'FEEDBACK' AS A MECHANISM FOR THE EVALUATION OF AGENCY PERFORMANCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78Z02997A000100230015-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 10, 1999
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: December 10, 1973
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2001/08/25: CIA-RDP78Z02997A000100 :ice-8-fj
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
FROM Management Advisory Group (MAG)
SUBJECT "Feedback" as a Mechanism for the
Evaluation of Agency Performance
1. MAG recently completed a limited review of the
various formal and informal mechanisms used by consumers to
provide the Agency with feedback on the usefulness of Agency
intelligence reporting. During this review, we identified
certain problems and possible solutions which we believe have
a direct?bearing on your current interest in feedback as a
mechanism for the evaluation of Agency performance. These
problem areas and possible solutions are summarized in this
memorandum.
2. We believe current feedback mechanisms are deficient
in the following respects:
a. There is a need for more formal, direct, and
specific feedback from ultimate consumers to the
collectors and producers of finished and actionable
intelligence. Some informal feedback exists, but it
is deficient in that it does not necessarily represent
the views of the ultimate consumer nor does it lend
itself to formal analysis.
b. Inadequate use is being made of available
feedback data, particularly Publications Source Survey
(PSS) data, in assessing the actual and relative effec-
tiveness of the various collection methods and programs
directed against the same geographic or functional targets.
c. There is a need for greater participation by
consumers in the forward planning of collection activities,
particularly in the human collection area, as a means
of improving requirements and tasking (one form of feed-
back) while concurrently developing a better understanding,
on the part of consumers, of the limitations of the various
collection methods.
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 Approved For Release 2001/08/25 : CIA-RDP78ZO2997A000100230015-8
SUBJECT: "Feedback" as a Mechanism for the. Evaluation
of Agency Performance
d. Increased use should be made of feedback for the
identification of-marginal collection programs and
efforts.
3. While we believe that your current efforts in the
establishment of the National Intelligence Officer (NIO)
program and management by objectives (MBO) may alleviate some
of these problems, there are other-courses of action which may
contribute not only to the solution of these problems but also
to your desire to establish mechanisms for the evaluation of
Agency performance. Specifically, we believe the following
options are worthy of your consideration:
a. The PSS program should be established on a
community-wide basis. The PSS presently provides Agency
collectors with an assessment of the usefulness of their
intelligence reporting; and, at least within the DDO,
it is used as one indication of the actual and relative
effectiveness of particular collection programs. If
compiled on a community basis, this data could also
serve as a measure of the effectiveness of Agency collec-
tion programs vis-a-vis the rest of the community.
b. A program similar to the PSS should be established
for actionable reporting, particularly such reporting by
the DDO. At present, less than 7 percent of DDO reporting
is used in the most important finished intelligence publi-
cations; and, by informal estimates, the amount of DDO
reporting which is directed towards actionable items rather
than national intelligence needs is something near 50 per-
cent and increasing. It is essential,.then, that specific,
direct feedback on the usefulness of this reporting be
made by the recipients of this reporting. Just as the PSS
assesses the contribution made by a report to the finished.
intelligence product, this proposed program would assess the
contribution made by a report to the action finally taken.
c. The concept of the.NIO structure should be
expanded to cover actionable reporting as well as finished
intelligence. While the concept of actionable reporting
has particular application to the DDO, equivalent re-
porting occurs in the SIGINT and reconnaissance areas as
well.
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of Agency Performance`
d. NIO's and analysts should participate, personally,
and directly, in the planning and evaluation of collection
projects, including human collection projects. In this
.manner, we believe more specific and relevant require-
ments and tasking will result as well as better under-
standing of the limitations of the various collection
methods.
e. Feedback in the form of PSS data, feedback from
NIO's, and MBO should all be used in a concerted effort
to identify marginal collection efforts and programs.
As a result of this effort, we would anticipate the
designation of certain countries and targets against which
collection efforts will be discontinued, and the identifi-
cation of considerable community-level requirements and
tasking which are no longer valid.
4. If you desire, we would welcome the opportunity to
meet with you, or appropriate staff officers, to discuss this
memorandum in greater detail.
Approved For Release 2001/08/25 : CIA-RDP78ZO2997A000100230015-8