Security Clearances

Security Clearance Investigations Process Updated

William Henderson for ClearanceJobs.com - October 9, 2011

On August 29, 2011 the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued Federal Investigations Notice — FIN 11-4 announcing the full implementation of revised National Investigative Standards initially agreed upon by OPM and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on August 24, 2010.  These revised standards represent a significant retreat from 3-tier concept approved in December 2008 by OPM and DNI.  The 3-tier concept attempted to fully implement the intent of Executive Order 13467 by reducing the number of different suitability and security clearance investigations and by creating a system that allowed for “each successively higher level investigation to build on rather than duplicate low level investigations.”  It created 3 types of initial investigations and 2 types of reinvestigations. It also significantly reduced the standard scope of all investigations by relying heavily on enhanced “Automated Records Checks” (ARC) that reportedly used many more government and commercial databases than currently used in the National Agency Check and credit search.  It appeared to be a structure that might finally break down the barriers to greater suitability and clearance reciprocity between agencies.

The new revised standards are based on a 5-tier system that uses 6 types of investigations and 4 types of reinvestigations that have existed for many years and retain the existing scope and period of coverage of these investigations.  The new standards do not permit individuals to move readily between Public Trust (PT) positions and National Security positions without additional investigations.  The main obstacle appears to be the different application forms used for these positions.  The chart below describes the revised investigative standards by grouping position risk and sensitivity levels into 5 tiers; however, OPM does not use tiers to describe these levels.

LEVEL	POSITION	FORM	INVESTIGATION	REINVESTIGATION
Tier 1	Low Risk Non-sensitive, including HSPD-12 Credentialing	SF85	NACI	None
Tier 2a	Low Risk Non-critical sensitive, including Confidential, Secret, & L access eligibility for contractors & military	SF86	NACLC	NACLC every 10 years
Tier 2b	Low Risk Non-critical Sensitive, including Confidential, Secret, & L access eligibility for federal employees	SF86	ANICI	NACLC every 10 years
Tier 3a	Moderate Risk PT Non-sensitive	SF85P	MBI	NACLC every 5 years
Tier 3b	Moderate Risk PT Non-critical Sensitive, including Confidential, Secret, & L access eligibility	SF86	MBI	NACLC every 5 years
Tier 4a	High Risk PT Non-sensitive	SF85P	BI	PRI every 5 years
Tier 4b	High Risk PT Non-critical Sensitive, including Confidential, Secret, & L access eligibility	SF86	BI	PRI every 5 years
Tier 5	Any risk level Critical Sensitive or Special Sensitive, including Top Secret, SCI, and Q access eligibility	SF86	SSBI	SSBI-PR or PPR  every 5 years

Note:  Currently there are only reinvestigation requirements for some Tier 3 and Tier 4 positions; however, in November 2010 OPM proposed a change to Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations section 731.106(d) requiring reinvestigations for all Public Trust positions at 5 year intervals, and this change should be implemented in the near future.

This 5-tier structure is essentially the same as the structure that has existed for over a decade.  OPM eliminated a few optional investigations, such as the LBI, PTSBI, and PRIR, and a variety of investigations used to update or upgrade previous investigation.

Description of Investigations
NAC (National Agency Check)—This is a basic component of all standard investigations and includes a review of the records of the FBI-HQ (name check), FBI-ID (fingerprint check), SII (OPM’s Security and Investigations Index), JPAS (DOD’s Joint Personnel Adjudication System), and records of other federal agencies, as appropriate, plus an Interpol records checks on all non-military personnel who resided outside the U.S. for six months or more within the past five to ten years (depending on the type of investigation) or when there is information indicating they may have engaged in criminal activity overseas.

CREDIT SEARCH—This is a component of most standard investigations and includes verification of Subject’s financial status through a search of all three national credit bureaus covering all locations where the subject has resided, been employed, or attended school for six months or more for the past seven years.

NACI (National Agency Check and Inquiries)—This investigation is composed of a NAC plus written inquiries to current and past employers, schools, references, and local law enforcement agencies covering the past five years and if applicable, of the appropriate agency for any identified arrests. All DoD NACIs include a credit search.

NACLC (National Agency Check with Local Agency Check and Credit)—This investigation is composed of a NAC plus credit search and checks at local law enforcement agencies where the subject has lived, worked, and/or attended school within the last 5 years, and if applicable, of the appropriate agency for any identified arrests.

ANACI (Access National Agency Check and Inquiries)—This investigation is composed of a NACLC plus written inquires to current and past employers, schools, and references covering

past 5 years.

MBI (Moderate Risk Background Investigation)—This investigation is composed of a NACLC plus an Enhanced Subject Interview (ESI) and written inquires to employers, schools, and references for past 5 years.

BI (Background Investigation)—This investigation is composed of a NACLC plus a ESI; interviews at employment, schools, and residences for the past 5 years; and review of any court actions for past 5 years.

PRI (Periodic Reinvestigation)—This investigations is composed of a NACLC plus ESI and written inquiries to references.

SSBI (Single Scope Background Investigation)—This investigation is composed of a NAC plus credit search; ESI; NAC on spouse or cohabitant; interviews at employment for past 7 years; interviews at schools and residences covering the past three years; review of any court actions covering the past 10 years; interview of any former spouse divorced within the past 10 years, interviews of 4 social references who collectively cover at least the past 7 years; checks at local law enforcement agencies where the subject lived, worked, and/or attended school within the last 10 years, and if applicable, of the appropriate agency for any identified arrests; verification of citizenship or legal status of foreign-born applicant, immediate family members, and cohabitant.

SSBI-PR (SSBI Period Reinvestigation)—This investigation is composed of a NACLC plus ESI; NAC on new spouse or cohabitant; interview of a former spouse if the divorce occurred after the last investigation; employment and social reference interviews covering past 5 years; interview of neighbors at current residence; review of any court actions covering the past 5 years; and a check of the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) database.

PPR (Phased Period Reinvestigation)—This investigation is used in place of an SSBI-PR when there is no unfavorable information in certain sections of the SF86.  It is the same as an SSBI-PR minus the interviews of social references and neighborhood references.  If unfavorable information surfaces during the investigation, the PPR is upgraded to an SSBI-PR.

Explanation of terms
LBI – Limited Background Investigation.
PTSBI – Public Trust Special Background Investigation.
PRIR – Periodic Reinvestigation with Residence Coverage.
SF85 – Standard Form 85, Questionnaire for Non-Sensitive Positions.
SF85P – Standard Form 85P, Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions.
SF86 – Standard Form 86, Questionnaire for National Security Positions
HSPD-12 – Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 requires Personal Identity Verification credentials for anyone with physical or logical access to federally controlled facilities or computer systems.

William H. Henderson is a retired federal clearance investigator, a personnel security consultant, and the author of Security Clearance Manual and Issue Mitigation Handbook. He is a regular contributor to ClearanceJobsBlog.com and ClearanceJobs.com.

Copyright © 2011 Last Post Publishing. All rights reserved.

Airline Ambassadors International. Somalia

http://www.airlineamb.org/TopLevel/5_Trips/AAI_Missions/Somalia/Somalia_NSabrie.htm
Somalia October 15-30, 2011 How you can help Somalia A team led by Nurta Sabrie will be in Somalia October 15-30 to take water, food, medication and other aid.  While there, the group will assess the situation and set up logistics for future trips.  Ms. Sabrie's contacts and local authorities will team up and visit various camps in Mogadishu to ensure that those who need it most receive our direct help. The UN says that more than 11 million people in the Horn of Africa require food assistance due to the region’s worst drought in half a century.    Across the country, nearly half of the Somali population — 3.7 million people — are now in crisis! Visit the Somali blog for more details and to make your donation today. For further information please contact Nurta Sabrie at nsabrie@gmail.com or by phone 703-994-0839.

DSU to Explore Establishment of Charter School on Campus

Delaware State University and representatives of the local community have partnered with Innovative Schools, a Delaware-based non-profit public school support organization, to submit a charter application to the Delaware Department of Education this December. If approved, the proposed charter high school would implement the state’s first Early College High School, a nationally recognized school design brought to Delaware through a partnership between Innovative Schools and EdWorks, and would be located on the DSU campus in Dover. The school would be designed specifically to serve first generation college-bound students. 

 

In the Early College model, high school and college combine to form a coherent educational program in which students work toward a high school diploma and up to two years of college credits in four years of high school.  Located on a college campus, the model directly challenges the belief system of under-prepared poor and minority students about their ability to do college level work and get a postsecondary degree. 

 

Housing a high school on the DSU campus is not unprecedented in the University’s history. In the 1893-94 school year, the then State College for Colored Students established a two-year preparatory school to help students get ready for a college education. In 1917, a Model Grade School was established by DSU, which granted a high school diploma to graduates. Capital improvement donations by philanthropist Pierre du Pont in the 1920s included funding to construct a new school building named the Du Pont Building. That building served as the only high school facility for African Americans in Kent County until 1952, when the high school for blacks moved to a larger school facility in the then-Dover city limits.

 

“Adding an Early College High School on DSU’s campus is consistent with the University’s historic mission and would strengthen the University’s ability to serve first generation college-bound students and underrepresented minorities from the greater Dover area,” said Dr. Alton Thompson, DSU provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “It would provide them with an exceptional academic program that truly prepares them for success in college and beyond.”

 

Students participating in the Early College High School model launched by EdWorks in Ohio have an average graduation rate of 91% and out-perform state averages in high stakes graduation tests for reading, writing, and mathematics.  At the completion of four years in high school, 100% of student attending Early College High Schools have earned a minimum of 30 hours of college credit, and as many as 60% of students earn an associate’s degree, or the equivalent of 45-60 college credit. 

 

The University intends to blend the Early College Charter High School with its existing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Initiative. 

 

“The Early College High School at DSU will be an innovative learning environment designed to inspire students who have the potential and motivation to be the first in their families to graduate from college,” said Dr. Thompson. “We are committed to making this school a good fit for our community.”

 

As part of the charter application process, members of the Early College Charter High School Founding Board are asking members of the Kent County community to share their opinion to determine the interest and demand for the proposed charter school. Students, parents, educators and other community members can learn more about the Early College High School, view videos of the school design in action, and complete an online survey at www.makemineamodelschool.org. All responses are confidential and will be used to help determine the demand for new schools.

 

 

About Delaware Charter Schools

Charter schools are free public schools open to all Delaware students. In Delaware, charter schools are authorized by Del. C., Title 14, Chapter 5 which was enacted in 1995. The creation of the charter school legislation is intended to improve student learning; encourage the use of different and innovative or proven school environments and teaching and learning methods; provide parents and students with improved measures of school performance and greater opportunities in choosing public schools within and outside their school districts; and to provide for a well-educated community. There are currently 21 charter schools operating across the state of Delaware. The proposed charter school, if approved, would open to students in the 2013-2014 school year.

 

About Innovative Schools the Make Mine A Model School Campaign:

Innovative Schools is a non-profit public school support organization that empowers educators and communities to adopt modern school models proven to inspire passionate teaching and learning. As a comprehensive center for school innovation, the organization provides the strategies, tools, and ongoing support needed to select the right school models and ensure its successful operation. As part of its work, Innovative Schools has developed the Make Mine A Model School campaign, a community-based tool to mobilize Delaware educators, students, families, and citizens who want modern schools that inspire passionate teaching and learning. The goal of the Make Mine A Model School Campaign and Innovative Schools work is to modernize Delaware's public school system by providing schools and students with choices for academic programs that offer new and engaging ways of teaching and learning, and that prepare students to become members of a global community. The Early College High School model is one of four unique high school designs being brought to Delaware by Innovative Schools, in partnership with national school design organizations. Learn more about this school design and about the work of Innovative Schools at www.innovativeschools.org.  

 

About Delaware State University:

DSU has a long and proud history as one of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and is among the top 15 of 72 ranked in the nation. Founded in 1891 as the State College for Colored Students, DSU has evolved in its 120-year history into a comprehensive University that offers a wide array of bachelor, master and doctoral degree programs. While the University is predominantly African American, it enjoys a rich, ever-growing diversity of students from other backgrounds, including those from more than 27 countries. To learn more about Delaware State University, visit www.desu.edu.