The Federal Bureau of Investigation ended fiscal 2004
with a 32 percent vacancy in analyst positions,
according to a new report from the Department of
Justice inspector general that says the Bureau needs
“formal annual goals” for hiring analysts rather than
setting them according to budget appropriations.
The Bureau replied that the number of additional
appropriated positions is a valid hiring goal because
the budget process is how government organizations
express their resource needs.
However, according to the audit: “By their nature,
these de facto hiring goals were not based on
attrition projections, hiring or training capacity,
or other factors affecting the FBI’s ability to
assimilate new analysts.”
It said the FBI hired 540 intelligence analysts from
fiscal 2002 through July of 2004, and during that
period it lost 291 altogether or internally, leaving
the net increase in analysts since 9-11 at 380, or 37
percent.
The report praised the FBI for streamlining the hiring
process, establishing a funded staffing level for
intelligence analysts, and redesigning the introductory
class for analysts — though one instructor the IG
interviewed indicated more instructors are needed.
The report also said analysts reported spending about
one third of their time on administrative work, and
complained that they are assigned mostly “investigative
support,” a strike against job satisfaction.
“Many analysts are still asked to perform duties that
are not analytical in nature, such as escort, trash and
watch duty,” the audit said. According to the FBI, lack
of administrative support pervades the intelligence
community.
The report is available here:
