MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (MIS)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 3, 2008
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: July 9, 1970
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
NPIC/PPBS/PPD-14/70
9 July 1970
MI:MO1tANDUA-1 FOR: Chief, Plans r Programs Division, PPBS/NPIC
SUBJECT' : Management Information System (MIS)
The MIS handbook gives the following definition:
"The HIS is a method of collecting data on Center activities
in order to provide a systematic means of accounting for
tasks levied on the Center, the effort expended by Center
personnel, and a record of the resulting products. The
information acquired can be used not only to determine how
manpower was used, but also to assess the status of work in
process and to determine the Center's capability to take on
additional work and the relative priority in which it will
be accomplished. Furthermore, based on past performance, the
MIS can assist in projecting the Center's need for manpower
and funds.
The system provides information. It does not make decisions--
that is the responsibility of management. It does, however,
enable management to make decisions based on a greater range
of information. than would be possible without the system.
The system is quantitative only in that it records how-much
was produced, how long an effort took, or how many man-months
of effort were involved. It does not evaluate quality. The
customer is the judge of the quality of the Center's product;
the supervisor of the employee's performance.
The effectiveness of the MIS is chiefly determined by the
information entered into it. Since most of the information
going into the system comes from the individual employee's
accounting for his time, the wholehearted cooperation of each
person is essential for the system to work properly."
hhat is the, Purpose of the MIS?
1. To provide a statistical base from which management can
assess past and current operations and to plan for oncoming commitments.
2. To provide a tool to be used by the line manager in evaluating
his component's performance.
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 Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
S URLI
NPIC/PPBS/PPD-14/70
3. To present information to production components for planning
and controlling their work.
4. To report status information of the Center's work flow.
5. To provide a standardized method of accounting for and
reporting manpower utilization.
In What Ways has the MIS been Used?
1. Primarily for analysis of specific projects or programs to
determine:
a. Cost of a project or program in terms of manpower and
dollar equivalents.
b. Duration of a project.
c. Types of activities (PI, editing, graphics, etc.)
associated with a project and the cost of each; e.g.
what is the PI cost of a certain report, what is the
cost of security escort duty, etc?
d. What are NPIC's overtime costs against what type of
work?
e. I-Iow many and what types of projects are associated
with the various NPIC components?
f. How many projects are completed in a given time, how
many are started, how many are cancelled and how many active
projects are there currently on the books?
2. The MIS has also been used to forecast the effort required to
exploit a mission.
3. The MIS has been used to provide the Production Management
Board with a project status report to facilitate project scheduling.
4. The MIS is used to show NPIC support to CIA and non-CIA
components.-
5. The MIS has been used on numerous occasions to answer ad hoc
requests for information by the various levels of NPIC and Agency
management. These requests vary from computer utilization, report
production, costs of certain programs, planning, budgeting, training,
travel, etc.
Why is the MIS Needed?
SEC ET
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 Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
NPIC/PPBS/PPD-14/70
1. It is the only source of Center-wide information by which
management at all levels can measure the Center's performance.
2. It enables all Center personnel to use the same system there-
by reducing operation costs.
1. Have no central system, proliferating a multitude of unrelated
information systems usable only to the component administrating the
system and thereby increase total management information operating
costs.
2. Create a new system, but this may well result in repetition
of the same or similar mistakes now in the MIS if a thorough study is
not performed.
3. Retain the MIS, improve, and study it; then determine what
action should be taken.
what further action should be taken.
RECOMMENDATION
1. The MIS should be retained.
2. The MIS should be improved.
3. The MIS data should be.studied analytically to determine
Plans F, Programs Division, PPBS
NPIC
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 Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
/ 76
26 June 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, /PPD
SUBJECT : Management Information System (MIS)
What is the MIS?
The MIS handbook gives the following definition:
"The MIS is a method of collecting data on Center activ-
ities in order to provide a systematic means of account-
ing for tasks levied on the Center, the effort expended
by Center personnel, and a record of the resulting pro-
ducts. The information acquired can be used not only to
determine how manpower was used, but also to assess
the status of work in process and to determine the
Center's capability to take on additional work and the
relative priority in which it will be accomplished.
Furthermore, based on past performance, the MIS can
assist in projecting the Center's need for manpower
and funds.
The system provides information. It does not make de-
cisions--that is the responsibility of management. It
does, however, enable management to make decisions based
on a greater range of information than would be possible
without the system.
The system is quantitative only in that it records how
much was produced, how long an effort took, or how many
man-months of effort were involved. It does not eval-
uate quality. The customer is the judge of the quality
of the Center's product; the supervisor of the employee's
performance.
The effectiveness of the MIS is chiefly determined by
the information entered into it. Since most of the in-
formation going into the system comes from the individual
employee's accounting for his time, the wholehearted
cooperation of each person is essential for the system
to work properly."
What is the Purpose of the MIS?
1. To provide a statistical base from which management can
assess past and current operations and to plan for oncoming commitments.
2. To provide a tool to be used by the line manager in eval-
uating his component's performance.
3. To present information to production components for planning
and controlling their work.
Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
 Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
4. To report status information of the Center's work flow.
5. To provide a standardized method of accounting for and re-
porting manpower utilization.
n What Ways has the MIS been Used?
1. Primarily for analysis of specific projects or programs to
determine:
a. Cost of a project or program in terms of manpower
and dollar equivalents.
b. Duration of a project.
c. Types of activities (PI, editing, graphics, etc.)
associated with a project and the cost of each; e.g.
what is the PI cost of a certain report, what is
the cost of security escort duty, etc?
d. What are NPIC's overtime costs against what type of
work?
e. How many and what types of projects"are associated
with the various NPIC components?
f. How many projects are completed in a given time, how
many are started, how many are cancelled and how many
active projects are there currently on the books?
2. The MIS has also been used to forcast the effort required to
exploit a mission.
3. The MIS has been used to provide the Production Management
Board with a project status report to facilitate project scheduling.
4. The MIS is used to show NPIC support to CIA and non-CIA com-
ponents.
5. The MIS has been used on numerous occasions to an wer ad hoc
requests for information by the various levels of NPIC and gency man-
agement. These requests vary from computer utilization, report pro-
duction, costs of certain programs, planning, budgeting, training, tra-
vel, etc.
Why is the MIS Needed?
1. It is the only source of Center-wide information by which
management at all levels can measure the Center's performance.
2. It enables all Center personnel to use the same system there-
by reducing operation costs.
Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
 Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
1. Have no central system, proliferating a multitude of unre-
lated information systems usable only to the component administrating
the system and thereby increase .:total management information operating
costs.
2. Create a new system, but this may well result in repetition
of the same or similar mistakes now in the (IS if a thorough study is
not performed.
3. Retain the MIS, improve, and study it; then determine what
action should be taken.
1. The MIS should be retained.
2. The MIS should be improved.
3. The MIS data should be studies analytically to determine
what further action should be taken.
PPBS/PP15
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 Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
9 June 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, PPBS/PPD
SUBJECT : Management Information System (MIS)
What is the MIS?
Tef-
MIS handbook gives the following definition:
"The MIS is a method of collecting data on Center
activities in order to provide a systematic means
of accounting for tasks levied on the Center, the
effort expended by Center personnel, and a record
of the resulting products. The information acquired
can be used not only to determine how manpower was
used, but also to assess the status of work in pro-
cess and to determine the Center's capability to
take on additional work and the relative priority
in which it will be accomplished. Furthermore,
based on past performance, the MIS can assist in
projecting the Center's need for manpower and funds.
The system provides information. It does not make
decisions--that is the responsibility of management.
It does, however, enable management to make decisions
based on a greater range of information than would be
possible without the system.
The system is quantitative only in that it records
how much was produced, how long an effort took, or
how many man-months of effort were involved. It does
Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
 Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
not evaluate quality. The customer is the judge of
the quality of the Center's product; the supervisor
of the employee's performance.
The effectiveness of the MIS is chiefly determined
by the information entered into it. Since most of
the information going into the system comes from the
individual employee's accounting for his time, the
wholehearted cooperation of each person is essential
for the system to work properly.
What Is The Purpose of the MIS?
1. To provide a statistical base from which management can
assess past and current operations and to plan for oncoming c01 t
exe
2. To provide a tool to be used byine manager in evaluating
k~l
component's performance.
3. To present information to production components for plan-
ning and controlling their work.
4. To report status information of the Center's work flow.
5. To provide a standardized method of accounting for and
reporting manpower utilization.
In What Ways Has the MIS Been Used?
1. Primarily for analysis of specific projects or programs
to determine:
a. Cost of a project or program in terms of manpower %
and dollars .~11'1
b. Duration of a project.
c. Types of activities (PI, editing, graphics, etc.)
associated with a project and the cost of each, e.g.,
Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
 Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
what is the PI cost of a certain report/eq. what
is the cost of security escort duty, etc?
d. What are NPIC's overtime costs and against what
type of work?
e. How many and what types of projects are associated
with the various NPIC components?
f. How many projects are completed in a given time,
how many are started, how many are cancelled and
how many active projects are there currently on
the books?
2. The MIS has also been used to forcast the effort required
to exploit a mission.
3. The MIS has been used to provide the Production Management
Board with a project status report to facilitate project scheduling.
4. The MIS is used to show NPIC support to CIA and non-CIA
,domponents.
5. The MIS has been used on numerous occasions to answer ad
hoc requests for information by the various levels of NPIC and agency
management. These requests vary from computerutilization, report
production, costs of certain programs, planning, budgeting, training,
travel, etc.
Why Is The MIS Needed?
1. It is the only source of Center-wide information by which
management at all levels can measure the Center's performance.
2. It enables all Center personnel to use the same system there-
by reducing Cib operating cost!
Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
 Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0
What Alternatives Are There?
istrating !&_ systdincreasmg operating costs oC~s
1. Have no central system proliferate- multitude
of unrelated information systems usable only to the component admin-
~ i/
2. Create a new system, but this may well
.if a thorough study ?~e- ris not performed.
3. Retain the MIS, improve jand study it then determine
RECOMMENDATION
1. The MIS should be retained.
2. The MIS should be improved.{
3. The MIS,data should be studied analytically to determine
what further action should be taken.
Approved For Release 2008/06/03: CIA-RDP73T00325R000100020029-0