Issuing Clearances Still an Issue for DoD

The backlog of security clearances piling up for the Department of Defense (DoD) is no surprise. Since the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) breach in 2015, DoD has been on the receiving end of backlogged paperwork and stalled re-adjudications. However, there may be some good news on the horizon. Congress may be stepping in to assist DoD with its clearance problem.

According to Federal News Radio, “Lawmakers included a provision in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would give DoD complete ownership over the security clearance process for its own personnel.” This would mean DoD could process its own security clearances and relieve OPM from its backlog. Federal News Radio added, “[OPM] and the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB) will concede 75 percent of its current workload to DoD.”

There is no perfect solution. For example, “The [DoD] plan conflicts with the current administration’s goal to merge redundant functions split across agencies where consolidation supports efficiency, effectiveness and accountability,” OPM wrote in its impact assessment. However, the severe backlog has affected government and contractors alike. It is no surprise that Congress is ready to take action on such an important and high-visibility problem.

The DoD is making strides to improve overall business processes. In fact, St. Michael’s Business Process Standardization (BPS) efforts across the DoD streamline Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) end-to-end business processes. We help identify redundancies and internal control weaknesses that impede the DoD audit. Because of our efforts, the Services and Other Defense Agencies realize increased transparency, cost savings, and strengthened internal controls.