The Defense Information Systems Agency has hosted an outreach event to help small businesses navigate through the federal government’s personnel and facility clearance procedures.DISA said Tuesday it and the Defense Security Service unveiled their processes for clearing industry employees.
Ivory Lawrence, a personnel security specialist from the DSS’ Vetting Risk Operations Center, explained before nearly 50 small business representatives that VROC follows interim eligibility standards when authorizing access to classified information.
He added that VROC takes 18 months to complete initial secret clearances and 15 months for top-secret investigations.
Representatives from the DSS also informed the event’s participants about how it sets requirements, roles and systems for distributing facility clearances cited in the National Industry Security Program Operating Manual, which guides contractors in obtaining access to classified data.
Carlen Capenos, director of DISA’s Office of Small Business Programs, said most agencies will require firms to accomplish a FCL to propose on task orders, even if they have already won a contract without one.
“Every contracting officer makes the determination of what will be required for a particular contract,†Capenos noted.
DISA administered the informational event at its headquarters in Fort George G. Meade. Md.
