DOD Personnel: More Accurate Estimate of Overdue Security Clearance Reinvestigations is Needed
Abstract
In the absence of a Department-wide database that can accurately measure the reinvestigation backlog, DOD estimates the backlog on an ad hoc basis. Since 1998, various DOD documents and statements have cited several widely divergent backlog estimates ranging from about 452,000 to 992,000. More recently, DOD has attempted to develop formal and more accurate estimates using two primary methods, manual counts and statistical sampling. Using the counting method, the military services and Defense agencies ask security managers to review their personnel and count those overdue for a reinvestigation. Using the sampling method, DOD uses statistical analysis to refine rough and known to be inaccurate estimates extracted from existing security databases. To improve the management of DOD's personnel security reinvestigation program, we recommended that DOD (1) design routine reports with key data from the Joint Personnel Adjudication System database to show the full extent of overdue reinvestigations, including those overdue but not yet submitted for update and those in process, and (2) develop appropriate incentives to encourage agency security managers to keep information in the database current and to submit reinvestigation requests on time. DOD agreed with the contents of our report and our recommendations and stated that it would take steps to implement the recommendations. DOD stated, for example, that it would require that security clearances be downgraded or cancelled for those individuals who do not have a current clearance or who have not had the request for a periodic reinvestigation submitted to the Office of Personnel Management or the Defense Security Service by September 30, 2002.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 20, 2000
- Accession Number
- AD1180286
Entities
People
- Carol R. Schuster
- Christine Fossett
- Gary Phillips
- James Ellis
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office