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 2008-02-13 monographic deposited born digital 18 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-470T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-470T P0b002ee180399516 f:d08470t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-470T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-470T GAO-08-470T Background investigations Cost analysis Data integrity Defense cost control Investigations by federal agencies Personnel management Personnel security clearance programs Personnel security policies Program evaluation Program management Records management Reporting requirements Schedule slippages Security clearance backlogs Security clearances Security investigations Cost estimates Government delays Policies and procedures Testimony A80749 The Department of Defense (DOD) maintains approximately 2.5 million security clearances on servicemembers, federal DOD civilian employees, industry personnel for DOD and 23 other federal agencies, and employees in the legislative branch. Delays in determining eligibility for a clearance can heighten the risk that classified information will be disclosed to unauthorized sources, increase contract costs, and pose problems in attracting and retaining qualified personnel. In this statement, GAO addresses: (1) the status of DOD's efforts to improve its projections of the numbers of clearances needed for industry personnel, and (2) other long-standing challenges that have a negative effect on the efficiency and effectiveness of DOD's personnel security clearance program for industry personnel. This statement is based on a report GAO is issuing today (GAO-08-350) and other prior work, which included reviews of clearance-related documents and interviews of senior officials at DOD and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-470T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-470T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-470T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-470T.pdf GAO-08-470T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-470T Testimony GAO-08-470T; DOD Personnel Clearances: DOD Faces Multiple Challenges in Its Efforts to Improve Clearance Processes for Industry Personnel; Background investigations Cost analysis Data integrity Defense cost control Investigations by federal agencies Personnel management Personnel security clearance programs Personnel security policies Program evaluation Program management Records management Reporting requirements Schedule slippages Security clearance backlogs Security clearances Security investigations Cost estimates Government delays Policies and procedures Public Law 108-458 Public Law 109-364