DOD begins shifting background investigation functions to DSS

The Pentagon has initiated the transfer of the National Background Investigation Service program and other security clearance functions to the Defense Security Service, according to the Defense Information Systems Agency.

David Norquist, performing the duties of the deputy defense secretary, directed the shift in a Jan. 28 memo, DISA announced today. The memo directs the transfer of the NBIS program executive office, the Defense Department Consolidated Adjudication Facility (CAF) and 12 Joint Service Provider personnel supporting the CAF.

The realignment follows direction in the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act to transfer DOD-specific background investigation functions to DSS. Meanwhile, President Trump is expected to sign an executive order directing the entire federal background investigation mission to shift from the Office of Personnel Management to DOD.

DSS is central to the realignment and is expected to absorb several federal entities as the personnel vetting mission shifts and is modernized at the same time. The realignment is underway as the federal government continues its effort to trim the background investigations backlog and reduce the time it takes to process security clearance applications.

According to DISA, the DOD CAF will shift to DSS no later than Oct. 1, which is also the deadline for DOD to take on all military-specific background investigations. The CAF determines the eligibility of non-intelligence agency DOD personnel to access sensitive materiel and currently resides under the Washington Headquarters Service.

Meanwhile, the NBIS program executive office -- about 40 personnel -- will shift from DISA to DSS no later than Oct. 1, 2020, according to the DISA announcement. The NBIS will serve as the IT backbone for the background investigations mission by integrating several systems, including DOD's continuous evaluation program.

DISA was directed to build a new IT system for the background investigations mission in 2016 after the devastating hack into the legacy OPM system. In addition to better cybersecurity, one of the key goals of the NBIS program is to integrate and analyze data so the government can more quickly and continuously assess the trust of security clearance applicants and holders.