Government Accountability Office Praises Security Clearance Program

 

GAO: Security clearance process improving

After placing the Defense Department's security clearance processing system on its high-risk list in 2005, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a recent report that there has been substantial improvement in the process over the past six years.

In a 63-page report, the GAO noted Congress' update of the two-decade old Government Performance and Results Modernization Act, requiring more frequent reports and reviews, reported ExecutiveGov.

Through the Intelligence Authorization Act of fiscal 2010, the GAO was able to determine it took an average of 60 days to process a clearance application in the fiscal year, mostly achieving a goal set in 2004.

The GAO, which said it has removed the security clearance program from its high-risk list for this year, also praised the Pentagon for its performance-measuring quality assessment tools for clearance investigations and judgments, ExecutiveGov noted.

Security clearance is often needed for professionals looking to fill defense and intelligence jobs within government agencies and with contractors such as Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Raytheon and General Dynamics.