CIA SENIOR SEMINAR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00308A000100010001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 24
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 10, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 23, 1974
• Content Type: MF

AD1 .RIIV -- I:;T i!:AL USA ONLY
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Administration
FROM Director of. Training
SUBJECT CIA Senior Seminar
1. Action. Requested: This mb?morandum is to b'fig to
your atteh.tion anc to suggest discus\ion by the 'Ma Bement
CIA Senior. Seminar. The recent experience of thee' Training STATINTL
Selection Board with the nominations of "office 7s to attend
the course raises serious questions about th overall quality
and balance of those attending, particular.], when considered
in light of the cost of running the Semin
2 . Basic Data: Front its beginn 'g, the Semi:.lar has
been desi ne of supergradc and pro, ising GS-15 officers.
in contrast to senior officer courses conducted outside
the Agency, the Seminar focuses o-A subjects and issues of
direct concern to CIA and to tide U.S. intelligence effort.
The quality of presentations ins on a level with th3 National
War College, the Senior Seminar in Foreign Policy and the
Federal Executive Institu-::e.. As the single greatest source
of learning in the Seminar is derived from the inpats and
interaction of the member:; , they sl-Lould be very able officers
who collectively represen-w the different elements of the
Agency and its wide range ol- activities.
3. The first,/CIA Senior Seminar was run in tae fall of
1971. Five Seminars have been held to date and a sixth is
due to commence on 22 September. The record of nominations
to the Seminar/1's uneven. Except for Seminar One, when
34 officers were nominated, the number of nominees has
tended to be/too small to permit the Training Selection
Board to pi a consistently strong and balanced group.
Attachmen A shows the numbers of nominations and selections
from Sem>y: ars One through 5..x; the =data on Seminar Six are,
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ADISIPIISTiu;i. wi .. I;;T is USE ONLY
 Approved C1A'-'F'Zb1380nO03'08AA00100010001-6
of course, subject to firth.er change. You will note from
the table that Seminars Five and Six show a significant
decline in the number of nominations from the Operations
Directorate with the result that it was not represented in
proportion to its overall strength.
4. Attachment B gives a breakout of participants in
the Seminar as between GS-151s and supergrades. Although.
attendance by supergrades has been given considerable em-
phasis by top management, 1. think that this is a less
serious matter than is the reed to secure a strong and
balanced group, inasmuch as well-qualified GS-15's also
make significant contributions. But the record, par-
ticularly in the Seminars Four through Six, shows a
decided decline in attendance by supergrade officers.
5 , Given the current eonstra:Lnts on resources, we
must be certain that our investment of personnel and funds
As resulting in a maximum return. The cost of running the
Seminar is substantial. Using Sem3:nar Five as the basis ,
the direct costs to OTR of running the Seminar are as follows:
Staff salaries $57,000
Guest speaker fees 41$300
Field trip 6,100
Local travel 600
Miscellaneous 200
TOTAL $67,200 1/
The direct. cost per "student day" of the Senior Seminar Five
Was $73; on a comparable ':)axis the cost per student day of
the Senior Seminar in Foreign Policy is $63; the Federal
Executive Institute is $83; the Harvard AMP was $115; and a
typical short AMA course is $176.
6. Staff Position: As shown by the extensive feedback
received Strom the a omst LOU officers who attended the first
1/ Not included in this estimate are such indirect costs as
the salaries of participants while in the Seminar; the
costs associated with CIA and other government speakers;
such overhead costs as OTR graphics, library, and audio
support; and the cost of facilities used by the Seminar.
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five Senior Seminars, they are unanimous that their attendance
has been beneficial to them. in present and prospective job
assignments. I think that the value and quality of the pro-
gram are well known, and it is not necessary to establish-
or belabor that point here. Given the experience with-the
nominations to Seminars Five and S::.x, I do not, however,
believe that the Seminar is fulfilling Mr. Colby's recommenda-
tion of 25 September 1972, that it "be aimed at senior levels
who will go to higher respcnsibili-.ies."
7. In the light of the above, several options appear to
be open:
a. As part of the Anr:,aal Personnel Plan, each
Directorate could identify those senior
officers selected for attendance in future
runnings of the Seminar as part of their
executive development. In August 1972,
Mr. Colby envisaged that such "programming"
for the Senior Seminar and other essential
courses could be done up well in advance
of actual attendance. If carried out, this
course of action would indicate whether the
Seminar should be continued on its present
basis;
b. If candidates for the Seminar are not nominated
or cannot be identified through the Annual
Personnel Plan in sufficient numbers to provide
a strong and ba:_anced group, the Seminar could
be discontinued following its sixth running in
November; or all:e-rnatively,
c. The Seminar cou:.d be transformed, in coopera-?
tion with the IC Staff, into a course for
senior officers from throughout the Intelligence
Community. In order to make it a truly inter
agency program, it. would require, in my judg-
ment , an inter-agency staff and a reduction in
the number of CIA attendees; i.e., the number
of Agency participants should be in rough
proportion to the Agency's strength within
--- ----the total Intelli ;ence Community or about
four or five per running."
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 fIINISTF,tMV. INTETUTAb USE ONL
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8. Recommendation: I recommend that you bring the
issues raise above to the attention of the CIA Management
Committee and to the Director, given his extensive personal
involvement in selecting qualified officers and his interest
in the Seminar.
Alfonso o r- gue
Director of Training
Distribution:
0 - Adse (w/atts)
2 DDA (w/atts)
2 DTR (w/atts)
2 - OTR/II
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ADMINISTRATIVE - INFTERI;AL USE ONLY
Senior Seminar
Nominations and Attendees
Seminar One Seminar Two Seminar Three Seminar Four Seminar Five Seminar Six
Non. Att. Nom. Att. Nom. Att. Nom. Att. Nom. Att. Nom. Selecte,
Director's
Area 1 1 2 2 2 i/ 1 1 0 0
Directorate of
Administration 7 4 5 52/ 6 4 6 5 6 4
Intelligence 11. 6 6 6 6 5 4
7 6
(6)
(6)
Directorate of
Operations 10 6 41/ 31/ - .7 6 6 6 4 4' 41 (2)
Directorate of
Science and
Technology 6 3 4 4 4 4 7 4 5 5 5 (S)
35 20 21 20 25 20 24 20 23 20 21 CIS,
1/ One nominee withdrawn prior to selection by the Training Selection Board.
2/ One member was withdrawn during the Seminar.
3/ Anticipated on basis of current information.
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t~:.:._. .. P.. .. :.....:.: :.....". a ~ : .::
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l!D2, I?';ISTF TIVE - I_NTERM,'AL USE OYLY
Senior Seminar
Grades of Attendees
Seminar One Seminar Two Seminar Three
Seminar Four.
Seminar Five
Seminar Six I
GS-15
SG
GS-15
SG
GS-15
SG
GS-15
SG
GS-15
SG
)irector's
Are a
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
(0)
.(0)
)irectorate of
Administration
1
3
0
5
0
4
3
2
3
1
(2)
(4)
)irectorate of
Intelligence
1
3
3
3
2
1
3
5
2
(4)
(2)
)irectorate of
Operations
6
0
3
0
5
1
5
.1
3
1
(2)
(0)
)irectorate of
Science and
Technology
1
2
2
2
1
3
3
1
3
2
(4)
(1)
13
7
9
11
9
11
12
8
14
6
12
./ Anticipated on the basis of current information.
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J. a.
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Background Papers on the Senior Seminar
Tab 1 MFR from A/DDS, 17 Dec 19 70
Tab 2 Memo from Ex-Dir Comptr to DTR, 7 Jan 1972
Tab 3 Memo from Ex-Dir Comptr to the Four Deputy
Directors, .14 Jan 1972
Tab 4 Background paper prepared for DTR, 3 Aug 1972
Tab 5 Memo from A/DDS to DTR, 14 Aug 1972
Tab 6 Memo from DDS to DTR, 10 Aug 1972
Tab 7 Extract from '%,FR on Deputies Meeting on
19 Sept 1972, 25 Sept 1972
Tab 8 Memo from C/T,,B to the Four Deputy Directors
and AO/DC1, 7 June 1974
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 Approved Fot eleasei20f12/p5/02,:;CIARDP80-00308A,L0010001000r1-6
DD/S 70-4391
StJ"JI CT: New Senior Ssnnir_ar
card to t I': a i-:,,t the pro-
posed i:o>v --y .:
..~77c :,ez:..: a~. _ .~;t c: sped ti c s~: 'pct i the
1.1 .wi is 1~_~... ?_ 1. 1. ._.i i2 J' J..: was
G 7 _ ~? .. i..~..~ t.
nD.Completely Sool:i C.ii the,- `'aii __1 i u" t.", e c :. x2 Ii i it-d his a T-nrcva.1 to
a lt'_,ni t,7in c. C',...._ a i;~ - _ ^_ii~ r i
r'3lU:.t1Gn
`?;i-11 132 CCC:;Ir`~: ,v;.1. .'._=.'? I?_.`_~ccto::' l' s %.1:,:~ ..>_:i Cu:hh''''? :';Ciy La'7 y vi tii the
throe-mc..tl d:r. tic ?, Y e is ri,~ tot this i -;cid.~a a ver_~ h: y drain on senior
CJ,.ICi. 1s' %__-:".. i 4::t3 c OZ I tcle - ` of
trc.i_i1n r 1:3 ,^.?Lo:aij-i. " ca '. c-.r of 1' ':1 t.+ia ti.: 1. ii ~ f t .'~ s r ...,. 7
-, .;.1` a-. ~,. 11 0:_'1 G~.lc }- :1J as
-.he are cailad uvci to s , .:: -y
y z to a CGii:.oC'-. ~;3,_l l -'9rii;t`l' ;t2 ESu CL1 tip
i r.po; tas:c Of topu zb' _~' ^
Q.az1er a firZ i Class i o~=In for t:: illmt Y uumir.g, of
the 1:c:J Senior S. erai. ar.
2. Co1cne1 ti'h to r tr e.sted to Mr. C~ ~~ ^~'Iam t._Yt t:- ,-'r
.. ~- .. I,s,?.ectax s
remarks indicated the esiraui:ity c.' ccnc~:%~ W-t ious cc'.wa;,C-S m?.::.L.iy h.".Causw"r they
have been on the s checiule t_a ic:;:a:ily,
3.
? ~`a .. u ; . Tl a _~~~ t. lie .:as not
action since i- fL: with cc-:he of t_l-~ 4:.. o-,t~ ?M y to Cc stride ?,-^ 1~:te. ,, c .,~id,.arcer
{. its a- J: ri' Y. i t at t nie his : r-, Iere to -tem i of his oi: i I~ " ',?
c.:.LI.1+1 a..i C.._i.. 11'1 Ci':;~ ~~~,' i? ~ 1`'~ n
i e yrcd:nis (17 Dec 70)
Dissri::'ution:
Orig - iJ1D/. Suaject
I - L'ircctor of 'i?r :i:nh
Jc1:;i Gc~_f4y
A~ sictu;;t _ . ? :t;- i:irector
for
I DD/S o
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-fir ... , r'1A)
7 January 1972;.' ' /~~
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Training
REFERENCE : Memo dtd 17 Dec 71 to ExDir-Compt fr DTR,
same subject
1. I have read with care your report on the first running of the
CIA Senior Seminar and, along with Bill Colby, discussed it with the
Director on 6 January 1972. 1. im impressed with the generally lauda-
tory remarks in the critiques of the participants, with the scope and
relevance of the several blocks of instruction, with the number of
Agency and non-Agency guest speakers, and in general with the con-
siderable investment in this nine-week program for twenty officers.
2. 1 am confident that these twenty officers did indeed get a
great deal. out of the Seminar and that both they and the Agency have
profited from it. Without reflecting adversely on any of these officers,
I think that, if we are going to snake such an investment in a seminar
in which only forty people can participate during a calendar year, we
must make certain that those forty are selected with the greatest of
care and with serious consider?a.tion as to their potential for and the
possibility of their occupying ,,-,von more important posit:'Lons in the
years to come. It is my recollection t,,.zat this Seminar was to be de-
signed primarily for supergrades, although I note that only seven of
the twenty participants were actually supergrades.
3. Approval is hereby given fora second (spring) running of
the Seminar, after which the Director should be consulted again before
it is incorporated as a regular and continuing part of our training pro-
gram. You are asked to consult with the Executive Director-Comptroller
concerning the criteria for selecting the participants for the next Semi-
nar.
L. K. White
Executive Director-Comptroller
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 Approvee4 For lease 2002/06fA2)i-q] -RDP80 f0308% 0100010001-6-T O -''').n,
DD/S 72-0129
NR 72-362
14 January 1972
MEMORJ\NDUM.-i FOR: Dr_ptiLy Director for Intcll.igcnce
Deputy Director for Plana
Deputy l-:'irector for Science & Technology
Deputy Director for Support
SUBJECT : Senior S:. mincer
REFERENCE - : Memo for DTR from ExDir dtd 7 Jan 72,
Same S.,lbjcct
1. As you know, the Director has approved a second running of
the Senior Seminar. This is p1 iincd to run for the nine weeks begin-
ning 12 March 1972, the first to be held at -1 the 25X1A
remainder of the program to be presented in the Senior S--rriinar space
in Chamber of Commerce Fc~ilc.:
2. It is essential that the twenty officers selected !or the second
Senior Seminar represent the cream of the Agency,, whose attendance
will produce identifiable bcn