AGENCY RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM JANUARY - DECEMBER 1957

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00211R000700060023-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 20, 2006
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: January 1, 1957
• Content Type: REPORT

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AGENCY RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
January - December 1957
PART II - Summary of Records Management Staff Activity
1, Correspondence Management
a, Lectured on correspondence practices at four OTR Administrative
Procedures Courses attended by a total of 120 persons,
b. Collaborated with the Chief, Reading Improvement School, in
developing plans for a study of the readability of memoranda
in the DD/I area, Designed the inventory forms used to
collect data, on the volume,, types and quality of
correspondence,
co Evaluated the advantages of typewriter lift boxes designed to
improve typists, posture, reduce fatigue, and increase effi-
ciency, Promoted use of about 250 boxes through publication
of the booklet The Correct Angle,"
d, Developed an improved correspondence assembly reference tab
and promoted its use. The new tab is one-fourth the size of
the former one, attaches more securely, and is easier to handle,
e. At the request of the Administrator, General Services Admini-
stration, nominated a staff member for participation in the
development of a U. S. Government Correspondence Style Manual,
This m ember chaired the Subcommittee on Reports, Staff
Studies, and Minutes and Agenda of Meetings,
2, Reports Management
a, Developed an improved injury reporting system and obtained
agreement to its adoption by the Chief Nurse, the Chief,
Casualty Affairs Branch, and the Safety Officer, The re-
vised system provided the Safety Officer with data that is more
timely and accurate, eliminated 1+0 hours from compiling each
semi-annual report prepared by the Safety Officer, and elimi-
nated a monthly report from the Medical Staff,
b, Provided DD/S and DD/I components with staff guidance to carry
out recommendations developed during the reports surveys in
1956, The following are typical results from reports manage-
ment activity at Operating Office levels:
(1) ORR consolidated the number of its project status re-
ports from five to two and improved their formats,
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(2) Office of the Comptroller reduced its Report of Con-
fidential Funds from 105 to 35 pages and improved
preparation procedures. The report is now available
five days sooner at a savings of 150 man hours per
month.
(3) The Office of Personnel changed the frequency of its
statistical reports as follows:
Monthly to gixarterly - 4 reports
Monthly to semi-annually - 1 report
Quarterly to semi-annually - 1 report
c. Recommended cancellation of the requirements for negative
re rt on conflicts of interest and proposed rewording
to place the reporting responsibility at the super-
visory level.
d. Developed a listing of Field reporting requirements for the
use of the SSA/DD/S in studying the administrative burden of
Field Stations,
e. Drafted a handbook on reports management, for coordination
and release early in 1958,
3. Forms Management
a. Completed 1659 forms analysis projects, resulting in the ap-
proval of 303 new forms, 277 revised forms, and 858 reprinted
forms. Discontinued 221 forms, bringing the total number of
controlled forms in use in the Agency to 19913. This was a net
increase of only 82 over the total at the beginning of the year.
The following are typical tangible contribution from these
forms analysis projects:
(1) Designed a label for Dictaphone belts obviating the
purchase of special cards formerly costing $39750 a year.
(2) Spearheaded major improvements in the design and construe-
tion of the Agency's dispatch forms and in the procedure
for their use. Invitations for bids on the new forms have
been sent out. World-wide use of these forms is expected
in the Spring of 1958. Major benefits will be.
(a) Significant reductions in dispatch preparation
and handling time.
(b) Reduction in manufacturing costs.
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(c) Reduction in the volume of dispatches of two or
more pages, and consequent savings in safe space(,
(d) Speed up of dispatch processing time,
(3) Salvaged $10,000 worth of NRC (no carbon required) forms
obsoleted by cancellation of a DD/P project.
b. Initiated a study of forms used by the Printing Services Divi-
sion. To date, fifty uncontrolled forms have been surfaced,,
Other benefits include:
(1) Consolidated five forms into two and redesigned three
others,,
(2) Eliminated the need for two forms and substituted four
Agency forms for four uncontrolled forms.
(3) Eliminated one procedure in the system for recording
and reporting time and attendance,,
(4) Destroyed 24 cu, ft. of inactive records(,
co As prime evaluator of three employee suggestions, was instru-
mental in substantially improving forms and procedures in the
Clandestine Services "Hot" information reporting system. On
the basis of measured annual tangible savings of $150,000 an
award of $,500 was shared by four Agency employees. This
award, the largest ever granted in CIA, was presented by
Mr. Dulles in an impressive ceremony attended by three Civil
Service Commissioners, a number of Agency officials, and two
members of the Records Management Staff,,
dQ Assisted the Supply Division/OL in developing a detailed re-
port on the quantity, sterility, scope, lead time, and other
factors affecting stocked forms, Supply Division records were
corrected and substantial adjustments were made in many stock
levels,,
e(, Reviewed Headquarters and Field listings of stocked forms,
and recommended to the Office of Logistics corrections of
errors and questionable security practices,,
4,, File Standards and Equipment Utilization
a,, Reviewed requirements for filing equipment and recommended
action that prevented spending $349588 for equipment
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b, Converted 65 files as follows to the Agency's standard
subject-numeric filing system:
OSI
17
ORR
32
OCI
2
OCR
9
Personnel
5
Total
65
This total brought the number of files converted to 157 out
of a potential of 365. Eleven files installed previously
were audited,
0. Planned and supervised the installation of open shelf files in
the Biographic Register, One hundred and seventeen 5 drawer
filing cabinets were released for use elsewhere, for a net
saving of over $5,000 in equipment costs, In addition, the
two file units of BR, formerly on separate floors, were brought
together in one room and space was provided for expansion of
files during the next two years,
d. Initiated the following shelf filing projects which are well
underway:
(1) Finance Division, Office of Comptroller - Plans for a
trial installation are complete. Shelving is being pro-
cured for 300 linear feet of vouchers,
(2) Office of Communications
Vault - Recommendations
accepted; equipment is on order,
be doubled,
Usable filing space will
(3) Office of Communications Material Support Library -
Recommendations accepted; equipment is on order. Eighteen
5 drawer cabinets will be released for a net savings of
$800, and 30% expansion will be gained in 40% less total
floor space,
(4) ORR Map Library - Floor plan. forwarded to GSA for approval
of floor loading. If approved, plan will provide for 50%
expansion of the files and release of equipment for a net
saving of $4,,000,
(5) Medical Staff - Recommendations accepted; detailed speci-
fications being developed. Fifty percent saving in floor
space, a 65% increase in filing space, and a savings of
$19300 in equipment costs are expected,
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e. Completed records systems surveys in the following components:
Office of Comptroller Machine Records Division - Recommended
converting from safe-type to non-safe equipment for a poten-
tial saving of $309000. Awaiting formal approval by the Of-
fice of Security.
Office of Communications Engineering Division - Use of recom-
mended rotary-type mechanized filing equipment will reduce by
30% space required for filing equipment, and will speed up
reference and filing operations.
OCR/Machine Division - Installed the subject-numeric filing
system and trained personnel in its use. Retired ten cu, ft.
of material and destroyed eight cu, ft. Replaced individual
personnel folders with Form OF4b9s, Employee Record Card.
Office of Logistics Stock Management Section - Installed the
subject-numeric filing system and established a central ref-
erence file. Destroyed 29 cu. ft, of records and retired
6 cu. ft.., ".hus releasing four filing cabinets to stock.
Rcarrsnnged the office layout.
5. Document Processing and Control
a. Developed an improved chain envelope and compatible Couriers
Receipt and Log Record which will combine logging., receipting,
and addressing operations., and prevent wastage of envelopes.
Minimum annual savings of $90.,000 in labor and material costs
are expected.
b. Improved document sorting and handling in EE Division, DD/P,
Office of Logistics Registry, Office of National Estimates.,
and OCR Cable Center by promoting efficient sorting equipment
and procedures.
6. Vital Materials
a. Improved facilities in the vault and effected substantial
savings in space and equipment through the following actions:
(1) Replaced tabulating card safes with Safe-T-Stack
equipment for savings of $7,700.
(2) Exchanged 21 four drawer safes for the same number
of five drawer cabinets for savings of $7,200 and
better space utilization. Arrangements have been
completed for the release of 21 additional 4 drawer
safes and four S drawer tabulating card safes.
These safes will be replaced with less expensive
5 drawer file cabinets.
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(3) Reduced the retention period for the IAC Cable Col-
lection and thus reduced by about 50% the space
needed for its storage,
(4) Arranged for OCR/IR to withdraw its tabulating cards
and all but one series of microfilm. This action in-
volved 469$,000 tab cards and 3,708 reels of film,
b. Arranged for 382 visits to the site by key Agency personnel con-
cerned with VM operations. These visits didwt include those
made during Operation Alert, Members of the Records Management
Staff made 62 regularly scheduled or special trips to the
Repository,
c, During 1957, 737 cu, ft. of Vital Materials were deposited and
442 cu. ft. withdrawn or destroyed,
d, Assisted Operating Offices in developing one new and five re-
vised vital materials deposit schedules,
e. Coordinated 50 vital materials microfilming projects in ten
offices,, resulting in the pro .uotion of 915 reels,
f. Took part in the Operation Alert exercise,, during which the
Chief,, Records Management Staff,, briefed DD/S and DD/I
officials on the Vital Materials Program, and on an individual
basis discussed their problems with them,
7. Records Disposition
a, Conducted records disposition surveys in three offices and
developed records control schedules on 27,,409 cu. ft, of
records, Audited existing schedules covering 25,629 du. ft,
of records in six offices, and reviewed three new schedules
(developed by Area Records Officers) which covered 10,232
cu. ft, The total of 63,270 cu. ft. of records covered by
these schedules exceeds by 48,572 cu. ft, the volume involved
in scheduling, auditing,, and reviewing activity in 1956, Area
Records Officers contributed significantly to this increased
activity,
b. Conducted a special survey of the Acquisition Branch, OCR
Library Division, Retired 826 cu, ft, of records and de-
stroyed an additional 244 cu. ft. This action eliminated
the need for 52 pieces of filing equipment and 165 feet of
metal and wood shelving, making available 1,080 sq. ft. of
floor space for another section of the Library,
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c, Received for the first time from Operating Offices reports on
the volume of records destroyed in office areas. These re-
ports reflected the destruction of 58772 cu. ft. of records
which, if retained in 4 drawer safes, would have required
721 additional pieces of equipment costing $3088588,
8, Interagency Transfers of Records
a, Coordinated the transfer of 80 cu. ft. of State Department
records to the Agency for intelligence exploitationo
b. Arranged for the transfer of 70 cu. ft. of
meteorological records to the Air Weather Service, USAF,
a. Application of Records Control Schedules accomplished the
transfer of 108601 Cu, ft, or records from Office space
and equipment to the Center, Application of schedules at
the Center resulted in the destruction of 4,698 cu. ft. of
records, an increase of 681 cu. ft, over the volume de-
stroyed in 1956.
b. The total Records Center receipts of 10f,601 cu. ft, of
records was equivalent to 18325 safe cabinets which would
have cost $5679100 and required 10,601 sq. ft. of floor
spaced
c. Headquarters offices were provided service on 10,078 re-
quests for information and records material.
d. Expansion of the Records Center from 428000 cu. ft, of
records capacity to 1009000 cu. ft, was approved and con-
struction is underway. Completion of the addition is ex-
pected in April or May 1958,
100 Miscellaneous Activity
a, Evaluated 90 employee suggestions,, 15 more than last yearn
b, Staff Development and Training,
(1)
One member attended the three-day American Management
Association seminar on reports management,
(2) One member attended the three-day American Management
Association seminar on forms management.
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(3) One member completed the five day IBM familiarization
course in Endicott, N. Y.
(4) Two members attended the two day National Records
Management Council annual seminar.
(5) Three members completed the two week Institute on
Records Management conducted by American University.
Nine Area Records Officers also completed the course,
(6) Two members completed the four week Institute on the
Preservation and Administration of Archives, given by
American University.
(7) Various staff members attended 14 monthly meetings of
the O&M Luncheon Group and the Interagency Records Ad-
ministration Conference, and other meetings of profes-
sional management societies,
c, Staff Changes
On board beginning of 1957 21
Losses:
Total Gains 5
Net Loss 1
On board at end of 1957 20
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