DISCUSSION WITH TRW ABOUT PROJECT SAFE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00049R001700290008-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 20, 2007
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: February 26, 1982
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2007/03/20: CIA-RDP84B00049R001700290008-0 I / r. p
DDA 82-0538/1
26 February 1982
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
VIA: Executive Director
FROM: Harry E. Fitzwater
Deputy Director for Administration
SUBJECT: Discussion
about Project SAFE.
1. 'At my re uest
visited Headquarters on Thursday,
25. February, to discuss our. cu ose
attending the meeting included Evan
Hinman, ADDI; and and myself o the Directorate
of Administration.
25X1
25X1
STAT
STAT
2. Emphasizing the importance of the SAFE project to CIA and DIA, I expressed
our concern over the schedule slips and the prospective cost overrun, pointing out
that we would be under congressional scrutiny to justify the increasing expenditures.
I mentioned that the preliminary design review (PDR) had just been completed, one
year late and conducted prior to a full design of the system. I expressed concern
about the proble with the user language and the architecture 25X1
of the system, and concern at e hardware which has been selected for 25X1
the system may not prove adequate.. no e at the project personnel complement 25X1
appeared to be overly large for the design phase. He was informed that there were some
very serious concerns held by senior people in the government and by certain government
consultants that the system could not be built as currently being designed and managed.
He was informed that, in order for us to gain an independent perspective on the state
of the project, we are assigning an audit team to review the total SAFE project.
3. The DIA representatives echoed my concerns about the hardware and architecture,
the need to justify the cost of the project, and the shortcomings we had observed in
TRW management of the. project.
4. a stropg defense of the position. They believe '2?1
they have a via e design and the hardware can do the job. He reminded25X1
us that the hardware was selected through a process dictated by the government and
that Ewould have been willing to build the system using any hardware. He also 25X1
mentioned that II had released to them information on future product plans, 25X1
which indicated that there will be an upward migration path from today's hardware.
He admitted that the PDR review on error recovery had been flawed, but asserted that
they now have a viable strategy for attacking this problem. He believes they will be
close to meeting their projected schedule.
.
 Approved For Release 2007/03/20: CIA-R DP84B00049R001700290008-0
SUBJECT: Discussion with TRW about Project SAFE
5. On the user language, he reported he had spent a few hours that morning
with OCR/SAS seeing in person what kinds of service are now available on Interim
SAFE and Mail system. He admitted that there has been inadequate com-
munication about these services and other requirements, and said he
intends to e their work on the operator interface question.
25X1
6. that the current Project meager had asked to 25X1
be relieved and his desire is being granted. He, ecried the lack of mutual trust
and teamwork and said there had been too little communication on requirements and
too much-communication on design. - . He believes they have been over-guided but
admitted=had invited this. In a discussion of why the government/ contractor 25X1
relationship had had such difficulty, said that he believed the total 25X1
inadequacy of the original funding ceiling, had cast.a shadow on all 25X1.
discussions thereafter,. making every. design and technical issue automatically a
.:cost concern. He hopes that.we'.'can.rebuild mutual.trust and expressed concern
about what an audit'would.do to Iteam.morale and to the project scheduling. . 25X1
7 I told him that despite the `danger of temporary disruption, the government
needs to know exactly where we are on the project and that we would proceed with the
audit. We agreed to try and conduct the audit with a minimum of interf
the-project development. I made a copy of my instruction memorandum to s `i'
Chief of the Audit Team, available to him.
8. Several issues about outstanding requirements and some recent proposed
changes were discussed and are under investigation.
9. We will have the members of the Audit Team identified before the end of the
day and will meet with the members next Monday to begin the audit.
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Rewritten:DDA:HEFitzwater:kmg (26 Feb 82)
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