Obtaining Security Clearance

Quest to Speed up the Security Clearance Process Continues

The quest to speed up the security clearance process continues with several Senators introducing the Security Clearance Modernization and Reporting Act of 2009 yesterday.

Overall the bill’s goal is similar to the Executive Order 13467 President Bush signed in June 2008 and would codify many of those provisions.

An article in NextGov goes on to say that the bill would:

  • “mandate the creation of a performance accountability council to oversee the reduction of the government’s security clearance backlog and extends reporting requirements.”
  • director of OMB will submit an IT strategy to Congress within 120 days of the bill’s enactment to speed up the security clearance process.
  • “agencies would have to continue reporting to Congress on their progress in improving the security clearance process until two years after GAO removes the program from the high-risk list.”

“As for reciprocal recognition of security clearances among agencies, the legislation, a Senate Democratic committee aide said the bill “reemphasizes” that requirement. “We were getting the sense that not everyone was following the intent, as we saw it, of what reciprocal recognition was,” the staffer said.”

Related Articles: Security Clearance Reciprocity of Special Access Eligibility

Comment Archive

  1. Avatar

    I see in regulations and directives that adjudicators should not base adjudicative decisions based solely on a deception indicated (DI) result to a relevant question. I had no admissions to make regarding a relevant or irrelevant question.

    Does anyone know how current US Army or DOD adjudicators will view a FBI DI result with no admissions, because there truly is nothing to admit to?

    I have many years of cleared work in DOD and Intel Community, to include passing FS & CI polygraphs at other 3-letter agencies and all SF-86s are spotless. I just happen to have the misfortune of being asked to help out on a FBI program. I was NOT an applicant, just being administered their CI poly as part of reciprocity but still needed the CI poly to complete the adjudication process in order to do some work on a program there. I figured no problem, I passed much more rigorous polys at other agencies.

    I still hold TS/SCI but have heard that during the next 5-year update with DOD it will show on the National Agency Check. With no admissions, zero derogatory information and many years of continuous TS/SCI access anyone care to take a guess as to what might happen?

    Are there different weightings or adjudications guidelines, for a DI poly from another agency, in the adjudication process for a TS or a TS/SCI update? Is my TS/SCI doomed with DOD?

    Thanks to this website and all who contribute their time.

  2. Avatar

    Only one way to speed it up, funding with additional manpower (or is that two). I am but one person and if my work increases any more–I will be walking away from this because there are not enough hours in a day for me with more of a workload–hanging on by a thread now. Just closed 11 FULL bi prt’S IN 10 DAYS, NOW HAVE 13 full SSBI’s & PR’s to close by 12/11/2009, just got them 12/6/09. The companies are hiring, but you can expect about 75% of the new hires to leave after a year or less. This is not scientic it is what us old-timers know. Also, wouldn’t hurt if Congress stays out of it all. Couldn’t even imagine holding the inv job for 32,000 as this is what new people make (Shameful). Many of these new investigators are the best, because they are young and full of energy–they should be compensated better.

    I guess Congress could tax the process as they seem to think it solves everything.

    Soon, we will be reporting the Subject under investigation appears to be a nice guy–ADJUDICATE!!! How’s that for fast?

    Reciprocity, however slightly better is not there yet. Hard to believe when we all do the same BI’s, slightly varying by case type but it still doesn’t work.

    In short, goverment run programs will always come up short as there is no profit margin to be made.

  3. Avatar

    Can anyone formulate a short list of companies that hire background investigators? I’m a retired cop and would like to get into the field.

    Thanks,

    Scott

  4. Avatar

    Scott,
    Keypoint Government Solutions http://www.keypoint.us.com/

    USIS http://www.usis.com

    CACI: http://www.caci.com

  5. Avatar

    Quick question on clearances if anyone has an answer, I apologize for not leaving it on a more appropriate post but couldn’t find one with open comments.

    I hold a TS clearance and have for 5 years (just got it renewed in October, the renewal took maybe a month after my interview with the investigator). I am contemplating marrying a UK citizen; I notified my FSO at my employer when I started contact with him, again when I visited him in May of this year, and listed him as a foreign contact on my SF86 when I got my clearance renewed. As far as I know, I don’t have any other compromising factors, no mental issues, my credit is good, zero criminal record (I’m very boring that way).

    Am I likely to get my clearance revoked marrying a UK citizen who is similarly boring? Would my clearance be suspended while he’s investigated if I do marry him, and how long would it likely be suspended?

    Any information is deeply appreciated, I’m finding this pretty nerve-wracking.

  6. Avatar

    Scott graves

    Keypoint Government Solutions, USIS, CACI, Omniplex, MSM Security Services.

    Good luck