Security clearance

Security clearance reforms: our nation depends on it

Barely one year ago, the world of security clearances was in crisis. The backlog of investigations for individuals seeking a clearance was well over 700,000 — an all-time high. This backlog created a shortage of cleared workers, with critical government functions delayed or deferred.

Recent actions have dramatically reduced the investigations backlog, now below 350,000 and approaching a steady-state number. However, increases in the number of completed investigations created a new backlog in the next step of the process, which is the adjudication decision of whether to grant a clearance to individual government workers, military personnel, or contractors. Despite this new backlog and the continued long wait times, the security clearance process has made progress.

Big changes are underway. On Oct. 1, the Department of Defense takes over the background investigation mission for the entire federal government, adding it to a new Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, or DCSA. DoD is implementing a Continuous Evaluation program. CE is designed to catch problems as they emerge, rather than when a cleared individual is periodically reviewed. In addition, a major executive branch initiative is underway, entitled “Trusted Workforce 2.0.” Together, these improvements will help counter increasing threats from both external and internal sources.

The federal contracting industry has a huge stake in the success of these initiatives. Private sector firms who work on government contracts are committed to the missions of their customers.