IC STAFF SUPERGRADE STUDY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86B00269R001300140001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 20
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 13, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 22, 1977
• Content Type: MEMO

Director of Personnel
5E 58 Hqs
Att:
Fred:
(cy 1 of 4)
The attached routing slip gives us a new lead
to the board on the IC supergrade study. They have
asked for our comments by COB 27 September. I would
appreciate your review and receipt of your comments
by me on 26 September.
John F. Blake
Acting Deputy Director of
Intelligence, 7D 6011 Hqs, 22 Sep 77
(C
.g.
~j ST'if!
ADDCI:JFBlake:kmg (22 Sep 77)
Distribution:
Orig RS - D/Pers w/atts as stated above
1 - ADDCI
.Y- ER
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I Memo dtd 20 Sep 77 to ADDCI fr AD/DCI/IC, subj: IC Staff Supergrade Study
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2 0 SEP1977
MEMORANDUM FOR: Acting Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
John N. McMahon
Acting Deputy to the DCI for the Intelligence
Community
SUBJECT: IC Staff Supergrade Study
1. Attached is a new version of the supergrade
study. The s udy has been revised considerably and some of
the more subjective judgments have been deleted.
2. " The IC Staff is committed to providing OMB a
report onsupergrades. We appreciate the limitations of a
strictly statistical presentation, but believe that appropriate
caveats will help place the report in proper perspective and
insure its proper use. We have included a draft memorandum which
would be sent to 0MB covering the report.
3. 0 We would appreciate any specific comments you have
on the text by COB 27 September 1977. In your response, please
identify any portion of the report considered particularly sensitive.
/e JOHN N. McM HON
I
Cy 1 - Addee
Cy 2 - A/D/DCI/IC
3 - IC Re
istrY
C
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y
4 - EO/ICS
C
j
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 -mor
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Edward R. Jayne
Associate Director for National Security
and International Affairs
Office of Management and Budget
John N. McMahon
Acting Deputy to the DCI for the
Intelligence Community
SUBJECT: Survey of Intelligence Community Supergrade
Positions,
1. I am forwarding the attached Survey of Intelligence
Community Supergrade Positions which was prepared by the IC
Staff in response to a January 1977 request from the Director
of the Office of Management and Budget.
2. Based on my review of the survey and discussions
with senior members of the Intelligence Community, I have
reached the following conclusions concerning the issue of
supergrade structure within the Intelligence Community:
a. The supergrade structure for the Intelligence
Community in aggregate is reasonable and consistent
with other Government agencies which have comparable
responsibilities. Each agency has a rigorous system
for determining its needs for supergrade positions and
their allocation within the organization. Overall, it
is my judgment Lhat the numbers are roughly right.
There are some iribalances among components of the
Intelligence Community which will be examined f-=-'her.
One example is the DIA where I believe that an increase
Downgrade to UNCLASSIFIED
Upon Removal of Attachment
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 NOW
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SUBJECT: Survey of Intelligence Community Supergr.3dFe Positions
in the number of supergrades may be justified in order
to bring the analytical elements of the DIA to a com-
parable level with other major programs and to improve
career opportunities within that organization. I will
address this issue in the forthcoming budget review.
b. While the question of supergrade levels is an
important and sometimes emotional personnel issue, its
impact on the budget is relatively insignificant.
Because of the compression of salaries at the high
grades (which will be exacerbated by the 1 October
raise), there is not a large difference between mid-
level CS-15 and supergrade salaries M
'staff
__e imates
_Y
that a reduct\ion of ten percent in the iro11ih1 v II
In zn teiligence m u = /wool' yield
an ann saving of on y.about
c. While determining ratios and examining numbers
of supergrades is important, the emphasis should not be
on statistics but, rather, on the quality of the output.
In the final analysis, such "output" assessment _i_s the
best basis for judging how an organization should be
structured and manned. The IC Staff will be pursuing
this kind of assessment in the future.
John N. McMahon
Attachment:
Survey of Intelligence
Community Suoergrade Positions
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 The Director of Central Intelligence
Washington, D.C. 20505
Intelligence Community Staff
MEMORANDUM FOR: See Distribution
John N. McMahon
Acting Deputy to the DCI for
the Intelligence Community
SUBJECT: Request for Review/Comments on Supergrade Survey
1. " The attached is a revised draft of the survey of
supergrade and executive positions in the Intelligence Community,
which has been requested by the Office of Management and Budget.
2. 0 Please review the draft and provide me your comments
on its factual accuracy by 9 September 1977.
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Attachment:
As Stated
D
d
d
owngra
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to UNCLASSIFIED
upon removal of attachment
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Distribution:
Copy 1 - Mr. John F. Blake, Acting Deputy Director of
Central Intelligence
2 - Vice Admiral B.R. Inman, USN, Director, National
Security Agency
3 - Mr. Harold H. Saunders, Director of Intelligence
and Research, Department of State
4 - Major General Harold R. Aaron, USA, Assistant Chief
of Staff for Intelligence, Department of Army
5 - Lieutenant General Eugene F. Tighe, Jr., USAF,
Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
6 - Rear Admiral Donald P. Harvey, USN,
Director of Naval Intelligence
7 - Major General James L. Brown, USAF, Assistant Chief
of Staff, Intelligence
8 - Mr. Clarence M. Kelley, Director, Federal Bureau
of Investigation
9 - Major General Edward B. Giller, USAF (Ret.)-
Deputy Assistant Administrator for National Security,
Energy Research and Development Administration
10 - Mr. Gerald P. Dinneen,,Assistant Secretary of Defense,
Communications Command Control and Intelligence
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Distribution:
Copy 1 - CIA, Office of Personnel, Attn: 25X1
2 - NSA, Director of Civilian Personnel, Attn:
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3 - State/INR, Attn: Ms Christine Schneider
4 - ASD(C31), Attn: Mr. Craig Wilson
5 - DIA/RCC-3, Attn: 25X1
6 - NavlntCom, NIC 22, 2461 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria, Va.
22331, Attn: Captain Hamel
7 - Major Fred Williamson, Hq USAF/INYXX, The Pentagon
8 - FBI, Personnel Officer, S. Ray Burns
9 - ERDA, Attn: Dr. John LaBarre
10 - Army ACSI DAMI-ZC, Attn: Mr. Herbert W. Taylor
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Internal Distribution:
Copy 11 - D/OPP
12 - D/OPBD
13 - SA/D/DCI/IC
14 - SA/D/DCI/IC
15 - C/SS/ICS
16 - D OPEI
17 -
18 -
19 -
20 - ~AIV rono
21 - PAID Subject
22 - IC R
23-25 -
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
1
Table of Contents
I. Summary
II. Trends in the Distribution of Executive Positions
in the Intelligence Community and its Agencies
6
A. The Intelligence Community
7
B. Central Intelligence Agency
9
1. Executive Pay (EP) Positions
12
2. Scientific Pay Scale (SPS) Positions.
14
3. Supergrade Positions
15
C. Intelligence Community`Staff
21
D. State/INR
28
E. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
29
F. ERDA (Division of International Security Affairs)
31
G. Defense Intelligence
31
1. General
31
2. National Security Agency
32
3. Defense Intelligence Agency
38
4.. ASD(C31)
41
5. Army Intelligence
42
6. Naval Intelligence
43
7. Air Force Intelligence
43
8. Special Air Force
43
III.
Analysis
46
A. Lack of Criteria for Cross-Agency Comparison
46
B. Interagency Comparisons Within the Community
54
C. Comparison With Other Federal Government
Organizations
59
Appendix
A. Central Intelligence Agency
67
B. Intelligence Community Staff
71
C. State/INR
73
D. Federal Bureau of Investigation
74
E. Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA)
75
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?. at1ona~l Security Agency 77
'G. Defense Intelligence Agency 80
H. Other Defense Intelligence Organizations
84
List of Figures and Tables
Table 1. Distribution of Civilian Supergrades and Flag/ 8
General Officers Among Community Agencies
(FY 1977)
Table 2. Number of Executives in the Intelligence 10
Community, 1973-1977
Table 3. OMB-Approved Ceilings for CIA Executives
(1973-1977) 11
Table 4. Distribution of Scientific Pay Scale (SPS) 16
Positions Within CIA
Figure 1. Trend in Supergrade Ceiling Authorized to
CIA by OMB Since 1949 17
Table 5. Distribution of Supergrade Positions Among 19
CIA Directorates
Table 6. Distribution of the Total of Supergrade and SPS
Positions Among Deputy Directorates 22
Table 7. Distribution of Supergrade Positions Among 23
Deputy Directorates by Grade
Table 8. Authorized Manning and Executive Ceilings for 24
the Intelligence Community Staff, 1973-1977
Table 9. Authorized and Encumbered Executive Positions
in Intelligence Community Staff (IC Staff), 26
1977
Table 10. Types of Employees Filling Authorized Executive 27
Positions in Intelligence Community Staff
(June 1977)
Table 11. Manning and Distribution of Supergrades Among 30
Elements of State/INR in 1977
Table 12. Number and Authority for Supergrades in GDIP/ 33
CCP in FY 1978
Table 13. Number of Executives Assigned to NSA, 1972-1977 35
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Table 14. Distribution of Supergrade Positions Among 37
Organizational Elements of NSA
Table 15. Senior Executive Positions and Grades in 39
DIA, 1977
Table 16. Trend in the Number of Senior Executives in 40
nr n , n-.- . ---
Table 17. Air Force Intelligence General Officers and 44
Civilian Supergrades, 1973-1977
Table 18. Ratio of Executives to Total Manning in 56
Intelligence Community Agencies (1973-1977)
Table 19. Ratio of the Number of Executives and Flag/ 57
General Officers to the Total Manning-of the
Intelligence Community Agencies (1973-1977)
Table 20. Ratio of Federal Executives to Agency Total 60
Manning in Rank Order (1 January 1977)
Table 21. Ratio of Supergrades to Total Manning in 62
Selected Oversight Organization (FY 1976)
Table 22. Number of Civilian Supergrades and the 64
Executive Ratio in Selected Agencies Supported
by Intelligence (1 January 1977)
Table 23. Ratio of Supergrades tj Total Manning in the 66
Foreign Service, U.S.I.A., CIA, and CIA/DDO
(FY 1976)
Approv
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 ,Approved For Relq'
This study responds to a request of January 1977 by the Director
of the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) that a comprehensive
survey be made of supergrade and executive level positions in the
Intelligence Community.
The senior executive positions surveyed include: Executive Level
positions, supergrade positions in grades GS-16 through GS-18, Special
Pay Scale and PL 313 positions, and flag/general officers. The
Intelligence Community organizations examined are: the Intelligence
Community Staff, the intelligence portions of the Office of the
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Command, Control, Communications, and
Intelligence), the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security
Agency, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the State Department,
the foreign counterintelligence portion of the Federal Bureau of
investigation, the Division of International Security Affairs of the
Energy Research and Development Administration, the Defense Intelligence
Agency, the intelligence organizations of Army, Navy, and Air Force,
and the Special Air Force activities. (The Intelligence Unit of
Treasury was not made part of the NFIP until July 1977.)
The survey is primarily a statistical description of the distri-
bution of supergrades and other senior executives (including flag/
general officers) within the Community over the past five years, with
emphasis on the distribution in 1977. Comparisons are made among
Community agencies and, to gain a broader perspective, between Community
agencies and other Federal Government organizations. Because of the
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large number of supergrades involved and the time constraints for the
survey, only a limited effort was made to review and compare individual
supergrade position descriptions. Therefore, the survey is not an audit,
nor an attempt to rationalize the justifications for each supergrade
position.
The survey is based on data and information that was provided to
the IC Staff by each of the Intelligence Community agencies in March and
June of 1977. During the survey, of course, minor reorganizations
occurred in some of the agencies, and a number of personnel actions
affecting the data on supergrades were taken. Therefore, a cut-off date
of mid-June 1977 was adopted.
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I
SUMMARY
Since the Intelligence Community is a federation of agencies,
the personnel systems, the sources of authority for and limitations on
supergrade and executive positions, the types and degree of external
review and control over supergrade position allocations and personnel
actions vary from agency to agency. This contributes to the uneven
distribution of supergrades within the Community and makes cross-agency
comparisons difficult.
Each intelligence agency, however, has its own rigorous procedures
for internal review of its needs.for supergrade positions; controls the
allocation of supergrade positions in accordance with agency needs and
priorities; maintains internal merit and executive career development
programs; and adheres to the criteria and principles of Civil Service
personnel management of the rest of the Federal Government.
senior executives (including: supergrade, Executive
Level, PL 313-type, and flag/general officer positions) in 1977 comprises
about Flpercent of the Federal Government's executives. Over the last
five years the total number of senior executives in the Community has
been stable,. with no tendency toward upward "creep." In fact, there
has been a slight overall decline in their number since 1973.
The senior executive positions are distributed within the Community
as follows:
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SIGNATURE
Remarks.-
NOTE FOR A/DDCI
We plan to distribute the revised
study to the other intelligence agencies before
the end of the month. Consequently, receipt
of your comments as early as possible will
be appreciated.
FOLD HERE TO RETURN TO SENDER
FROM: NAME. ADDRESS AND PHONE NO.
DATE
ICS
20 Sept
UNCLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL
SECRET
FORM P" 237 Use previous editions
1-67 GJ 7
(40)
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 SECRET
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,;8
27 SEP197.7
Join I' . :la ;e
Acting Deputy :Director of
C ntral Int sl l ige
gence Cor uxity
to to the I fed'?,
ICI Staff 5 rde survey
waft IC Staff y of Intsll3gmc
eavm, nity St"rzrade Positiors
I . II we have review the draft IC Staff suety o ! Iratel I i .
ace c n ty su er radc positions and fireml it to a cmr&v =i.ve P -m!
rofessicm . stuffy as regards sthstantive content rM Co titer >. The
st rly, while essentially based on t use of statistical e crip'.i. s
as the primary reth-orlolo y to facilitate interag ry a ari.s s . r::r . to
'ly hi hli ?hts the need. for further substantive a .lysis of o-, e:c-
tive data to arrhe at final conclusions as to the a riatc r.rs o'? tb-
of soerr1rades required to met the requirnts of any, sc?cf :F`ic
3. I-I statistical prisons aM ratios of Smior
1y include an array of sensitive data not previously r u: r? I
gle report with sucii a wide distribution and potential r mler-
ship. We are concerned at the potential risk of unauuthorize~ di-c! .o IT-
arid, the need for strict adhera with the safe rams ej z:1 ?able
to docu mt wiit1. the security classification it carries.
3. I I We are attaching herewith a pur r of cats,
ate: or stir relative to spec1 is reieress wo t:ir i
John P. Pla-Ve
2"A S P3 L H, j j Originator :
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Director of Personnel
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Distribution:
Orig & 1 - Adse, w/att.
I; Watt.
i3 , w/.att.
- Am. w/att.
2 - D/Pers, w/att.
1 - C?p/P&C, w/att.
Icm (26 Sep 77)
LL4HjES Z Ll S
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 Approve For Relaalgo8g8-,2J:tdA1RDP861390269R001300140001-1
COM.4ENTS, CORRECTIONS, AND/OR SUGGESTIONS RELATIVE TO
SPECIFIC REFERENCES CONTAINED IN THE DIMT IC STAFF
STUDY OF THE 'INTELLIGENCE C ITY SUPERGRADE POSITIONS
1. Reference: Page 4 - Typographic error as regards number of CIA
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II
Comment :
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2.
Reference:
Comment .
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3.
Reference:
Comment :
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4.
Reference:
Comment
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Reference:
Comment
Senior Executive positions.
The number of CIA Senior Executive positions (EP, SG,
SPS and Flag/General officer) should be
Page 8 - Table 1
Suggest that the second column be labeled "Civilian
Senior Executives" and reword footnote (1) as follows:
"Includes Supergrades, Executive Pay Level Executives,
and Scientific Pay Schedule/PL-313-type positions".
Page 14 - List of CIA Executive Pay Level positions.
The position of the Director of National Photographic
Interpretation Center is not designated as an EP
position. This entry should be reported as an "Officer
at Large" like the last entry on the listing.
Page 19 - Table 5
Recommend rewording of the footnote (1) as follows:
"This represents the DCI-approved perception of the
Agency's actual supergrade position requirements. Only
(i.e., to abide by the OMB-approved ceiling limita-
tion positions may be encumbered.
Page 20 - Sixth sentence of first full paragraph on
this page.
This sentence should be changed to read "the results of
this audit were reviewed and approved by the Director".
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6. Reference: Page 20 - Second complete paragraph beginning "It
is Agency policy to stay below the 0MB ceiling
comment : Should be rewritten to reflect current policy as
follows: "It is Agency policy to stay at or below
the 0MB ceiling. Any positions adjudicated by
position classification audits at the supergrade
level and approved by the DCI may be established on
the Table of Organization but cannot be incumbered
if such action would exceed the 0MB-approved ceiling".
7. Reference: Page 51 - Last paragraph reference to national
intelligence vis a vis departmental intelligence.
Comment . The report raises and dismisses the proposal that
"national intelligence should be performed with higher
quality personnel than departmental intelligence".
This tends to obscure an important issue that does
affect position evaluation. What is a relevant con-
sideration is the amount of analytic or other special
skills that is required in the production of intelli-
gence. Some intelligence production is reportorial,
some analytic, some scientific. The requirement for
special skills is one factor that drives position
evaluation, both for analysts and their managers.
8. Reference: Page 66 - Table 23
Comment : The number of CIA Supergrade positions is erroneously
reported as ' 4P The. total number of Senior Executive
positions (i.e., S ergrade, SPS and Flag/General
Officer) in CIA is with a ratio of total manning
of 1:31 (as reporte in the Table).
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