Letter to Edward P. Boland from Acting DCI B. R. Inman on Overseas Differential and Employee Profile

Approved For Release re 50) ol preteen eee 531-0934, Central Intelligence Agency cance 18 JUL 1981 The Honorable Edward P. Boland Chairman, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence House of Representatives Washington, D-C. 20515 Dear Mr. Chairman: In his letter to you of 14 July, discussing our reasons for proceeding with an interim overseas differential, the DCI promised that we would provide additional back-up material. Such material is enclosed. Much of it was prepared in the course of our preliminary look at the question of proper compensation for our personnel working overseas. The enclosed material is, of course, not a substitute for the thorough systematic analysis which we will have prepared by external experts and which we will provide the Committee when it is completed early next year. The enclosed material provides a profile of a CIA employee overseas, which describes the unique duties of CIA personnel which distinguish then from other government employees. It includes synopses of the CIA operations officer, communications officer, and support officer, and several brief case studies of typical CIA officers overseas. We have also included a preliminary summary analysis by the Office of Medical Services of the special stress that accompanies service overseas, particularly for CIA officers with the burden of living under cover, of being a special target of hostile elements, and of working clandestinely. The material also includes position descrip- tions of typical overseas positions that document and give the flavor of the unusual responsibilities and duties of CIA personnel and the special talents and capabilities required of CIA personnel. Once again, I would like to thank the Committee for its understanding in the matter of the interin overseas differential, and I trust that the accompanying material and the forthcoming systematic analysis will help elucidate why we believe that CIA and other similar Intelligence Community personnel deserve recognition of the particularity of their overseas service. Sincerely, B, R, Inman ési Be Re INMAN Admiral, U.S. Navy Acting Director of Central Intelligence Enclosures 25X1 > ty-Seta Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : sa! ee ee  Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Distribution: Orig - Chairman, HPSCI wfatts ~ SAC/Defense (Dwight E. Dyer) " - SSCL (Jack Blake) um - DCL nN - DDCL " - ER - DDA w/atts ~- ADDA os ~ D/Finance - D/Personnel ~ DD/OP/PAE tt t DD/ODP uy ~ ¢/DO/CMS i —- G/LLB mt — GE " 25X1 - Ics " - Compt - D/Compt ue - C/BMG M - C/AG ~ C/OG v PE- Compt RPE RPP ee eee EE PRE Subj Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 THE CIA EMPLOYEE OVERSEAS: A PROFILE 1. Short Description of: a. Agency Ops Officer Overseas b. Agency Support Officer Overseas c. Agency Communications Officer Overseas - Excerpts from Nm . Five Representative Case Studies Actual Performance Reports Sampling of Position Descriptions tA . A Representative 4. A "Quick" Analysis of the Hay Study Services Views of Stress in 5. Office of Medical Overs eas Servi ce Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Short Description of: a. Agency Ops Officer Overseas b. Agency Support Officer Overseas c. Agency Communications Officer Overseas Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 25X11 Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Next 7 Page(s) In Document Exempt Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Five Representative Case Studies - Excerpts from Actual Performance Reports Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Next 4 Page(s) In Document Exempt Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 A Representative Sampling of Position Descriptions Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Next 32 Page(s) In Document Exempt Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 A "Quick" Analysis of the Hay Study rie Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  ee ees — ae ‘ omy wee eee hy J Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 I. TOPIC of the Hay Associates "Study to Assist the Department An analysis in an Evaluation of the Compensation System of the United States of State 25X1 Foreign Service." [ | TI. BACKGROUND Foreign Service jobs A. Hay Associates was contracted with to assess comparability with other Federal positions, linkage with the as to content, classification system, and to propose a Foreign General Schedule pay/grade 25X11 Service Grade System. [ | determine the | B. [t applied "Hay Job Evaluation Techniques'to domestic and relative job content of selected Foreign Service positions, and pay, both within overseas, arid the relationship of Foreign Service work employers, including the U.S. Civil the Department and to other external and statistical analysis techniques, it Service. By data collection linkage with the General Schedule pay/grade determined that the historical longer appropriate and proposed a new linkage classification system was no 25X11 system and pay scale. [| the Congress approved the study's concepts and a new C. Ultimately in an average salary increase of Foreign Service Pay Scale which resulted 25X1 9.6 percent. a= acknowledged (page 27, Volume I) D. in its study, Hay Associates of overseas service is necessarily and properly felt by the tt .The impact and for this reason jt is most appropriately addressed entire Foreign Service system. This concept will be developed in the Proposed by the grade/pay section of this report." The consultants noted that the Grade Structures 25X1 ae or ‘ Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : GIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  "er: or oe See Approved For Release 2003/08/26: A 61A-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 content to context of overseas service (meaning the difficulty associated with maintaining a mobile service operating under stressful and less than secure Circumstances) should be about 15 percent and made as "...an incremental addition to the Foreign Service grade/salary structure..." [| 25X1 III. DISCUSSION A, ‘The Foreign Service Pay Scale (FS) resulted in the following sample linkage changes. 1. FSO-3 (now FS-1) jobs were found comparable with GS-15 rather than between GS-15 and GS-14 as was the historical linkage. | Z. FSO-4 (now FS-2) were found similar to GS-14 rather than to GS-15 as was the historical linkage. 3, FSO-6 (acti KS-4) were found comparable to GS-11 jobs rather than to GS-09 as was the historical linkage. 4. Similar linkage changes were made between FSS and lower 25X1 eraded GS grades. a B. In using its "Hay Job Evaluation Techniques" points to establish points for the Civil Service job samples in the General Schedule to prove job difficulty, Hay relied upon prior studies (1976 Civil Service Comnission study and the 1975 QRMC study). Points for the Foreign Service jobs upon which the linkage was based were determined during the State Department survey. As CIA jobs were not included in either study, the application of the "Hay Job Evaluation Techniques’”’ to CIA jobs, particularly overseas might indicate that the CIA jobs rank higher in point count than the normal General Schedule 25X1 positions. | | C. Hay documented (pages 1-4, Volume I) peculiar requirements of the Foreign Service all of which could be applied to base positions within CIA. This lends additional credence to the long-held belief that CIA ioe Approved For Release 2003108/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  c £ em Sine i.2 = a Yaad tom Se hy Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 similar to Foreign Service positions than to normal we positions are more 25X1 sneral Schedule positions. IV. CONCLUSIONS A. ‘The impact of overseas service finding by Hay Associates can be applied equally to CIA positions overseas. It appears this finding of a 15 percent factor were included in assigning "points" to and the addition Foreign Service jobs. This 15 percent factor might apply equally to CIA 25X11 jobs overseas. dl The change in the historical linkage between the Foreign Service B. and the Ceneral Schedule had an adverse impact on the salary of CIA employees Approved For Release 2003/08/26: CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Office of Medical Services Views of Stress in Overseas Service DE Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 The following is an excerpt from a recently completed Agency Inspector General survey of the Office of Medical Services. It relates to service overseas. Overseas living has always had its stresses: the ove itself, the three to six months settling-in process, adjusting to an alien culture, learning to communicate in a Foreign language, living cover, and requirements for night working hours and extended TDY travel. All these problems still face our people going overseas today, but added to them are some new stress factors, which reflect changes both in our own society and in the foreign environ- ment. Selection and screening of personnel for overseas assign- inents must take into account both the increasing stress of overseas life and particular stress factors at individual field stations. This is a problem not only for OMS, of coursg but for other components' line management as well. In this regard, the principal lesson we learned in our field visits was that stress factors at individual posts change with the passage of time, and neither OMS nor other managers should rely on outdated knowl edge and experience in assigning or clearing personnel for service overseas. ae tee pete, or lReET we Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Since life overseas is substantially more stressful than in the past, however effective screening procedures ~ we must do more to prepare our employees and their are, families to cope with life abroad, particularly in more environments, or else be prepared to deal with stressful a higher incidence of stress-related problems overseas. Stress factors which today are making life overseas increasingly less pleasant include: i Line in American and U.S. Government Prestige Abroad o The decline in US prestige is an intangible factor, which probably affects older employees and their families more than younger personnel. As a country and as individuals we simply are not accorded the same respect overseas as was the case in the 1950's and 1960's, and it hurts. Moreover, with less disposable income, our people are generally unable to cut as wide a social swath as they used to. Meanwhile, local businessmen, even in underdeveloped countries, have become wealthy and consume with high conspicuousness; and representatives of American business firms live comfortably, with perquisites not available to government employees. In some areas the Foreign Service or CIA employee overseas looks on himself as a second class citizen. as an official representative of the US Government, he Also, is easily identified by the local population and may be subjected to terrorist activity. SECRET we ne oe tN he Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 -  Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 The High Cost of Living service overseas as a means of Many employees see either merely to have a small nest accumulating savings, purposes, such as buying a home or egs, or for concrete children's education. In many posts, financing their those without a differential, this is now particularly for lower graded employees. There Aifficult, especially of living allowances, but they seem to lag aee cost rate of inflation. On this trip no one tehind the actual the issue was losing money by with whom we discussed overseas; but the attractiveness of virtue of being a means of saving for a rainy day is overséas work as fast diminishing. up to 25 percent are provided as Post differentials for the hardships encountered in some areas. compensation seek assignments to these stations as a means Some people financially, knowing that enduring the of getting ahead at least will make for a more secure future. hardships if the extra money is not part of the motivation, Even compensation for living in these areas. it is a welcome 25X1 is resentment if employees do not see Hhere in the conditions of the post, yet the improvements income they were counting on is diminished. F adh hel cate tata OEted Qe DE Approved For Release 2003/08/36 7CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  Ra. ee ae A = aad baa Mee EOL dee i Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 The Working Spouse Relevant to the problem of overseas assignments and concomitant stress is the current phenomenon of the working spouse and loss of income when one breadwinner must quit or take a much lower salary overseas. Even if the spouse initially agrees to quit and accept the overseas assignment, as time goes on, friction can develop due to loss of career status as well as tangible income. Problems of Living in Large Cities Cities abroad are expanding in size, generally at an even more rapid rate than American cities, with predictably severe consequences: breakdowns in public utilities, transportation and other services; massive traffic jams; pollution of the air and water; decline in the availability Gf recreational facilities; increase in crime and urban violence; and the general unpleasantness of existence in a densely populated areca: crowded streets, crowded shops, crowded apartment houses, endless street noises, and the Like. 25X1 Terrorism and Security Corp eh TAL cT Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  7 sa ‘wee Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 anxiety level of Life in some posts. increased the foreign service families that they It is a tribute to all 25X11 effectively under such adverse security continue to perform conditions 25X1 problem of identification of CIA particularly insidious press continues with stressful consequences employees by the 25X1 ‘ : : for the employee and his family. Fear_of Catastrophic Disease or factor was with us in "the good old days," This stress much a source of stress today. Many cities and remains very stations and bases are located have medical where our primitiveness, filthy, lacking Facilities of frightening and anesthetics, and with poorly in drugs, antibiotics and orderlies. Personnel at these posts, trained nurses ne ee 6 : CI[A-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 no matter how high their morale otherwise, live with a lurking fear that the sudden onset of disease, or a serious accident, will compel their admission to these facilities. There are steps the RMO can take to reduce this stress factor, including briefing employees on ioecal diseases and appropriate measures to take if confronted by them and awareness of the local hospital in all posts. fits doing such a 25X1 sjtuation Survey. Emergency situations ae frequently eased when an RMO 25X1 can be rushed to the scene to take charge and, if necessary, to medevac. 25X1 This is another stress factor that has been around for a long time. Operations officers are often required to work at night, which leaves the spouse alone or allows for little private exchange between marriage partners. Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  SECRET Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Pcudivencaes for communications and Frequent travel service employees with regional responsibilities technical the spouse to manage alone. As operational also leave increase, and personnel resources decline, yequirements worsen. The political unrest and security these problems some areas increases anxiety about these threat in requirements. The absence of one partner, professional husband, frequently leaves the wife to cope usiiaLlly the with increasingly difficult living conditions. hy herself to work, no language training and few With no opportunity the wife may feel lonely, bored and isolated sucial outlets, the local community. All these factors put additional froin strains on the family relationship. Chana oak aos anes ornt Eee, 1 ba j a ee i Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  we 2 Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 fy? 23 May 1980 (} MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Medical Services 25X1 Pres [|Chief, Center for ounterterrorism and "ae ( - Crisis Response 7 WISTECT : Stress of Overseas Assignment ved in 1. As you are aware, our Staff has been invol context prepdring people for overseas assignments in the natio nal terro rism. In of the increasing threat of inter ced new and expe rien this work we have dealt with both enployees from all Directorates. During and following the reactions crises, we have had the opportunity to observe TDY trave l has allowed of a number of involved individuals. ons aroun d the us to observe personnel in a number of stati world. and 2. The increasing hostility to Americans abroad, ased the particularly to US government officials, has incre yees and their famil ies. level of anxiety among both emplo Specifically, the threat of violence has become more generalized and unpredictable. No longer is it sufficient risk to oneself terms or one’s family in to calculate the de terrorists, of a known enemy; real sources of danger inclu and mobs, all of which can occur , it seems, at. criminals, At the same time, there is the any time and at any place. less able perception (real or imagined) that the USG is affor d adequ ate prote ction to its and/or less willing to quate host employees, viz. increased dependence on inade government resources, apparent ambig uous polic y statements, In many cases employees succe ssful ly emplo y denial etc. . elves , but their in dealing with this stress for thems conce rns for problems become all too apparent in their 25X1 their families. 3 CONFIDENTIAL , _ Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5  oe ae Naw WZ ENE PR bd SME GA 7 GLE . Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 3. More generally we have found that families are as playing a greater role in employee feelings about overse assignment. For years spouses have had a difficult role l, of supporting employees by performing a number of operationa functions about. which they know very little. Spouses are becoming less tolerant of this exclus ion and want greater recognition. At the same time there is the increa sing incidence of spouses having independent careers; it is a rare overseas assignment where one of the family 's careers does not suffer. 4. In the past the glamour of living overseas, as welt as significant financial benefits, helped employees deal with the above general problems as well as the more> specific stresses of particular locations (such as the cultural problems women have in the Middle East). Conditions have now changed so that the major benef it we hear from emplayees about serving overseas is that it takes them away from the problems at Headquarters. However, the proble ms at ilendq uarter s contri bute to the stress es overseas insofar as officers in the field feel they are getting insufficient support from Headquarters. S, Increasing the financial rewards of overseas service may reduce, but will not eliminate, the effects of the above stresses. Its more direct effect would be to signal'a . reversal of the perceived trend to downgrade overseas duty exemplified by the Congressional and Treasury pressures to 25X1 reduce allowances and tax benefits. : CONFIDENTIAL - Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 25X1 Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5 Next 3 Page(s) In Document Exempt Approved For Release 2003/08/26 : CIA-RDP84-00933R000100250001-5