(SANITIZED) FOLLOW-UP ON IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00885R001001040115-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 14, 2009
• Sequence Number: 115
• Publication Date: August 22, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2009/04/14: CIA-RDP86B00885RO01001040115-4
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)DI 04840-84
22 August 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
FROM: Deputy Director for Intelligence
SUBJECT: Follow-Up on In Search
of Excellence
1. The Production Enhancement Program: This program was
designed to operate outside the basic institutions of the
Community with emphasis on speculative, high-risk/high-payoff
research. It now has become a routine institutionalized effort
that will become more institutionalized over time. It currently
takes about 18 months for a Production Enhancement Initiative to
be created, justified, selected, and funded before work can be
begun--not particularly responsive to the nurturing of an
innovative idea.
2. As we consider changes in the program, one of
observations in his 21 August memo to you is important:- uonr
insist that a program or an initiative be planned to the nth
degree all the way through to completion before it is submitted;
don't fund it all the way through to completion. The objective
is the development of ideas, which are not always expressable in
terms of programs. In fact, some of the major production
enhancement initiatives, once the idea was launched, have been
turned into programmatic issues including contractual work on
3. If we are e Production Enhancement Program
to take into account deas, it seems to me we ought to
begin somewhat modestly. Some of the institutional production
enhancement initiatives have been valuable and subsequently have
found programmatic expression. I would not want simply to
eliminate that vehicle as an alternative. What I propose below
is a mix.
Approved For Release 2009/04/14: CIA-RDP86B00885RO01001040115-4
 Approved For Release 2009/04/14: CIA-RDP86B00885RO01001040115-4
4. Exceptional Analyst Program: I think that the
Exceptional Analyst Program should be kept separate from both of
the above two initiatives. This is a program to recognize
analysts of considerable skill and to give them the opportunity
to do independent research on relevant subjects for a period of a
year. These are often not far-out or high-risk ideas but rather
an opportunity for the analyst to pursue a subject of great
interest both to the analyst and to the government. Slots are
not needed to ensure good ideas; a non-bureaucratic setting and a
little money are usually all that are required. The above
suggestion would take this into account. This would keep the
Exceptional Analyst Program essentially intact and is a way to
provide recognition and the opportunity for independent research
-- both highly consistent with the "Excellence" program.
Ro er U. Gates
2
Approved For Release 2009/04/14: CIA-RDP86B00885RO01001040115-4
 Approved For Release 2009/04/14: CIA-RDP86B00885RO01001040115-4
DI 04840-84
22 August 1984
SUBJECT:( (Follow-Up on In Search of Excellence
Original - ExSec to pass to ICS
1 - Ex Registry
1 - DI Registry
1 - DDI
DDI/RGates/ls1'
Approved For Release 2009/04/14: CIA-RDP86B00885RO01001040115-4