PROGRAM CALL - - SENIOR SEMINAR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00308A000100010007-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 10, 2000
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: January 17, 1972
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 0$9/08/29: CIA-RDP80-00308A00010 AD07-0
17 January 1972
Itls? 4J;1Ri t111'A FOR: office of Training :Plans Staff
S1111XI]CT Program Call--Senior Seminar
1. The major new development in CY1971 was the development
and Conduct of the CIA Senior Seminar. In November 1970, the
Director or Training proposed the establishment of a new training
pr ogra i to be conducted on an in-house basis for higher grade
CIA officers. Following di.sc.ussion by the Executive Director and
the Du' Duties, the proposal was approved by the Director in Decen5cr
with the u>.idor:_tanding that attendance would be limited to 2t
officers of minimum grade CS-15 and that the Seminar would not
exceed 3 nonts.2s in length. The Director also stipulated that tae
first Senior Seminar be given a hard evaluation after waicht a
decision would be made as to the continuation of the program.
2. Planning for the now Senior Seminar commenced in late
December. An analysis of the characteristics of the Agency's
senior officer population was made, and the organization and con-
tent of other senior officer courses--the National War Collage,
Senior Serainaar on Foreign Policy, and the Federal Executive Insti-
tute--wore reviewed. The objectives for the Seminar wore developed
and. approved. These were as follows
a. To develop greater insight into problems and pressures
facing CIA nanagemont, the processes of change within the Agency
and in its external relationships, strd developments in American
society which are relevant to CIA as. an organization.
b. To acquaint the participants with current thinking
on U.S. foreign policy equities and developments abroad which are
the subjects of CIA's business.
c. To provide an opportunity for senior officers to re-
new their sense of personal motivation and appetite for achievement
and to renew and broaden their understanding and appreciation of
"tlla other guy."
Approved For Release 2000/08/29 : CIA-RDP80-00308A000100010007-0
 pproved For Relea Q /08/29: CIA-RDP80-00p08A00010 1. p07-0
3. T:-acre followed a sequence' of model building and cxtyensive
consultation at all levels t:hrout,ao'iat the Agency involving approx-
imately 80 officers outside the Office of Training. Over the
spring and summer, plans for- t:ae Seminar were translated into an
operating progran. Speaker. were identified and invited, topics
to be covered and bihliogre;seaies were developed, and extensive
reference materials were collected. The running of the first
Seminar was set for 19 September through 24 November.
4. As this work proceeded, the Senior Seminar Staff was
assembled, including three officers, a secretary and a training
assistant who were detailed from various components 'of titer Office
of Training. One officer - as loaned to the Staff by the S&T
Directorate, one by the Clandestine Service, and one from the
Support Service; a Career Trainee w as detailed to tae Staff on
an interim assignment basis? Each of the officers worked on. the
deveeloprient of the Seminar and during its running participated
as "manager" of one or more "blocks" of content. In late August
the Staff moved, along with other co-Mone:ats of the Office of
Training. to the Chamber oof Coirsaerco building where tine Staff
occupied the suite which had been deesigned expressly for the
purpose of conducting the Seminar.
S. Following the announcement by the Director of Training
of the Seminar 'throughout tic Agency on 1 S June 1971, the Direc-
torates nominated 35 qualif'Led officers. From this group, the
Training Selection Board picked 20 officers aw;ho, taken as a group,
net the criteria that the Scr)iinar b o composed of participants
with a variety of Agency occupational backgrounds and faith ex-
perience on each major fore L gn area. A precourse session was held
with ttae sele/cte d parts cipants on 3.1 Au ust 1'71 to brief thezm
on the development of the Seminar a:ad its met and of operation,
and to pass out advance reading material.
6- The Seminar covered a va>.ty of subjects which are
directly relevant to the activities, relationships, interests,
policies, and problems of CIA. Its final format consisted of
Blocks on "Thee Senior Agency Officer," "The Intelligence Business,"
"Major World Trends and Their Significance for Policy and. Intelli-
gence ," "Covert Action: The Hidden :Side of Foreign Policy," "The
Environment of CIA: Official. Relationships" followed by "Unofficial
Relationships" (the latter incorporating presentations on facets
of the American domestic situation which bear directly on the
Agency) , ''New Tools and Methodologies for Intelligence," and "The
Management of Intelligence and the ;Future." The first Block
25X1A ~~Ap~'' i 200W08'/2#: CtA-RDP80-00,308A000100010007-0
 oved For Releas
18.11 00/08/29: CIA-RDP80-00308A000100 0007-0
~.-
25X1A was conducted in residence at numerous short trips
in the headquarters area were made, such as "A Day on The Hill"
and "A Day in the State Department." Three-day trips to optional
East or West coast installations of interest were taken by Seminar
groups.
7. A 'total of 53 non-Agency and, 99 Agency guest speakers
and panelists accepted invitations to participate in the pilot
running. Their presentation:: provided a stimulus throughout the
Seminar's running for the participants to make full use of their
own experience, knowledge and judgments in lively exchanges both
with guest speakers and with each other.
8. In. keeping with the Directo:r's instructions, heavy emphasis
was placed. on evaluation of the Seriinar. Each Block of content
concluded with a written evaluation and discussion session. The
Seminar also was completed with an extensive overall written and
oral critique which evaluated the progr.am:i.n terms of its standard
objectives and a variety of other bases such as its usefulness
of the participants in their current jobs or in future assignments.
9. From the participants' evaluations and critiques and from
memoranda voluntarily submitted by eight participants, it can be
concluded that the Seminar was successful and that the partici-
pants profited significantly from their attendance. Accordingly,
the Director of Training proposed to continue the Seminar on a
twice annual basis with spring and fall runnings. Based on this
proposal and a review of the participants' critiques, the Director
approved, in early January 1.972, a second running of the Seminar
which will be conducted for nine weeks from March through May,
1972. The Executive Director-Comptroller has emphasized the need
to nominate to this runninf, highly qualified officers who have a
potential for advancement.
25X1A
25X1A
Distribution:
O
i
g
r
25X1A
1
- SS chron.
1
- chron..
1
- Charter file
i
25X1A
OTR/SS
cd (17 Jan 72
A
Approved
or
a ease 2000/08/29: CI
-RDP80-00308A000100010007-0