REPORT ON INDIVIDUAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01826R000900060043-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 20, 1998
• Sequence Number: 43
• Publication Date: February 17, 1956
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Rele 0' - 000900060043-4
17 FEB 1956
i MORANDU4 FOR: Chairman, Executive Committee, IP Career Service Board
SUBJECT : Report on Individual Career Development Planning Program
REFERENCE : Memorandum to the Head of the Intelligence Production Career
Service from the Executive Secretary of the CIA Career Council,
Subject: same, dated 9 February 1956
1. In accordance with the instructions contained in the reference rnemo-
randum, the following statistical report on the Individual Career Development
Planning Program of C',R is submitted.
a. There have been no office notices or regulations issued by
ORB which establish the development of individual career plans as a
requirement for the employees of this Office.
b. Inasmuch as the preparation of individual career plans by
employees of CPR has never been required, the establishment of pro-
cedures for the preparation, review, approval, and revision of in-
dividual career plans has not been necessary. However, items which
are related to career planning such as proposals for sponsored train-
ing, recommendations for overseas assignment, and certain types of
promotion actions are handled by the Career Service Board in the
following manner: Generally the proposed recommended action per-
taining to an individual is initiated at the Division level and
forwarded with appropriate intermediate endorsements through com-
mand channels to the AD/RR. If the AD/RR desires Career Service
Board recommendations, the item is placed before the Board for
consideration in accordance with routine administrative procedure.
c. (1) There have been no formal individual career develop-
ment plans prepared in writing and approved by the ORB Career
Service Board.
(2) There are no individual career development plans
currently and formally in process at this time.
(3) There are no formal individual career development
plans scheduled by the Career Service Board level for comple-
tion. OOCUM EF. M0.
NO (`4!.~:':lar !r CLASS. C_i
CLASS. (Hi+`'3: ' ;D TO: Ts S 02,0/1
Approved For Release 2001 A=R1 0T0050"00'6'0'0"/43(-4 7--
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 Approved For Release 2001/0 DP80-0182000900060043-4
SUBJECT: Report on Individual Career Development Planning Program
d. Since no individual career development plans are required,
the reply to all parts of sub-paragraph 3.d. of the reference memo-
randum is negative.
2. The foregoing report should not be construed as indicating that OR
has not given thought and. consideration to the problem of the development of
individual written career development plans. On the contrary, career planning
has been and continues to be an item of foremost importance to this Office and
its Career Service Board. However, a thorough analysis of this problem, at
least in its application to MR, resulted in the unanimous opinion of the Board
members that a program which requires the preparation of individual written
career development plans is neither workable nor particularly advisable from
the management standpoint. Serious consideration must be given and is given
by ORR to the development of required professional competency within the vari-
ous aspects of the ORR's intelligence production responsibilities principally
through the sponsoring of individuals to training courses and the assignment
of individuals to certain jobs for the purpose of acquiring on-the-job train-
ing and experience. This process is exercised by management in conjunction with
the known capabilities of the individual, his stated desires and the require-
ments of the Office to maintain adequate manpower strengths properly to perform
its mission. Very often, self-initiated requests for training cannot be granted.
it is believed that any official requirement that individual career plans be
developed by the individual would be a serious error and would lead only to
disillusionment when written and approved plans cannot be realized. On the
other hand, we believe that effective career development can be achieved through
a cooperatively-arrived-at understanding between supervisor and employee on
individual deficiencies, strengths, training or new work experiences needed
to take advantage of successive future opportunities for career advancement.
3. The OPR Career Service Board expects to recozmnend, within the next
sixty days, a Career Development Policy which will establish the ORR position
that the objectives of career development can be met through the following
process:
a. The counseling of individuals by their immediate super-
visors regarding their capabilities, performance, aspirations and
opportunities.
b." The utilization of position standards and written qualifica-
tion requirements in planning progression of individuals within the
several professional career fields found in ORR.
c. The education of supervisors in ORR in order that they will
apply sound management principles in the full utilization and develop-
ment of the human resources within their areas of responsibility.
 Approved For Re RDP80-0188000900060043-4
SUBJECT: Report On Individual Career Development Planning Program
4. The development of an aggressive counseling and placement service
within CIA is an integral part of any Agency-wide Career Development Planning
Program since it is impossible for any supervisor at any echelon of responsi-
bility to offer positive advice for the development or advancement of an in-
dividual within a functional area or career field over which he has no knowledge
or management control.
Secretary of the IR. Career Service Board
Approved For Release 200117%7611 SCI