The Facility SecurityOfficer (FSO) is a position that the defense contractor must appoint during the
Facility Clearance (FCL) approval process. The FSO implements a security
program to protect classified in information. They also request investigations
for employees who require a security clearance. What this means is, all cleared
contractors must appoint an FSO. It could be the business owner in a small
organization or an employee with an additional duty. The primary qualifications
of an FSO are to be a US Citizen and have a PCL at the same level as the FCL.
It is possible for an FSO to be the sole employee in the company.
The contractor and Defense
Security Services (DSS) have joint responsibilities with the Personnel
Clearance (PCL) process as they do with the FCL process. When the FCL is being
granted, key employees should complete a Questionnaire for National Security
Positions, also known as Standard Form (SF 86). Part of the process includes
ensuring that the applicants are US Citizens. They should submit the
application to the FSO who then submits applications to DISCO. An investigation
is conducted and the central adjudication facility (CAF) makes a security
clearance determination. The determination is then entered into the Joint
Personnel Adjudication (JPAS), the Department of Defense provided system where
security clearance information is stored. Other government organizations may
have different systems. Once entered into JPAS, the FSO can grant access based
on need to know and the clearance level.
The SF 86 is where the
applicant can affect the speed of the security clearance process. A properly
filled out application form is the key. Incomplete or inaccurate information is
the number one cause of clearance delays. Names, addresses, telephone numbers,
and dates of birth for relatives should be gathered as background research.
Fortunately the SF 86 form is online and requires only filling out once. When a
clearance is up for renewal, the applicant can log in their SF 86 and make
updates.
DSS and FSOs use JPAS to
update personnel information. This system allows instantaneous updates of
records as well as notification of access, denial or revocation of clearances.
At the time of this writing, there are more than 89,000 users of JPAS and 23,000
are from defense contractors.
Not everyone investigated is guaranteed a security
clearance. In some instances a clearance can be denied, revoked or suspended.
The employee’s background is investigated thoroughly for the initial clearance
and again every five to fifteen years while maintaining a clearance and
depending on the required security clearance level. In the event that a
security clearance is denied, suspended or revoked, DSS will also notify the
FSO. The FSO will then deny access to classified material to that employee and
update JPAS.
See more in our books "Insider's Guide to Security Clearances" and
"DoD Security Clearances and Contracts Guidebook"
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