PROPOSED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR FACILITATING DEPARTMENTAL PARTICIPATION IN PREPARATION OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SURVEYS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP67-00059A000200120028-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 18, 2000
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: March 9, 1948
• Content Type: MEMO

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9 March 1918
M1 1ORkNDU It TO CHIEF, ICAPS
FRCK i Assistant Director, Reports and Estimates
SUBJECT i Proposed 1taaradard Operating Procedures for Facilitatin
Departmental ?articipation in Preparation of National
Intelligence and National Intelligence Surveys
Letter, February 16, 1948, to Admiral, Hillenkoetter
from W. Park i~rmstrong, Jr., Special Assistant
Secretary of State for Research and Intelligent
subject as above, with enclosure as stated
1. ORE has many minor criticim a of reference proposal, but as
it is presumed that these could be framed out in conference, only
ger issues will be treated here.
2. A controlling factor in any coordination procedure agreed upon
by CIA should be a degree of flexibility sufficient to aallo us to
meet changing responsibilities with rut having to rhaul and rebuild
existing machinery. The last six months have given us now tasks for
the NSC and JIC, and we do not know what now developments may face us.
Any procedure adopted, to be satisfactory to CIA, must avoid even the
appearance of applying only to the types of reports now being produced.
3. In regard to Paragraph 1 of reference, dealing with current
intelligence publications, no great
is suggested, but it should
be pointed out that the reference su gests a broader distribution of
the CIA Daily and Weekly Sumrasaries at t k* working level than is now
authorized. Dissemination of these 6 publications is determined by
the NSC, and quite recently, at the suggestion of the Department of
State. the NSC reduced the list of recipients.
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I. regard to the proposals for national intelligence reports
and estimates? your :attention 1.3 drawn to paragraph 2a of the pro-
posed procedure. The second sentence of that paragraph states that:
"Normally, reports falling in this category will be based upon de-
partmental intelligence prepared in the first instance by the
responsible Departmental intelligence organization either at the
special request of cTA or for 'tep-rtmental or other purposes." The
finormallyff presents seveeral questions, but particularly leaves
in the air Who is to decide when a situation is or is not "normal".
It is quite possible to interpre
sentence as meaning that ORE
shall be totally dependent on the departmental intelligence organiza-
tions for the basic material
reliance on departmental into
a different type than that
GFig has become. This problem is oer-
Mainly worthy of consideration its merits, but it should not be
decided as a corollary to a proposed procedural change in the existing
order of things.
5. The State Department proposal for a rigid time schedule to be
follow ed in connection with the coordination ;procedure seems quite
unrealistic. In this cconnecti.on, no specifications are made as to the
normal time required by departmental agencies to prepare contribut
to national intelligence estimates. Assuming it to be at least five
days, which is the time allow by reference proposal for OREIs pro--
paration of a first draft, the procedure with respect to "regular"
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s reports and estimates. Such
ligence presupposes an organization of
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papers would require it least 21 days to complete. By definition
the category includes papers due in 11 days. Similarly, the procedure
with respect to "urgenttc papers would require at least 14 days to_
complete, although by definition the category includes papers due in
from 3 to 10 days. The coittee procedure proposed with respect' to
"immediate" papers is quite i ractical and most time casting, as a
method of drafting, O; ' s experience is that it is sometimes diffi-
cult to arrive at an agreed form for a paper when in conference With
only ono agency at a time.
6. The proposal to submit departmental statements of concurrence
or substantial dissent at to time of agreement on the final draft of
a paper would be very warmly received by ORE,, It will be recalled,
however, that simil Er :'roposal.s put forth by this office in the past
have been categorically rejected by TD and A-2, and there is no reason
to suppose that the attitude of those agencies has in any way changed.
7. In regard to the proposals concerning, National Intelligence
Surveys, ORi; believes it imooesible even to enter upon discussion of
the proposal that CTA personnel b* loaned to the intelligence ar-encies
for the purpose of sissembli?g eaterial and preparation of the agencies'
contributions to All3'a. As set forth in the National, Security Council
directives, it is tie function of CIA not to produce, but to coordinate,
edit and publish the NIS program. 3&sed as it is on the foregoing
,delimitation of resf1)oneibili'4es, the personnel structure of ORE is
not designed to do :fundam anvil research and compilation of basic
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intelligence. Consequently, no personnel are not on hand or pro-
vided for in the f ut ure that would be available for loan to the
departments to discharge duties which these departments have hitherto
insisted are their own function. It should be noted also that all
cedures for the NIS progrepa have already been agreed on by the
departments and are working in a manner very satisfactory to all
parties concerned. It would be a great mistake to change the exist-
ing procedure.
$. It is believed that the last sentence of Paragraph 3b of
reference proposal contains a misprint. No basis can be conceived
for the statement that :e4IR will publish and disseminate the NIS."
9. Underlying the entire reference proposal is the question
priorities. The proposal glibly sets forth a rigid time schedule
for various types of material to be submitted to CIA, but the agen-
cies have in general been quite unable to meet deadlines, even when
the latter have been set in consultation with them and agreed to by
If such a procedure is adopted and the departments undertake
the production of various parts of a CIA estimate, how can there be
any reasonable assurance that they can or will meet necessary dead-
lines? Their own departmenal requirements often.Cannot be forecast and
they are continually and necessarily being interrupted by spot el ands
from the high offices of them depa:rents. For example, the various
sections on economic matters allocated to the Department of Stater as
its contribution to the OeI`eense Project are many months behind schedule.
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When the discussion of the Marshall plan was first initiated, every
economist in OIR was out to work on the ERP, which was quite properly
given a high priority. It seems unlikely that the departmental agen-
cies would agree that CIA requests should take priority over their
own departmental work. Under these circumstances, it would be impossible
for CIA to most its responsibilities to the NSC and to the coordinated
intelligence effort.
10. As ORE dons not wish to appear capable of nothing but purely
destructive criticism, there is attached hereto a draft proposal for
reform of the present coordinating procedures which is believed to be
realistic and a possible basis for negotiation with the intelligence
agencies.
THEODORE BABBITT
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