EXCOM MEETING ON EXECUTIVE TRAINING PROGRAM: 31 AUGUST 1983

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85B01152R001001300033-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2008
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: September 12, 1983
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2008/06/27: CIA-RDP85BOl 152RO01001300033-9
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SUBJECT: EXCOM Meeting on Executive Training Program:
31 August 1983.
1. Mr. Bean gave a short history of executive training
(Senior Seminar and SODC) plus a statement of objectives and a
brief discussion of the evolution of our program. He said that
SODC was like the Edsel-- a good car, but not doing well in the
market place.
2.I (followed with a briefing on the results of
the Executive Survey and a summary of OTE's proposal. He pointed
out some of the demographics of the present executive population
(average age, years of service, etc.)--emphasizing the large
numbers who will be eligible for retirement by 1989. He also
discussed the key events and skills identified as lacking by the
87 executives in the survey. The proposal for an executive
training program was based primarily on a need for flexibility to
meet the diverse needs of each directorate, shorter courses, a
common training experience, and consistently high quality. The
basic proposal was for a two to three week core course and series
of electives. (See attachments.)
3.I ((chairman) asked the members for their
comments. The DDA said that we need to have an executive
development program and the career services must select the
candidates early in their careers. Executive Training needs to
be mandatory. The A/DDO responded that he can send officers to
training if he can get more people--but the Headquarters staff is
spread pretty thin. The A/DDS&T observed that GS-13 officers
were not addressed in the OTE presentation. The career services
need to identify their comers at that level and OTE needs to
offer a sequenced training program: GS-13 through SIS. Also,
the GS-13's need to get training which prepares them to become
executives. He also asked what happened to the PDP/SODP and
Succession Lists. The EXDIR responded that it had become a paper
exercise. He noted the last paragraph of the OTE proposal
suggesting that the EXCOM review XD in all its dimensions, but
there was not a recommendation to pursue this from any of the
members and it was dropped.
4. The DTE said our problem has been in getting the
appropriate candidates into our courses. Frequently we get
whomever can be spared. D/PERS observed that XD training is only
one leg of the problem. OTE can't, do its job until the career
services focus on all the facets of XD and identify candidates
for rotational assignments and training. The EXDIR said that a
future date the EXCOM will need to discuss a broader approach to
developing junior officers for executive assignments. This would
include encouraging DO officers to take assignments outside their
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 Approved For Release 2008/06/27: CIA-RDP85B01152RO01001300033-9
CONFIDENTIAL
directorate, S&T officers to gain experience in aspects of Agency
operations other than the National programs, and the DA to
develop more officers with general overseas experience. The DDA
agreed that we need to build the DA generalist.
5. The EXDIR then focused on the Midcareer Course. We need
to ensure that our best GS-13's are enrolled--those who are to
become our next leaders.
6. The DDI (who had just returned to the room) said that
his problems are somewhat different. DI office directors, on the
average, still have ten more years of service and there is little
mobility--either laterally or upwards. The past XD program has
not worked well. Complicating the stagnation at the top is the
inexperience at the bottom. One third of the analysts are in
their probationary period and one half have less than five years
of service. Regarding training: Mr. Gates said it is hard to
pull an officer off in the middle of a crisis and we have plenty
of them! BUT--we are going to have to suffer a little to make
this program work. In addition, we must be careful to send only
our best officers--a few mediocre students can drag a course way
down. This needs to be an exciting and lively program and needs
to have prestige. To work it requires management pressure from
our (EXCOM) level.
7. The EXDIR suggested that requests to pull a student out
of this type of training be approved at his level (as it is for
the Training Selection Board courses). He then closed the
session with a decision to proceed with the program as presented
by OTE. He encouraged the DD's to endure some pain and look
after other XD initiatives within their directorates.
OTE/ED/ I(07 September 1983)
Approved For Release 2008/06/27: CIA-RDP85B01152RO01001300033-9