TASK FORCE D RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING CAREER COUNSELING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05343A000100100002-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 5, 2001
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: October 2, 1974
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2001/08/09: CIA-RDP7~-00 0 1 ~199002-4
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chairman, L)DA Personnel Resources Committee
SUBJECT Task Force D Recommendations Regarding
Career Counseling
1. During the past several weeks, a review was conducted
utilizing the inventory of current personnel practices and
procedures. This review was directed specifically to the area
of employee career counseling. It has been determined that
most DDA components have practiced the "open door" employee
counseling practice. It is the sense of the Task Force that
the "open door" policy does not provide the type of employee
career counseling outlined in the ten DCI personnel objectives,
and the sixteen personnel responsibilities and authorities of
the Deputy Director - both contained in the PASG report.
2. Task Force D met on 1 October and analyzed various
employee career counseling techniques. The members of the
Task Force were unanimous in recommending the following:
a. The DDA promulgate a policy whereby each
component within the Directorate shall identify a
Career Managment Officer (or officers). The
identity(s) shall be published so that each employee
within the Directorate can be aware of, and can
have access to, the CMO for career counseling purposes.
Discussion:
Career counseling is not to be confused with on-
the-job performance counseling normally provided by
the employee's supervisor. Career counseling is a
service designed to provide an employee with infor
mat:ion about his overall level of career development,
his strengths and weaknesses as seen by his super-
visors, and the various career development plans
available to him - including developmental assignments
and training. The CM0 and the employee will consult
together as to the best remedies for any job-performance
de iciencies, and the best available career development
plan for the employee.
The Task Force members asked the question, "Who
(generically) should the CMO be?" - in the various
DDA components. It is unlikely component chiefs will
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SUBJECT: Task Force 1) Recommendations Regarding Career
Counsel ing
set aside specific positions for the CMO during a
period of increasing job requirements and decreasing
personnel strength. The indications are, however, that
each component now has a Career Service Board (or Panel)
which meets periodically to study personnel requirements,
job assignments, training selections, etc. The members
of such Boards could also serve, logically, as career
counselors. Undoubtedly there are other possibilities,
but it was the sense of the Task Force that it is
precisely because of the tight personnel situation that
components should make the effort to provide employee
career counseling.
b. The DDA promulgate a policy which specifies
scheduled career counseling for each employee.
Counseling sessions should occur at least once each
year (and at a time different from Fitness Report
conferences) .
The "open door" policy should always be in
force. It should be coupled with an annual, scheduled
meeting with each employee for the purpose of career
counseling. Counselors can be better prepared and
should be more effective in scheduled. meetings.
C. The DDA should consider restructuring the
responsibilities of the DDA CMO Office.
Discussion:
A visible DDA career counseling officer, for
example, might provide a "sounding board" for
employees who feel their careers stymied within any
Agency component. Perhaps more interesting and challeng-
ing career opportunities could be provided to such per-
sonnel by a centralized (Agency-wide) career counseling
office. Such a scheme is not intended to function outside
of the normal Agency command structure. It would provide,
however, that last attempt at within-Agency job placement.
In a tightly compartmented Agency such as ours, it is
entirely conceivable that intra- directorate - and inter-
directorate - considerations could pay large dividends
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SUBJECT: Task Force 'D Recommendations Regarding Career
Counseling
in personnel savings. Any "savings" in this regard
would seem to warrant such an approach over alternative
costs (recruitment, security, training, experience,
etc.). This concept is not new. "Lip service" will
continue to apply to the concept. Its chance for
success would appear to be best when centralized, and
with the direct support of the Deputy Director for
Administration.
3. The Task Force now plans to examine the inventory of
current personnel practices and procedures with an emphasis on
training. We will advise you of our findings upon the com-
pletion of the analysis.
Distribution:
Original & 1 - Addressee
1 - Ea Member Task Force
Approved For Release 2001/08/09 : CIA-RDP78-05343A000100100002-4
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