STATEMENT OF GOALS, PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS FOR CIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00885R000901030001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 6, 2009
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 17, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/06: CIA-RDP86B00885R000901030001-3
o
+k 'ILI
2!ce//e,c2.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/06: CIA-RDP86B00885R000901030001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/06: CIA-RDP86B00885R000901030001-3
SECRET
17 FEB 1984
DD/O L_03_1`~ Is"
MEMORANDUM FOR: Acting Director of Central Intelligence
VIA: Executive Director
FROM: John H. Stein
Deputy Director for Operations
SUBJECT: Statement of Goals, Principles
and Standards for CIA
1. As you directed in your remarks to employees on 24
January 1984, we are forwarding to you the views of the
Directorate of Operations (DO) on a revised statement of goals.
The ideas for revision, derived from the Directorate's 16 com-
ponents, are summarized below to avoid repetition. The
attachment contains the original contributions from each
component within the Directorate.
2. The DO components generally agree that the idea of
setting forth a statement of objectives is good and that the
draft statement of goals can stand on its own. However, more
than half of the contributions received suggested that the
statement of goals should be more concise and to the point, so
that it is easily readable and easily etched in the mind of the
reader. The inscription in the Headquarters Building lobby was
suggested as a fully adequate "goals statement" in and of
itself.
3. Uniformally, DO concensus of what we are and what we
are about can be summarized as follows:
--CIA is an elite cadre of federal workers,
but one which continuously reexamines
and readjusts its mission to the needs
of the USG's foreign and security policies.
--Our mission is to provide policymakers with
accurate, objective intelligence on a timely
basis for the protection of national security;
to protect U.S. interests from activities of
hostile foreign intelligence services and
terrorist groups; to support U.S. foreign
policy through special activities at the
direction of the President; and to coordinate
the total U.S. foreign policy intelligence
effort.
CL BY SIGNER
SECRET DECL OADR
\1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/06: CIA-RDP86B00885R000901030001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/06: CIA-RDP86B00885R000901030001-3
SECRET
--The public at large has a poor image of the
Agency, of what we do, of why and how we do it
and of our contribution to national security
and the promotion of ethical foreign policy;
and that we need a strong public reeducation
program to assist in public acceptance of our
mission.
--The Agency's strength and source of integrity
are its people. Care and attention are required
to select, train, manage and reward this, our
most valuable asset.
--There should be greater emphasis on the responsi-
bility of senior management to CIA personnel.
Without a greater perception that management is
making a sustained effort to improve benefits and
recognition, it will be increasingly difficult to
recruit and retain suitably qualified personnel.
We must, in the managerial ranks, provide leader-
ship that, by example, inspires trust and honesty,
and generates motivation.
4. Expanding on these basic themes, excellence derives
from the fact that the Directorate is small, motivated,
internally competitive, responsive, and attracts high caliber
officers in spite of modest material reward. We must focus
resources on what is important to national security in order to
satisfy intelligence needs while retaining the qualities of size
motivation, flexibility and excellence.
5. Following the model of the exemplar, below are the
composite views of DO personnel:
Purpose: To provide accurate, comprehensive intelli-
gence information, analysis and support to a broad range of
consumers that is timely and best suited for enhancing national
security and bolstering policy.
Organization: We have a leadership role within the
intelligence community which requires that we work closely with
other members of the community to ensure that consumer needs are
well-defined and that roles and responsibilities of the
community members are clearly understood and well-coordinated.
SECRET
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/06: CIA-RDP86B00885R000901030001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/06: CIA-RDP86B00885R000901030001-3
, - :
SECRET
Ethics: Our activities are conducted under the
Constitution-and laws of the United States. Because of the
classified nature of our activities, we must police ourselves
and conduct ourselves in such a way as to justify completely the
trust imposed in us by the citizens of the United States. We
should exemplify the finest tradition of service to our country
at all times.
People: Our people, whether clerical or upper manage-
ment, are t e root source of our capabilities. The special
nature of our work requires a special elite; many seek
employment, but only a few are chosen. We can be only as good
as the people we employ. Dedication and a desire to serve are
motivations crucial to an effective organization and should be
recognized. Talent and ability should be encouraged; integrity
should be rewarded.
Management: Our responsibility is to foster
initiatives an creativity by allowing the individual great
freedom of action in attaining well-defined objectives, while
requiring efficiency, accountability and results at all levels.
Managers should be selected for their ability to inspire
enthusiasm and to promote excellence in pursuit of our goals and
based on their own performance.
Measure of Results: Our success is measured primarily
by the contribution o our intelligence product to the
formulation of policy. This contribution is more a function of
the quality than the quantity of our product. We must ensure
that our product is the best that collective effort can achieve,
with community input always sought. Our "no surprises" policy
calls for ensuring that decision-makers do not have to act in
an intelligence vacuum.
Attachment:
As Stated
o tein
3
SECRET
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/11/06: CIA-RDP86B00885R000901030001-3