KEY INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91M00696R000500070004-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 1, 2004
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: October 5, 1977
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
NATIONAL FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE BOARD
NFIB-22.1/66
5 OCT 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR THE NATIONAL FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE BOARD
FROM: John N. McMahon
Acting Vice Chairman
SUBJECT: Key Intelligence Questions
1. The Deputy to the DCI for National Intelligence is
developing a list of issues for use by the NSC Policy Review
Committee in defining and prioritizing substantive intelli-
gence requirements in accordance with Presidential Directive 17.
2. Until such time as this list is available for Community
dissemination and use, the Key Intelligence Questions for Fiscal
Year 1977, NFIB D22.1/56, remain in effect.
L..___- ohn N. .McMahon
Approved For Release 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP91 M00696R00p 99 7& 9 -125
 Approved For Release 2004/05/13: CIA-RDP91 M00696R000UCRt4-1
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
Key Intelligence. Questions
For
Fiscal Year 1977
Published by the Intelligence Community Staff
for the Director of Central intelligence
with the Advice of the
National Foreign Intelligence Board
Secret
NFIB D 22.1/56
October 1976
Copy N2 121
Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
25X1
 25X1 Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
 Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
SECRET
25X1
Director Of Central Intelligence
KEY INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONS
FOR
FISCAL YEAR 1977
Published by the
Intelligence Community Staff
for the Director of Central Intelligence
with the advice of the National Foreign Intelligence Board
NFIB D.-221156
Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
 Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
SECRET
Director of Central Intelligence
KEY INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONS
FOR
FISCAL YEAR 1977
INTRODUCTION
The Key Intelligence Questions for Fiscal Year 1977,
issued by the Director of Central Intelligence pursuant to his
responsibilities under Executive Order 11905, represent a
departure from past practice dictated by experience. The new
list is short and highly selective, the questions having been
chosen not only because of their importance to national
consumers, but also because a real need for action by the
Intelligence Community exists. The KIQs represent the DCI's
guidance to all Intelligence Community collection and
production managers on these selected subjects.
The Key Intelligence Questions continue to be formulated
by the National Intelligence Officers. The primary purpose of
the KIQs is to improve intelligence production and collection
by providing a highly selective list of current, critical
questions for a period of special operational attention. The
purposeful limitation on the number of questions and their
high degree of focus required that difficult choices be made
from the many current high priority areas and questions. This
required that certain issues or problems, although very
important, be excluded. Also excluded were key problems of a
critical nature which currently receive substantial and
ongoing attention and which were not considered to require
or lend themselves to Community action beyond that already
underway. Examples are SAI. and verification, the situation
in the Middle East, as well as individual current weapon
NFIB D.-22.1156
1
SECRET
Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
 Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
systems. Thus, the KIQs are a managerial device for focusing
attention and increased effort on a small number of issues
without altering the broader set of intelligence priorities.
The National Intelligence Officers, in collaboration with
representatives of the NFIB agencies and with the advice of
the Intelligence Community Staff and others as appropriate,
will produce KIQ strategy reports aimed at developing special
collection and analytcal strategies to enhance the informa-
tion gain and improve the analyses in each KIQ area of
concern.
The performance of the Intelligence Community on the
KIQs will initially be evaluated by the appropriate NIO to
assess the effectiveness of the actions taken. Further evalua-
tions will be undertaken as part of a regular Intelligence
Community Staff program which assesses the timeliness and
quality of the intelligence products in terms of the require-
ments of major users.
The KIQs and their performance evaluations cannot
provide systematic inputs for resource allocation decisions by
program managers due to their limited number, specificity,
and emphasis on current operations. However, they can
provide valuable insights for programming and planning. It is
important to note that the KIQs do not derive their priorities
from those appearing at the attachment to DCID 1/2, US
Foreign Intelligence Priorities for Fiscal Years 1977-1981.
Broad national intelligence planning priorities are based on a
perspective of the foreign environment for the planning
period and not on current operational needs.
Additions, deletions, or modifications to the Key Intelli-
gence Questions may be issued from time to time during FY
1977, depending on major changes in the international
situation or if the foreign intelligence environment should
dictate. The order in which the FY 1977 questions are listed
should not be regarded as implying an internal priority: by
definition all the Key Intelligence Questions are of major
importance, and are singled out for special operational
attention.
2
NFIB D.-22.1156 SECRET
Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
 25X1 Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1
Next 3 Page(s) In Document Exempt
Approved For Release 2004/05/13 : CIA-RDP91 M00696R000500070004-1