LETTER TO ADMIRAL WILLIAM F. RABORN FROM WILLIAM T. KNOX

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000400190020-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 16, 2003
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: February 8, 1966
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For R, lease 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80B0, ;0Ot001 20-8
`~ .
8 February 1966
You are aware that a study of information handling within the
intelligence community is being conducted, at the request of
the President, jointly by the Foreign Intelligence Advisory
Board and the Special Assistant for Science and Technology.
The panel assembled to carry out the study has already been
in touch with some organizational units within your agency.
The panel has been tasked to provide guidance to the intelligence
community in accelerating use of improved methods and facili-
ties for information handling and access, and to evaluate in
technical terms the true meaning of the enormous and somewhat
heterogeneous growth of the intelligence community's information
pool.
"Information handling" is here defined as the processing of the
various kinds of raw intelligence input, including messages,
reports, documents, signals, and photographs.
The panel wishes to ensure that its recommendations are made
with good understanding of the active research, development,
and improvement programs in information handling now under-
way and planned by the several intelligence organizations. I am
requesting, therefore, that you furnish the panel, by March 4,
statements describing each such major program in your organi-
zation. Programs concerned with raw inputs and final delivery
and presentation are not of interest to the panel, except where
such programs will significantly affect the intermediate proces-
sing steps.
Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80BO1676R000400190020-8
 Approved For R Qase 2003/05/05: CIA-RDP80B01676 ,JO0400190020-8 2
Each program statement, to be generally about 500 words, will
serve as a basis for further discussion and should include a brief
paragraph on each of the following points:
(1)
(2)
Significant problem being attacked by your program.
Objective expected to be achieved by the program, including
criteria used for problem selection, and program formulation.
(3) Action taken to date, including level of effort and target date
of completion.
(4) Progress made toward solution, including a listing of the
factors limiting the achievement of the above objective with an
indication of their importance and the possibilities for speed-
ing the completion of your program.
The panel is aware of a number of on-going agency and community
study efforts. The present request is designed to develop a com-
mon information base for community-wide efforts to accelerate the
improvement of all elements of the information handling system.
If there are questions about the nature and format of the information
desired, please get in touch with Mr. Thomas S. McFee, executive
secretary for the panel. He may be reached on code 128 ext. 28443.
William T. Knox,' Chairman
Guidance and Evaluation Panel
Admiral William F. Raborn, USN (Ret.
Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D. C. 20505
cc: Special Assistant to the President
for Science and Technology
Chairman, President's Foreign
Intelligence Advisory Board
Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80B01676R000400190020-8
 Approved For Release 2003/05/05 : CIA-RDP80BO1676R000400190020-8
TO: DCI
Attached for DCI signature is an interim response to a letter from
Mr. William Knox, Chairman of the Guidance and Evaluation Panel,
which, as you know, is conducting a study on information handling within
the intelligence community.
Mr. Knox's letter requests that the panel be furnished, by 4 March,
statements describing the research, development, and improvement pro-
grams in information handling now under way and planned within CIA.
As you know, Mr. Paul Borel is the Agency's point of contact to assist
the panel in its work. DD/I has started working on the report requested
and, when completed, will go forward under a covering note for DCI
signature.
Recommend signature.
Approved For Release 2003/05/05: CIA-RDPHBT_~Gqp
e 0-8
STAT
14 FFB 1966
 00190020-8
TO
NAME AND ADDRESS
DATE
INITIALS
1
Mr. Paul Borel
2
3
4
5
6
ACTION
DIRECT REPLY
PREPARE REPLY
APPROVAL
DISPATCH
RECOMMENDATION
COMMENT
FILE
RETURN
CONCURRENCE
INFORMATION
SIGNATURE
Remarks :
Paul:
DCI has not seen the attached Knox letter.
Red White has looked it over. He asks that you
begin work on the report Knox requests and that
you prepare for DCI signature a response to
this letter within the next couple of days.
Leave it to you as to dissemination but would
think your focal points in each of the various
Agency offices would find it of use.
FOLD HERE TO RETURN TO SENDER
0/Executive Director /HKnoche
9 Feb 66
UNCLA F 90020-8
(40)
FORM NO. 237 Use previous editions
2-61 LJ I
STAT