CIA SUPERGRADE STRUCTURE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-04718A001800060019-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 18, 2001
• Sequence Number: 19
• Content Type: MF

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MERIRANDUM Fat: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT : CIA Supergrade Structure
PROBLEM:
To determine the appropriate supergrade structure for C/A in
terms of:
a, Supergrade ceiling,
b. Grade distribution of mapergrade positions,
c. Distribution of supergrade positions among major components.
2. ASSUMPTIONS:
a, A method of fixing and periodically adjusting the CIA supergrade
structure should be incorporated into the Agency salary adminis-
tration program.
b. To assure equitable compensation for personnel assigned to the
most responsible Agency positions the number and distribution
of CIA supergrade positions shot3:1 be reviewed periodically to
maintain alignment with dompenaationpractices of other corn-
parable Federal Agencies.
c. Th* supergrade category of positions, for purposes of external
Agency comparison, includes all full-time positions with
authorized salary levels equivalent to or above the base of the
0546 grade level, regardlees of the type of authority for the
rate. It includes statutory positions, Foreign Service pomitions
in the Department of State wholly within the supergrade range,
OS positions authorized by other legislation, positions in
agencies excepted from the Classification Act which are compensated
at or above the 05.16 level, etc.
3. FACTS BEARING Off THE PROBLEM:
a. In the Federal Government there are numerous basic authorities
which establish positions at salary levels above 084.5. These
include the followings
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1), Executive Pav, Act . Polk 359,
2), Classification Act of 1949 as amended.
3). Defense Production Act of 1950 as extended.
(4)0 Appropriation and Deficiency Fund Legislation,
(5). Organic Legislation Establishing Agencies.
(6), Reorganisation Plans.
b. There has been a continuous upward trend in the number of super-.
grade, positions in the Federal Government. Reorganisation Flans
and Supplemental Appropriation Acte for Federal Agencies during
the past several years have included authorisations for additional
supergrade positions. P.L. 763? effective 1 NoveMber 1954, inp
creased the number of supergrade positions authorised under the
Clasaification Act of 1949 from 400 to 550. The President has
recommended that the existing ceiling on supergrade positions
under the Clasaification Act of 1949 be removed?
co The supergrade structure for the Federal Government as a whole
and format individual agencies is of pyramidal form with fewer
positions authorised for each successive grade or salary level
above 08.15. Representative patterns are depicted in Annex I
hereto.
d. The present supergrade Classification attractant of CIA is as
fellows:
1:0 DISCUSSION:
a, There is no regulatory requirement or official guide to fellow
in determining the size and ocaposition of the CIA Supergrade
structure. Therefere, &logical 'moo:his to compare the
"supergrado/totalcpersoitheratios of agencies having missions
and function comparable with those of CIA, as was done in the
previous SupergradeAuthorisation Study of 12 December 1952.
Using this method, agencies hewing the following basic characteristics
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were selected for cemparisan purposes: foreign or inter.
governmental operations or relations; national defense or
national security rune:Ione; functions requiring civilian staff
personnel in numerous technical end specialised fields,,
b. The results of inter.egency supergrade structure sapper/sons are
as follows:
'
% Supergrades to
Tottl Personnelasem.eioSadPosint Total Personnel
Central Intelligence
Als$2c7
State Departatent 11,690
Atomic 4nergy
Commission 5,983
Foreig: operations
09066
90518
Administration
WS, Deformation
Federal civil Defense
Administration 679
Beninese and Defense
&MUSS Administration h00
Office of Defense Mdbilitation
263
232 L
112 L
43
69
0.72%
21
3.09%
27
645%
32
12.16%
co The following conelderations are important in determining the
significance of variations in Agency supergrade percentages:
(1). The Department of State (1098%) Tlex Department is meat nearly
comptrable to C/A because of its woridowide mission, nectars
of functivms, and dispersion of employees and activities.
The total personnel figure for the Department of State0 110690
excludes 9,371 nonocitisen employees overseas, mostly non.
professional and comparable to CIA indigenous employees under
various types of contracts and not included in cur total
strength figure. /n addition, the Department of State FS0.2
class; #110130 . 12,700 p.a.; was net inoludei in the ever-
grade categery since the entrance rate was below that of
05460.
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(2L ABC ()AV) - The pr1.saa7 factor warranting ,IEC's ratio is
its responsitility for staff control and on arvision over
contractual operations employing thominds of additional
paavomel arnd involving Urge szpanditures of funds.
FOA 4.71%) The low rating comet/I:ands with the Fak laillff1011
of ZeillOrtila dofense and economic support to "selected sea-
gralArical amass a mission believed to be less respell:ale than
the basic functions of the CIA rind the .uepertreant of t'tzttet.
(4). 1153:A 072%) X011 rati.og due to cosamerstive3.y recent soparatton
frail the Depailarant of States aims the agency's snporgrade
pooitzloyas consist primarily of those received from that Depart-
naeito
, Office of Defame libbilisation 112.3.0)3 Baldness caul Defense
Sonvicas::Adialid.stration (6.75P3 Federal Civil Defense AtTfintink.
trction (3.09%) The high ration of these agencies ore doe te
their statue as "etenaV aMeett *Joh maintain a nualcuo
high-levta staff paranoia to faclatatA) rapid empension =dm?
emergency conditionsA Fedefai 'Civil Defense Administrations
in adilitions met envervito a Urge icaater of volunteer Remit-
nel not included in the ivory total.
(6):0 The dentin ESUpgrartgla ratio or the Mei, Deptrtatent of 3tAite9
roxi(ign?Oporations' Adadristratioal .and L8Infetanation lavatri
' .peeitiaenkt 456 expergri4 posit5.ons) is 1837%.:
'81,4110, Of Ciftieratig. ?OOLVOttte of functionts.
.operational laituationas porateartel.Staffing 4iequirsamaterS and
aectri.?nts
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Pertinent to establishment of the Agency etaPfenrede StaltotaZos
deterainctien es to the distribution of the supergrade coitire
Peattions, ky.17ada levels. Althoff* no statutory requiranent makes
this action neoessam for OIA, Cosgrove he heretofore soft a
mandatork weds diettbution for
Classifiottion Let3 currentlys ToPer-
grade distritettiono for the folloating :inmates uere also rerriesed
in tho process of determining a reasonable distritration for clAs
SECP.Ze
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all Federal Agencies under the Clastification Act; (b) Departtent- '
of state; (c) Atomic Energy Commission; (d) Foreign Operations
Adstration; and (e) the U.S. Information Agency. These ,
distritmtions are presented graphically inkier= I, An analysis
of theme grade distributions points out a gaaeral consistency
with the organiaatianal principle that each succeeding higher
level Of positions has broader area or functional responsibility
and co euently fewer authorised positions than the next lower
inaemuCh as a composite erpergrade ratio of State? AEC, FOA, and USIA
Is used as the basis far establishing the Agency Supergrade
the same approach ma- be followed for determining the Agency supergrade
distribution pattern. Duo to our excluding from supergrade status of
Aie F50-2 Class of 4?artment of State and at the WM time considering
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Since the military strength is included in computing the super.
grade authorisation, general or flag rank ?military officers on active
duty and Foreign Service Officers with rank of FSO-1 or higher class
detailed to perform the duties of Agency positions should obligate a
supergrade ceiling position.
f. Upon conclusion of the previous aupergrade study., 12 December 1952,
The: supergrado ceiling was sub-alloted to manor compomenteitmeed on
the follouing formula:
NuMber of Supergrade Positions
X Approved for each Component
by the Sneergrade Review Board.
Since that date there have been several adjustraents in the ceiling ,
tweed wen changed operational reentirements in the Office of the
DCI and the reorganisation of the Deputy Director (Support) Components.
Alternate methods of allotting the supergrade ceiling among the
Agency Components which have been investigated involve distribution
of this ceiling based on the ratio of:
(1). Component TIO to Agency WO (By number of Tib positiome).
2): Component Gail% (Civilian and Military) to Agency Ceiling.
3) Number of 06.9 and Above Personnel on Duti7rn the Component
to Number of 08.9 and above personnel on duty in the Agency..
(4). Mber of 110 positions above 0S-9 in the Component to
the Number of positions above OS-9 on the Agency TX71
(5). Number of WO positions ithin the O5-13 to 0845 range in
the component to the total number of OS-13 to GS-15 inclusive
Agency Tit posItions.
(6). Number of TAD positions in 08.15 in the component to the
total =Ober of G6-15 ;maniocs on the Agency VO.
Alternate aupargrade ceiling distributions resulting from application
of the above ratios are as follows: 25X1A
* 3 ceiling spaces transferred from DIVP to m/s per Noti
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Rather than select any single one of the means set forth for
distributing the supergrade authorisationsammg components, a
combination of two or mare of the alternates could be used. If
thee ntceJandthenumberofGS- to OS tions
were se , an average of e
results in the following distribution:
Component Current Supargrade Ceiling Supergrade Ceiling Based on
Personnel Ceiling and No. of
GS tos.
This ceiling distribution considers both the size of the component
and the level of its positions and is therefore believed mare
equitable than a distributiou4bidh weed consider a single factor.
However, the Ots of the Office Of the Director and the need
for a Snpergrade Re Mutt likewise be considered. The latter
requirements can be t byaproportionate adjustment of DD/S,
and DD/P ceiling as fellows:
Component Cnirent SG Ceiling Resod Adj. for Recommended Ceiling
Snpergrade on Comp. Ceiling DCI a:SO CIA Super- Obligated
Ceili4 kGB.. Ptak .Reserve .ade
a. The composite supergrade ratio of the Department of State, Foreign
Oparatione),Admiastration, Atomic Energy Commi.ssion and U.S. Information
Agency provides a sound and defensible basis for establishing and
pertbdically adjusting the CIA sopergrude authorisation.
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b. The CIA supergrede authorisation should be distributed by super
-
grade toveis consistent with practices in the four outside agencies;
AEC, State, )1)A? USIA.
c. The; CIt supergrede authorisation should be distributed among Agency
compon-onts on the basis of the component ceiling and the number of
OS-13 to CiS.15 positions authorised, with appropriate adjuttments as
indicated to meet requirements of title Office of the Director.
d. General or flag rank arilitary officers on active duty and Foreign
Setvice Officers with rank of F50-1 or higher class who are detailed
to perform the duties of Agency positions should henceforth obligate
arapargrada ceiling positions.
6. ACTION RECOMMENDMI
a., Consistent with Composite aupergredeftotal personnel ratios and
suneiwade distribution patterns of the AEC, State, FOA, and USIA,
The CIA supergrade ceiling should be distributed by components as
follow t:
c. Genera) or flag rank military officers on active duty and Foreign
Service Officers of rank F50-1 or higher class who are detailed to
perforri the duties of Agency positions should henceforth obligate
ruperg 'ads ceiling positions.
ANNEXES
I. Comparison of Supergrade
II, CIA Supergrade Structure
ACTION BY APPROVING AUTHORITY:
APPROVED:
/07
L. X. WHITE
Deputy Director
(Support)
Structures Other Agencies
Prevent and Proposed
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SUPERGRADE STRUCTURES - OTHER AGENCIES
23 If 2
2C
886
U.S. Ocnrornmant Total GS
(Statutory Positions Ezokuled)
(Aa of January 1955)
232
143
Thpartuant of State AEO FOA USIA
( ? _4As of April 1955.....--2.4
* Exc1ud0043 FSO-2 Position,
sEcur
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