Individuals working for the Federal government whose jobs require that they handle sensitive and classified information must go through a process to obtain a security clearance. Currently, all security clearance applications are made on a paper-based form (SF-86). High levels of clerical error, labor-intensive data entry processes, and duplicative data entry are prevalent. Security clearance information is frequently not shared among agencies and finding clearance status can be time consuming and costly.
The E-Clearance initiative seeks to ensure that sensible policies and procedures are in place to improve the current security clearance process. The initiative’s first component is the Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (E-QIP), an automated on-line version of security clearance application form SF-86. With E-QIP, current work processes will move from a paper-based to an electronic environment, but the information requested and transmitted will remain the same.
The second component will be the development and implementation of a cross-agency Clearance Verification System (CVS). The CVS will provide the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and all partnering agencies to a security investigation access to the clearance data of each participating agency database. By increasing the availability of each agency’s database and making clearance information more accessible, CVS will improve agency accountability and enable the transfer of clearances from one agency to another.
E-Clearance’s third component provides for imaging of investigative records held by myriad investigative agencies and making them available electronically, among all authorized federal users. In this regard, E-Clearance will further facilitate the exchange of previous investigative results and produce cost savings through the elimination of redundant processes.
The E-Clearance initiative will result in numerous benefits for Federal agencies, including a reduction in processing times for clearance-level employees and increased reciprocity among Federal agencies. It will streamline the investigation and re-investigation process through more automation and less reliance on paper files. Also, this initiative will improve data accuracy and analysis. |