Updated May 10, 2019
The Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
The United States Intelligence Community (IC) is a
components. The ODNI also includes the staff for the
collection of 17 component organizations within six cabinet
President’s Daily Brief.
departments and an independent agency that all carry out
intelligence-related functions. The Director of National
In 2007, the establishment of the Intelligence Advanced
Intelligence (DNI) oversees the integration of these
Research Projects Activity (IARPA) enabled the DNI to
intelligence functions, spearheads the support the IC
leverage operational and R&D expertise to facilitate the
provides to the military and senior policy-makers across the
transition of research results to the IC for operational
government, and serves as principal intelligence advisor to
application.
the President.
In July 2018, the ODNI completed a reorganization aimed
Creation of DNI Position
at optimizing: (1) integration of intelligence from across the
The position of DNI was created in accordance with a
IC; (2) allocation of National Intelligence Program (NIP)
recommendation of the National Commission on Terrorist
resources; (3) promotion of partner nation and private
Attacks upon the United States, more commonly known as
sector national security partnerships; and (4) development
the 9/11 Commission. In making its recommendation, the
of a strategy for responding to emerging and future threats.
9/11 Commission emphasized a need for a central
coordinating authority among the then 16 component
Office of the DNI
organizations of the IC to mitigate administrative and
operational barriers, and promote the sharing of intelligence
Director of National Intelligence
and information.
Principal Deputy Director (DDNI)
Acting on the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation,
Chief Manag ement Officer
Congress created the position of the DNI through passage
Core Mission
of the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention
DDNI for Intel igence Integration
Act (P.L. 108-458, or IRTPA). The legislation also
Cyber Threat Intel. Integration Ctr
Nat’l Counterproliferation Ctr
eliminated the position of the Director of Central
Intelligence (DCI). The DCI position had been created by
National CI & Security Cntr
National Counterterrorism Ctr
presidential letter in 1946 and formally established through
Mission Integration Division
National Intelligence Mngt
the National Security Act of 1947 (P.L. 80-253). Through a
National Intelligence Council
“triple-hatted” arrangement, the DCI simultaneously served
as community manager of the IC, Director of the Central
Enablers
Intelligence Agency (CIA), and chief intelligence advisor to
the President. With the passage of IRTPA, the DNI
Information Sharing Environment
Partner Engagement
assumed responsibility as manager of the IC and principal
Systems & Resource Analyses
Policy & Strategy
intelligence advisor to the President, leaving leadership of
Chief Human Capital Officer
Intel. Adv. Research Proj. Agency
the CIA to the Director of the CIA.
IC Chief Information Officer
Acquisition, Tech. & Facilities
DNIs to Date
Oversight
2005-2007
Ambassador John Negroponte
Civil Libs., Privacy & Transparency
Office of the General Counsel
2007-2009
VADM (Ret.) J. Michael McConnell
Equal Employ. Opp. & Diversity
Office of Legislative Affairs
2009-2010
ADM (Ret.) Dennis Blair
IC Inspector General
Public Affairs Office
2010-2017
LTGEN (Ret.) James Clapper
Source: Adapted from ODNI org chart at dni.gov.
2017-present
former Senator Daniel Coats
Responsibilities
According to provisions in the IRTPA, as amended and
Office of the DNI
codified in 50 U.S.C. §3024, and Executive Order 12333
The IRTPA also created an Office of the DNI (ODNI), an
(as amended), DNI responsibilities include:
organization of approximately 1,500 IC professionals,
including contractors, permanent government employees,
Ensuring that timely and objective national intelligence
is provided to policy makers.
and detailees from other IC agencies. The ODNI enables
the DNI to facilitate integration of intelligence collection
Overseeing and providing advice to the President and
and analysis, information and intelligence sharing, and
the National Security Council with respect to all
budgeting and execution across the other 16 IC
ongoing and proposed covert action programs.
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The Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
Ensuring accurate intelligence analysis derived from
Classified Information
multiple credible sources.
Spearhead security clearance process improvements, and
Establishing objectives and priorities for collection,
IC-wide security clearance reciprocation policy.
analysis, production, and dissemination of national
intelligenc.
Information Sharing
Ensuring maximum availability of, and access to,
Establish uniform security and information technology
intelligence information within the IC.
standards, protocols, and interfaces.
Managing intelligence and counterintelligence
Develop an IC-wide information sharing architecture.
relationships with foreign intelligence entities.
Establish, operate, direct national intelligence centers.
Overseeing the development and implementation of a
program management plan for acquisition of major
Personnel-Related
systems, and doing so jointly with the Secretary of
Transfer IC personnel for up to two years, with OMB
Defense for Department of Defense (DOD) programs.
and agency head approval.
Developing personnel policies and programs to enhance
Encourage assignment rotation whereby IC personnel
joint intelligence operations, and facilitate community
have a chance to work in other IC elements.
management functions.
Developing and ensuring the execution of an annual
Protecting Sources and Methods
budget for the National Intelligence Program (NIP);
Establish any number of procedures to protect
Collaborating with the Under Secretary of Defense for
intelligence sources and collection methods to include
Intelligence (USD(I)) in the USD(I)’s development and
the security clearance process and classification
execution of the Military Intelligence Program (MIP)
requirements for IC communications.
(the USD(I) is the senior representative of the Secretary
Waive U.S. admission requirements for aliens, if acting
of Defense to the ODNI).
jointly with the Secretary of State and Attorney
Leading IC-wide efforts to increase efficiency and
General—a lesser-known example of this protection
effectiveness (e.g., providing a service of common
authority.
concern to two or more IC elements).
Tasking Authority
Authorities
To carry out these responsibilities (within the following
Manage and direct the tasking, collection, analysis,
subject areas) the DNI has the authority to:
production, and dissemination of national intelligence,
by approving requirements and resolving conflicts.
Acquisition
Appointments
Act as the authority for making decisions on major
intelligence-related acquisitions, with the exception of
Appoint the deputy directors of national intelligence, the
acquisitions involving DOD programs. In those cases,
Director of the National Counter Proliferation Center,
the DNI shares authority with the Secretary of Defense.
the IC Chief Financial Officer, IC Civil Liberties
Protection Office, and the IC Director of Science and
Advice
Technology.
Establish Mission and Functional Managers to serve as
Coordinate with cabinet secretaries who require DNI
principal substantive advisors on intelligence collection
and analysis related to designated countries, regions, or
concurrence on nominations of departmental intelligence
functional areas such as cyber threat intelligence.
component heads. Be consulted in appointments to
positions for which DNI concurrence is not required: the
Establish councils related to IC-wide management and
USD(I), the Assistant Attorney General for National
intelligence integration.
Security, the Director of the Defense Intelligence
Analysis
Agency (DIA), and the uniformed heads of Service
intelligence elements (including the intelligence element
Establish policies and procedures that (1) encourage
of the United States Coast Guard).
sound IC-wide analytic methods and tradecraft; (2)
ensure analysis based upon all available sources; and (3)
CRS Products
ensure competitive analysis of analytic products.
CRS In Focus IF10525, Defense Primer: National and
Defense Intelligence, by Michael E. DeVine
Budget
Develop and determine the National Intelligence
CRS In Focus IF10428, Intelligence Planning,
Program (NIP) budget.
Programming, Budgeting, and Evaluation (IPPBE)
Monitor intelligence budget execution.
Process, by Michael E. DeVine
Direct how congressionally appropriated funds flow
from the Treasury Department to each of the cabinet
Michael E. DeVine, Analyst in Intelligence and National
level agencies containing IC elements.
Security
Transfer or reprogram funds, within certain limits, with
IF10470
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval.
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The Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
Disclaimer
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