OFFICE ACCOMMODATIONS OF THE (Sanitized)(U)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85-00988R000100080001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 23, 2005
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 3, 1981
• Content Type: MF

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1981
MEMORANDUM FOR: Acting Deputy Director for Administration
THROUGH: Deputy Director for Science and Technology
FROM: M. Corley Wonus
Director of Technical Service
SUBJECT: Office Accommodations of the Office of Technical
Service (OTS) (U)
1. The Headquarters of the Office of Technical Service is housed
in three buildings, commonly referred to as East, Central and South
Buildings, across 23. r ent in the _t_rPPt rom the State Naval Hospital area. re located in
these buildings. Although o these are lovely buildings, situated
in one of the most elegant parts of the northwestern District of
Columbia, and potentially offer some of the best accommodations
available to the Federal Government. However, these buildings are
maintained by the General Services Administration (GSA), and because
of the gross negligence of that organization in maintaining these
buildings, they now represent possibly the worst accommodations in
the Washington area. (C)
2. This situation has reached a point where some action must
be taken, primarily because of the impact of these working conditions
on the productivity and morale of the OTS people, plus the safety
and health factors involved. These conditions have been well-
defined in the past, the most current official finding presented in
the recent I.G. survey of OTS. I wish to emphasize at this point
that Jim McDonald and his people have focused an unusual amount of
attention on these problems, and I am most grateful for their efforts,
but it is apparent that the GSA system must be approached at a
higher level if we expect to get any relief from the present
conditions. (C)
3. Some of the perplexing problems we find it necessary to
live with are as follows: (U)
a. The environment within the buildings is harsh
in both winter and summer. For example,
citing some recent statistics, the heat was-
turned off in East Building at noon on 16 and
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SUBJECT: Office Accommodations of the Office of Technical Service (OTS)
(U)
19 January for no apparent reason. On 19
January at 0800 the temperature in Room 266B
was 40 degrees (F) and at 1400 on that date
it was 58 degrees (F). Heat is rarely on in
East Building after 1500, no matter what the
outside temperature is. We have found,
incidentally, that this problem may relate
to the fact that this element of GSA has not
yet received its GSA Energy Conservation
Award, and that this "conservation" effort
is related to their making a maximum effort
to justify such an award.
b. A high percentage of the internal areas of
all three buildings is in bad need of paint,
or as a minimum, in bad need of sufficient
and sustained cleaning. Litter, dirt and
unsightly trash cans are common features of
our hallways, stairwells and external
grounds. These and other features are
clearly contrary to acceptable health and
safety rules and regulations.
c. The exteriors of the buildings are in
similarly shameful shape. The grass is
rarely mowed during the summer months, and
weeds are permitted to grow to heights of
4-5 feet before they possibly receive
attention, if at all. I am advised that
my own people have been forced to chop down
weeds around their buildings in order to
see out the window.
d. The exterior trim of Central Building is
badly in need of paint. OTS people find it
difficult to believe that sufficient funds
are not available to improve the external
appearance of the buildings, since we
watched last summer as a beautiful $40,000
granite ramp for the handicapped was added
to the South Building. (Handicapped people
frequenting South Building have great
difficulty using the ramp because it is
not wide enough.)
4. I could go on with a long list of deficiencies such as this,
but I believe the foregoing is sufficient to show that OTS personnel
are forced to work in an environment significantly below the standards
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MW
SUBJECT: Office Accommodations of the Office of Technical Service (OTS)
(U)
of other Agency Headquarters personnel, a condition we all find
difficult to understand. Over the many years of the existence of this
Office the OTS (TSD) people have established themselves as highly
dedicated, professional people who consistently contribute in a very
significant way to the overall mission of this Agency, and accordingly,
I (and they) believe that they should be treated with the same respect
and attention as their associates in other parts of the Agency. For
example, I have been advised that some of our key officers are
actually ashamed to have their contractor personnel visit them because
of the shameful state of their office facilities. (U)
5. OTS people have great difficulty understanding why the
situation must remain as it is because they are fully aware of the
-environments in which their associates in other parts of the Agency
and government work. For example, we assume we are paying the same
rates for GSA support as State and the adjacent Naval Hospital area,
yet, on a daily basis as we pass those facilities, we see that they
are obviously maintained with the greatest of attention. Having
other properly maintained government installations in our immediate
area, with high visibility to our OTS people, tends to add insult
to injury. OTS people are obviously being treated as if they were
"second class citizens", and for a number of reasons, including their
high degree of professionalism and dedication, they deserve more
attention and respect from senior Agency management. (U)
6. Because of a variety of factors, OTS management over the
years has been faced with a difficult task of maintaining morale
within the ranks and also in the past has had difficulty retaining
strong technical people. I am faced with these same problems which
have confronted my predecessors. The foregoing factors contribute
in a rather significant way, I think, to both these problems. This
depressing work environment will continue to contribute to these
problems, as it surely has in the past. (U)
7. This matter may be simply summarized. The highest levels
of Agency management have not been persistent enough with GSA, and
as a consequence, one of the most productive elements of this
Agency now resides in distinctly substandard accommodations, an
embarrassing situation which impacts in a significant way on the
morale, productivity and pride of some of the most outstanding
professionals in our business. This situation has undoubtedly had
an adverse impact on the net effectiveness of OTS in the past, and
that negative impact will continue as the situation continues to
worsen. (U)
M. Coi ey Wonus
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legislation relief, we will. continue during the coining sess: of Congress to
significantly reduce the types of intelligence information subject to FOIA.
C. How to Overcome GSA Inadequacies and Provide
the Required Level of Support to Agency Activities
GSA's historical unresponsiveness to CIA requirements has forced this
Agency to use its staff to augment GSA responsibilities-- professional
personnel that could be more effectively utilized in directly accomplishing
CIA tasks. A recent DDA-initiated study recommends that the Agency strive for
a GSA delegation of certain specific authorities. We already exercise
delegated authorities in ADP Procurement and in the acquisition of office
space up to.5,000 square feet. We intend to pursue our recommendations to
receive delegation of specific authorities from GSA for such activities as
acquisition of leased space, reimbursable work, and maintenance
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D. New Building on the Headquarters Compound
In the next year, we will pursue the establishment of a Building Planning
Staff whose purpose will be to begin a program of external building
consolidation in new facilities on the Headquarters Compound. Activities at
12 buildings (6 separate locations) in Metropolitan Washington, D.C. would be
consolidated on the Headquarters Compound with resultant increased efficiency,
productivity, security enhancement, and reductions in day-to-day operating
costs.
V1. Areas of Anticipated Decision Requirement in
February-April 1931
Appointment of a Deputy Director for Administration
V11. Problems Unique to the Directorate or Office
That Need Attention Over the Longer Run
B. Information Handling
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