Approved For Release 1999/09/21: CIA-RDP79-01055A000300020001-5 JULY 1957
Nature, Purpose, and Scope of the NIS Program
Authority for the NIS Program
The National Intelligence Survey (NIS) Program was established pursuant to National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 3. This directivo provides that:
An outline of all basic intelligence required by the Government shall bo maintained by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in collaboration with the appropriate agencies.
This outline shall be broken down into chapters, sections, and subsections which shall be allocated as production and maintenance responsibilities to CIA and those agencies of the Government which are best qualified by reason of mission, production capability, and primary interest to assume the production and maintenance responsibility.
This basic intelligence shall be compiled and con- tinuously maintained in the National Intelligence Survey to cover foroign countries, arous, or broad special subjects as required in the interest of national security.
The NIS shall be disseminated in such form as may be determined by the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and the agencies concerned.
The DCI shall be responsible for coordinating pro- duction and maintenance and for accomplishing the review, publication, and dissemination of thic NIS and shall make such requests of the agencies as are necessary for proper development and maintenance of the NIS.
Departments or agencies to be called on for con- tributions to this undertaking may include agencies other than those represented permanently on the Intolligence Advisory Committee (TAC).
Basic Concepts of the NIS Program
The NIS is a comprehensive digest of the basic intelligence required for the U.S. Government. The NIS is designed to serve fully the basic intelligence requirements of the Department of Defense in strategic and high level operational planning, and the Department of State in formulating and executing U.S. foreign policy. The NIS also serves lower planning and operational levels in the Armed Foreos and the Department of State, and in addition all other Government agencies which require basic intelligence in the accomplishment of their missions.
In general, the intelligence contained in the NIS is concorned with the relatively permanent features and fundamental characteristics of a country, arca, ocean basin, or broad special subject, and covers such fields as the geographical, transportation, sociological, political, economic, scientific, and military aspects of the country or area or the fundamental aspects of the broad special subject.
The NIS Program has developed in two phases: first, the initial production of NIS on countries or areas in accordance with Joint Chiefs of Staff prioritics and Intelligence Agency capabilities; and second, the continuous maintenance of published NIS. The two phases proceed concurrently.
The objective of the first phase has been to produce integrated basic intelligence on all countries and areas within the limits of available information.
The objective of the second phase is to maintain the continuing validity of the basic intelligonco in published NIS. Worldwide collection of information for the NIS is a continuing process. Sections are revised and issued under the NIS maintenance program when sufficient information is available to improve their adequacy as follows: 1) presenting fundamentally changed situations in an arca; 2) filling gaps in intelligence sufficient to require new ovaluations; or 3) incorporating new intelligence requirements which reflect policy, planning, or high level operational neods. It is the responsibility of agencies having primary interest to place each NIS unit actively on a maintenance basis as soon as the unit has been initially produced and to revise the unit for publication as required by these NIS maintenance criteria.
Production for the NIS Program requires an over-all collection effort covering all foreign countries and areas of the world simultaneously. The intelligence data resulting from this collection and continuous processing necessarily more comprehensive and detailed than those appearing in the printed NIS and constitute a reservoir of available basic intelligence to serve the interest of national security.
Each published NIS unit is an integral component in the National Intelligence Survey of comprehensive basic intelligence on the relevant area, but may be published and disseminated separately for flexibility in production, use, and maintenance.
NIS Standard Instructions
The NTS Standard Instructions are issuod in implementation of National Security Council Intelligence Directive No. 3. They contain a listing of NIS Areas, outlines of basic intelligence requirements, allocations
of responsibility for production, and instructions for the preparation of this intelligence. The Standard
Approved For Release 1999/09/21: CIA-RDP79-01055A000300020001-5
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