SOVIET INTERVIEW PROJECT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88G00186R000700870015-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2010
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: February 11, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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C ; . SUBJECT FILE COPY
STAT
STATE
J I /-H I
ILLEGIB
ROUTING AND REC4 r , T ' I E D [ ) C i ' , F ` ;. ,i~ EI3Rl:~K'i
. Approval
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T
tar- _ 0 9/ 8S
11 February 1985
MEMORANDUM FOR: epu -~e~t epee
VIA: ,Deputy Director for Intelligence
'Deputy Director for Adm;nistration
Acting Director of Soviet Analysis
SUBJECT: Soviet Interview Project
1. ACTION REQUESTED: waiver of regulation requiring Agency prior
approval of contract-supported publications.
2. SOVA has requested that the DI Contract Team solicit a proposal from
the National Council for Soviet and East European Research (NCSEER) for the
conduct of Phase 2 of a totally unclassified research study on the Soviet
Union based on interviews of Soviet emigrants--the Soviet Interview Project
The project has been warmly
endorsed by both Admiral Turner and Mr. Casey. Due to academic sensitivities
that no longer obtain, Phase 1 was formally administered through the
Department of State, which now wishes to relinquish this role. Phase 2 will
support important extensions of the work undertaken in Phase 1 and bring to
completion analysis that should significantly enhance our knowledge of Soviet
society and institutions. There is no alternative practical way of obtaining
this information.
3. However, current Agency regulations stipulate that a contract signed
with NCSEER must include the following clause:
"The Contractor agrees to submit any proposed publications
or other submissions incorporating part or all of any
report(s) required by this contract to the Contracting
Officer for review and approval prior to publication."
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This clause would also have to be agreed to by the prime subcontractor, the
University of Illinois, and by a host of its subcontractors in academia.
4. The clause has already resulted in the rejection over the past two
years of Agency contract solicitations of unclassified research by a number of
universities--including the University of Illinois. Both NCSEER and the
University of Illinois have told us that they cannot and will not accept the
clause, and we believe that this is true.
5. A broader review of the issue of blanket application of the prior
approval rule, particularly with respect to unclassified work in the social
sciences, will undoubtedly take some time. In the meantime, we request a
waiver of this rule as it applies to the SIP project. It has been the
understanding all along by all parties concerned with SIP that the Goverment--
whatever authority it has over quality control for reports submitted to it--
would not have the power to control outside publication of SIP results. All
the work is unclassified, and Agency sponsorship of SIP is now public
knowledge; there is consequently no security dimension to the question
whatever. Agency insistence on the clause would be rebuffed, and the ensuing
likely collapse of this large and prominent project would probably result in a
several year delay in publishing the findings. Moreover, it would evoke
widespread unhappiness with the Agency in academia and iifficulty in arranging
This memorandum is classified
Confidential in its entirety
2
CONFIDENTIAL
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SUBJECT: Soviet Interview Project
CONCUR:
Deputy Di rect r or me igence
-APPROVED:
u
I ' F .FS 1985
*1 have approved, on a one-time basis, a waiver of our regulation requiring prior approval
of contract-supported publications. This approval is applicable to the SIP program.
Cognisant technical personnel monitoring contractor performance will apply their best
efforts to insure that no classified information finds its way into contractor publications
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SUBJECT: Soviet Interview Project
SOVA/
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee's
1 - 'OCli
1-tMIR
1-
1 - DDI Registry
- DDA Registry
2 - AD/SOYA
1 - SOYA
4
CONFIDENTIAL
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V
13, es
YD: Name. office symbol, room number,
building, Agency/Post)
EO/DDA
Initials
Date
IL
ADDA
DDA s
4.
L
n
File
Note and Return
proyal
For Clearance
Per Cofnversation
Requested
For Correction
Prepare Reply
irculate
For Your Information
See Me
ment
Invests to
signature
l
Coordination
Justi
DO NOT use this form as a RECORD of approvals, concurrences, disposals,
clearances, and similar actions
FROM: (Nance, ors. symbol, Agency/Post)
5041-102 L- L 41 (Rev. 7-76)
GPO : 1981 0 - 361-529 (i48) FPMR 41 CFq 101-11.205
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ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
Soviet Interview Project
FROM:
EXTENSION
NO.
DATE
13 February 1985
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number etch comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
i.
1J
1 to 3:
Harry:
2. D /01L
Unless you feel there is some
compelling reason for sending
0
3
this to John for signature, it
3. DDA
is not necessary. You have the
7D18 Hqs.
authority to grant the waiver.
4.
Problems associated with
giving up review and approval
right on contractor publications
5.
are obvious. Classified or
sensitive information may
inadvertently be published, and
6.
we will have given up any right
to review or control the release.
Such an act could result in
7?
substantial embarrassment to the
Agency. The other side of the
coin is that we may insist on
B.
review and control of publica-
tion but lose the services of
academia.
9.
Recommend you grant one-time
waiver with caveats: "I have
10.
approved, on a one-time basis, a
waiver of our regulation
requiring prior approval of
11.
contract-supported publications.
This approval is applicable to
the SIP program. Cognizant
12.
technical personnel monitoring
contractor performance will
apply their best efforts to
13.
insure that no classified infor-
mation finds its way into
contractor publications."
14.
The broader issue of a
blanket waiver is under review
al
b
le
y
g
15.
FORM 610 USE PREVIOUS
1-79 EDITIONS
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