DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTIVE 1/2 ¹

U.S. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE
REQUIREMENTS CATEGORIES AND PRIORITIES

(Effective 30 July 1984)

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 102 of the National Security Act of 1947 and Executive Order 12333, U.S. foreign intelligence requirements categories and priorities are herewith established.

1. Purpose

This directive provides for the establishment and maintenance of comprehensive requirements categories and priorities to serve as basic guidance for the operation, planning, and programming of the overall U.S. foreign intelligence effort.²

2. Concept of Use

The requirements categories and priorities reflect the relative importance of topical information on foreign countries to the policy formulation, planning, and operations of the National Security Council and other U.S. Government components.

The requirements categories and priorities provide a framework for both the current operations of collection, production, and supporting functions as well as for projecting mid- and longer range requirements and priorities.

The requirements categories and priorities are applicable to operations, planning, and programming for the allocation and use of intelligence resources in conjunction with other essential considerations, such as:

1. the adequacy of intelligence information already available;

2. the feasibility of acquiring or producing additional intelligence;

3. the level of a current resources; and

4. the impact of more or fewer resources.

The extent to which the requirements categories and priorities apply to an Intelligence Community component will depend on the scope of that component's assigned mission and on the specific nature of its capabilities within its area of responsibility.

3. Reaction to Crisis

Guidance from the Director of Central Intelligence may, in time of crises, alter or override the established requirements categories and priorities. Program managers will maintain a capability to react to such crises.

4. Review and Revision

The requirements categories and priorities will be subject to continuing review and may be revised on request by intelligence consumers or by an Intelligence Community component. A comprehensive review will be performed annually.

The requirements categories and priorities and the review process will be managed by the Intelligence Community Staff with the participation of Intelligence Community components and intelligence consumers, as appropriate.

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Footnotes

¹ This directive supersedes DCID 1/2, effective 17 February 1977.

² Published separately under the title U.S. Foreign Intelligence Requirements Categories and Priorities, classified SECRET NOFORN.