With security clearance delays lingering from months to years, it’s no wonder many applicants are asking what can possibly be done to expedite the process? Over at the ClearanceJobsBlog, a comment recently asked:
My investigation for a secret clearance has been ongoing for over 15 months. I have not heard a peep from anyone investigator or OPM. I called OPM to find out what was going on and the rep said I can have my FSO call in and ask that my investigation be expedited. When I asked my FSO to do this the FSO told me that its not true. However when I call the OPM number there is an option to expedite an investigation.
So whats the deal?
ClearanceJobsBlog forum moderator Marko Hakamaa responded: “If the investigation is past OPM’s due to agency date (ACD), then the agency can request an expedite, I have tried this a number of times and don’t really think it got done any faster. Take into consideration that lots of others are doing the same thing, it all comes down to the agency and prioritization. It sounds like yours is one of those that got caught in transition and OPM has not implemented a process to identify the stragglers out there in order to get them closed. I have several in the same boat and know how frustrating it is.”
The usual ‘first-in-first-out’ process has been criticized recently, specifically because the backlog is so massive – more than 700,000 pending investigations – many professionals are seeing their investigations site on the back burner for months before the investigation even begins.
A coalition formed by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) called out the ‘first-in-first-out’ processing system in its four near-term goals. They note that those involved in mission critical functions should be moved to the front of the line. Doing so may also allow investigators to move through more simple investigations, rather than getting stuck in complex cases for individuals whose specific work function may not actually be as mission critical. They emphasized that all applicants deserve to have their cases processed in a timely manner – but treating all applications identically is also the right approach.
Right now, while a seriously overdue investigation going past the agency due date may get ‘expedited’ – by that point, the investigation is probably still far past an ideal due date. In order to truly improve processing times, major overhauls – including a change to the current first-in-first-out system – will need to take place.
