STRATEGIC PLAN FOR INFORMATION HANDLING (DRAFT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00060R000100200013-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 17, 2012
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: April 7, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

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OC-oiGs-88
07 APR 1988
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Information Technology
Information Handling goals and plans into focus for the
nineties. If you have any questions or if we may ht- of any
Strategic Plan for Information Handling
DA Strategic Plan for Information Handling
(DRAFT)
As requested by members of your staff, the Office of
Communications reviewed the Draft Strategic Plan for Information
Handling and has provided our comments and suggested revisions.
These comments/suggestions address both the general structure and
those stated goals particularly relevant to the Office of
Communications (please see the attachment). Putting together a
Strategic Plan is an arduous task and your staff's initial draft
was a good effort in attempting to bring the entire Directorate's
assistance, please call
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COMMENTS ON DA'S STRATEGIC PLAN FOR INFORMATION HANDLING
a. The goals set forth suggest an implementation independent
of Information Management Staff's (IMS) and other Directorates'
coordination. Therefore, suggest that those goals which relate
to the DO and other customers be written reflecting their
requirements and in conjunction with their authority for
establishing information handling policy. For example, Worldwide
Universal Access, Records Management, Electronic Mail goals,
etc., should all should be written: "the DA, in conjunction with
IMS will......"
b. There seems to be a mixture of apples and oranges in the
establishment of Directorate's goals; e.g., those of a global/
strategic nature: "Worldwide Universal Access", with those of a
tactical nature: "Reliable Word Processing." This occurs
repeatedly, e.g., Section VI Long Term Goals - "Secure Worldwide
Multiple Access" and "get rid of remaining Delta Data terminals."
C. This plan seems to ignore a number of overseas aspects.
The Information Handling (IH) requirement is certainly much
broader in scope.
d. Four goals which need to be addressed or added are
(1) providing a modern integrated telecommunications/ADP system
(2) enhance responsiveness to meeting existing and new IH
requirements, (3) database management, and (4) the establishment
of practical qualities of service for all the information
categories defined.
e. Goals should be put into their priority order and
therefore believe a revised Enhanced Telecommunications
Capability (Goal 12) should be moved to say Goal 2; e.g., it is
more global in nature than many of the other stated goals and it
provides the essential networking element for IH.
f. Worldwide Universal Access and Secure Access should be
combined into one goal. This goal would include both secure and
non-secure access. Current structure is ambiguous.
g. The 13 goals should track between the various sections.
However, some track to non-sequiturs. For instance, in Section
III, Goal 2 is secure information access through gateways. In
Section V, this is interpreted as wanting to have fiberoptic
links in 1993, and in Section VII to decentralized services,
standard protocols and stand-alone PCs for commercial datahasPs
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h. Although "information" is defined to include "voice" in
Section II, none of the 13 Strategic Plan goals relate to voice,
Secure voice in articular. Currently there is a secure voice
ca abilit By 1993 there should be well
with a secure voice capability. Hence,
this plan should include overseas voice service.
i. The workstation in the nineties is to include voice,
data, images, etc. The present text describes a much more modest
workstation and should be expanded or clarified.
j. The EXDIR's memo (paragraph six) requests that this
Strategic plan identify: "how our existing communications systems
are expected to fall short in providing the necessary
connectivity and capacity within Headquarters, within the
metropolitan area, and within the foreign and domestic field."
This draft plan does not explicitly describe or address his
request; it only implicitly describes shortfalls.
k. Once plan has been agreed to, the EXDIR, etc., have
suggested that a senior group from the private sector review and
comment. This outside review may be beneficial and, if desired,
it needs to be incorporated into "how we get there." Further,
Section VII seems to apply to V. Therefore, suggest revised
order of VI and VII.
1. Of the stated goals, those especially relevant to OC are:
1. Worldwide universal access
2. Secure access
5. Interface standards
6. User friendly DA processes
10. Electronic mail
12. Enhanced telecommunications capabilities
13. Career management system for information
technologists
II. Comments/Suggestions Associated with Relevant OC Goals
Goal 1: Worldwide Universal Access
Comment
General: This goal is interpreted mainly as the multiple
terminal problem. This is certainly a key problem, but not the
only one. A major issue, not given enough emphasis throughout
the plan, is a universal networking design. In OC, this is
primarily the packet network and interconnectivity of information
services. In OIT, this concern tends to get lost on the "PBX is
the solution to the networking" approach. This goal needs a
broader emphasis.
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V: Why not note an objective of having access from
overseas? This paragraph cites only domestic access being
available.
VII: Mentions only the PBX solution. Nothing about
networking.
Suggested Revision
IV: Add: ..Current network access is via an automatic
message relay switch which has been principally designed to
satisfy cable traffic requirements. Other desired services have
to be manually set up. The MERCURY packet switch development is
intended to improve circuit access for a variety of services and
interactive transmissions.
V: Change: To provide some foreign and all domestic
field and Metropolitan D.C ......
VII: Add: ...OC will install packet terminal equipment
at all overseas field stations, upgrade the associated message
relay equipment and develop enhancements to increase transmission
speed/capacity.
Goal 2: Secure Access
Comment
V. "Having fiber optic transmission in Metropolitan
Area" has little to say about secure access among computer
systems.
VII: Says little or nothing about how to achieve secure
access.
Suggested Revision
III. Revised: Secure information Access, through the
use of protected gateways, to multiple domestic and foreign
automated systems.
IV: Add: ...A number of special access systems have
been deployed in the field for the DO, e.g., CRAFT, PIRATE,
DESIST.
V and VII: Revision needed to reflect secure access
theme, i.e., Pursuit of technology that will provide the control
and protection of our information, etc.
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Comments
General: The basic thrust is fine, although the emphasis
is on compatibility "between systems" i.e., meaning between
different hosts. Again, protocols at the network level also need
to be emphasized. One of our biggest problems is satisfying the
array of various Community formats. Community standardization
would be most beneficial.
Suggested Revision
IV: Add: Network will utilize X.25 packet switching
protocol for interactive data transmissions.
Goal 6: User Friendly Automated Methods
General: The seeming thrust of this point is
administrative processes which support Agency components (payroll
programs, logistics requisitioning process, etc.). The OC
portions tend to describe systems rather than processes, and the
OC information is repeated in Goal 12. Section VII reads as if
it is system access goal, e.g., Goal 1.
VII: Goal 6 and Goal 12 have similar tasks. These
should be in Goal 12.
Suggested Revision
IV: Revised "a": The Office of Communications, in
conjunction with other offices, is reducing its dependence on
paper and paper tape systems. In addition, the MERCURY Program
will enhance overall network connectivity such that Headquarters
services can be more easily distributed to the field.
VII: OC will continue to enhance network and interface
capabilities to stay abreast of the demands for existing and new
services.
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Comment
VI: By 1993, OC could be providing an initial electronic
mail function for overseas stations. We will be providing it for
OC Area headquarters before that time. In any case, to neglect
to include electronic mail as something that the DA would like to
provide overseas by 1993 seems overly conservative.
VII: The paragraph leaps from the notion of a separate
electronic mail service to a notion of a paperless environment.
Somewhat mixing apples and oranges.
Suggested Revision
VI: Electronic Mail in the domestic and foreign areas
will continue to be expanded and enhanced to.....
Goal 12: Enhanced Telecommunications Capabilities
Comment
General: This is implicitly defined as transmission
capacity and the OC portions address only transmission programs
(HF, satellite, lease). For the information handling program, an
equally more important aspect is the telecommunications network
system's connectivity, i.e., the packet and circuit switched
networks.
Suggested Revision
III. Revised: Enhanced Telecommunication capabilities
to dynamically adapt its capacity to provide error free,
internetwork connectivity for the various information transfer
services.
V. Revised: Increase communications speed, capacity,
connectivity, and automated network control will be required both
domestically and in the foreign network. Additional satellite
and interactive switching capacity will be obtained to support
the increased online real-time interactive information handling
workload.
VII: Revised: OC and OIT will propose upgrading the
speed, data-transfer, message switching and control capacities in
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the foreign and domestic network to support the real-time
interactive information handling workload. OIT will continue
with the Domestic Network Program (DOMNET). OC will continue
upgrading all of its transmission modes, X.25 packet system,
automating service interconnectivity and network control, as well
as pursue increased DoD and commercial satellite capacity.
Goal 13: Improve Career Management System
Comments
None
Suggested Revision
None
SECRET.
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