I currently have a favorably adjudicated Tier 3, Noncritical Sensitive investigation. (I’m a uniformed federal law enforcement officer)
I’m considering applying to a position that requires a Tier 2, Moderate Risk Public Trust investigation. (also a uniformed federal law enforcement officer position)
If I apply to the Tier 2 job, I was hoping my Tier 3 investigation would be reciprocated. However, after some research on this website it appears that it doesn’t always work that way.
Am I correct in my understanding that Public Trust and National Security investigations differ in their criteria and/or investigative scope and therefore are not necessarily comparable and not transferable?
If you have a current Tier 3 on file that was favorably adjudicated then DCSA will not process a request for a Tier 2 since a higher level investigation was already done. Excluding State Department, most agencies will follow this guidance set forth by ODNI, DCSA, and OPM.
So is it safe to say that the investigation tiers are in fact organized as a hierarchy?
For example, Tier 4 entails a more in depth investigation than Tier 3 and so on?
My Tier 3 was adjudicated in early 2020. Not much has changed for me during the past year.
I went to the publicly available Personnel Security website of the agency in question and found that they have Inter-Agency Reciprocity forms. Both for clearances and suitability investigations. So it appears they do have such a system in place.
That memo says that if you are going to work on a classified contract AND you already have the appropriate level of clearance from DoD, then you can start working on a DHS contract while waiting for your “fitness” to be determined.
Coupla questions:
why a DoD clearance? Not other agencies?
what is “fitness” in DHS-speak? Is that the same as “suitability?” Or is “fitness” for contractors?
And @misterbuble please note that the existence of a reciprocity procedure does not mean that reciprocity is granted in all cases, even when it would seem like a slam dunk. There’s always some weasel room in those procedures.
If you are in a competitive service position then the following applies to you: Title 5 CFR 1400.201 (d) Any position receiving a position sensitivity designation at the noncritical-sensitive level shall automatically carry with that designation, without further agency action, a risk designation under 5 CFR 731.106 at the moderate level, unless the agency determines that the position should be designated at the high level. Agencies shall designate the position at the high level where warranted on the basis of criteria set forth in OPM issuances as described in §731.102(c) of this title. Check with your HR. If they did their job properly, you already occupy a moderate-risk public trust position.
I’m not too worried about my HR. However the agency that I’m considering applying to is a different story. They have a history of HR related snafus.
My agency confirmed I do have a Tier 3, but I’m having trouble verifying if the new position does in fact require a Tier 2. Job announcements and outreach notices from the agency in question are fraught with outdated OPM and NBIB terminology. HR is unresponsive. Oh well. Time will tell.