OUTLINE FOR TALK BEFORE THE DD/S STAFF MEETING - 31 AUGUST 1955

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00211R000300040003-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 15, 2005
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: August 31, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

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OUTLINE FOR TALK BEFORE THE DDS STAFF MEE
INTRODUCTION FILED
TO
RECORDS MANAGEMENT DIVISION
Acknowledgement of introduction and preliminary remarks relative to
reports management.
Reports are records - as a matter of fact they are one of iAw most
important records. They provide essential data and information necessary
to heads of Offices and Staffs which they must have before they can make
proper decisions. Therefore we believe that, to be effective, reports
mKREgE1EIE must be properly prepared, managed, controlled and used. Reports
management, tkvn, is an organized and coordinated effort undertaken by an
organizational element to increase the value of its reports, provide
simpler and more direct reporting, and to eliminate and prevent unessential
reporting. The objectives we have in mind in our Agency are fewer and
better records. We went to make sure on the affirmative side that we
create only those records that re necessary. Most of us at one time or
another wish that we had a better record of something. Sometimes we go
back to a pencilled note scrawled on our calendar pads in order to create
in our own bailiwicks what we should have put down as a permanent record.
That is particularly true in the upper levels of our Agency when, for in-
stance; Dr. Tietjen calls Col. Edwards on the phone and they make a momentous
decision:,. and sometimes not in writing.
On the other hand, too many of us make a lot of records that we do
not need. This is a protective device in many instances. At one time or
another, someone asked for something and when it couldn't be produced
immediately, the boss got eery and someone was embarrassed. That sort of
thing is multiplied many times and is responsible for many situations we
find ourselves in.
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As the result of splendid cooperation and assistance throughout the
Agency, considerable progress has been made in many phases of records
management. We were able to report to the Bureau of the Budget that we
had a substantially well-integrated records management program. Some of
the principal items of progress which you may be interested in are:
a. A handbook on subject filing has been issued. This outlines a
standard method for filing most types of correspondence. It has been in-
troduced into a number of offices and I believe that the General Counsel's
office, the Office of Logistics, and some others have found it to be a
very satisfactory system.
b. An active vital materials program is in effect. The recent ex-
periences in Operation Alert were sufficient to indicate this.
c. Standards for filing equipment and filing supplies have been
issued. These have been responsible for a substantial reduction in the
Agency's budget in this area. Data obtained from Mr. Garrison's people
in Logistics indicates that there was a reduction of 84% in the procurement
of new filing equipment during the past fiscal year as contrasted to tk
fiscal year 1954.
d. A new style and procedures handbook on correspondence management
was issued. Significant interest has been displayed in many places in
the Agency in effective letterwriting. As a result, s x& we have distributed
a large number of copies of that fine brochure on "Plain Letters" pub-
lished by GSA.
e. There has been a reduction in the number of copies of forms by
almost 3 million in fiscal year 1955 as compared to the previous year.
f. There are over 20,000 cu. ft. of records in the new Records Center.
If kkka these records were in active office space they would require over
2500 safe cabinets costing the Agency about $600,000. la I am happy to
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say that the DDS offices have contributed substantially to the progress
made in records disposition. The records that they have in the Center
are approximately 25% of the total.
g. Permanent records in the Agency vary from a minimum of 5% to a
maximum of 45%. This compares favorably to the experience of the Government
average of 26% and an industry average of about 4+%.
WHY IS REPORTS MANAGEMENT NEEDED
While significant progress has been made in most areas of records
management, we have a big void in records creation and reports management
is needed to round out an already effective program otherwise.
One of the principal recommendations of the Hoover Commission's report
on Paperwork Management was that each Agency head establish a reports
management program. We have committed ourselves to such a course of action
in our reply to the Bureau of the Budget on this report. Notwithstanding
our committment to the Bureau of the Budget, we should have a normal desire
to use this additional tool of management to improve our o
In fiscal year 1955, almost 15 million xat sheets of bm
. per were used in accordance with information obtained from Mr. Garrison's
office. Over 171 million copies of forms were reproduced. Add to these-
figures the tremendous volume of paperwork reproduced by mimeograph, ditto
and other processes, and you can visualize how great is our records creation
problem. We can only surmise that a substantial amount of this paperwork
is concerned with reports because we have nmxmx never made an inventory of
our reports problem. Here, however, are a faxmttx few illustrations of how
.tcaG~ Gr7: 5fr"~' LG~
4o(overnment to accountr penalty ind cia mail.
b. Five separate reporting requirements are regttred fo customs
payments to foreign countries.
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c. Just a cursory review of our mri-regulatio s indicate that there
--
are over 110 reporting requiremen s. (9
ue.7L!
office .
WHAT WILL REPORTS MANAGEMENT DO FOR YOU?
It is very well to say that too many records are created and that we
should stop it. To control records creation, however, we have to be a
little bit more tangible in making a statement to the effect that some-
thing should be done. Fortunately, a technique that has been tried and
found to be satisfactory is reports control. Many of us agree that we
make too many reports but on the receiving end, we complain that there are
not enough. Yet we know how time-consuming reports preparation can be.
Shortly after I came into the Agency, I came in contact with
who told me about some of the benefits the Dept. of the Army had obtained
from a reports management program. The Navy Dept. in one survey along,
cancelled or improved almost 4,000 reports which required almost 400 man
years to prepare. We propose to explore the reporting field in our own
Agency on an organized basis for the first time. We should, therefore,
expect significant results. An illustration of the very small way of
what can be accomplished is best illustrated by an experience that I had
recently in inquiring as to why our Records Center needed to prepare a
report for another f ctx office in the Agency. They had been doing
this for some time and it appeared to be necessary. A little discussion
with the office, however, determined that they no longer had the same
need f o i t an it could b laminated. The result - a savings of G4;o Z
hours Incid ntally, this /das partially responsible for us completely
discontinuing overtime in the Records Center.
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The Comptroller, Mr. Saunders, has taken the lead in our Agency in
the introduction of a reports management program. I am sure that he sees
significant benefits to it.
I have discussed this subject. with and he is about ready
to launch a program throughout the DD/I area. I have also discussed this
with I I and he is quite interested. I am sure that each one of
you ax is saying now - "But how am I going to do it? We have recently
gotten a ceiling imposed upon us and we may have to curtail some of our
activities instead of taking on new ones." Reports management will give
you an opportunity to examine some of your present requirements and see
if they can be improved, curtailled, or eliminated. In this way, you can
make better use of your manpower.
a. Decentralization
b. Coordination by the Management Staff
c. Memo from the DDS
d. Inventory and Appraisal
e. Review at Office and Staff levels
f. Submit inventory and recommendations on inter-office ate to the
DDS Panel.
g. Management Staff will provide technical guidance and assistance
DISTRIBUTE COPIES OF BROCHURE "INTRODUCTION TO REPORTS MANAGEMENT'."
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