RESPONSE TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT ON TRAINING IN THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP63-00309A000100020013-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 6, 2009
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: October 24, 1960
• Content Type: MF

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2 4 O CT 1960
ORA1DR4 FOR: Deputy Director (Support)
SUWECP : Responses to the Inspector General's Report on Training
in the Central. Intelligence Agency
2. The Inspector General's report represents a most thorough and compre-
hensive compression of facts, beliefs, and theories pertaining to the evolution
and present status of the tr+tag program in CIA. It presents,, with clarity
d accuracy, the present scope, nature, and reputation of the total training
effort in the Agency. Further, it identifies with precision the actual, or
potential areas of deficiency in our training efforts. Above all, it estabb-
Usbes the need for continuing studies to ensure that the total training effort
of the Agency is adequate to our needs.
5. This leads me to make what I consider to be mar most important counts
on the report. First, I believe the report fails to identify the key problem
of the Office of Training in developing the training program. Roth the discus-
sions in the text on the historic development of the CIA training program and
the various specific recommendations indicate the major obstacles to the devel-
opment of a proper training program for CIA.. The difficulty is not, as is
implied in paragraph 85 (page 6) that "The subordination of the Office of Train-
ing to the DD/S has also materially limited the power of the Director of Train-
Ug to develop and to control unified Agency training policy." Neither is it
because CIA has not concentrated its training responsibilities "in a single
authority and clothed with the power of the senior command." To the contrary,
fie recommendations in the report be understood to be approvals for planning
purposes only and without prior endorsement of the money and manpower inher-
ently involved in any plan that might ultimately be forthcoming.
pared and improve the training program of the Agency almost without regard to
cost in terms of money and manpower. I do not believe such is the case and my
interpretation of the situation of the Agency with respect to its budgetary and
manpower situation is that each significant decision requiring money and man-
power will be based on thoroughly developed and considered programs held to
be of prime importance. In this light, few if any of the recommendations in
the report are without significant monetary and manpower implications and the
nature and. scope of the recommendations are too undefined to permit judgments
at this time. For these reasons I would urge that any approval given to speci-
. The report also contains numerous general and specific recommendations.
For the most part I am unable and unwilling to categorically agree or disagree
with these recommendations. This is so because I personally have not the know
ledge on 'which to base definitive conclusions; in addition, there has not
been sufficient time or opportunity to engage in the study and analysis that
would be requisite to considered/,junta. With these qualifications.. I
nonetheless attach our cursory views on each recommendation involving functions,,
interests, and responsibilities of the Office of Personnel.
*ore important,, however, is my concern that most of the recommendations
inherently convey the implication that a policy decision has been reached to ex-
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ust below the level of the DCI. I further submit that the CIA Career Council
the true obstacles are clearly hinted at throughout the report. The basic
difficulties we two; first, the Agency has historically suffered from func-
tional egocentrism and provincialism occasioned by the diversity of its activ-
ities and functional and security comepa tmentationi second., a training program
can be no more advanced than the operational doctrine and personnel management
program of an organization. Basically, and I think I am correct, I view the
training program as a supporting activity - supporting both the operational
program and the personnel program, the latter itself only a supporting program.
6. The major conclusion that I derive from the survey is that there is a
need for a mechanism which on a continuing basis will unify at a sufficiently
high command level all officials who do or should have the knowledge to bring
into balance the operational, personnel, and training programs of the Agency.
I support We conclusion by referring to the recommendations made in the re-
port. Analysis quickly reveals that almost every recommendation requires that
officers concerned with Operations,, Training, and Personnel enter into joint
study of a problem or an alleged deficiency. The hope and expectation expressed
is that there will be objective consideration of Agency needs, a reconciliation
of conflicting views, and above all unanimity of detection among autonomous
components to carry out a determined course of action. I conclude that the
most important single action necessary to the melding of Agency operational, per-
sonnel., and training programs is the establishment of such a prinmry mechanism
through existing command lines the executive instructions that translate theo-
retical policy into practice. In urging that the CIA Career Council be used
as the Agency mechanism to cape with the many facets of the training program,
I call attention to the basic Interrelationships of the personnel and training
programs.
other title if desired) is the type of mechanism that can bring about
concerted planning and reconciliation of conflicting view and can also inject
7. As a result of a recent survey by the IG on Career Service in CIA,
cmaendation was made to establish an Agency level Personnel Development
officer training and of personnel development we actually concern ourselves with
but a single concept. I have concluded., therefore, that the preferred solution
too the problem of developing a training program that is in balance with the oper-
ational and persoxuael management programs of the Agency is to incorporate the
training program in the area of consideration of the CIA Career Council. The
exact organization is not Important. I would suggest, however, that the Career
Council be preserved. in name and that two subsidiary boards be established under
Its su rvision as follows:
fficer training. It Is obvious that when we speak of middle career and senior
ord. The CIA Career Council recommended to the DCI that such a Board be
established under the aegis of the Council. This Board would presumably con-
cern itself with problems, policies, and programs involved in the development
of CIA personnel to meet personnel rewire nts at all levels of management
but especially at the middle and senior levels. This specific recommendation
was approved by the DC1.
8. We are now considering the I4' a report on training in CIA. Among the
specific recommendations are two which urge programs of middle career and senior
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a. A Personnel Development Board to concern itself with the devel-
opment of policies, programme, and the mechanics of a system for personnel
development.
b. A Training Program Development Board to concern itself with the
development of policies, programs,, and the mechanics of operating and con
trolling the total Agency training program.
Functional representation on the Boards would be essentially the same as that of
the CareerC'ouncil. The Boards themselves,, or at their direction responsible
functional offices, or ad hoc task forces,, or even standing subsidiary committees,
would study problem areas and develop and recomemend policies and programs. Pro-
gress reports, policy masses, and ultimately specific proposals would be sub-
mitted to the Career Council for unanimous approval, modification, or redirection.
As appropriate, specific programs or major policy determinations would be referred
to the DCI for decision.
9. A possible objection to this proposal is that the Director of Personnel
Is presently the Chairman of the CIA Career Council. Actually., I feel that the
DD/S should be the Chairman in view of the predominantly support nature of the
matters to be brought to the Council for consideration. I would than recommend
that the Director of Personnel be Chairman of the Personnel Development Board
and also Executive Secretary to the Council for personnel matters and that the
Director of Training be Chairman of the Training Program Development Board and
Executive Secretary to the Council for training matters. The organisational
details we not important at this point. The fact remains that only at the
Deputy Director level is it possible to reconcile the divergent interests and
separatist to es of CIA and also to direct participation in jo net acuvi.
ties with chi -viewpoint and to diraLt and a orce
police es unpopular at lover echelons but determined to be in the best interests
of t a- - ----
10. In closing,, I urge that serious consideration be given to this proposal
or some other which will equally well, advance the cause of objective and cohesive
planning of the developmental course the Agency will follow in future years.
I,s./, Emmett D. Echols
Emmett D. Echols
Director of Personnel
Attachment s
(Comments on Specific Recommendations
Distribution:
O&2 - Addressee
1 - D/Pers Subject File
1 - Reader/chrono
1 - EDE chrono
OD/Pers/EDEchols:bb (21 Oct 60)
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