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• 34044
  

  Bill Goodwin makes a good point and that fact was left out of this entire article. I think reciprocity amongst government agencies is a major cause of the backlog if not the biggest cause. Even agencies like the FAA insist on doing their own background check. I was applying from the Dept. of the Navy, and they thought their clearance would be better? I highly doubt it.

  In fact, most government agencies contract other agencies to handle their background investigations. Mine was done by NRO. And I don't think you can get much better than that. So when I apply to another agency, they might in fact hire the same organization to do the background investigation that my original agnecy used.

  When it comes down to it, the main reason this occurs is because Government agencies are constantly trying to outdue eachother with higher standards. Shouldn't we all be working towards the same goals???

  Magnum P.I. Posted September 28, 2007 4:29 PM
• 34043
  

  Bill Goodwin makes a good point and that fact was left out of this entire article. I think reciprocity amongst government agencies is a major cause of the backlog if not the biggest cause. Even agencies like the FAA insist on doing their own background check. I was applying from the Dept. of the Navy, and they thought their clearance would be better? I highly doubt it.

  In fact, most government agencies contract other agencies to handle their background investigations. Mine was done by NRO. And I don't think you can get much better than that. So when I apply to another agency, they might in fact hire the same organization to do the background investigation that my original agnecy used.

  When it comes down to it, the main reason this occurs is because Government agencies are constantly trying to outdue eachother with higher standards. Shouldn't we all be working towards the same goals?

  Magnum P.I. Posted September 28, 2007 4:29 PM
• 32759
  

  I take issue with anyone who claims that the State Department does clearances well. And I would like to add that there is a lot more to the issue than speed. A personnel security background investigation must, by regulation, include positive information in addition to any derogatory. The State Department treats all investigations as searches for derog. As a result, it is unable to perform a proper "whole person" adjudication as required by the govt-wide guidelines. The State Department is, in fact, one of the very few agencies that treat security clearances as a law-enforcement issue rather than a personnel issue. You don't see military police doing DoD background checks. DoD and OPM use specialy-trained PSBI investigators. Finally, speed aside, a security clearance process is only as good as its adjudications. And denying clearances to good people is potentially just as bad for the government and the country as giving clearances to bad people. Just remember, Einstein never recieved a clearance, and America was never able to benefit directly from his, or hundreds of other people's intellects or knowledge. For more on the State Department please see www.worldcrafters.com. I do agree with Bill Goodwin that clearances should be transferable, and, more importantly, that there should be uniform adjudication standards (not just uniform guidelines) across the USG.

  GovExec.com reader Posted September 11, 2007 2:03 PM
• 32387
  

  My impression from the studies and reports concerning delays in background investigations is that the study groups really do not know what the investigators in the field do, the reasons for the investigations and the scope of the investigations. Yes, a lot of info can be gleaned from government and commercial data bases, some of which is accurate and others are not. There has been for a couple years now a legal requirement for agencies to provide reciprocity for background investigations. The President could acomplish a lot calling the executive agency heads together and personally mandating Reciprocity. Agencies can fine tune additional work to suit their needs over and above the basic BI. Getting a clearance does not automatically mean you will be given classified materials, which are only available on a need to know basis. Data base checks have their own problems and may or may not be accurate. An investigator needs to verify that data. There are a number of local law enforcement agencies and many businesses that do not cooperate with the investigators. Not all local police records make it into the FBI system. Some delays will occur in the field when sources or subjects are not available for interiviews. There seems to be some belief that there is no need for field investigators, that everything can be done by computer. That was one of the weaknesses of the intelligence community leading up to 9/11. No one on the ground to know what was happening, what the people were doing or saying or planning. It still takes a human judgment and a conversation with living people to determine another persons character and reputation, reliability and probability of honesty. Observing a subjects neighborhood and lifestyle can only be done in the field. Neighbors will still turn up negative character traits not found in data bases. In regards to the comment by the State Department empoyee, he really does not understand the process. The State Department has one of the better BI programs going and maybe among the quickest in completing the process. Other agencies could learn from and maybe copy what State is doing.

  Joel Shapiro Posted September 6, 2007 11:34 PM
• 32258
  

  I had a lengthy background check before starting at the State Department 2 years ago and I haven't handled anything above 2 or 3 Sensitive But Unclassified memos and likely won't handle anything more than that. Couldn't my DOD TS/SCI clearance, 27 years of military service as a Naval Officer, and say, my credit and public records been enough? Just how much would my next door neighbor of 2 years, back 10 years ago, who traveled frequently in his job know about me?

  Hawk Posted September 5, 2007 2:45 PM
• 32226
  

  Another way to knock down a large part of the backlog would be to use the clearance files from one agency to another when an employee moves jobs. I know a few agencies do this but not all of them.

  I was applying for a job with the FBI and asked the HR person handling the vacancy announcement if I shsould add the fact thast I have a TS/SCI clearance with my other information.

  She told me not to worry about it because the FBI would be doing another complete clearance investigation on me if I got the job.

  That makes no sense; a TS clearance at one agency should be a TS at another.

  Bill Goodwin Posted September 5, 2007 11:38 AM