An Overview of NSCIC, the NSCIC Working Group, and Other Consumer Contacts

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00506R000100150001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 25, 1975
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Releasq,3000/09/.4 :
. 25X1 A9a
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P84BO0506 0010015000.1-8 .
MEMORANDUM FOR:
SUBJECT: : An Overview of NSCIC, the NSCIC Working Group, and
Other Consumer Contacts
1. NSCIC was formed in direct response to the November 1971
Presi derti al letter to the DCI, which stressed, among other points,
that "more effective review of intelligence product quality and
policy must be provided to the DCI, especially by high-level consumers
of substantive national intelligence." In that spirit NSCIC convened
its first meeting in December 1971 and formed a subordinate Working Group
to staff out these worthy objectives.
2. The NSCIC Working Group has met 15 times since then, and a
review of the minutes of these meetings shows that the Intelligence
Community has not shirked its duty, in terms of suggesting topics
of interest, staffing them out, and recommending ways of improvement.
Indeed the Community in the person of the DCI pointed out at the initial
NSCIC meeting that this was the first time the Intelligence Community
had ever had any formal means of receiving the views of its principal
consumers on the intelligence product. Moreover, the initiative came
.from the Community to reorganize the Working Group to more nearly
reflect the views of the consumers--this in 1974--and also from the
D/DCI/IC to transfer the chairmanship of the Working Group from himself
to General Scowcroft of the NSC Staff--again better to reflect consumer
views. _
3. The problem is that meanwhile the voice of the high level
consumers has faded away. At the first NSCIC meeting Dr. Kissinger
opined that this group of senior intelligence officials should meet
"at fairly lengthy intervals"; but he also went on to recommend that
NSCIC then meet within two weeks, so that the members could formulate
a proper l i s t of needs, and thereafter every two months. As i t'
turned out, NSCIC has only met one other time, in October 1974 when
it approved the reconstitution of its Working Group. Repeatedly the
NSCIC Working Group--more specifically, the Intelligence Community
representation on it--has prepared .relevant studies for NSCIC, ,only to
have these go to waste when NSCIC failed to convene. In effect, the
Working Group has become the highest collective voice of the consumers'.
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 4. As I see it, there are two options for dealing with thi s'
situation.- One. is to change nothing, That is a more attractive-option
than it might at first appear. So long.as- the high level consumers
continue to.remain,passive in the process of product review, they
really cannot blame the Intelligence Community for indifference to
their needs. Moreover the NSCIC Working Group, in its reconstituted form,
i.e., with a consumer as chairman and with subordinate committees.
now has 'the capability to address specific, substantive topics to a
.degree probably not achievable at. a higher level. Also, the Community's
position in this body is about. right, which is to say it has limits to'
the Community is not doing all the consumers' staff work.
5. But the Working Group is not as effective as it'should
be,- and may wither on the vine unless it gets guidance periodically
from a higher level. The second option, then,..is to combine NSCIC
with PFIAB. Their functions overlap now, and of the two groups PFIAB
appears the more energetic. If the two were made one then the
NSCIC Working Group could be expanded .in size to reflect the composition
of the new higher body.
6. All of the foregoing can be documented at (tedious) length
from PRD's files on NSCIC and the Working Group, but this is probably
enough by way of an "impressionistic" appraisal. has 25X1A9a
contributed the next paragraph on matters general y ou si e the
NSCIC--NSCIC Working group framework.
7. In addition to our NSCIC Working Group account, PRD establishes
contacts with consumers during the course of our post-mortem (and other)
investigations. The preparation of the Middle East (October 73 War)
Post Mortem and the Cyprus Post Mortem, for example, involved PRD
interviews with a variety of consumers in DOD, the Department of State,
and the NSC Staff. We have not sought direct interviews with top
people but have, when appropriate, talked to those who were familiar
with, the views of very senior officials. We have also, of course,
elicited comments. from working and middle-level consumers.
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-.:C/PRD (& PRD..Chrono)
AB Subject
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DCI/IC/PRD/ fn x5744
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84500506WO'01001,50001.8