STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: March 1, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
3 MAR
STAT
STAT
ROUTING AND RECORD
I,
SHEET
- SUBJECT: (Optional)
Strategic Planning for Information Technology
FROM:
Executive Director
7D55 HQS
EXTENSION
NO.
ER 0802-88
CiTA-T.E
1 March 1988
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
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to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
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FORM Li I USE PREVIOUS
1-79 VIV EDITIONS
* U.S. Government Printing Office: 111116-414434/4111811
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
ER 0802-88
I March 1988
MEMORANDUM FOR: Information Systems Board
FROM: Executive Director
SUBJECT: Strategic Planning for Information Technology
1. During our offsite meeting last November, we heard from
each of you about your long-range plans for information
technology. It was evident that considerable effort had gone
into planning. I was especially encouraged by both the quality
of these efforts and the forthright discussions during the
presentations. Overall, we have made a good start in getting
more directorate involvement in the critical issues relating to
management of information technology.
2. I was struck by the consistency of the goals and
challenges across the directorates that were reflected in the
plans. Some of the common themes were:
the need for specific, workable proposals which will
significantly enhance the security of our information
processing systems.
the commitment to reducing technological barriers to the
sharing of information.
the need to provide better and easier-to-use tools
throughout the network for the acquisition, processing and
management of information. Particularly, the need for
tools which will integrate textual information with image,
graphics and other forms.
the need to continue integration of the paper and data
worlds.
the trend towards distribution of information and
processing capabilities so as to improve the reliability
and responsiveness of our systems.
the commitment to move towards standards and commercial
"off-the-shelf" technology to promote consistency, and
portability within the network.
the great importance to each of you of gateways which
would allow the secure exchange of information between
networks.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
SUBJECT: Strategic Planning for Information Technology
Commitment to these goals is significant because they carry
forward the Agency policy that we published a year ago.
3. An analysis of the strategic plans has highlighted seven
issues requiring further attention by the Board. These topics
will dominate our agenda for 1988. To focus attention on these
problems, I plan to:
provide more detailed guidance for the next cycle of
strategic planning.
charter three working groups to study specific, cross-
directorate issues and to develop strategies or
recommendations for dealing with these problems.
explore some of these topics further with presentations to
the Board by members or by bringing in an outside speaker
to stimulate discussion.
-- ask the Deputy Comptroller's Special Assistant to meet
with some of the people who put together our plans to
highlight areas deserving further thought.
In this memorandum, I would like to share with you my specific
plans for encouraging progress on each issue and to provide
guidance for your planners.
4. It's clear that each of you see the need to provide our
employees with a fundamental and consistent set of information
processing tools, such as word processing and electronic mail.
Most of us are having difficulty deciding how to achieve this
goal, in part, because we have not clearly defined the desired
end state for our information processing systems in the 1990s.
We must first define the architecture of our networks by
understanding the extent to which we will distribute our
information and systems within the directorates. The DO has
described their information architecture in the concept for
DOLPHIN. It is now up to the technologists to take these
concepts and make them real. The DS&T and the DI have also begun
to articulate where they want to be. These decisions about how
we will distribute our information technology will provide the
foundation upon which much of our planning is based. We will
address this issue by:
asking each of you to set forth in your next plan the
desired end state for your information processing systems
in the 1990s, and to describe the architecture needed to
attain those goals.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
SUBJECT: Strategic Planning for Information Technology
5. We have implicitly assumed that we will push information
processing systems out towards the customer. This is the trend
throughout Government and the private sector. Yet we haven't
really come to grips with the implications of this decision. We
haven't planned for the development of the infrastructure needed
to support distributed information processing systems. We will
address this issue by:
asking each of you to describe in your plans how you will
manage the distribution of information processing,
including the implications for the central services and
the development of expanded support infrastructure within
your components.
bringing in an outside speaker who can tell the Board how
the process of decentralization was managed in the private
sector.
6. Increased demands for telecommunications services are
another clear implication of distribution. We haven't
articulated our long-term requirements for telecommunications
bandwidth and connectivity, thus making it difficult for the
central services to make the investments today so that the needed
capabilities will be there in the future. We will address this
issue by:
forming a group to examine how the imagery community's
approach to telecommunications might be applicable to
other Agency problems.
asking each of your to identify in your plans where and
how our existing communications systems are expected to
fall short in providing the necessary connectivity and
capacity within Headquarters, within the metropolitan
area, and with the foreign and domestic field.
7. We have recognized that a shortage of information
technologists is likely to be a severe constraint. A "creative
solution" is sought, but no one has offered any concrete
proposals. We will address this issue by:
-- forming a group to determine how many technologists with
what skills we will require in the 1990s, and we can get
there.
asking an outside speaker to tell the Board how a large
company is dealing with this issue. Also, by asking OIT
to discuss its experience with rotational assignments,
including the distributed office support program.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
SUBJECT: Strategic Planning for Information Technology
8. The planning process suggests that we need to do more to
integrate everyday activities into the electronic world.
Progress towards this laudable goal is impeded by bureaucratic
underbrush which must be cleared away so we can move towards the
integration of our paper and electronic cultures. We will
address this issue by:
-- forming a group to determine the policy and procedural
prerequisites to increasing our reliance upon electronic
records.
asking each of you to list goals in your plans for
converting everyday manual processes to electronic form,
and to identify specific demonstration projects.
9. We have invested staggering amounts in our information
processing systems during the past five years. Nevertheless,
portions of this technology are aging and are, in some cases, on
the verge of obsolescence. Most of us lack a systematic plan for
recapitalization. As we enter an era of austerity, we need to
establish a consistent and reasonable level of investment, and
then stick with it. We will address this issue by:
asking each of you to describe in your plans how you
intend to deal with an aging technology base, including
goals for identifying and replacing obsolete information
processing systems.
asking OIT to tell the Board about its program for
recapitalization of mainframe systems, asking OIR to
describe its program for recapitalization of workstations,
and asking OC to review plans to modernize the foreign
network.
-- asking the DS&T, the DO and the DA to tell the Board about
their strategies for replacing the Wang Alliance systems.
10. While we have moved forward in computer security, our
progress in developing an information security strategy continues
to be outpaced by advances in technology. The most immediate
example is the network gateway. As we reduce technological
barriers to sharing of information, we pose risks to the security
of our information. Yet, we do not have a comprehensive security
policy for interconnections among networks. We will address this
issue by:
asking each of you to define in your plans your goals for
establishing connections among our systems as well as
between Agency and outside systems.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4
STAT
SUBJECT: Strategic Planning for Information Technology
-- asking OD&E to tell the Board about plans to establish
connections between the DS&T Wang network and contractor
systems. Also, by asking OS to discuss the security
policy for gateways.
11. You will be see these actions reflected in our agenda
for 1988 and in the terms of reference for the working groups. I
expect that much of the Board's time at our next offsite meeting
will be devoted to a review and discussion of your strategic
plans. We have made a good start in focusing management
attention on where we are going with information technology in
the Agency, and I'm pleased with the modest progress to date. We
hope to see considerable progress, particularly in the areas
which I have highlighted, when we see the revised plans in
November.
cc: DDA
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP91B00390R000500530021-4