Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VIII, Public Diplomacy, 1969-1972

11. Memorandum From the Deputy Director for Policy and Research, United States Information Agency (Ryan) to all USIA Element Heads¹

Washington, March 18, 1969

SUBJECT

• Establishment of Executive Committee

As outlined at our meeting this morning,² an Executive Committee has been established to advise the Director and the Deputy Director on major questions regarding the use of Agency resources. The Committee will thus replace the Program Review Committee and the system previously in effect for media content decisions.

The Committee will initially be composed of:

Deputy Director, Chairman

Deputy Director (Policy and Research)

Assistant Director (Administration)

An Executive Secretary

Pending the appointment of the permanent Executive Secretary, papers should be submitted to the Committee through ICP.

The Committee will meet as often as necessary and at least twice a week for the immediate future. The initial schedule will provide for meetings on Monday at 11:30 AM and on Thursday at 9:30 AM.

Any Agency element may submit any matter for the Committee’s consideration that it deems appropriate. The Committee will also review subjects on its own initiative. All parts of the Agency that have an interest in a subject will be invited to submit their views.

The Committee, as it begins to function, will develop procedures to ensure adequate staff work and expeditious handling of its business. Attached are interim instructions for the submission of proposals.³

Hewson A. Ryan⁴

1. Source: National Archives, RG 306, Executive Committee, E/CLS Files, ExComm, Entry UD–112, Box 1, Executive Comm—Miscellaneous. No classification marking.
2. No record of the meeting has been found.
3. Attached but not printed are the interim instructions “Submission of Proposals to the Executive Committee,” dated March 18, and a proposal form, intended to be attached as a cover sheet to a proposal. The interim instructions read, in part: “The Committee will consider a proposal only after full staff work has been completed, permitting a thorough analysis of all pertinent data, including possible alternatives. At the same time, it is important that items requiring priority attention be identified and expedited, so that the Committee may make decisions as promptly as required.” In an April 23 memorandum for all element heads, O’Brien indicated that some proposals for submission to the ExComm had been delayed “because they lacked clear definition of timing, had not been fully coordinated with other elements involved, or omitted pertinent information.” O’Brien attached guidelines and a summary sheet, indicating that they replaced the March 18 interim instructions. (National Archives, RG 306, Office of Research and Evaluation, Office of the Associate Director, Program Files, 1969–1978, Entry P–119, INF 1–14 Executive Committee folder 1)
4. Ryan signed “Hew Ryan” above this typed signature.