PLANS FOR THE REDUCTION OF OCR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000600060010-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: January 4, 2017
• Document Release Date: July 11, 2005
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: January 12, 1967
• Content Type: MF

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12 January 1.967
MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Intelligence
THROUGH : Director of Intelligence Support
SUBJECT : Plans for the Reduction of OCR
1. In late November you asked me to submit plans for the possible
reduction of OCR's personnel strength b up to one-third or from the
authorized strength of
attached study an~i its annexes, three alternative lI am ans submitting, in the
2. Any reduction of the order contemplated here will force a
material reorient .tion of the effort and a reorganization of the structure
of OCR. Our problem is complicated by the fact that we are just now
approaching the point where we can commence testing the validity and
usefulness of the so-called CHIVE design which has been under develop-
ment for the past four years. Without the benefit of an operational test
of the CHIVE system and a subsequent period for evaluation of its contri-
bution to the production and other elements of the Agency and Community,
it is difficult for me to select and recommend to you precise courses of
action.
". In light of the above, I have approached
ing manner. First, I have estimated that 18 months will be required tolow-
complete and test the basic elements of the CHIVE design and at the same
time to develop, as a derivative of that system, a much cheaper and less
powerful computer-supported indexing and retrieval program. I then
reviewed the variety of functions and tasks currently being performed by
the OCR divisions and decided on the maximum level of cuts which I could
levy and implement in an 18-month period while maintaining some capability
in all our major functions and still retaining the current functional organiza-
tion of this Office. A summary of these reductions is set forth in Tab A
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and a more detailed analysis of them and tieir expected impact in Tab B. The
total reductions to be achieved in this phase Thus, at the end
of 18 months, the strength of OCR would beF and we would have
had the experience of testing and evaluating both the CHIVE design and a less
costly retrieval system as well. If you accept now, for planning purposes, the
broad concepts of the three alternatives I am proposing, you will at the end of
18 months be able to review these in light of our experience with CHIVE, and
with an alternative system, and make a final determination on the ultimate cut
you wish to impose and the configuration in which you wish to see OCR operate.
In the meantime, the basic functions and organization of OCR will be maintained
and thus permit the reactivation of curtailed activities if experience indicates
that this is desirable.
4. The three plans which I have drawn up present you with as reasonable
alternatives as I can develop. In each instance I have preserved at the minimum
level the basic document functions, that is, receipt, control, distribution,
dissemination, storage, and copying. Further, in each case I have retained
a systems development capability to allow the Agency to at least follow and
experiment with new concepts and techniques in the information handling
world so that it will not fall hopelessly behind out of ignorance. Similarly,
I have kept at least a minimum EAM-computer capability, feeling we should
not retrogress to a totally manual system such as we had 20 years ago. The
basic differences in the plans center around the resources to be devoted to the
foreign literature exploitation and translation business on the one hand, and the
information and document, film and photo, indexing and retrieval systems, on
the other.
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8. In summary, I am proposing the following. First, that you review
these specific reductions I have proposed for the first 18-month period and
authorize me to proceed with the curtailment or elimination, as the case may
be, of the services mentioned therein. Secondly, that you review and approve
as reasonable alternatives the three plans which I have set forth, with the
understanding that, at the end of 18 months, we will provide an evaluation
of the impact of the cuts already taken and of our test operations under the
CHIVE design and also of a less costly retrieval system to be developed
during that time. I will then give you my final recommendations and you
can determine the ultimate strength you wish to devote to OCR.
9. Obviously a cut of the magnitude proposed could not be effected by
any proportional reduction of present activities across the board. This is
immediately apparent if you consider the fact that, in order to provide for
merely the basic document services and to retain at least a minimum
centralized language capability within the Agency, I am forced to extract
a cut of approximately 48% from the remaining functions of the Office.
Indeed, a reduction of this stringency requires a fundamental re-examina-
tion of the concept and organization of the central reference function as a
whole, and of the role of this office in the continuing life of the Agency and
the Community. I have set forth my views on these matters and on the
rapidly developing field of information handling, to which they relate, in
Tab C.
Director of Central Reference
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