PRD'S PRODUCTION REVIEW: THE SECOND MONTH AND SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83M00171R000300270041-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 31, 2005
• Sequence Number: 41
• Publication Date: December 3, 1974
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Rele"Q 0.0 d6i-0 ;~GIA P ~~171ROQ(~,- 00270041-1
SUBJECT: PRD's Product Review: The Second Month and Some
Recommendations for the Future
1. I do not find that I have a great deal of startling new
information to provide you at the end of my second month of reviewing
South/Southeast Asia products. In general, another month of reviewing
my area has reinforced rather than changed the views I held at the end
of October.
2. Instead of belaboring you with minutia I have unearthed con-
cerning my product area, I would like to propose a path PRD might take
now that the experimental two month period is over:
a. Commit ourselves to the production of a pilot product
entitled, The DCI's Quarterly Report on National Intelligence
Production. First edition to be published on 15 January 1975
for General Wilson's review. If he likes it, we go public with
it. If he doesn't, we refine it. See attachment for my concept
of what will be contained in this report.
b. Commit ourselves to analyze the NIB/NID in detail and
provide a report to General Wilson concerning the feasibility
of amalgamating these two products. This report to be completed
NLT 1 February 1975.
c. Commit ourselves to preparing a study entitled, "The
State of National Intelligence Production" to be completed NLT
1 June 1975. This report to take a pretty broad overview of
what are the strengths and shortcomings of national intelligence
production during FY 75.
3. To add a little flesh to the skeleton provided above, I am in
the process of preparing a sample of what the Southeast Asia chapter of
the quarterly report might look like. I hope to have this completed by
the end of this week.
Colonel, USK
Approved For Release 2Q.0510
A 17F 000300270041-1
 Approved For Rele"9,,Z
P 171 ROQW00270041-1
SUBJECT: Proposal for a Product Entitled The DCI's Quarterly Report
on National Intelligence Production
1. In your 1 October memorandum to General Wilson proposing the
conduct of a systematic PRD review of national intelligence, you stated
inter alia, "we propose to test the procedures and concepts outlined
above by conducting a one or two month trial exercise."
2. With our two month experiment behind us, it's now time to bite
the bullet and determine what we intend to do with the data which we have
accumulated. I believe we have the capability to do the following:
a. Publish a product entitled The DCI's Quarterly Report on
National Intelligence Production.
(1) This report would be provided to a very limited
audience. It would include the DCI, the NIOs, and the
principals of the major production agencies. Utilizing
the data we have already accumulated plus adding our Decem-
ber "take" we should be able to publish our first report
not later than January 15, 1975.
(2) The quarterly report would take the form of a
series of chapters addressing intelligence production in
each geographic and topical area of interest. PRD analysts
would seek to review all production of the previous quarter--
both serial products (NIB, DIN, NID, SIGINT Summaries, etc.)
and discrete studies (NIAMs, Inter Agency Memorandums, NIEs,
NSSM responses, special reports prepared by single agencies
in response to national consumer needs, etc.)
(3) Each chapter of the quarterly report would examine
the quality of the intelligence products provided the national
consumer in a specific geographic or topical area. Where ap-
propriate, products would be reviewed in terms of their contri-
bution to the satisfaction of a KIQ.
(4) In addition to these narrative chapters we will pro-
vide annexes containing data for use by production managers.
This data would assist in examining management problems such
as:
(a) use of production analysts (product redundancy);
(b) balance of coverage (numbers of articles, column
inches, etc. devoted to various subjects);
Approved For Release 20 t0 1 Df 83 b01,,;1''R000300270041-1
 Approved For Release 2005/06//09: C*IA-RDP83~MOO0171 R0Q300270041-1
(c) appropriateness of coverage (amount of political,
military, economic, specialized intelligence produced by
various agencies);
(d) need for new or cancellation of no longer needed
products;
(e) utilization of collection sources in preparing
products.
(5) The quarterly report will also include an executive
summary containing the highlights of the quarterly findings.
Approved For Releas
5 ,A-RbP.83MA0-171 R000300270041-1
 Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP83M00171R000300270041-1
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP83M00171R000300270041-1
 Approved ForUelease 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP83M0 1 000300270041-1
at UOO Wily
alt - Intell
thief
FYI, I currently envisage the production of a monthly Review
of National Intelligence with its contents organized along the follow-
ing general lines:
I. The Monthly Review
A. Highlights (from all following sections)
B. Specific Commentary
1. Current Reporting (by area or topic)
2. Assessments (memoranda, NIEs, etc.
II. Special Review (e. g., excerpts from PM on Cyprus)
III. Special Studies (e. g. , survey of community periodicals,
CPAD survey of collection systems, etc.
IV. Consumer Comments
V. Responses from Readers
Approved For RAW" 9": MWAAA0190100300270041-1
 y
Approved For,elease 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP83M0012000300270041-1
Notes on the Review of National [ritelligence
1< Ob}ectives:
We are seeking through this publication to:
--Establish a regular sy ztersnatic and effectiv=: way
of carrying out our mission of prodact review;
--Provide the DCI and USIB with an as-
objective-as-possible review and evaluation of the performance of the production
community;
--Spotlight accomplishment and identify weaknesses in
the community coverage of world events and trends;
--Propose solutions to intelligence and intelligence-
management problems as perceived in this review;
--Maintain constructive pressure on the production
offices to improve their performance;
--Provide often-neglected production analysts with
comments, pro and con, on their work;
--Maintain a general record of the activities, successes
and failures of proposed national intelligence;
--Develop for the DCI a ,growing influence over the work
of the community's production
--Provide to high-1 :vel national readers assurance that
the community is seeking dispassionately to assess the quality and the
pertinence of finished intelligence provided to policy makers.
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP83M00171R000300270041-1
 Approved Fot4?Felease 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP83M0014MR000300270041-1
In addition to these general Objectives, we also seek
specifically to:
--Develop a means and a medium for regular feedback
from the consumers of finished intelligence;
--Build up a unique series of files concerning all
major areas and topics addressed in proposed finished intelligence;
--Establish a statistical base concerning such matters
as the relationship. of produced intelligence to the KIQs, the relative
contributions made to finished intelligence by the various collection
systems (e. g. , SIGINT, HUMINT, etc. ), patterns of substantive
emphasis in...individual publications, and trends in the quality of the
finished product;
--.Establish for the reviewing body (PRD) a methodology
of review and a consistent course of internal intellectual discipline;
--Establish an outlet (the Review) for a variety of
commentaries on the work of the community by various offices,
analysts, and consumers;
--Develop a medium for the publication and wide
dissemination of various ICS studies of interest to the production
corm-nLlnity;
--Provide NIOs with information on coverage, KIQs,
sources, etc. , i.. e. , with data relative to their mission;
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 CIA-RDP83M00171R000300270041-1
 Approved Fo lease 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP83MO01W 000300270041-1
--Suggest to the community ways and means to
improve both the overall quality and effectiveness of finished
intelligence and to make more efficient the disposition of the
resources devoted to the production of national intelligence.
2. Questions and Proposals:
--Periodicity. (proposed bimonthly);
--Dissemination. Proposed USIB, NSCIC Working
Group, and (in fairly substantial numbers) the various production
offices;
Format. Present format permits flexibility but
isn't too ambitious;
--Consumer relations. Propose we actively solicit
consumer comments of intelligence and production;
--If DCI concurs, propose first official issue be
published in February and include review of selected major papers
(including NIEs).
This enterprise is unique and has never been tried before. It is,
I think, ambitious but feasiblejand I Lhink we need it or something very
much like it. It will of course be controversial and no doubt resented
in some quarters. But once established with the backing of the DCI it
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP83M00171R000300270041-1
 Approved Foi eIease 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP83M0017AR000300270041-1
will I think be accepted (even if grudgingly) and can be influential. I
believe further that it can be effectively responsive to the DCI's
mission to guide the work and the allocation of resources of the
entire community.
Approved For Release 2005/06/09 : CIA-RDP83M00171R000300270041-1
-I-