WHO QUALIFIES FOR A QUALITY STEP INCREASE?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B01737A000700040004-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 6, 2000
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: February 24, 1970
• Content Type: MF

'Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP79B017370p0700040004-0
CONFIDENTIAL
24 February 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR: All OCI Staff, Division and Branch
Chiefs
SUBJECT Who Qualifies for a Quality Step
Increase?
1. Agency regulations are quite specific in spell-
ing out what the Office of Personnel regards as eligibility
standards for a Quality Step Increase. In a nutshell they
are: a) work performance as a whole must be exceptionally
strong and of a high degree of effectiveness; and b) high
quality performance must be sustained for at least six
months and must give promise of continuing.
2. In past years OCI has made good use of this nice
and fitting way to reward extra effort by its more dili-
gent people. From the beginning of 1964 until the end of
1969, 40 QSIs were granted. One person received two (1965
and 1968). Of the 39 people who received them, 29 are
still in OCI, and most of them are still putting out that
extra something. In short, the selection of deserving
people in the past has proven sound.
3. A review of the grades and duties of each recip-
ient at the time the award was made suggests some guide-
lines for granting of QSIs in the future. Principal among
these are:
--Grade level should not be a consideration. Over
the past five years the lowest grade OCI recipient
of a QSI was a GS-5; the highest was GS-15. There
was a pretty even distribution of awards to grades
between these extremes.
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP79BO1737A000700040004-0
 Approved F?}or Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP79B01737000700040004-0
--The nature of assiqned duties should not be a
factor. OCI has made awards to straight typists,
secretary-typists, administrators, registry offi-
cers, watch officers, NIS producers, and, of course,
current intelligence professionals. The only pro-
viso is that the duties performed must play an im-
portant role in OCI's mission.
--QSIs should be granted to people who are doing
work which challenges their abilities. It would
be a mistake to award them to people who consis-
tently do high quality work but whose jobs could
be handled competently by persons with lower grades.
--QSIs should be given occasionally to people who do
a specific one-time assignment exceedingly well.
An outstanding NIS job, a support function in New
York or Paris, a gruelling task force operation
over an extended period are examples. But these
should be granted only when there is good reason
to believe that the recipients will continue to do
fine work in his or her follow-on assignment.
--In rare cases we should reward with a QSI high
performance people who, because of slotting restric-
tions, cannot be promoted.
--The QSI is one of several possible ways to reward
persons who achieve an "Outstanding" Fitness Report
for the first time.
4. OCI's average of eight QSIs per year over a five
year period compares very favorably with most other DDI
components. QSIs should be regarded within the Office as
a coveted recognition of exceptional service and as a.stim-
ulus to do one's utmost in a demanding task. If we hand
out QSIs at a greatly increased rate, we would start de-
preciating their value as a stimulant. We should continue
to make each award a ceremonial occasion to stress that we
think of it as an honor accorded only to a few.
25X1A
RICHARD LEHMAN
Acting Director of Current Intelligence
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP79B01737A000700040004-0
 Approved For Release 20C0ilOiT'':g'6hik-F~6'71737A000700040004-0
N 20-248
NOTICE PERSONNEL
No. 20-248 --
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
GUIDELINES FOR TIME IN GRADE
1. The attached table on time'in grade should be
helpful in clarifying OCI's promotion policy? ..There
are no special restrictions on discussing this information
inside the office.
2. Please note that the averages under "Average
Age at Time of Promotion" and "Months in Grade-at Time
.of Promotion" cover a five-year period for OCI and only
three years for the Agency as.a whole; five-year figures
for the Agency are not available. No figures for the
Directorate could be obtained.
3. Average months in grade for GS-06 to GS-07,.and
GS-07,to GS-08 are high because of the relatively few
clerical positions at'these levels. The average drops
sharply at GS-08-to GS-09 because of the large number
of young professionals promoted: quickly at this stage.
4. You will also note from these averages that the
minimum time in grade figures are indeed minimum. All
the same, these minimums can still be modified downward
on-rare occasions when exceptional performance should be
recognized.
5. My overall reaction to these statistics is that
the office's'handling'of promotions. has been just about
right and I see no need for major .change at this time.
STATINTL
RICHARD LEHMAN
Director of Current Intelligence
Distribution B
CIA INTERNAL USE ONLY
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP79B01737A000700040004-0
 Approved For Relea a 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP79BO1737A000700040004-0
11 ~47 4
H ?r{ ' O
w lO CO 03 CO CD o N to CO `1'
-r1 `/., r-I r-1 --( r1 ri N
0 O?,{
O a1
0
?rl 4-I
0
C: Q) A
-1J O
O H
o
N (i O
b FI
(UNEk
a) W (U
LO
z a)
0 b I
(a .
w s4 co
U~ C7 C)
n r-1 to 10 to O r-1 C71 CT Co
. ? . . .. ? . .. ?
N Ln SN In N N C \ o0
ri N N r( ri ri N M M kO
En
-rA
nI
CV
O
N
o
CO
N
0
n
n
N
N
N
(V rA
0)
co (U
C1
mil'
t0
OD
C1D
CT
r-I
er
00
H
?
F4 r,
UILH
w tT
r-A
N
N
N
N
N
r
0) 0<
.
M
M
M
mot'
D
r)
%D O
.-i
N
N
N
N
N
M
M
M
er
CO
tf)
to
n
00
Cn
O
r-1
N
M.
4r
ui
O
o
C)
O
CO
r-I
r-1
r-1
.-i
r I
H
I.
I
I
I
I
I
I
i
1
1
I
I
M
U)
to
En
Cu
U]
~
U)
U)
U~
U]
U)
()
CJ
0
C7
0
(9
C7
C7
C7
C7
(3
C3
1
I
I
1
I
1
i
1
1
1
1
i
M
0
q:r
I C )
l
N
00
Cn
O.
'-1
N
M
er
0
0
0
0
0
O
r-1
r--I
ri
r-1
-1
0
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
1
I
r
I
C!)
Ct
(f1
U]
U]
U1
(11
U)
(!~
U]
U]
U)
fra
C9
C7
0
C7
(?
Q
0
L)
C9
0
C7
C7
N n U1 n N O n C'1 n O 0 n
LC) M n ter' 00 n n N M 4
H H N N N N N r-I M Ln l0 r
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP79BO1737A000700040004-0