STAFF STUDY PRODUCTION OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01082A000200050004-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 1998
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: May 1, 1950
• Content Type: STUDY

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STAFF STUDY
PRODUCTION OF NATIONAL IN1MLIG1I03
-J-3.T1950/
I. To provide for the more effective production of national
Intelligence and to provide for continuous surveillance of current
3,ACTS BEARING ON THE PROBLEM
_
2, Responsibility for the production of natiowa intelligence
xests with the Central Intelligence Agency. This revponnibAlity darives,
the first instance-5, from the National Security Act of 3947 which.
provides (Section 102(d)(3)) that the CIA shall frcorrelaix, and evaluate,
intelligence relating to the national seourity5, and pa:ow.de for the
appropriate di semination of such intelligence virithin thk.: Government
nsing wheme appropriate existing agencies and facilitles",
3- Pursuant to the National Security Act v the }rioniJ. Security
Council issued a series of intelligence directives (NCD)) for the
cnidance of CIA and the other intelligence agencies, In those directives,
ntollirenzo relating to the national securityN coald Nnational
telligence -- is defined, and principles to gov . :Lt a productn and
c:emanation are established,,
ColifiDETITIAL
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The National Security ctt.uith the aszasc..- of fhe
'f.n2Aee-Jackson-Correa Committee., receLt1;y- re-ETZ/6.116, i3V,,d &pacifically
r2alfftroed an sound5. those provisions of tbe National 3ei:,urity Act
or 2,947 arui the NSCI,TYs relating tc national intallionce (NSC 50,
:5ention 1 q and 5 c)4 The. NW cencluded?. however that 44:,4 din,3ct7iNeE;.
have not been effective carried out, principally becau, there nas been.
a.
'itain the CIA a coniUsion beaften sponsibility for 7.)reCeoing national
(4tl
estimates and Mspons1bilit7 for miscellaneous research and reporting
____------
(NBC section 5
5. The NSC also reaffirmed the principle that the CIA should
draw upon the specialized intelligence production of the amncies in
order to prepare coordinated national intelligence est--mates, and
declared that a procedure should be adopted which would permit the
Director of Central Intelligence to take full athntay o depart-lent&
opinion while retaining sole responsibility for the final national
intelligence product. (NSC 50, section
DISCUSSION
6, Experience since the issuance of NBC 50 has indicated that the
ouality of national Intelligence estimates has not substantially improved
_
end -that unwarranted duplication of effort as between the varl,ous agencies
has continued, This condition results in large measure from
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a. Centinming disagreement between CIA, on the one hand and
the departmental agencies, on the other, as to the meaning of national
intelligence;
b, Inadequacies of existing mechanisms and procedures for
production of national intelligence
Continuing confusion. within CIA between its responsibility
Lor producing national intelligence and its responsibility for
miscellaneous research and eeporting.
74 The definition of national intelligence given in NSCIDe3 needs
further and more precise interpretation. It has not proved adequate as a
euide .to operating officials, and it has been subject to varying interpre-
tations? To resolve this ambiguity, the meaning of the term nnationgl
Seteiligenceo Should be restated by the National Security Council, both
in terms of content and in berms of end use,
Revision of the definition? however, will not in eteelf insure
the production of authoritattve national intelligence estimates reflacttag,
the coursination of the best intelligence opinion in the Governmen.;,. This
cen be accomplished only through the revision Qr existing ceehanigme aid
procedures, whieh are inadequate, They should be revised ix insuee that
nstional intellieence estimates reflect in every -instance an integratton of
the, best intelligence epinion of the Government, 3uch ae integration can
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folly achieved only throu
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operative process of preparation in which
Oepartmental contributions, oral and written, are synthesized and departmental
5ntelligence opinion and advice, elplicitly brought to bear at all stages ol.!
pToduction.
9, Continuinc confusion within CIA between its resoonsibility for
natd onal intelligence estimates and its responsibility for miscellaneous
lesealoh and reporting can only be cured by an organizational separation
the staffs carrying out the two functions, A spetia.. group shonld be
v-l'oated in CIA to handle its national intelligence functions and, in
addition, the surveillance and dissemination of current Latolligence racluim:1
e-mc:utives responsible for the formulation and. execut Lon of national
polle. A tmparate office should be responsible for carryinE out such
etc,iixvn and reporting tu:notions of common concern a6 n.gy he prescribed by
!/(1 NSC under the provisions of Section 102 (d) (L) of tnEx National
ecl:.rity Act or 1947,
miluUSIONS
The National Security Council should define zgat ion al intelligence
te-nas of both content and end use so as to provide a _c_ear guide for
6pemting off icials?,
Existing mochullems and procedums for the prodriction of national
te:E. igonce estimster: should be revised so as to insure that smr:11 estimates
rpresent in every intance an integration of the bet 17: 431ligence opirjoa
arep64149efi1Ar
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The staff within CIA responsible tor carrying out the ilgeneyrs
national intelligenoe 1'11nel:ions should be organizationally separate from
the staff responsible for research and reportiqg ttetivtties of common
MCOVIENDATIONS
That the National Security Council
a., Approve and -issue the attached directjw Implementing the
conoltions of this papero
To, Direct that the strength of the National Intelligence Group.?
descri.bed in paragraph 4 of the directive, shall not eneeed 100
officer and/or professional personnel,. of 'Whom rto, more than 20 may
be detailed by departmental agencies,)
c, Note that after the accumulation of 1-.)perat1ng experience,
the :IA:rector of Central Intelligence? with the advice and assistance
of the VC, iil1 recorztend to the NSC such moditismtions in the
strength: and composition of the National Intelligence Group as
be neoessaryg
Note that the Director of Central Inte3.1.1.gence, Tyttiri the
thice and assistance of the TAC, will submit revisions of existing
.NSCIIVs. wad x11128 2.'equired to brinly. those directivai5 into conformity
with the attached directive
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