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DIVERSITY AND MINORITY HIRING IN INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES Y 4. IN 8/18: H 61 Diversity and Hinority Hiring in In.. HEARING BEFORE THE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATR^S ONE HUNDRED FOURTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 29, 1995 /^'^^ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 23-512 WASHINGTON : 1996 ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice SuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesOffice.Washington,DC 20402 ISBN 0-16-052596-9 DIVERSITY AND MINORITY HIRING © INTELUGENCE AGENCIES IN Y 4, IN 8/18: H 61 Diversity and flinority Hiring in In.. HEARING BEFORE THE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FOURTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1995 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 23-512 WASHINGTON : 1996 ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPnntingOtTice SuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesOffice,Washington.DC 20402 ISBN 0-16-052596-9 PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE LARRY COMBEST, Texas, Chairman ROBERT K. DORNAN, California NORMAN D. DICKS, Washington C.W. BILL YOUNG, Florida BILL RICHARDSON, New Mexico JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah JULIAN C. DIXON, California JERRY LEWIS, California ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey PORTER J. GOSS, Florida RONALD D. COLEMAN, Texas BUD SHUSTER, Pennsylvania DAVID E. SKAGGS, Colorado BILL McCOLLUM, Florida NANCY PELOSI, California MICHAEL N. CASTLE, Delaware NEWT GINGRICH, Georgia, Speaker, Ex Officio RICHARD A. GEPHARDT, Missouri, Minority Leader, Ex Officio Mark M. Lowenthal, StaffDirector Michael W. Sheehy, Democratic Counsel (II) CONTENTS HEARING DAY Page Wednesday, November 29, 1995 1 WITNESSES Testimonyofthe HonorableJohn M. Deutch, DirectorofCentral Intelligence 13 . Testimony of the Honorable Robert Bryant, Assistant Director, Federal Bu- reau ofInvestigation 47 Testimony ofVice Admiral J.M. McConnell, Director, National Security Agen- cy 58 Testimony of Lieutenant General Kenneth A. Minihan, Director, Defense IntelligenceAgency 82 Testimony of Ms. Nora Slatkin, Executive Director, Central Intelligence Agency 116 (III) DIVERSITY AND MINORITY HIRING IN INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1995 House of Representatives, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:30 a.m., in Room 2212, Rayburn House Office Building, the Honorable Larry Com- best (Chairman ofthe Committee) presiding. Present: Representatives Combest, Dornan, Young, Lewis, Goss, Shuster, McCollum, Castle, Dicks, and Coleman. Staff Present: Louis H. Dupart, Chief Counsel; L. Christine Healey, Senior Counsel; Calvin R. Humphrey, Counsel; Mary Jane Maguire, Chief, Registry/Security; Lydia M. Olson, Chief Clerk; Mi- chael W. Sheehy, Minority Counsel; Kelli L. Short, StaffAssistant. The Chairman. The hearing will come to order. I would mention at the beginning of the hearing that we are shy two witnesses. Apparently, there was an accident on the Parkway. Some Members were delayed, some of the party were involved in it, and we think they are not injured but it has tied up traffic, I think, and we in order to try to have appreciation for your time, we would go ahead and start and be happy to take their comments as they may arrive. I think the same holds true for Mr. Dicks. The committee meets this morning in its third annual review of the hiring, promotion, and retention policies within the intelligence community to evaluate the effect of those policies on creating a more diverse work force. The committee's first hearing on diversity, in October of 1993, revealed that minorities and women were underrepresented throughout the intelligence community, espe- cially in senior positions. The committee's second hearing in September 1994 explored spe- cific personnel practices that may have had a disparate effect on minorities, women, and disabled persons, as well as initiatives un- dertaken to ensure that these classes of employees are not dis- proportionately affected during the process of downsizing the intelligence community. Following on the efforts of my predecessors, Chairmen Stokes and Glickman, I think it is important that the committee monitor the progress of the intelligence community's diversity and personnel programs. Thus, today's hearing is intended to continue our ex- amination of the intelligence community's personnel policies and, most specifically, hiring strategies and initiatives the administra- tion is using to meet diversity goals. (1) In each ofthe earlier hearings, the agency directors who testified committed themselves to substantive efforts to address systematic barriers that have posed significant obstacles for minorities, women, and the disabled who are seeking employment and promotion. I am pleased to take note of the intelligence community's diversity policy statement and action plan issued by Director Deutch on November 3, 1995. Both the statement and the action plan are important indicators of the seriousness with which the community's leadership proposes to deal with this issue. I am particularly inter- ested in hearing more about the plans to implement a process effec- tive March 31, 1996, where all civilian supervisors are evaluated annually with respect to support and management of diversity and equal opportunity programs. I very strongly believe each of the intelligence agencies needs to implement a comprehensive performance appraisal process for all civilian employees, notjust supervisors and notjust for the purpose ofapplying equal employment opportunity programs. It is long past time the community take a comprehensive program for effectively rating job performance of each of all civilian staff members in implementing a performance-based system simi- lar to what is found in the U.S. Foreign Service and in the Officer Corps ofour military service. I am somewhat concerned about the intelligence community's commitment to reserving one-third of all slots in hiring at CIA and NSA for candidates who are women or minority or disabled. I do not believe that establishing hiring or promotion goals by the community should effectively result in rigid goals or whatever word one might choose to call them. This is, on its face, inconsistent with the goal which we all espouse which is equal employment opportuni- ties, and I would stress equal. As the panelists take questions, I would like to explore how the balance of achieving a more diverse work force is met against hiring and promoting the most qualified person. Lastly, I would welcome comments, particularly those ofAdmiral McConnell, of the potential problem of backlash at NSA. It is important we deal with what is an important growing problem for the worried white males within the communities, and our hiring, promotion, and retention should be based solely on merit and actual performance on thejob. The committee is very pleased this morning to welcome the panel composed of Honorable John Deutch, Director of Central Intel- — ligence —glad you made it, sir; I understand you had a minor traffic problem Admiral Mike McConnell, Director of the National Secu- rity Agency; General Kenneth Minihan, Director of the Defense In- telligence Agency; and Assistant Director Robert Bryant ofthe Fed- eral Bureau ofInvestigation. Dr. Deutch will begin and take questions, to be followed, then, by Mr. Bryant, who also has other matters that he is dealing with this morning. We would be happy to take the Ranking Minority statement at such time he may come in from the same trafficjam. I would like to make one other comment before we begin, Dr. Deutch, with your comments. Admiral McConnell is in his last testimony before the House Per- manent Select Committee on Intelligence. It is fitting that in the context of the diversity hearing that we are having today that you are here. One of your great achievements has been the progress in the a—rea ofequal employment opportunity at the NSA. It is significant a significant accomplishment and one of which you can be proud. We do not often have an opportunity to affect those who follow us, but you do and have. You have enshrined in NSA that every American will have an opportunity to seek employment, to be hired, and to be promoted not because of his or her race, color, or creed but because ofhis or her qualifications. The NSA community is stronger because you have tapped the diverse cultures, languages, and heritages which make up America and make us different from the rest ofthe world. Admiral, I want to thank you on behalf of the members of this committee. Our Nation is indebted to you for the outstanding performance that you have given the American people through your long career as an officer ofthe United States Navy and your distin- guished service as Director of the National Security Agency. It has been, indeed, a great pleasure that I have had in working and serv- ing with you. I appreciate it. Mr. McConnell. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. The Chairman. Dr. Deutch, we would turn to you at this time. STATEMENTS OF JOHN M. DEUTCH, DIRECTOR, CENTRAL IN- TELLIGENCE; ROBERT BRYANT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FED- ERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION; NORA SLATKIN, EXECU- TIVE DIRECTOR, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY; VICE ADM. J.M. McCONNELL, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY; LT. GEN. KENNETH A. MINIHAN, DIRECTOR, DE- FENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Mr. Deutch. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me apologize for coming in a couple minutes late. The traffic out there is pretty bad. It is not like Boston. A couple inches of snow down here has had a different effect. Also, I want to say how much I share your remarks about Admi- ral McConnell. We will miss him sorely in his position, but I am sure we will draw a lot from him and help the country in the fu- ture. I salute you, Mr. Chairman, for having this hearing. This is an important subject, an important subject for every agency ofgovern- ment, for every institution in the country to think about these problems, and I salute you and members of the committee for ad- dressing the subject here this morning. I am pleased to come before you today to report on the intelligence community's progress in increasing the recruitment, hiring, and promotion of minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. I want to address the issue here of diversity from the perspective ofthe intelligence community as a whole. Admiral McConnell, Gen- eral Minihan, Nora Slatkin, and Director Bryant will address situa- tions in their respective agencies. Diversity in our work force is critical to the ability of the intelligence community to perform its missions in the post-Cold War world. This is not a new position for the leaders ofthe United States Intelligence Community. Fifty years ago, General William Donovan, head of the wartime Office of Strategic Service, in describing his experience in World War II, said at a time when racial and gender equality was not as prevalent an issue as it is today, he said, "We took this seeming liability and made an asset ofit." According to General Donovan, during the Second World War the OSS was able to use diversity in our work force to understand the culture and psychology ofthe various nations where we fought and therefore to better penetrate the defenses ofour enemies. Today, we continue to recognize what General Donovan knew 50 years ago: in intelligence, diversity is just good business practice; it helps us better to perform our mission. All elements of the intelligence community are committed to fos- tering diversity in the workplace. On November 3, as you noted, Mr. Chairman, I signed a policy statement which for the first time lays out fundamental guidelines for the intelligence community on diversity in the workplace. Our principles are as follows: We must hire, assign, and advance people without regard to race, gender, national origin, disability, or religion. Advancement should be based on individual performance and accomplishment. Secondly, we must be fair to all individuals and groups in our personnel policies and practices, and these policies and practices must be perceived to be fair by all members ofour work force. Finally, Mr. Chairman, we will not tolerate harassment of individuals because of their race, gender, age, national origin, disability, or religion. We must take steps to assure the diversity in the workplace is valued by all members ofour work force. These principles must be followed if we are to realize the full benefit of the skills, knowledge and experience of all citizens ofour great country. We need the participation of Americans with very different backgrounds so that we can better understand the diverse cultures with which we are involved. Assuring Americans with a broad range of racial and ethnic backgrounds participate in the intelligence community work force is an important way to maintain the agility, the creativity, and vitality that the intelligence community requires in order to cope with the swiftly changing world. I will hold the directors of the intelligence community organiza- tions responsible for implementing the letter and spirit of this policy. On November 3, I charged the Intelligence Diversity Manage- ment Council to oversee our progress in achieving these goals. The directors of the intelligence agencies will sit on this council, which will meet at least twice a year to review community diversity management programs, establish goals and monitor progress towards program objectives. The council will work with other diversity management bodies within and without the Federal Government. The existing Community Diversity Issues Board, which includes the directors of personnel, diversity management, and equal opportunity of the intelligence community agencies, will act as an action stafffor this council.