PROJECT FOCUS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91M00696R000600030037-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 22, 2004
• Sequence Number: 37
• Publication Date: December 19, 1974
• Content Type: MFR

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19 December 1974
total Mission reporting on host
(b)
country affairs;
Mission coverage of third
country
and hard target affairs;
(c)
the importance of selected installa-
tions in his area to national
intelligence objectives.
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Project FOCUS
1. Introduction. The Director of Central
Intelligence ~,as instructed the Chairman, USIB
Human Sources Committee to develop an assessment
mechanism to provide the DCI with an annual
letter to Chiefs of Mission stating Mr. Colby's
views on:
The letter is to provide the Chief of Mission "with
a regular and candid appraisal of the performance
of his Mission, viewed from [the DCI's] perspective,
and with appropriate comments as to the future."
Mr. Colby notes that "the Chief of Diplomatic
Mission has, in addition to his other duties, a
most important role in establishing local priorities,
targeting, developing new sources, and setting
patterns for utilization of resources to assure
Mission collection and reporting responsiveness to
the Key Intelligence Questions and other national
intelligence needs."
2. Project FOCUS of the Human Sources Committee
calls for a series of assessments to be conducted
during the coming months. Several procedures have
been developed within the HSC. FOCUS B would consist
of a number of assessments of Embassy reporting
acquired from seminar-like gatherings of selected
analysts from around the community. One end product
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of these assessments would be a letter from the DCI
to the appropriate Ambassador commenting on the
strengths and weaknesses of reporting, expressing
the DCI's appreciation of the Mission's past
contribution to national intelligence objectives,
and containing appropriate comments intended to
improve the situation even further in the future.
3. The Seminar. FOCUS B seminars would be
conducted regarding relatively simple Embassy
collection situations. The assessment portion of
the exercise usually would be jointly sponsored
by the appropriate NIO and by the HSC. During
half-day seminars, analysts~.from concerned Departments
and Agencies would discuss the adequacy appropriate-
ness, and utility of reporting
from a given Embassy E~ur r 1ng a par icular
problem). The discussion would be led by the NIO,
his assistant, or by another; designated person.
In all cases, a summary of the salient points
would be drafted, perhaps by the chairperson.
The summary would be circulated to the participants
for comments and suggestions. Ultimately, a paper
satisfactory to the NIO (or the chairperson) would
be sent to the HSC.
4. The usual procedure would be as follows.
(a) An agenda would be drafted by the chair-
person, in consultation with the seminar
participants. It would then be circulated
to participants for their consideration.
Ordinarily, the agenda would consist of
substantive topics or areas of concern.
(b) The seminar would be held. All participants
would be encouraged to be as forthright
and candid as possible.
(c) A summary of reporting strengths and
weaknesses would be prepared. The opinions
of the participants would be reflected,
though the comments of particular individuals
would not be identified as such.
(d) Comments and suggestions would be received
by the chairperson. He would react to
them to the extent that he felt necessary.
When he was satisfied with the draft, it
would be forwarded to the Human Sources
Committee.
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5. HSC Responsibilities. The HSC would
encourage NIO'participation in a FOCUS project;
facilitate . the: holding of seminars; provide staff
and other services, as requested; and occasionally
act as chairperson or reporter. The HSC Secre-
tariat will remain fully unformed of the progress
of the FOCUS assessment development, will receive
draft agendas, will attend seminar sessions, etc.
6. Upon receipt of the summary evaluation
from the seminar chairperson, the HSC will forward
the same to appropriate human source collection
managers, under cover an appropriate letter.
The human source collection managers will be asked
to consider the strengths and weaknesses of reporting
identified in the evaluation as these pertain to
the past activities of its collection elements,
the adequacy of intelligence guidance to its, collectors,
the particular collection environment involved, and
the possibility for improvements in future reporting.
The collection managers will be asked to respond in
writing through their HSC Member to the Chairman,
HSC regarding what they are doing in response to the
FOCUS assessment. This information will be put in
HSC files, will be available to Intelligence Community
managers, as appropriate, and may result in follow-up
activity by the Human Sources Committee-or by its
Chairman.
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8. DCI Letters. The DCI letters will be
drafted within the Secretariat, coordinated with
the ESG, the Chairman, the chairman of the FOCUS
seminar,: and other appropriate entities, before
being routed through the Intelligence Community
Staff to the Director of Central Intelligence.
These letters will reflect the FOCUS seminar
discussions, but will not go into that level of
detail. Moreover, the letters will be forward-
looking, stressing the DCI's hopes and expectations
for future reporting, and highlighting past contri-
butions of the Mission as a whole. The effort is
to encourage the Chief of Diplomatic Mission to more
fully assume his appropriate role "in establishing
local priorities, targeting, developing new sources,
and setting patterns for utilization of resources to
assure Mission collection and reporting responsiveness
to the Key Intelligence Questions and other national
intelligence needs." (See above for additional
language from the Letter of Instruction to the
Chairman, HSC.)
9. Ordinarily, the DCI letter will discuss
Mission reporting ',against particular substantive
concerns, but will not explicitly differentiate
between reporting from the various components of the
Mission. For example, the letter might deal with
reporting on economic matters, but may not indicate
who the originating component of such reporting happens
to be. On the other hand, when apparent misuses
of Embassy resources are identified in the FOCUS
seminar discussions or elsewhere, these will be called
to the Ambassador's attention, at Mr. Colby's option.
10. The DCI letter is intended to facilitate
the improvement of future reporting, not emphasize
the 'grading" of past reporting efforts. As the FOCUS
Project is a new effort, the HSC and other participants
expect to learn from their efforts and to modify
procedures as we progress.
11. Follow-on Guidance. Specific citations of
especially useful past reporting efforts, as cited
during the interagency seminar discussions, ordinarily
would not be included in the DCI letter, but may well
be transmitted through other channels to the appro-
priate Embassy component. Comments on past reporting
are an especially useful guidance tool. The FOCUS
effort is intended to encourage more meaningful
guidance activity, as the seminar participants learn
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from their own interaction more about the real
collection potentials of various Embassy
components.- Follow-on guidance activities will
be encouraged. In this connection, the HSC
suggests a number of guidance vehicles:
(a) secure interagency telephonic
conferences to selected Embassies
abroad. Conference facilities are
available in the HSC Secretariat.
(b) State official/informal letters.
These can be facilitated through HSC
channels.
(c) 'formal requirements. Interagency
requirements can be issued through
the HSC mechanism; other requirements
may be sent through regular require-
ments channels. Requirements should
be limited to those situations where
a specific tasking is necessary and
intended.
(d) the HSC-sponsored Current Intelligence
Reporting List and its companion
EIC-sponsored Economic Alert List.
These documents offer the possibility
of transmitting appropriate guidance
to a wide range of human source collectors.
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