United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2001-04-18 monographic deposited born digital 57 p. GA 1.13:GAO-01-465 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-465 P0b002ee180378d16 f:d01465 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-465 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-465 GAO-01-465 Eligibility determinations Human resources training Quality assurance Security clearances Other Written Product A00858

Each year, the Department of Defense (DOD) makes about 200,000 decisions to grant, deny, or revoke security clearances for its civilian, military, and contractor personnel. Through a process called adjudication, DOD personnel security specialists review the results of employees' background investigations and determine whether the individual is eligible for a clearance. This report (1) assesses whether DOD's adjudicators consistently document all significant adverse security conditions when determining individuals' eligibility for top secret security clearances and (2) identifies factors that hinder the effectiveness of DOD's adjudicative process. GAO found that DOD adjudicators have not consistently documented all significant adverse security conditions present in investigative case files when determining individuals' eligibility for top secret security clearances. DOD has been unable to demonstrate that it fully considered all significant adverse conditions often not documented, including financial matters. Several factors have hindered the effectiveness of DOD's adjudicative process. The Assistant Secretary has not(1) used common explanatory guidance, such as that contained in the Adjudicative Desk Reference he developed, or issued any other clarifying guidance to promote consistency in applying the federal guidelines; (2) required adjudicators to take DOD adjudicative training or afforded them with continuing education opportunities on applying the federal guidelines; and (3) established common equality assurance mechanisms to identify any problem areas needing clarifying guidance or training. Common quality assurance procedures would facilitate DOD's oversight of the adjudicative process. Actions to provide stronger direction and oversight are needed given the challenges posed by the decentralized nature of DOD's process. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-465/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-465.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-465/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-465.pdf GAO-01-465 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-01-465 Other Written Product GAO-01-465; DOD Personnel: More Consistency Needed in Determining Eligibility for Top Secret Security Clearances; Eligibility determinations Human resources training Quality assurance Security clearances Title 31 Section 3512 31 U.S.C. 3512