LETTER (SANITIZED) FROM WILLIAM J. CASEY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B00443R001304040112-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 112
• Content Type: LETTER

I
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CentraI Ii fence Agency I
20 January 1983
83-0368/1
STAT Dear
I very much appreciate your taking the time and
having the interest to write me so thoughtfully about
the SIS Bonus system. Be assured that I will give
your concerns careful attention and see that they are
fully considered by others to whom I look for counsel.
William J. sey
Director of Centr 1 Intelligence
STAT
Office of Research and Development
612 Ames Building
DISTRIBUTION by ES/ER
Orig - Addressee
1 - 0/DCI (W/Incoming Ltr)
1 - DDCI (W/Incoming Ltr)
1 - EXDIR (W/Incoming Ltr)
1 - D/PERS (W/Incoming Ltr)
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17 January 1983
Mr. Director,
I want to thank you for your kind words which accompanied my SIS Bonus. It
makes me very happy that the senior managers of the Agency think sufficiently
highly of my performance that I would be considered favorably for such an honor.
Adding to my feelings of gratitude is the fact that this is my second
consecutive award of this type.
I am, however, in a position where I must bring to your attention a
suggestion which will appear ungrateful. I firmly believe that you should use
your authority as Director of Central Intelligence to eradicate the SIS Bonus
System. You should know that I was on record to the Deputy Director of Science
and Technology prior to receiving my award with this same suggestion. I also
told Mr. Hineman when he presented me with my award that I would be making this
suggestion to you.
My recommendation is based on the following observations. First of all, I do
not believe that the SIS Bonus System serves in any way to achieve reasonable
objectives. I do not believe that it spurs anyone on to higher levels of
achievement, and I am convinced that it does not reinforce }tehavior patterns or
work habits that are sought.
I seriously doubt that anyone in the Senior Intelligence Service chooses to
do something or to avoid doing something on the basis that the act might affect
his/her standing in the Bonus deliberations. To argue such a point, would imply
that money is a strong motivator for people at that level. In light of many
recent issues regarding the pay scales for all Federal employees, I doubt that
such a position could be cogently defended. From a personal standpoint, I can
assure you that I never once considered how any action of mine in the past year
would affect in any way my "image" during bonus deliberations.
The SIS Bonus System is not a reasonable reinforcer of behavior
characteristics because it comes far too long after the fact of the behavior.
Although I am not a psychologist, there is ample evidence in psychology to show
that reinforcement must be proximal to the behavior if it is to be effective.
Personally, I cannot list for you the characteristics which I should strive to
keep in front of my supervisors in order to be eligible for next year's bonuses.
I have tried to perform my duties to my own internal standards of excellence and
have never hesitated to do something because a little more effort would make the
action look better to my supervisors. Thus the existence of the bonus has not
made me consciously alter any of my actions.
Fundamentally, I cannot work "smarter" than I am; and I have never even
considered working harder or longer at my job than I do. Therefore, I have
difficulty in understanding how to affect my stature in bonus deliberations.
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At this point, allow me to present some second-hand information. I believe
that the members of the DDS&T Career Service Board consider the bonus
deliberations to be their most onerous task. I believe those meetings do not
produce the same degree of satisfaction as do promotion sessions or sessions
devoted to Special Achievement award nominations. I have specificly heard the
word "loathsome" used as a descriptor for such deliberations, and a portion of
the uneasiness seems to stem from the fact that general performance as opposed
to specific achievement or specific suitability for an assignment need be
evaluated.
If the absence of positive movement toward personnel goals and my perception
of malaise on the part of members of the DDS&T Career Service Board were the
only problems with the SIS Bonus System, I would not be writing this letter. I
believe, however, that on top of the absent positive aspects, there are distinct
costs associated with the program. The most obvious costs are the time and
money consumed by the process. If they do not achieve very positive ends, these
costs should be eliminated. To argue that the bonuses are recognition of
specific achievement is laudatory (perhaps even noble); but certain facts deny
such an assertion. For example, on 12 October 1982, my notes from our Office
staff meeting show that there was an announcement of the number of bonuses to be
"allocated to" the DDS&T. This date is in advance of any rankings or
nominations of individuals for such awards. If in fact these are truly
performance awards, then it is not possible to announce "Directorate
allocations" before the fact. I am sure that I do not have to argue very
strongly that quotas and excellence are usually in opposition and not in
consonance. John Gardiner, in his book Excellence, makes the argument much more
eloquently than I can and I would choose to associate myself with his remarks.
Over and above the elimination of costs, the SIS Bonus System engenders
feelings of guilt and resentment among people. These are not part of the
objectives of the program in any way. I feel guilty to some extent about my
award because I cannot say specificly why I received it. I merely did my job to
my own professional standards and was paid for so doing it. I know that there
is resentment on the part of certain of my colleagues who did not receive
awards. They know for certain that I do not walk on water and that I have erred
during the past year in my pursuit of my goals. While not explicitly stated
(because it is not part of the American ethos), they wonder rightly why their
errors were viewed more malignantly than were mine. Such feelings of resentment
and guilt are, to my mind, too great a burden to pay for a system that does not
produce a large amount of positive benefits.
On the basis of everything above, I believe that you should eliminate the SIS
Bonus System from the Agency. Since the SIS system itself was established with
the stroke of a pen by your predecessor, I would assume that such a modification
to the system would be as easily accomplished. I do not argue that the entire
SIS system should be abolished since other aspects of the system are beneficial;
rather, I recommend that the bonus process be removed and the rest of the system
be left intact. In fact, I have no quarrel with the large SIS bonuses presented
to those few SIS Officers for clear and obvious accomplishment beyond normal
expectations. I would argue, however, that the mechanism for such recognition
exists outside the SIS system and predates the SIS system.
I can think of at least two possible uses for the money currently allocated
to the SIS bonuses which would provide more positive incentives and more
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generally useful ends. It is interesting to note that the Office of Personnel
has used the existence of the bonus system twice in the last year or so to
justify certain personnel policies which probably create more disaffection than
the bonus system can ever hope to assuage. These policies were the
ineligibility of SIS Officers for Special Achievement Awards (where the action
rewarded and the behavior to be reinforced is indeed explicit) and the
generation of a new SIS payscale which will necessitate multiple sub-scales and
to my mind denies the principle of equal pay for equal work.
I am at a loss to come up with a way of demonstrating to you the depth of my
conviction about this issue. I have considered offering to donate my bonus this
year to the Agency Educational Aid Fund if the system were abolished. But I
realize that a "grandstand play" is not an avenue to serious consideration.
Additionally, I am sure that no one cares how I dispose of the bonus money. I
can only hope that my words here are sufficiently provocative that you will
consider them for what they are - a reasoned expression of genuine concern.
I would be pleased to expand any or all of the above arguments for you in any
format or forum you choose. I reiterate that I am honored by the award but I
would have been equally honored by your letter absent the check. These thoughts
are mine alone, but copies of this letter have been given to several managers in
the DDS&T as a courtesy.
Sincerely,
DDS&T/ORD
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