DCI BRIEFING ITEMS FOR CABINET DISCUSSION OF RETIREMENT REFORMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85M00363R001002200011-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 11, 2007
• Sequence Number: 11
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/09/11 : CIA-RDP85M00363RO01002200011-9
DCI BRIEFING ITEMS FOR
CABINET DISCUSSION OF RETIREMENT REFORMS
I. Introductory Points
-- We are supportive of the Administration's efforts to cut government costs and
reform certain aspects of the government's compensation and benefits program.
-- I fear that the retirement age increase and annuity penalty reduction proposals
will impede your effort to revitalize and enhance the Agency's intelligence
capability and product.
-- The CIA has a long established policy which encourages employees to retire at
ages substantially earlier than elsewhere in government (56.9 under Civil
Service and 52.8 under CIARDS).
-- This policy has been based on the recognition that the Agency's vital missions
require the recruitment and retention of a corps of careerists performing
their operational, analytical or support duties with substantial dynamism,
high motivation and unflagging dedication throughout a career of 20 to 30 years.
-- The early retirement provisions of the Civil Service Retirement and CIARDS
systems have served the Agency exceedingly well by providing management tools
to attract new recruits, provide timely career progression, and encourage
retirement of personnel when CIA management prefers that they retire.
-- Extending the retirement age would seriously impair the ability of Agency
management to maintain employee progression and "flow through" so essential to
maintaining maximum effectiveness in meeting requirements.
-- The combined attractiveness of the Agency's current career opportunity and
benefits package has greatly assisted in the recruitment and retention of
critically needed professionals and offsets the relatively lower starting
salaries that we can offer as compared to what the private sector offers these
high calibre individuals.
II. Specific Impacts of Increase Retirement Age and Penalty Proposals
-- Loss of early retirement incentives will severely reduce on-board employee
rotations and retirements and dry up promotion opportunities for all employee
levels.
-- Loss of many of our more senior and most valuable employees now eligible for
early retirement when faced with the loss of opportunities for further
advancement.
-- Loss of the most promising of our mid-level and younger officers who would seek
careers elsewhere when blockages for assignments and advancement occur.
Approved For Release 2007/09/11 : CIA-RDP85M00363RO01002200011-9
 Approved For Release 2007/09/11 : CIA-RDP85M00363RO01002200011-9
-- Increased turnover in the ranks of intelligence personnel will make it
increasingly difficult to safeguard national security information.
-- Loss of sufficient inducement to effectively compete with the private sector
for high level talent in critical scientific and technical areas, specialized
analysts, computer specialists, and similar "hard to get" categories.
-- Approximately 20 percent of the Agency's employees are covered by the CIA
Retirement and Disability System (CIARDS). This special retirement sytem
offers voluntary nonreduced annuities for members at age 50 with 20 years of
service. The system was instituted in 1964 in recognition of the frequently
dangerous and adverse work and living conditions and early "burnout" faced by
individuals serving the overseas activities of the CIA.
-- Termination of the ability to offer the operational cadre retirement with full
benefits at age 50 would have a devastating impact of the clandestine service
both as regards recruitment of young officers and retention of the on-board
cadre.
-- By the time they reach early retirement eligibility many CIA officers are
compromised and are encouraged to retire with the diminution of their
effectiveness.
Approved For Release 2007/09/11 : CIA-RDP85M00363RO01002200011-9