NATIONAL PHOTO INTERPRETATION CAPABILITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81T00990R000100070026-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2002
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: March 27, 1963
• Content Type: STUDY

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CIA/PID(NPIC)-49/63
27 March 1963
National Photo InterPretation Capability
Problem: To insure a stable, qvalified, productive photo interpretation
manpower pool under the Director, NPIC.
Assumptions:
1. That the DIA and CIA detachments will each have a senior, well-
qualified officer in charge, each having his own staff of senior super-
visory personnel.
2. That each detachment will have a well-organized, well-qualified
group of employees, primarily photo interpreters.
3. That each detachment will have as its primary goal the produc-
tion of national photo interpretation as directed in NSCID 03 and a sec-
ondary goal of departmental support of its parent organization.
4. That each detachment will have its own problems and regalations
in the fields of recruiting, hiring, firing, discipline, career devel-
opment, performance rating, leave, etc.
5. That the quality, quantity, and timeliness of the national
photographic interpretation produced. at NPIC viii be the mutual concern
of the DIA and CIA detachments and effected by the most productive and
efficient use of the best qualified ani most profieient photo inter-
pretation peraonnel making up the bulk of both detachments.
F cts:
1. Flexibility Of ad hoc assignment has paid handsome dividends to
NPIC.
2. The flexibility of the current system of staffing both national
and departmental work has been successful and manageable. Direction
and production control has been the problem, but this can be remedied
by proper implementation of the organizational mechanism currently in
existence, i.e., the Operations Board and the Operations Staff dis-
charging their assigned responsibilities.
3. C/A personnel assigned to national work have made a major con-
tribution on departmental work by Working for PID at night and on week-
ends, and at other times when not needed on national work. Likewise,
departmental work has served to greatly strengthen national reporting,
e.g., NEB work with STL, and DD/P project work. A particularly potable
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example being the disinterest by NPIC in mom a long period Of UM*
during whidh the departmental PI effort contii004 unabated, and was
found tabs of great value when the national interest picked up. len
per ience hos been somewhat parallel in departeettal work in the Fel-
East.
4. Detailed P/ work, including working with analysts, consultants,
eto!produces the beet photo interpreter, whereas a heavy diet of inmPal-
ate reit does not contribute much in developing PI capability. The
greatest percentage of work with analysts and consultants has been at
the departmental level.
5. Based on past experience, and using a two-year base period, men
aosigned to national work on an ad hoc basis spend far in excess of 50%
of their time on national work. However, over the sane two-year base
period, a man assigned on a one-year tour in PAD would, be available for
national work for only 50,6 of a two-year base period.
6. If a Photo Analysis Division is set up every CIA and DIA man
will be serving two different division organizations--one for substan-
tive content of work and the other for career development, performance
rating, and all other administrative aspects of his employment.
7, In the case of the CIA PI most of his beet working tools,
e.g., stereogrems, comparative cover, foreign and domestic ground photog-
raphy, etc., exist as working files of his PTD, branch. This includes
thousands of items of controlled material for which the branch is re-
sponsible, existing at Single copies only, and built up over years of
wOr.
8. A man gone for a year from his home branch is distinctly at a
disadvantage as to career development in comparison to men working full
time in the branch. Time will be lost and productivity will sag due to
reassignment from joint to departmental work following a year's tour.
9. PID will have to duplicate effort in order to serve depart-
mental interests in major intelligence fields if CIA PI's assigned to
PAD are unapproachable for departmental briefings, consultations, etc.
10. Current trends in requirements indicate that certain personnel
assigned to full-time national work will not be needed for Immediate read-
out at all time.
11. Last, but not least, morale is an Important factor to consider.
' The CIA Fl shop has to date attracted many well qualified Pl's who prefer
to work under conditions offered by CIA. The dedication and initiative
diaplayed by PID PI's is 4 reflection of such conditions.
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Discussion:
It is believed that one CIA photo intelligence group, rather than
two can best serve the nrtional effort as well as departmental needs,
Ad LDIC assignment of personnel to national end departmental work will
permit the utilisation of the best qualified men for the most demnding
jabs and at the snme time promote the eentinued development of the
very best all-around PI shop in the b4einess. Flexibility of the ad hoc
assignment system offers many advantages over a rigid separation of
national and departmental vor.
Recommendatioes;
1. The term "joint area" is deeply ingrained and will probably
continue to be the term used to refer to the area on the 3rd floor? -
south -where national PI projects are worked. It is recommended that
this area should be officially recognized as the "Joint Area "(JA),
the "Joint Photo Analysis Area" (JPAA), or the "National Photo Analysis
Area" WAAL
2. Operational support of the joint area should be the responsi-
bility of the NPIC Assistant for Operations in the form of a Joint
Photo Analysis Area Staff (JTAAS) with integrated staff Personnel
supplied by DIA and CIA.
3. Photo interpretatiOn personnel should be assigned from the
DIA and CIA detachments on a project by project banis in whatever
nuMbers needed to meet a fluctuating national workload. Itch detach-
ment is responsible for supplying 50% of PT personnel needed on national
work. Personnel not required on national work would return to their
detachments for departmental work, training, leave, etc.
4. Staffing of national project work should be accomplished by
a 3-man committee consisting of deeignees of the DIA-SIO, CIA-SIO,
and the Assistant for Operations. Zech of the detachment designees,
representing his SIO and the detachment branch chiefs, would bring the
best PI talent to bear on the problem at hand. The representative of
the NPIC Assistant for Operations Wield see that the JPAA (by directing
the JPAAS) was always ready for whatever type of operation was scheduled
and that non-PI staffing of joint projects was adequately accomplished
(editors graphics analysts collateral support, mensuration, photo
:iab, etc:). This 3-man comMittee could also be responsible for the
day-to-day supervision of the joint area.
5. Recommendation for release of NPI PT reports by the Director,
NPIC, would be by sign!-off of the DIA-SIO and the CIA-SIO.
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