IC IG releases its evaluation of ODNI’s classification compliance

On January 9, the Intelligence Community Inspector General (IC IG) released a report studying ODNI adherence to applicable classification policies and regulations. The IC IG evaluation also includes a trend analysis, which found areas that need to be emphasized across the Intelligence Community.

The IC IG’s conclusions, as outlined in the document’s executive summary, are as follows:

IC IG found no instances where classification was used to conceal violation of law, inefficiency, or administrative error; prevent embarrassment to a person, organization, or agency; restrain competition; or prevent or delay the release of information not requiring protection in the interest of national security.

IC IG found the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has adopted all applicable classification policies, procedures, rules, and regulations. However, some ODNI procedures and management practices require refinement to ensure full compliance with, and effective administration of, the prescribed standards and requirements. Specifically, IC IG found:

• Original Classification Authority (OCA) training records, and the business processes used to monitor that training, require improvement
• The ODNI OCA program is generally effective, with built-in redundancy to ensure uniformity and compliance with Executive Order (E.O.) 13526; however, the number of authorized ODNI OCAs may be too high compared to other Intelligence Community elements
• ODNI compliance with mandatory derivative classifier training periodicity requirements, records of training, and the business processes used to monitor training, require improvement to meet the requirements of E.O. 13526
• Derivative classifier training and product quality assurance by supervisors, managers, and production officers requires improvement.

Click here to download the full report.

Source: ODNI