STATEMENT OF CIA OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00885R000901030005-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 6, 2009
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: February 16, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

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ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
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Statement of CIA Objectives and Pr'
FROM: R. EXTENSION NO.
E. Hinman
DD/SEIT DATE
6E56 Has 16 February 1984
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
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b
DATE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
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INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
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DCI
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FORM 61 O USE PREVIOUS
I-79 EDITIONS
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DD/SiT-132-84
16 February 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
VIA: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Executive Director
SUBJECT: Statement of CIA Objectives and Principles
1. Your challenge to us in your 24 January speech has already had some
meaningful effects. While at first there was some skepticism, and I am sure
we will see additional skepticism downstream, your expressed desire to make
this Agency and its people even better than they are today is having a
positive reaction on the morale of the organization. As you suggested, I let
each of my office directors attack the problem in his own desired manner.
Some followed organizational lines in discussing and rewriting your strawman
statement, others went along task force routes, and one or two operated with
only small numbers of individuals. All methods seemed to produce meaningful
dialogue and some good ideas. Jim and I have taken the different inputs that
we received and have put together the attached statement of how CIA
objectives and principles are seen at the SUIT Directorate level. I have also
attached portions of Bob Kohler's statement of Agency objectives which
includes five very interesting fundamental principles worthy of your
attention.
2. As the rewritten statements came back to me they were accompanied by
various inputs, some of which I think are worthy of passing along.
a. There is concern about how the CIA budget is prepared. It is
very difficult to have some "do it, fix it, try it" in the Agency when
several staffs must consider any new budget item regardless of cost. In
this connection it is significant to note that only a very small number
of employees have originated many of our new programs or activities.
While it is true that in any organization only a few people will come up
with most of the ideas, the bureaucratic nature of our organization has
had a stifling effect on personal initiative. With this as the
background, two suggestions were made for your consideration.
(1) That you as the DCI take back from the Directorates a small
number of positions and a modest amount of funds for supporting new
initiatives aimed at attacking foreign intelligence problems. This
"pool" would be totally separate from the Director's reserve for
contingencies and could be more flexibly applied because OMB and
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Congressional briefings would not be required and, more importantly,
personnel positions to implement the activity could readily be made
available. I stress foreign intelligence because no pool is large
enough to satisfy covert action initiatives which because of
Congressional sensitivities should properly be considered separately
within the normal budget process.
(2) That you organize small, "go do it" task forces to deal
with what you view as critical areas and that you provide from your
"pool" the positions and funds for the task forces. The task forces
could then take on the qualities of "get it done" rather than those
of a staff which produces papers which only another staff can read.
b. While we recognize that the Agency's employees are our most
important asset and that they should be properly rewarded for their
efforts, we tend to put obstacles in the way of those who try to reward
their employees. For example, in order to award a Quality Step Increase
the approval of a Deputy Director and the Director of Personnel is
required regardless of the level of the individual being recognized.
This consumes a vast amount of unnecessary paperwork, wastes time and
results in rewarding an outstanding piece of work many months after that
work has been completed. We need to build a system where we can provide
rewards at lower levels, almost on-the-spot, for outstanding pieces of
work. Immediate supervisors in many companies have the authority to
hand out a cash award of $200 - $250 for unusual performance. I would
like to see something like that instituted in our Agency. I would be
more than happy to allocate some money at the beginning of the year to
my office directors so that they could further allocate these funds for
this purpose. I am sure that we have a lot of regulations that say that
we cannot do this, but I think we should strive to write some
implementing directives.
c. Our managers should be given authority to specify the
appropriate grade levels for new positions in their organization rather
than having to wait for months for PMCD (because they are short-handed)
to evaluate the new positions. Many deserving individuals today cannot
be promoted because the positions that they are working in have not been
assigned specific grades. This, of course, is due to the fact that we
are presently in a growth mode.
3. The above suggestions are just a few of the items that we could look.
at and possibly change if the employees are to understand that we have a
flexible organization which is striving for excellence.
4. There are a number of things which we in S4T need to do if we are to
continue to hire and retain the quality of individuals that we have in our
organization. We have been coming up with some off-the-wall ideas during the
past two or three weeks and I intend before too much time. goes by to
implement some of the worthy ideas in order to get everyone to participate in
the management of our Directorate.
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5. In summary, I perceive our people are eager to have a statement of
Agency purpose and principles. They are generally optimistic and have good
expectations about the Agency's work. There is, however, a definite feeling
that as an Agency, we are beginning to suffer from bureaucratic hardening of
the arteries. For example, we have just reviewed our budget base with our
office directors identifying the lowest 3-5% of our activities. There were
almost no cancellations of things we are currently doing. I believe this is
not just a DST phenomenon. Unlike industry there is no incentive in
government for a program manager to end a marginally "profitable" operation.
If this general perception is true, the problem should be high on the list
for management attention throughout the Agency.
3
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PURPOSES-GOALS-PRINCIPLES
OF THE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Introduction
The CIA was chartered by the National Security Act of 1947. We have
operated for more than 35 years under that Act, as amended. We perform two
fundamental functions in the service of national security: production of all
source intelligence and the conduct of special activities. The customers for
these services are the departments and agencies of the U.S. Government
charged with maintaining the security of the United States. To accomplish
our mission we conduct worldwide operations interconnected by modern
communications and maintained by a wide variety of support activities. We
also maintain a broad competent staff of professional experts in our
corporate headquarters in the United States on many subjects covering all
nations of the world.
Purposes
The purposes of the Central Intelligence Agency are to provide a broad
variety of information on matters concerning the security of the U.S. to the
various departments and agencies responsible for corresponding national
interests including defense, foreign relations, international economics,
foreign commerce, and nuclear proliferation; and to conduct special
activities in support of the vital interests of the U.S. as directed by the
National Security Council.
Goals
o To become the world's most effective intelligence organization in
collection, processing, analysis and production of national security
information, and in the efficiency and effectiveness of special
activities conducted in the interests of national security.
customers as
o satisfy
may change all wiof our th changing
needs effectively
currently exthe ist information
and as t they needs
their
conditions, worldwide.
o To lead the Intelligence Community in the quality and timeliness of, its
intelligence products and services.
Principles
1. The people of CIA are its most valued asset. CIA seeks to recruit,
develop, motivate, reward and retain the best people. It is committed to
providing equal employment opportunities and to supporting its personnel in
all aspects of their jobs. Employees of CIA will:
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o have the opportunity to use their talents to the fullest in
work that provides c allenge, responsibility, and the freedom
to innovate;
o have comprehensive training support to do their jobs
effectively during all stages of their careers;
o be rewarded fairly and objectively, based on merit, for their
controns, irrespective of position or stage of career
development;
o participate in significant ways in all decisions that directly
affect their jobs or working environment;
o be expected to perform their work with skill, to anticipate
problems, to search for new and better ways to do their jobs,
and to adapt to new challenges and a changing environment; and
o act in a manner consistent with good security practices.
2. All of the activities of the CIA shall be conducted under the
Constitution and laws of the United States. The intelligence produced by the
CIA will be balanced, objective and based on factual information derived from
all available sources. CIA employees will conduct themselves in their daily
work within the Intelligence Community with professional integrity and
fairness; they will be mindful that any of their actions may reflect on the
Agency and its mission.
13. Management of the CIA is based on anticipating national security
problems and their associated intelligence requirements. It actively seeks
new and improved ways of collecting, processing and analyzing information
from many different sources, using advanced technology to maximum
effectiveness. It is dedicated to fostering initiative and providing an
environment in which innovation and creativity are encouraged.
4. CIA's value and performance are measured in direct proportion to the
usefulness of its services to its customers. The usefulness of CIA's
services, in. turn, are principally measured by the timeliness, completeness
and accuracy of its intelligence products and by the effectiveness of its
special activities.
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Attachment
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Statement of Objectives
The achievements of the CIA are the result of the combined
efforts of each individual in the organization working toward
common objectives. These objectives should be realistic, should
be clearly understood and should reflect the Agency's basic
character and personality.
If an organization is to fulfill its objectives, it should
strive to meet certain fundamental principles:
- First, the most capable person available should be selected
for each assignment within the CIA. Moreover, everyone
should have the opportunity--through training and job
experience--to enhance their skills-and capabilities. This
is especially important in the intelligence business, where
the rate of change is very rapid. Techniques that are good
today may be outdated in the future, and people throughout
the organization should continually be looking for new and
better ways to accomplish their tasks.
- Second, every member of the CIA must strive to achieve
excellence in everything he or she does. The reputation of
this Agency is built on the excellence of its staff, its
work and its products. Excellence must become a way of
life to all members of the CIA.
- Third, enthusiasm should exist at all levels. People in
management positions should not only be enthusiastic
themselves but must engender enthusiasm among their
associates. There can be no place, especially among those
charged with management responsibility, for half-hearted
interest or half-hearted effort.
- Fourth, we must strive to manage all our efforts well. We
cannot achieve "excellence in all we do" without achieving
excellence in managing. It is the fundamental
responsibility of all in the organization to recognize this
important fact. It is also important that all managers in
the organization develop new managers. It should be the
goal of all managers to be actively developing successors
for themselves.
- Fifth, all levels should work in unison toward common
objectives and avoid working at cross-purposes. Only in
this way will the ultimate in efficiency and achievement be
obtained.
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It is my philosophy to avoid a tight military-type
organizational structure, but rather to have overall
organizational objectives which are clearly stated and agreed to,
and to give individuals the freedom to work toward their
objectives in a way they determine best for their own area of
responsibility. It is the purpose of this set of CIA objectives
to assist all employees in making decisions that affect both CIA's
interest and your future.
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