EXCELLENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00885R001001040146-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 12, 2009
• Sequence Number: 146
• Publication Date: December 20, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

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Executive Registry
g,r~ . 10 3 6 3
20 December 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
Executive Director
Deputy Director for Administration
Deputy Director for Intelligence ~
Deputy Director for Operations
Deputy Director for Science & Technology
FROM: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: Excellence
1. Some ten weeks ago you gave me a report on progress under what has
become to be called the "excellence" campaign. These showed broad progress
in delegating authority, reducing paperwork and other organization impediments
to quick and effective action. You probably have the DDA's report on progress
during the year and that shows many commendable initiatives. What I have not
seen specifically, except in the DI report of ten weeks ago, are details of
substantive initiatives resulting from unleashing the troops to encourage
the exercising of initiative and creativity.
2. I know that some of this has occurred in all Directorates and that
it is more likely to occur broadly and frequently, at least in a manner that
is easily talked about, in others. Also, the DS&T, in its report of ten
weeks ago, referred to an initiative to provide resources at the Directorate
level for task forces on special problems. All the reports showed activity
in encouraging, rewarding and providing resources for new ideas and new
initiatives.
3. In short, I am satisfied that great progress has been made in removing
impediments and providing encouragement of new initiatives and creativity.
The ultimate test is how widely and how effectively has the creation of task
forces, the bias for action, whatever we choose to call it, been manifested,
on what needs and projects, and with what results? As a concrete illustration,
what I am now looking for, and hope to get more of throughout the organization,
is the kind of new activity laid out in the DI report of 17 August 1984 as
indicated in the attached excerpt from that report.
William J. Casey
SECRET
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I think th'e Director's interest, and the Agency's
in general, are+more accurately reflected in the formation of
task forces to take on a specific job, do it, and then disband.
chat follows are a series of examples of task forces that have
been formed just within the last three months within the ~
Directorate of Intelligence to address substantive problems:
-- OGI has formed a special task force to develop the means
for exploiting newly available financial data relating
to LDC economics, drug trafficking and grey area trade
in arms and nuclear materials. -
-- An inter-branch task force of analysts in four branches
of OGI has been formed to improve work on the Third
~lorld debt problem.
At ALA's instigation, an Intelligence Community task
force has been created to review and agree upon the data
base and methodologies used to calculate the arms flow
from Nicaragua to E1 Salvador.
ALA has established an informal task force to~ conduct
collaborative analysis on the Latin American debt
crisis. It includes elements of two divisions in ALA,
one from OGI, and the NIO for Economics.
ALA has formed an~informal task force with Treasury and
State to analyze the IMF in Africa.
ALA has established as part of its FY-85 research effort
a task force to identify and analyze key economic and
political issues in Afica through the 1990s.
ALA has also formed a task force with participants from
DDO, iNR, NPIC, NSC and DIA to analyze key strategic
facilities in Africa as a crisis management tool.
OSWR has created a task force to increase emphasis on
future Soviet weapon systems. Special studies under the
auspices of the task force include SoviAr ranahtli--row
OSWR ie developing a task force to assess Soviet
capabilities to develop responses [o the President's
Strategic Defense Initiative and is examining the
possibility of a task force to address the Soviet
Command, Control and Communications problem.
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SECRET
OCR also has formed a task force to examine the
organization and functions of the main OCR indexing
operations and to prepare the new central index file of
SAFE.
The Analytic Support Group has
planning for the delivery of
[o headquarters.
-- ASC has created a cross-directorate group attempting to
improve computer training available to analysts.
The Chief of ASG is chairing a SKINT working task force
to look at creative ways to use SIGINT for economic
intelligence.
EURA and SOVA are creating an inter-office task force to
address problems relating to CEMA, with a particular
view to understanding better the broader implications of
Soviet-East European economic relations.
CPAS has created a task force to explore ways in which
foreign television broadcasts can contribute to current
intelligence reporting and IOW responsibilities.
OIA has created an ad hoc group [o develop a plan on how
the office can best pre are for the new multi-spectral
collection systems -- (and even LANDSAT).
CRES has formed a task force [o review the DZ/ADP
Pfodernization Study with particular emphasis on possible
actions to deal with analysts' concerns over how to
influence collection systems.
8. The Directorate has taken a number of other initiatives
as an outgrowth of the Excellence undertaking to try and improve
analysis. Some of these include:
-- OGI is creating cross-cutting branch units to pursue
non-traditional research. For example, the Political
`.,._ Instability Branch will examine mechanisms for sudden
'~ change in a series of Third Norld countries and the
Economic Analysis Branch is looking at a number of non-
traditional areas such as Third Llorld austerity and
narcotics trafficking.
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?- OCZ is pursuing new opportunities for cross-divisional
analysis, identifying areas Where skills unique to one
division can be applied to substantive issues handled in
another unit. For example, the team responsible for oil
facilities vulnerability has been asked to look at the
vulnerability of telecommunication systems and computer
centers in key industrial countries with a view to
terrorist threats. Analysts in the Commodity Analysis
Branch are Iookiag at patterns of Soviet commodity
purchases with a view toward their impact on individual
LDCs and potential leverage for the Soviets.
- OGI also has developed several special programs [o
broaden the experience and perspective of analysts,
including an "out of area assignments program" involving
some 20 assignments in other government agencies?or
overseas to provide first-hand experience in the use of
intelligence or the opportunity to develop unique
insi h[s on substantive issues.
-- OCI's Geography Division is`exploring the possibility of
contracting with local geography professors to set up
special studies programs for non-geographers in the
division highlighting systematic geographic research and
the opportunity to apply elementary integrated
techniques on foreign area topics. .
-- OGI's Strategic Resources Division is establishing a
training guide for its personnel, including appropriate
academic course work from local universities based on
area specialization, recommended short courses from
universities or consultants in specialized topics, and a
listing of appropriate conferences or seminars
applicable to the division.
-- OGI's Geography Division also is trying to create an
environment encouraging the "trickling up" of ideas from
all employees in the division. Key substantive topics
are identified within branches and then, similar to the
drafting of the credo exercise, each branch discusses
the topic and makes recommendations. By occasionally
setting aside time, the division hopes to stimulate free
and uninhibited thinking that will uncover good ideas.
-- ALA has undertaken an active program to improve
dramaticall
its relations frith the DO.
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Virtually all offices in the Directorate have created
mentors for new analysts to see that the analysts get
the training and guidance they need, help in
understanding how our work is done, and in learning [he
resources and opportunities available to them.
-- OSNR has started a guest speaker program, bringing in
outsiders to deal with specific substantive topics.
-- OSGIR's management has set aside time-each day to meet
with managers and focus on analytical developments and
discuss substantive issues_ Discussion of management
and administrative concerns are forbidden at these
sessions.
SOVA has established review procedures to examine Soviet
force projections in the context of supporting
assumptions and key constraints that affect individual
weapon programs and overall production and deployment.
This systematic review of future forces considers order-
of-battle, force effectiveness data, and plant
production capacities as well as technical, political
and economic motivations and constraints.
Working groups have been established in SOVA to deal
with projections of specific categories of weapons to
assure consistency with all-source intelligence and to
identify industrial, economic and technological
constraints and incentives that affect individual
programs. Key supporting assumptions are reviewed and
if the intelligence bearing on individual programs is
ambiguous or weak the working groups may request
additional research or produce alternative projections.
OCR has established service representatives to both OSNR
and OGI. These representatives are charged with
evangelizing these offices and explaining and promoting
library support to analysts.
OCR hae begun reviewing DI production plans to bring a
full range of OCR support services to bear on a problem
even before an analyst requests it.
-- EURA has initiated a new Curopean Review feature called
"One Analyst's View" which is published with a
disclaimer and without any review.
The East European Division has begun using panels
throughout the process of researching, writing and
reviewing papers to bring together analysts and managers
who can provide ideas and support on a particular
subject to the analyst.
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OEA has been encouraging its people to apply new
approaches and me[hodologies. Recent examples range
from the formation of a nerr regional assessment staff to
produce cross-cutting East Asian ciide regional
assessments to~the?recent report (which the DCI and DDCZ
both have seen) on hoer Well positioned ve are for the
troubles ahead for both collection and analysis on?the
A series of informal secainars by SOVA and OSWR senior
analysts to keep Third World military analysts current
with weapon developments and 4+eapon systems will begin
,. _ i i
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