RECORDS DISPOSITION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP09-01482R000300210002-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 17, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: July 9, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

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CONFIDLNTIAL
STAT MEMORANDUM FOR:
VIA:
FROM:
STAT
STAT
STAT
SUBJECT:
9 July 1984
ecords Disposition
1. The attached paper from is a contribution to the
dialogue on the need for cohesive an systematic records
disposition activities in IMS records management.
2. The Central Files Section's (CFS) ability to
effectively carry out its records retrieval and repository
responsibilities hinge on continuous removal from DORIC those
records which are inactive and outdated. Although has neither
mandate nor significant resources to resolve this pro lem, this
paper contributes ideas to and organizational support for action to
redress a serious deficiency in the management of DO records. We
(--N)
also believe a formal study should be conducted to surface all the
facts on this issue and, we hope, to give weight to our belief that
a new component is needed.
C 1- A 1'
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
3. Much of the substance of the paper is based on the
knowledge and experience in this area of
Although Jack's current duties preclude further substantial
involvement, he, I, and others in stand ready to assist in any
way we can.
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CONFIDENTIAL
9 JUL 1924
PROPOSAL FOR CREATION OF
IMS RECORDS DISPOSITION SECTION
THE PROBLEM
The ALLSTAR Upgrade is the beginning of what some IMS planners
see as the start of the paperless office environment of the
future. Monies have been programmed for this effort and manpower
has been committed. This is a necessary effort to use current and
future technologies to deal with the massive flow of information
coming into the DO. However, have we seriously considered how to
deal with all the paper currently on hand? What resources have
been allocated for records disposition? Will we ignore current
hard copy holdings and keep them in their current form
indefinitely? Will we convert them to another storage media and
keep them indefinitely? Or will we properly and legally begin
disposing of these records before we are in an untenable and
unmanageable storage situation? Without doubt, we should begin to
dispose of eligible records now in an orderly and controlled manner.
BACKGROUND
STAT Directorate of Operations Instruction dated 23 May
?.
1984 is the records charter for IMS and details the elements a
records disposition program should have and the IMS role in the DO
records management program. The DOI lists 16 elements designed to
improve the creation, maintenance, use, and disposition of
records. Throughout DO records systems development (manual and
automated), only records creation, maintenance, use and control
have been emphasized. Records disposition has remained on the
proverbial back burner. The DO has spent enormous energy creating
thousands of files while paying only sporadic attention to
disposing of these records. The only organized records disposition
effort was in reaction to a records storage problem. This happened
in 1978 when the Records Center was filling quickly with files and
25X1 the was created to review and destroy records;
an excellent example of "crisis management."
STAT
CI
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coN IDENT I AL
(1:-)
STAT
STAT
STAT
(Records Disposition Proposal)
Since 1978, IMS has made a few attempts to deal with the
records disposition problem. They include:
o An organized review and destruction process for all
files retired to the Records Center (the 141b
process).
o The review and processing of old (currently Pre-1962)
Subject and Operational Activity Files held in CFS.
o The review and destruction processing of 201 files.
The resources devoted to these review and disposition projects
have been inadequate to successfully reduce the total DO records
holdings.
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
IMS should consider any illegalities that might now exist or
occur if our records holdings are not continuously reviewed and
disposed of in an efficient and timely manner. The National
Archives and Records Service (NARS) has established records
retention criteria which the DO has applied to its holdings and
which by law NARS has authority to monitor. (Note: It was
recently reported that NARS may soon become an independent agency,
which means it will have even greater oversight authority.) DO
Records Control Schedule was created to comply with NARS
standards. If we do not dispose of our records in accordance with
the provisions of the DO schedule, are we breaking any law? In
addition, how many FOIA/PA,litigation cases owe their existence to
our not destroying our files on time? And of the files we have
destroyed, did we preserve historically significant Material as
prescribed by the DO Records Control Schedule? These are issues
that we must come to grips with.
OTHER ISSUES
The study on the DO Central Index prepared by the IMS Research
Task Force indicated that when the size of the index was reduced
(1958-1962 holdings) retrieval productivity increased. There were
fewer records to wade through in order to research a name. This
continues to be true. It is roughly estimated that if the 2,000
feet of files in CFS were destroyed, between 2 to 3 million
index records could be eliminated. Currentl the
has records.
-I
I I
I analysts who could perform their duties in a much more
efficient manner because of increased computer response time to
name search requests.
eel*
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STAT
CONF IDENT IA L
(Records Disposition Proposal)
Another records management function that would benefit from
having a dedicated records disposition section is records
retirement. Presently, inactive records are retired to the Agency
Archives and Records Center by the DO Divisions and Staffs through
their Records Management Officers (RMOs). This is an awesome task
for the RMOs. At one time, the old archives section of CFS
performed this service for the DO. Because of personnel cuts, IMS
eliminated this office and gave responsibility for retirement
decisions to the file custodians (the concerned area desks). The
decentralization of this function has not been effective because of
the high turnover of trained personnel in the Divisions and the
constant need to train new RMOs and associate RMOs.
PROPOSAL
ICRB proposes the establishment of a permanent records
disposition section. The section would come under the
organizational authority of the
currently is responsible for
DO records disposition.
The new section would ke tasked with the following:
o Identification, review, and retirement-processing of
inactive DO files (excluding 201's which are never
retired).
o Identification, review, and destruction processing of
all eligible DO files (including 201's) regardless of
their location; e.g., the Agency Records Center.
o Review and disposition of all documents now held in
the Special Index Collection (indexed material
removed from inactive files which were destroyed as a
25X1 result of the 1978
Identification and preservation of all documents
deemed historical in nature.
o Accurate and timely recording of all document and
file destruction actions in ALLSTAR.
CONF IDENT IAL
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LUNtIDLINIT 1AL
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT 2. I requested the meeting because of a) interest in
MEMORANDUM FOR:
VIA:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
4 June 1984
-Creation of Records Disposition Component,.
-Study
n 18 May 1984, representatives from the
Branch, the
Branch, STAT
met to discuss the need
for a permanent component to manage the ongoing disposition of
all DO records and index holdings in all formats that no longer
meet DO retention criteria.
conversion of Central Files hard copy and microform holdings
into a computer retrievable format which would call for
elimination of unnecessary records first (Att 1); and b)
STAT long-standing concerns in about current and future
problems resulting from the low level of resources being
devoted to records disposition. Just a few examples:
a. The projects aimed at reducing file/index holdings
are scattered across three branches: there is no
consolidated eff.ort or central authority guiding
their day-to-day operations; they are moving at a
snail's pace, and there seems to be inadequate
managerial attention being paid to their progress
or lack thereof.
STAT
STAT
?
STAT '
b. The Review group has over 900 files
approved for destruction that cannot be processed
because of too little manpower.
c. Holding files beyond their prescribed retention
period portends possible legal problems for IMS.
In addition, IMS will continue to be open to
FOIA/Privacy Act and Congressional requests to
which we must respond as long as we have these
files. If we properly dispose of these files, we
will not have to expend the resources this now
requires.
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STAT
STAT
STAT
(Records Disposition?Cont.)
d. IMS has created a vast amount of file holdings
related to the FOIA and Privacy Act activities
since 1978 when came into being. The bulk of
these files were retired by in the last few
years and will become eligible for disposition
review within the next one to two years. The
review of these files alone will require
substantial manpower.
3. The consensus of those at the meeting was that a
permanent component should be established expeditiously to
carry out these information management tasks in a systematic,
efficient and expeditious manner. The logical location for
such a component would be in
As can be seen in the attached document (Att 2) dated
18 November 1981 on the subject of reducing file holdings, a
solid procedural framework was laid some time ago to deal with
this problem. But as is true with most unglamorous activities,
serious records reduction appears to have suffered from benign
neglect.
STAT 4. An study is suggested as an appropriate vehicle for
bringing these concerns to the IMS and DO management levels
(1-2,-
) necessary for action. Attached are some suggested topics that
might be covered in such a study.(Att 3)
STAT
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STAT
STAT
STAT
CONFIDENTIAL
REDUCTION OF FILE/INDEX HOLDINGS
Suggested Topics for
Component
1
Study On Need for Records Disposition
Document need for separate section (or even Branch)
a. Review ALLSTAR development experience of problems
we face now because dated, useless, or inaccurate
info was loaded rather than purged from DO Records
in early and later stages
b. Review historical memories of what was/should have
been done early on in evolution of DO Records
System disposition procedures. Task Forces
(1) Consultations with
(2) Review of IMS Task Force findings
(3) Damage projection if no steps taken to clean up
existing problems and do ongoing purge of
material now on hand
c. Identify new records management processes that
might prevent the reoccurrence of this
problem.(e.g., develop disposition criteria at time
documents and files are created)
d. Consider use of a Central Chrono concept to hold
all indexed material
2. Component Tasking/Structure
a.
b.
C.
d.
Disposition
-
Disposition Unit (Including Hqs and Records 25X1
Ctr files)
Retirement Unit
201 Review Unit
Microform/Digital Conversion Unit
3. Knowledge, Skill Requirements
a. ALLSTAR
b. Document Analysis
c. Central Files
(1) Validation Unit Functions
(2) Night Shift Special Projects
d. DO Operations/Historical Requirements
(1) Training of IMS/Area Division Personnel
(2) Consultation With Divisions on IMS Decisions
e. National Archives Directives/DO Records Control
Schedule
f. RMO Responsibilities
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STAT
CONFIDENTIAL
(MPG Study Topics - Cont)
4. Staffing Requirements
a. Numbers (probably no less than 20)
b. Grades (senior GS-12 or 13 chief; GS-11 or 12
deputy if component is Section)
c. Manpower Sources
(1) Area Division Personnel Already
Working in this area
(2) Annuitants
(3) Transfers/trainees
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