Security Process Revamped?

The Office of Management and Budget announced this week the details of its plan to
streamline the security clearance process for employees and contractors working for
intelligence agencies. OMB aims ultimately to reduce the time it takes to
investigate and process such clearances from the current 112 days to 60 days, said
Clay Johnson, the agency’s deputy director of management.

In a Thursday conference call, Johnson said the time frame for the plan’s
implementation would not be outlined until a June 30 executive order issued, but the structure will be in place by the end of 2008 so security clearance reform can continue into the next administration. “We have been making security clearance determinations the same way for 50 years, and it’s time to change the way we do that,” he said.

The plan relies on an automated verification system using government and commercial databases to save time and reduce manual labor in hiring and clearing workers who handle classified information. The reforms, prompted by a Feb. 5 memo from President Bush directing the federal government to modernize its security clearance process, also include developing an electronic application to collect comprehensive biographic details of each candidate, requiring reinvestigations of employees and contractors to better identify security risks, and developing a computer system that identifies and grants “clean” applications for Secret clearances — allowing agency adjudicators to focus on more complex cases.
Full story: http://www.govexec.

My questions are these:
IS THE SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS BROKEN??
HOW MANY TIMES HAS THE PROCESS BEEN REVAMPED?
CAN THIS BE SO DIFFICULT THAT WE HAVE TO REVAMP THE PROCESS AGAIN?

Security clearance process: tips to speed it up and make it more manageable

Security clearances … you may cringe at those first words if you’re in the process of hiring someone that requires a security clearance. Is the process broken or are we not asking enough questions at the get-go? As a security professional, I’ve been asking myself these questions so that I may better serve my clients and their potential employees. Plus, I want to avoid the migraine that creeps in as the days go by and a clearance isn’t issued.In light of this, I thought I would start a conversation around a couple of the tips. I most often encourage my clients to keep in mind when they’re looking to speed the process along and to avoid future litigation:First, pre-screen the applicant using the privacy section of the SF86 or work with a qualified security firm to do so. This form can be your best friend in determining which applicants will need a longer up-front clearance time and which will likely go through the process on a speedier basis. Working with a security firm to collect this information will enable you to get the best idea possible about timeframe, since the process is confidential and information is not shared with the employer, freeing applicants to share more information openly.Secondly, when you do make an offer, ensure that the applicant’s offer letter

includes wording stating that the offer “is contingent on favorable adjudicated clearance.” This is important for legal reasons, but also to prepare the applicant for intense personal and professional screening. If the applicant doesn’t pass the initial pre-screening, then it is much easier to transition to the next step of finding a position that does not require a clearance, or simply to move on in your search.

I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on streamlining this sometimes frustrating process to make all of our lives, and our clients’, easier. Let me hear from you!