly 80 percent of the prospective employees. that CIA had in process on the 20th of January fall into one of the Hard-to-Get ccuuational categories just described--those skilled areas that are presently most critical to the CIA. Because of the sunk costs in these prospec- tive employees and the fact that we will ultimately hire only 250 a so of them, I would propose that the CIA not interrupt this processing and that those who survive the process be allowed to enter on duty. 8 Approved For Release 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B0089OR000500110003-0 Approved For Release 2003/08/13 : CIA-RDP84B0089ORGO0500110003-0 I further request that CIA be authorized to continue to hire in those Hard-to-Get occupational categories listed above with the understanding that we will not exceed the authorized ceiling at any time in an;cxiny one of them.. William J. Casey Approved For Release 2003/08/1$ : CIA-RDP84B0089OR000500110003-0