Office of Departmental Personnel Security

Mission and Functions

Mission

The Office of Departmental Personnel Security serves as the central leader and advocate vested with the authority to ensure consistent and effective implementation of personnel security programs Department-wide (including for the National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA).

Functions

• Serves as the Department's single point of interface with the interagency personnel security community, particularly with the significant initiatives led by OMB and OPM. Represents DOE personnel security interests at inter-agency fora to include OMB Security Clearance Oversight Group; OPM Background Investigations Stakeholders group; the OPM Requirements Working Group; and the Office of the Director for National Intelligence (ODNI) Collaboration Forum
• Establishes expectations for the Department-wide personnel security program including mechanisms to assure timely, appropriate and consistent adjudication of clearances
• Develops quality assurance programs and processes for the personnel security program Department-wide
• Develops and implements automation initiatives to enhance the Department's personnel security processes and to enable the Department to meet OMB expectations for reducing processing times for clearance processing
• Develops policy and guidance for personnel security to identify needs for strengthening and improving personnel security and drug testing requirements in regulations and directives.
• Works in partnership with the HSS National Training Center and the Chief Human Capital Officer to develop and implement a training and certification program for all personnel security professionals in the Department-wide personnel security program. Serves as certification authority for the DOE personnel security certification program.
• Coordinates consistent implementation of personnel security policy and guidance across the Department and provides assistance to field elements as appropriate
• Administers the provisions of 10 CFR 710 (Administrative Review Procedures) Department-wide. These responsibilities include reviewing cases to determine administrative review eligibility and providing support related to Appeal Panel proceedings and requests for reconsideration.
• Acts on appeals of administrative terminations of access authorization processing in accordance with 10 CFR 710
• Manages and implements the electronic DOE Integrated Security System (eDISS+) databases and applications and maintains the master personnel security records for the Department
• Reviews and processes requests to grant access authorizations for foreign nationals in accordance with DOE Order 470.4 and DOE Manual M470.4 5
• Manages the process of ongoing liaison for DOE personnel security matters with other U.S. government agencies, including the White House and the Congress of the United States, state and local governments
• Oversees the use of exculpatory polygraphs for personnel security purposes and makes recommendations to the Chief Health, Safety and Security Officer
• Manages and directs the Human Reliability Program that is designed to ensure that individuals who occupy positions affording access to certain materials, nuclear explosive devices, facilities, and programs meet the highest standards of reliability and physical and mental suitability.