INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT ON THE CIA TRAINING PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63-00309A000100020011-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 6, 2009
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: October 24, 1960
• Content Type: MF

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2 A.
OCT 1960
RAN= FOR: Deputy Director (Support)
T : Inspector General's Report on the CIA
Training Program
REFERCE z Memo dtd 5 Oct. 1960 to H/Sec fr DD/S,
subj: "Responses of DD/S Office Heads and
Staff Chiefs to the Inspector General's
Report on Training in CIA"
1. This memorandum is for your information.
2. Enumerated below are the Office of Security's reactions
to the subject report presented in the manner suggested in the
referenced memorandum.
3. Office of Security Reaction To The Contents Qf The Re rt
ABA Whole:
Extremely well written, the Inspector General's report
does three things: projects an image of CIA's over-all training
program; effects an evaluation of its effectiveness; and finally,
by thirty-six specific recommendations., prescribes remedies for
the perceived ills in the current training efforts. By employing
an ambitious research approach, an impressive volume of factual
material on CIA training has been surfaced. By using a sound
outline and clear exposition, the mass of facts emerge in a tightly
organized package that effectively portrays the over-all anatomy
of CIA's training program and successfully identifies many of its
strengths and weaknesses. In its third dimension, prescribing
remedial actions, the report appears to enjoy uneven success.
While many of the recommendations, particularly those
stressing the need for greater definition of training objectives
and requirements, now and in the future, seem of obvious value,
certain others, notably in the area of the JOT Program, appear
highly suspect and in some cases totally objectionable.
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The report tends to communicate a kind of pro-Office
of Training bias. This statement is not meant to depreciate
at all the excellent record of the Office of Training or of
Colonel Matthew Baird over the last ten years. It is rather to
suggest that there is a "consumer side" to the report's implied
criticism that the consumer is to blame for the absence of a
general conviction on the place of training in career develop-
ment. The consumer might well assert that the lack of solid
evidence on the real value of certain CIA training offerings
has contributed as much to the current ambiguous situation as
a aayrthing else. Until controlled validation studies are conducted
which clearly relate successful performance in a training situ-
ation with successful performance on the job, the current and
distressing ambivalence on the "place" of training, at least
some kinds of training, will continue.
The above point might be restated as follows. The IG
report seems insufficiently probing in the all-important area
of training evaluation to determine training validity. The
report properly notes with aala that the lack of stable doctrine
decreases training course validity. Yet it makes no mention of
the fact (documented by countless experimental researches in
government and industry) that even where course content is sound--
it teaches what it should teach for the job ahead--and even where
the students learn what is taught, the training may still be a
failure in that the learning is not converted: into on-the-job
behavior.
All of this may explain why some Agency supervisors
remain unconvinced that this course or that course adds any signi-
ficant increment to the productivity, creativity, job saatisfaaction$
or motivation of a subordinate. No amount of random generalization
(often sounding auspiciously like a plea for training for the sake
of training) will change this skepticism found in such supervisors.
What will change this attitude is hard evidence,, acquired only
through rigorous validation studies which correlate training courses
with job performance. Such evidence does not come cheaply nor
easily. That the IG report fails to recommend the mounting of many
uch studies appears to be a curious omission sand a serious weakness
in the final product.
The IG report on CIA training is,. the above statements
notwithstanding, a provocative, stimulating document. It cannot
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help but prompt serious thinking and action on matters
deserving such. The adoption of certain of its reccenda-
tions will produce marked improvements. What the report does
to pre ote further research and study, self-aalysis and self-
examination within the Agency may be, however, its greatest
value.
4. 2 ice of Bee it Reactions Ta Ei t g ecif Recom-
mendationss
It is sx ended t1Lts
The Directors of Personnel and `raining together
with representatives from operating components take
a fresh look at the over-all problem of clerical
usage and make recommendations for a. more effective
system. This should be followed by an OTR reassess
sent of the clerical training program. (Page 21')
Office of Security Reaction:
This appears to be a completely sound recommenda-
Lion. Any study which could lead to improvements in
the recruitment, assessment, training, and utilization
of clerical personnel must be encouraged and the Office
of Security is ready to assist in the execution of
such a study if such 08 participation is appropriate.
b. It is rC ended that:
The Director of Training experiment with the con-
cept of a board of overseers composed of senior grade
professional officers as a means to improved communica-
tion with and indoctrination of consumers, and to pro-
mote the devel o sent of more effective policies on
curriculum, and enrollment. (Page)
Office if Seggity Reaction:
This is an excellent reccnendation. The Office of
Training needs as much contact with the consumers as
possible. Only through such contacts will significant
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NOW
strides be made in the development of so-called
doctrine" _?vhich answers the question of
what to teach. In addition, such contacts facilitate
eedback to OTR to help measure the validity of
course content and the efficacy of teaching methods
and techniques.
c. it ,&e recsended that:
The Director of Training confer with the Command
trig Officers of the Army and Air Reserve units to
see if more practical reserve training, e.g., Inter-
national Communism, could be handled by OTR for the
reservists. (Page 52)
Mice of jecurity Reaction;
This is an excellent proposal. Any efforts to
have CIA reservists effect annual tours of training
duty which support long-range Agency goals would
appear irrefutably sound.
d. It i c e ed that:
(a). The DCI establish an Agency policy that all
junior professionl officers enter Agency employ
through the Jam. (Page 92)
(b). The Director of Training establish a JOT
Selection Panel ccunposed of line officer representa-
tion from the three Deputy Directorates together
with appropriate representation from the Office of
Personnel and Trainin. The Chief, JOTP, should
fir the panel. (Pam 92)
(c). The Director of Training should give consi-
deration to the feasibility of the use of outstanding
public citizens in the el selection process reco-
mmended above. (Page 92
office of Becurija Reaction:
The Office of Security stands resolutely opposed
to recaamiendations (a) and (e) listed immediately above.
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