Polygraph Use by the Department of Energy: Issues for Congress

Abstract

Four years after Congress directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to revamp its polygraph program, taking into account a 2003 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report that questioned the scientific basis for the accuracy of polygraph testing, particularly when used to screen employees, DOE promulgated a regulation on October 30, 2006, that eliminated polygraph screening tests without specific cause. DOE said its counterintelligence evaluation policies were now consistent with existing Intelligence Community practices and the NAS 2003 report s recommendations, particularly for cases when polygraph tests were used for screening purposes rather than for investigating specific events. Under its 2006 regulation, DOE requires that an applicant or employee be polygraph tested only if one of the following five causes is triggered: (1) a counterintelligence evaluation of an applicant or employee reveals that the individual may be engaged in certain activities, including clandestine or unreported relationships with foreign powers, organizations, or persons; (2) an employee is to be assigned to certain activities within DOE which involve another agency, and that agency requires a polygraph examination; (3) an agency to which a DOE employee will be assigned requests that DOE administer a polygraph examination as a condition of the assignment; (4) an employee is selected for a random counterintelligence evaluation, including a polygraph test; or (5) an employee is required to take a specific-incident polygraph examination. DOE said that by adopting a specific-cause polygraph testing standard, it significantly reduced the number of covered employees subject to polygraph examinations, from an earlier estimate of more than 20,000 employees to between 2,000 to 2,500 employees in 2006-2007.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 10, 2007
Accession Number
ADA480718

Entities

People

  • Alfred Cumming

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Congress
  • Department Of Defense
  • Detection
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Intelligence Community
  • Law
  • Lie Detection
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • Natural Resources
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Security
  • Technology Assessment
  • United States
  • United States Government

Readers

  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Naval Personnel Management
  • Organizational Psychology.