The newly-created/modified agencies are as follows:
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- Director of Foreign Intelligence (DFI): Replaces the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) as the coordinator of all foreign intelligence activities; DCI reverts to the single role of director of the CIA. DFI works for the president as part of the NSC. Domestic intelligence, via the office of the DDI (see below) is a resource available to the DFI, but the DFI does not directly control the domestic intelligence infrastructure.In addition to the daily coordination and tasking of intelligence activities, the DFI sets national intelligence strategies, specifies the mix of intelligence resources required to implement those strategies (including recommendations for agency staffing and budgeting), and assigns NSC-level intelligence tasks to agencies for implementation. The DFI also is tasked with writing an annual evaluation for the responsible cabinet secretaries of the performance of each of the various intelligence agencies under their jurisdictions, and a quadrennial Integrated Intelligence Capabilities Assessment for the President (preferably to be delivered shortly after the election to minimize the political component in the debate over recommended changes) describing the performance, successes, shortcomings, and needs of the various intelligence agencies. Thus, although the DFI does not have direct authority to hire/fire or allocate budgetary resources, he sets national intelligence strategy, recommends to the President and the Congress the allocation of resources among the various agencies, provides an independent assessment of organizational performance, and provides an independent and integrated assessment of the relative effectiveness of the various intelligence agencies. It is presumed that, with an outsider at the NSC level evaluating their performance relative to other agencies in a formalized way — and making budgetary and responsibility recommendations to the President and the Congress based on those evaluations — that the various agencies have incentive to improve their work products rather than their political standing.Since the annual agency assessment is intended as an internal executive branch management tool, the results for a given agency are provided only to the responsible cabinet secretary and to the President. The quadrennial assessment is intended as a national policy tool, and is provided to all cabinet secretaries, to the President, and to the responsible intelligence committees of the Congress.To minimize political pressures, the DFI is appointed by the President for a 10 year term and must be confirmed by 60 votes in the Senate; the DFI may only be removed by the same process: a request from the President for removal and a 60 vote concurrence by the Senate.
The DFI’s deputies — the Directors of the mid-level offices directly below the DFI — are chosen by the DFI and approved by the President and a majority in the Senate. These Directors may be removed by the DFI at his discretion, or by the President with the concurrence of a majority of the Senate.
- Foreign Reconnaissance Office (FRO): Responsible for planning, coordinating and tasking for all foreign reconnaissance activities — collection of signals intelligence, photographic, and other passive observation — including assignment of intelligence operations to specific agencies based on their capabilities and competencies; assesses the performance and effectiveness of the various reconnaissance agencies for the DFI. Reports to the DFI.
- Foreign Espionage Office (FEO): Responsible for planning, coordinating and tasking for all foreign espionage activities — intelligence collection involving field agents — including assignment of intelligence operations to specific agencies based on their capabilities and competencies; assesses the performance and effectiveness of the various espionage agencies for the DFI. Reports to the DFI.
- Director of Foreign Intelligence (DFI): Replaces the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) as the coordinator of all foreign intelligence activities; DCI reverts to the single role of director of the CIA. DFI works for the president as part of the NSC. Domestic intelligence, via the office of the DDI (see below) is a resource available to the DFI, but the DFI does not directly control the domestic intelligence infrastructure.In addition to the daily coordination and tasking of intelligence activities, the DFI sets national intelligence strategies, specifies the mix of intelligence resources required to implement those strategies (including recommendations for agency staffing and budgeting), and assigns NSC-level intelligence tasks to agencies for implementation. The DFI also is tasked with writing an annual evaluation for the responsible cabinet secretaries of the performance of each of the various intelligence agencies under their jurisdictions, and a quadrennial Integrated Intelligence Capabilities Assessment for the President (preferably to be delivered shortly after the election to minimize the political component in the debate over recommended changes) describing the performance, successes, shortcomings, and needs of the various intelligence agencies. Thus, although the DFI does not have direct authority to hire/fire or allocate budgetary resources, he sets national intelligence strategy, recommends to the President and the Congress the allocation of resources among the various agencies, provides an independent assessment of organizational performance, and provides an independent and integrated assessment of the relative effectiveness of the various intelligence agencies. It is presumed that, with an outsider at the NSC level evaluating their performance relative to other agencies in a formalized way — and making budgetary and responsibility recommendations to the President and the Congress based on those evaluations — that the various agencies have incentive to improve their work products rather than their political standing.Since the annual agency assessment is intended as an internal executive branch management tool, the results for a given agency are provided only to the responsible cabinet secretary and to the President. The quadrennial assessment is intended as a national policy tool, and is provided to all cabinet secretaries, to the President, and to the responsible intelligence committees of the Congress.To minimize political pressures, the DFI is appointed by the President for a 10 year term and must be confirmed by 60 votes in the Senate; the DFI may only be removed by the same process: a request from the President for removal and a 60 vote concurrence by the Senate.