Attached at Tab A is a memorandum describing the tasks of the new
National Intelligence Officers. I believe this change is basically
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good. There is also under
consideration a parallel reorganization of the USIB Committee structure.
The organization of the National Intelligence Officers on a geographic or
topic basis should help the DCI to
coordinate the collection and analysis efforts now organized by
function. The NIO’s will resemble
product or project managers in industry. They will have unclear lines of
authority over other organizations, a demanding task of coordination,
and a need to rely on personal influence. Industry has normally chosen
its more aggressive managers for such tasks. My concern is that the
implementation of Colby’s plan
may falter on this point. The people chosen may see the job as primarily
producing NIE’s, etc., rather than
making sure there is a community-wide collection and analysis strategy
for delivering improved products in their area.
I am doing what I can to make sure that the implementation is effective
and tries to do more than just be another way of producing the NIE’s.
Tab A
Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence
Colby to U.S.
Intelligence Board Members2
SUBJECT
- National Intelligence Officers
1. National Intelligence Officers will be appointed by the Director
of Central Intelligence for such geographical areas or functional
subjects as may be required from time to time. Each NIO will be the Director’s personal
representative and will report directly to him on his subject, but
all direction will be subject to the Director’s approval and will
pass through the normal command channels of USIB member agencies.
2. The primary function of an NIO
will be to provide contact laterally on his subject across the
functionally organized Intelligence Com
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munity and with customers and outside
consultants as required. Each NIO
will be responsible to the Director for providing Intelligence
Community coordinated products (using such panels of experts or ad
hoc committees and arranging USIB
consideration as may be required) to satisfy requirements for NIE’s, NSSM responses, DCI
briefings (e.g., NSC, WSAG, Congress), etc. He will assist
the Director in identifying customer needs for National
Intelligence, uncertainties requiring collection guidance, analysis
or production, and national policy problems on which National
Intelligence might offer assistance. He will maintain close personal
contact with NSC Staff and other
principal intelligence consumers and contributors at the
departmental level. The NIO will be
charged with presenting for the Director’s review fully objective
presentations of alternate views and interpretations.
3. Each designated NIO will be
assigned one or more assistants and secretarial aid as may be
required from time to time to assist him in his substantive,
coordinating and requirements duties and in drafting or editing when
needed. These assistants will be assigned on an ad hoc or extended
detail from USIB member agencies
as required.
4. One National Intelligence Officer will be appointed as the Senior
National Intelligence Officer, with administrative authority over
the National Intelligence Officers. He will chair meetings of
National Intelligence Officers for discussion of production
standards, work sched-ules, quality control and product review. He
will be assisted by an Editorial Staff to provide central editorial
standards, schedules and assistance for the National Intelligence
Officers. He will keep the Director advised as to the activities of
the NIO’s and be a central point of
contact for their activities.
5. National Intelligence Officers (tentative):
-
USSR and Satellites
- Europe, EC and NATO
- Northeast Asia
- Southeast Asia
- Moslem World
- Latin America
- Economic Intelligence
- Strategic Weapons and Advanced Technology (SALT)
- General Purpose Forces (MBFR)
As requirements change, these assignments may also vary and ad hoc
assignments may occasionally be made. The NIO’s will work together to resolve apparent gaps or
overlaps.
6. USIB members are invited to
nominate candidates for the tentative positions in paragraph 5, from
their agency or from other sources. Final selection will be made by
the Director of Central Intelligence according to individual
qualifications. Any individuals selected from
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outside CIA
will serve on reimbursable detail. NIO’s will normally serve approximately three-year
tours, followed by return to their parent agency.
7. The NIO’s will replace the
present Board and Office of National Estimates, the Special
Assistant for Vietnamese Affairs, and other units as appropriate. No
change will be made in the present USIB Committee structure or functioning by reason of
the establishment of NIO’s,
although that structure may be independently reviewed for possible
change after some experience with the NIO concept.
