EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CIA EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86M00886R002100150034-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 28, 2008
• Sequence Number: 34
• Publication Date: April 26, 1984
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/03/16: CIA-RDP86M00886R002100150034-9
SECRET
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY STAFF
26 April 1984
John,
Executive Registry
-/J 9 .84 23
The good news is 0T&E's candor in para-
graph 2, and the last sentence of paragraph 9.
The bad news is that I don't know how you and
Bill can allow all the self-incriminating and
organizationally debilitating attitudes and
resignations of paragraphs 4 and 5 and "if
possible" condition in paragraph 6.
If these conditions had existed over the
Agency's first 20 years, you could not have
succeeded to where you are now.
No magical solutions offered because there
are none, just ,toughLchoices.
Warm nersaral rPaarrIs,
:7c:4~t*M.1 ilK~:i.}Y:T:. y~^-a.~,N7::vY'4~: .~'l?a:.:;~,t ~~iNlNtg7:. ~.i':r~,tr~ti''~,ani4 if~'e: ._
INFdF ATION
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Executive Development in the CIA
Executive Summary
- Executive development is a problem of growing proportions in :,the 'Agency,
requiring the immediate and continuing attention of top management to ensure
that the CIA will continue to have leadership of the highest quality.
2 - Many executives, consider the Senior Officer Development Program as currently
constituted possible approach to selecting, training, and developing
an executive orce a will enable the CIA to meet traditional standards of
excellence.
3 - Because of the diversity in functions and experience of the various directorates, a
more systematic Agency-wide program for executive development, entailing cross-
directorate rotations, would be difficult to implement and generally is not
acceptable to the career services.
`F - The range of developmental needs is reflected in the large number of key
executives at or near retirement age, the relative youth of others, and the number
with less than ten years of Agency experience.
.r - Complicating this picture is a trend toward greater specialization in some
directorates, and the reduced opportunity foiunior officers to serve in assignments
a o portumties
gnments"an "c ges`tn career among o icers at t e and SIS-I
level are increasingly- rare.
C - To be most effective as an executive, an Agency officer's career should include a
progression of challenging developmental assignments in his/her basic career
service, t least one assignment outside that service to broaden
his/her Agei c7"Deiii a $1+e. These on-the-job experiences should be complemented
by internal and external training courses to help familiarize officers. with concepts
and techniques that can help him/her perform effectively at the executive level.
Such preparation can help the officer make the shift to an executive perspective,
and enhance his/her competence at managing complex intelligence activities.
- After considering various training options, including no internal executive training
program, and given the diversity of developmental needs found in the career
services, the Executive Development Staff of OT&E recommended a flexible
training program, comprising a core course to be attended by all officers on their
initial appointment to an SIS-level position, supplemented by a series of specialized,
elective seminars and mini-courses open to all officers in executive positions. That
program was approved by the Executive Committee on 31 August 1983.
d - The new executive core course, to be held 13-28 February 1984, will focus on those
skills which are in the purview of most Agency executives, such as dealing with
Congress, planning, delegating, preparing a b.udget, etc. It will encourage an
Agency outlook, and help them make the shift to an executive perspective.
By limiting the core course to SIS-level officers, we reduce the
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..miss rate" experienced when we attempt to train prospective executives in the
larger population of GS-14s and 15s.
Our study, although focused primarily on executive training, suggested that in
many respects the Agency has not kept pace with other Federal services nor with
much of industry in executive development. Too often our best officers can't be
spared for assignments intended to provide the breadth of outlook and experience
needed by future executives. Training can substitute for some of this, but _ `er~,ni-
iv
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Approved For Release 2009/03/16: CIA-RDP86M00886R002100150034-9