AGENCY POLICY ON INFORMATION PROCESSING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000700060001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 22
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 2006
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 1, 1966
• Content Type: MF

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Executive Director-Comptroller
SUBJECT : Agency Policy on Information Processing
1. Attached as Tab A is a copy of the Agency Notice I prepared
for the DDCI's signature as of 12 April. It enunciates the four key
principles which were the theme of your conferences with the Deputy
Directors and Dick Helms. I have altered it only slightly to reflect
the position title which you suggested was appropriate.
The proposed statement endorses neither full central-
ization at the CIA level nor full decentralization to the
Directorates. It does (a) freeze the number of computer
centers at the present level of three (OCS, RID, and NPIC);
(b) clearly establish OCS as the Agency's central computing
organization; (c) put us in position for further centralization
in the future if warranted; and (d) provide for Agency-wide
ADP staff responsibility at the DCI level, as called for by
BOB and Executive Department directives. As a minimum
now, the proposed statement calls for hardware centraliza-
tion in the Headquarters Building for DD/S, DD/S&T, and
DD/I.
2. Attached as Tab B is a verbal recapitulation of the oral briefing
which led up to the development of the Notice.
3. Attached as Tab C are drafts of two Agency Notices to announce
key position personnel assignments.
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4. Attached as Tab D is a list of the functions and responsibilities
associated with the new Special Assistant's position in your Office. This
is the statement you asked me to prepare during our telephone conver-
sation while I was at Warrenton.
5. I recommend that the Notices on Policy (see Tab A) and Personnel
Assignments (see Tab C) respectively be issued without delay.
P BECKER
Special Assistant to the
Executive Director-Comptroller
Attachments:
Tab A - Policy Notice
Tab B - Description of Oral Briefing on ADP
Tab C - Key Position Personnel Notices
Tab D - Functions and Responsibilities of
Special Assistant
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AGENCY POLICY ON INFORMATION PROCESSING AND ADP
1. Advances in information processing technology are impacting on our
operating methods. A continuing review of the Agency's posture in the field
of automatic data processing is necessary if the Agency is to profit from the
rapid evolution of computer applications and communications capabilities.
During the next decade the Agency, as well as the entire Intelligence Com-
munity, can anticipate a considerably enlarged requirement for information
processing equipment and systems. Agency policy is to exploit this evolution
by striving for the most effective development and use of human and material
information processing resources. Accordingly, the following principles
will govern the growth of this function in CIA:
a. Policy direction and staff responsibility for all
information processing activities shall rest with
the Executive Director-Comptroller, who will be
supported by a Special Assistant,
b. A CIA. Computer Support Center shall be ma.in-
tained in the Science and Technology Directorate to
provide all Directorates with support for problem
analysis, programming, and hardware operations.
c. For the near term, the computer installations in
RID and NPIC will remain decentralized.
d. Each Deputy Director shall appoint an Information
Processing Coordinator to be cognizant of, and to
coordinate solutions for, the information processing
problems of his Directorate. This Coordinator shall
supervise a System Design Group at the Directorate
level and establish Problem Analysis Groups within
Offices as required.
2. The Special Assistant to the Executive Director-Comptroller will
prepare and coordinate pertinent mission and function statements and issue
appropriate definitions where required,
RICHARD HELMS
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
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7 April 1966
VERBAL DESCRIPTION OF ORAL BRIEFING ON ADP POLICY
PRESENTED TO THE DDCI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-COMPTROLLER,
AND THE DEPUTY DIRECTORS DURING APRIL 1966
SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-COMPTROLLER
Establishment of this function would recognize information processing
as an activity in its own right within the Agency. The authority and
responsibilities of this function would be those normally associated
with the highest levels of Agency management.
Emphasis would be given to the following activities as they relate
to providing the Agency with a single focal point for information processing
management: a) represents the Agency in discussions of Governmental
or Community-wide plans and policies; b) provides basic Agency manage-
ment of human and material resources (by establishing standards for the
application of resources and ensuring the development of a professional
environment through sound recruiting and training practices); c) provides
guidance on the application of new developments in the art by recommending
new programs and guiding R&D efforts; d) ensures that potential gaps
and overlaps in overall Agency Information processing management are
recognized and addressed; e) settles jurisdictional disputes in resource
allocation and functional responsibilities; and f) coordinates with O/PPB
the Directorate submissions related to information processing.
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INFORMATION PROCESSING COORDINATOR
The creation of this position would fill two major gaps in co-
ordinating information processing activities at the Directorate level:
Coordinating Directorate requirements for information processing systems
and support, and providing OCS and other information processing facilities
with guidance on planning requirements and operational priorities. Both
controlling authority and coordinating responsibility would be vested in
this function.
The information processing coordinator would interpret overall
Agency policy as it applies to Directorate information processing activities.
He would ensure that the Directorate is meeting its commitments in both
Agency and Community efforts. In addition, he would assist the Directo-
rate Planning Officer by reviewing pertinent Office planning, programming,
and budgeting submissions and would provide guidance and support to OCS
(and other information processing facilities) in their submission of plans
and programs.
His responsibilities should not necessarily be restricted to computer
systems or applications; the Deputy Directors concerned may choose to
interpret "information processing" broadly to include organizational elements
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which are not ADP-oriented, but which are basically concerned with
providing internal information processing services. In addition, the
Deputy Director may choose to make the information processing co-
ordinator directly responsible for the activities of the system design group.
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SYSTEM DESIGN GROUP
The creation of a system design group would fill the basic need
for a capability to study information processing problems at the
Directorate level. It would provide the basic pool of expertise--with
respect to both systems analysis and computer technology--which the
Directorate as a whole could task.
The system design group would be primarily concerned with design
problems of large scope--large with respect to resources needed to
attack a problem and the complexity of the activities being investigated.
The problems attacked by such a group would necessarily involve some
degree of imprecise definition, but, on the other hand, would require
the identification of a "system" as a goal. The group would carry system
design through analysis, experimentation (and evaluation of results),
and specification of system functions so that production programming
could be undertaken. That is, they would be concerned with the "why"
and the "what" and only to a limited extent with the "how. " In addition
to specific system design responsibilities, the group would monitor the
state of the art and recommend development of techniques applicable to
Directorate information processing problems.
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COMPUTER CENTER
Problem analysis, production and maintenance programming,
systems programming, and computer operations are the functions
associated with a computer center. The inclusion of all these functions
is necessary if the computer center concept is to have validity. This
does not preclude supplemental or complementary activity in several of
these functions (particularly problem analysis) outside the management
control of the computer center. Each of these functions is described
below.
Aside from these operational functions, a major management activity
in a. computer center is the study of changing hardware requirements
and the preparation of recommendations for installation of new equipment,
based on studies of technical and economic feasibility.
Problem Analysis: Problem Analysis is a function and is not as a policy
matter vested in any one group. It is performed by the Directorate's
System Design Group or by any individual or group in any component of
a Directorate or Office, or by the CIA Computer Center or a team com-
prised of people from these organizations, as directed or approved by
the Information Processing Coordinator. It can be described as system
design on a. smaller scale where the emphasis is on the development of
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methods for solving specific substantive problems by means of
automatic data processing systems.
Production Programming: Production Programming is the development
of computer programs in accordance with specifications produced by
system design and/or problem analysis. It includes the interpretation
of the specifications in light of the available computer facilities, the
development of the internal logic of the computer program, the writing
of the computer instructions (the program), and the testing and documen-
tation of the program.
Maintenance Programming: Maintenance Programming is modification
of a program to have it perform additional or different functions or to
perform a function in a different way, in response to new user require-
ments. It also includes program changes intended only to improve the
efficiency of the program or the information processing system of which
it is a part.
Systems Programming: The programmers, operators, and machines in
a computer center in themselves constitute a system, independent of the
applications involved. This system requires analysis, design, program-
ming, and maintenance efforts analogous to those required for problem
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programming. These activities are commonly called Systems Programming.
Functions performed include the development and maintenance of pro-
gramming language processors, and of the control programs which monitor
and facilitate the operation of the machines as they perform their data
processing tasks.
Computer Operations: Functions concerned with Computer Operations
include the following:
Preparation of Input involves the conversion of raw data
into a medium which can be read by machines (punched cards, punched
paper tape, source documents for optical scanning, etc. ). This activity
may be performed in a central pool and, when feasible, in small units
located close to the source of the data.
Control of Data. Receipt and Dispatch involves the receipt,
logging, storing, accounting and dispatching functions at the computer
processing center--complementary activities of a similar nature are
carried out within user areas.
Scheduling of Production implies the assignment of processing
resources (computer equipment and operators) to information processing
workloads in accordance with priorities, required job completion dates,
and efficient equipment utilization.
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Operation of Computer Equipment involves the processing of
machine-readable data by operators of equipment which can range from
small peripheral or support machines to large computer systems. Pro-
cedures and programs controlling these processes are furnished to
operations personnel by systems and programming personnel. Substantial
activities to support the operator at the machine are also involved such as
management of large quantities of expendable supplies (paper, cards,
magnetic tapes, ribbons, inks, etc. ), handling of finished reports
(decollating, bursting, binding), operation of magnetic tape data library,
and quality control and resolution of processing problems.
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SECRET
DRAFT
PERSONNEL 1 June 1966
ANNOUNCEMENT OF APPOINTMENT TO KEY POSITION
Effective 1 June 1966, Mr. Joseph Becker was appointed a
Special Assistant to the Executive Director-Comptroller in accordance
with Agency Notice:
FOR THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE:
ROBERT L. BANNERMAN
Deputy Director
for Support
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DRAFT
PERSONNEL 1 June 1966
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR
FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Effective 1 June 1966, Mr. Charles Briggs was appointed
Director of the Office of Computer Services, vice Mr. Joseph
Becker.
FOR THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE:
ROBERT L. BANNERMAN
Deputy Director
for Support
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SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-COMPTROLLER
INFORMATION PROCESSING RESPONSIBILITIES AND FUNCTIONS
1. Purposes and Need
a. Advances in information processing technology, including
computers, indicate clearly that the Agency can anticipate
a continuing increase in the use of information processing
equipment and systems.
b. In Fiscal Year 1967, it is estimated that CIA will spend
about on ADP activities in order to satisfy
its information processing requirements.
c. Over 20 CIA organizational units are involved in these
activities (this information compiled in the Annual ADP
Report to the Bureau of the Budget).
d. An even greater portion of the Agency's resources will be
engaged in ADP activities in the future, and many Agency
programs will become increasingly dependent on ADP
support.
e. Portions of the Agency's ADP work is highly classified,
making the Agency-wide coordination of such activities
especially complex and, at the same time, extremely
important.
f. The Agency's role in the coordination of Intelligence Com-
munity and Government-wide information processing
needs strengthening.
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2. Major Agency-Wide Responsibilities
a. To carry out the spirit and the letter of the Agency
Notice on Information Processing and ADP Policy
dated
b. To fulfill, in the Director's behalf, the responsibilities
of the Heads of Executive Agencies contained in Bureau
of the Budget Circular A-71 dated March 6, 1965.
c. To relate to the ADP operating components in CIA
through an Information Processing Coordinator in
each Directorate.
d. To represent the Agency in Community information
processing activities such as COINS. (The extent to
which the Special Assistant will become involved in
CODIB requires further deliberation. At the moment,
I would recommend assigning him the Chairman's
role with the understanding that eventually a USIB
committee on information processing--with new terms
of reference- -would gradually replace CODIB. )
e. To serve as the Agency's representative in Government-
wide ADP activities; e. g. , on the Interagency ADP
Committee and in relationships with the Bureau of the
Budget, General Services Administration, Department
of Commerce, and other executive departments in
carrying out the Government ADP Management Pro-
gram called for in Public Law 89-306.
f. To furnish the principal Agency interface with non-
government ADP organizations, coordinating Agency
ADP relationships with private industry, educational
institutions, etc.
3. Staff Functions (Derived from CIA ADP Committee Report dated
15 June 1965)
The Staff of the Special Assistant to the Executive Director-
Comptroller will perform the following functions in coordination
with the Information Processing Coordinators in each Directorate:
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a.. Personnel and Training
- Develop appropriate plans and policies with respect to
effective acquisition, education, utilization of ADP
personnel resources.
- Establish Agency standards for recruitment, selection,
and placement and development of ADP personnel.
- Prepare job standards for measuring ADP employee
performance and productivity.
- Establish ADP orientation programs for Agency manage-
ment and training programs for ADP personnel.
b. Equipment and Services
- Serve as the principal Agency contact with the manufacturing
and professional ADP community.
- Review and coordinate Agency R&D in the ADP field.
- Review and make recommendations on proposals and
contracts for the acquisition of ADP equipment, ADP
studies, or software (above dollar limits to be established).
- Develop criteria and standards for ensuring optimal
performance of ADP tasks throughout the Agency.
- Review and recommend the establishment of new computer
centers if justified and conversely the dissolution of old
centers if such conditions as new technology, organizational
change, economy, or operational effectiveness in mission
accomplishment so warrants.
c. Operations
- Coordinate inter-Directorate programs. Identify those
programs which cross Directorate lines and stimulate
joint planning to ensure system integration.
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- Review and make recommendations concerning the
development of new ADP applications.
- Produce standards for management reporting about
ADP and computer center operation.
- Audit, monitor, and evaluate ADP operations in the
Agency.
- Promote maximum sharing of ADP equipment, time,
and services throughout the Agency.
In order to carry out the Agency's information processing
management responsibilities and perform the functions outlined
above, a Staff consisting of six professionals and three clerical
personnel should be assigned to the Special Assistant to the
Executive Director-Comptroller.
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31 May 1966
MEMORANDUM FOR: Executive Director-Comptroller
1. Pursuant to our telephone conversation of 26 May,
this memorandum outlines my views on the role of an assistant
in the office of the DCI to function centrally in the field
of automatic data processing.
He should be called: CIA ADP Officer. We have
precedence already for so designating a staff officer to whom
( a special program-oriented assignment has been given in the
CIA SIGINT Officer and the CIA Reconnaissance Officer. Why
start a new breed of titles? It's complicated enough as it
3. Should new responsibility be line or staff?
~~~ ~(-~ v' Strictly staff. We should maintain the concept of
decentralized operations with four main focal points -- RID,
,vt ~k6~ tI PIC, OCR and OCS. The mission of the ADP components of these
kjok tmerations have more to do with the immediate components which
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\ remain under the line direction of the operating deputies they
serve.
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4. What should be the role of the CIA ADP Officer?
Provide Agency interdepartmental representation
(e.g. COSATI, CODIB, Interagency ADP Committee)
. Coordinate interdirectorate programs, such as:
- CIA participation in the Community On-line
Intelligence System (COINS)
- Special efforts to acquire, train and use ADP
personnel in short supply
- ADP orientation programs for Agency management
and consumers
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Serve as PPB review officer for directorate
program proposals
5. To whom should the CIA ADP Officer report?
The CIA ADP Officer should be administratively
attached to OPPB and report to the Executive Director-
Comptroller, except as such interagency committee assignments
he may have would indicate otherwise.
Budgeting and programming for ADP are important
elements already receiving central attention.
We should avoid having another and different
central point in the Agency for other aspects
of ADP which might also require central attention.
It would be unrealistic to locate the ADP
assistant in the organization on the assumption
that the DCI personally will play such a role as
to require an assistant to him. Neither is the
DDCI likely to play a personal role on a day-to-
day basis. Matters requiring front office action
will be handled by the Executive Director-
Comptroller, with advice from OPPB or from other
subordinate components as appropriate.
Note ma be taken of the recent action to place
CIA SIGINT Officer and CIA
Reconnaissance Officer, in direct support of
DCI. Unlike ADP, however, SIGINT and RECCE
programs involve huge operating activities
largely in the hands of DOD (NSA and NRO) which
fact is responsible for the extensive demands
made upon DCI's and USIB's time. No comparable
claim upon DCI's time can be made by ADP, which,
for management purposes, is more to be compared
with the research sector of intelligence.
6. Why concentrate on ADP rather than attempt to cover
whole range of Information Processing?
ADP is area of greatest concern to other agencies.
DOD and State are neither organized to deal
effectively across the board except on ADP.
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Questions of compatibility and of establishing
links, whether interoffice or interagency, have
largely to do with ADP. Where BOB committees,
for example, deal with a broader problem, other
agency people can be brought in.
Prospective emphasis in Community owing to COINS
and Knox Panel will require greater Agency effort
on ADP coordination.
Enlarging the responsibility beyond ADP would
dilute effort of small staff or lead to a require-
ment for a larger staff. In latter case, conflict
or overlap with directorate efforts would ensue.
General agreement to maintain decentralization of
operating responsibilities (OCS, NPIC, DDP, OCR
and DDS) is soundly based upon the integral
relationships existing between user and support
activities (e.g. IPD to rest of NPIC; RID to rest
of DDP). Hence central monitorship and control
of information processing as a whole should be
limited to the legitimate role played by OPPB,
and the interface between components.
7. What should be the role of the ADP assistant in
CODIB?
The assistant for ADP should play an important role
in the program of CODIB. This could be in support of the
Chairman or the CIA Member without official status on the
Committee, or as CIA Member or as Chairman.
he role of Chairman is the one which has most to
More emphasis should be put on CODIB than has
been in the past. The Knox Panel activity is
an indication of the need for this. A full time
Chairman with an augmented CODIB Support Staff
could easily be justified.
Such an arrangement would combine in the
individual serving as ADP focal point in the
Agency not only knowledge of what is going on
in this field but responsibility for constructive
Community action.
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Agency representation on CODIB distinct from the
chairmanship is of very recent origin and should
not be altered at this time but left with D/OCR.
CODIB has been under the same leadership since
its inception eight years ago. On general
principles a new look by a new man at the helm
is advisable.
Director of Intelligence Support
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Meeting with Becker, Clarke, and Knoche
Tuesday, 7 June
11 a. m.
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