Letter: An opportunity to consolidate clearances
A reader says the need to integrate the suitability and security clearance processes has not been addressed before, but the effort could save money.
Regarding “Bush wants a security clearance reform plan by April 30”: You seem to have missed the most significant new item in the president's memo. Early last summer, the government (Office of Management and Budget, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and Defense Department) launched an initiative to reinvent security clearance processing with target dates of June 2008 and December 2008 for demonstrating then validating a new system. The 2008 Defense Authorization Act made this a requirement.
The need to establish overarching government policy on personnel security investigations (PSIs) for public trust positions (suitability) has not been previously addressed. The need to integrate the suitability and security clearance processes has also not been previously addressed.
Since PSIs for federal employment suitability outnumber PSIs for security clearances every year, this is a big issue and an area where significant cost savings can occur.
William Henderson
Last Post Publishing
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