I have seen articles about agencies being required to accept clearances granted by other agencies as long as it is in the same scope. I asked an agency about this and they told me they would not accept the TS/SCI clearance I am about to receive and they will finish doing their own processing.
Am I missing something on how they make this decision or is it just a recommend policy and not required. Both agencies use SC and not JPAS.
Ah yes. Reciprocity. It is more of a guideline than a requirement. Maybe a goal.
It is enough of a battle trying to get agencies to accept each others’ clearances for TDYs or joint duty assignments, much less for full-time direct hire positions.
From my understanding that TS is reciprocated but the SCI is not always as the different authorities have their own requirements and wants.
I saw an article in regards to goals by the current administration to reduce clearance workload by increasing reciprocity and portability of clearances between agencies. So I took that as it is rare to never now but perhaps coming later, which is important for anyone who does these for a paycheck.
I can cross over JPASS to Scattered all day long. Getting anyone at State to play nice requires 4 references, 3 secret passwords, a secure line, a priest and a rabbi. So agency to agency…it gets sketchy. SAP and SCI positions are usually more inclined to want their own investigation, by their own people. Even within one community say NRO to others in the IC…they each believe they are the only ones doing it right and all others fail to live up to their standards.
Reciprocity was first directed in 1995… and the agencies still don’t obey the requirement.
Heck, there are agencies that still use the obsolete 2008 SF 86 to this day.
I applied for a job with DEA and waited three years for my clearance. By the time I got the final offer, I was no longer interested. Lol.
The 2008 form is the only one my client will let us use. Thank goodness. The error rat eon 17 pages is already through the roof.
I have seen job postings recently that actually specify that your clearance has to be listed in JPAS instead of Scattered Castles. Is it really that much of a problem for everyone to play together?
Weird. Basically flouting the requirement for reciprocity. Plus it means they have zero contracts in the IC or an FSO skilled at crossing people over.
Here’s an article on reciprocity of clearances and investigations from Federal News Network:
Agencies losing time, talent and money due to security clearance reciprocity challenges
Here’s an interesting quote:
“Individual agencies created internal policies and procedures based on their own interpretations of [Security Executive Agent] directives,” INSA’s report reads. “At larger agencies like the DoD, sub-departments including the Army, Navy and Air Force have further promulgated their own interpretations of both ODNI and DoD policy. This practice of agency-specific policy interpretation creates a web of inconsistent rules that complicate reciprocal recognition of clearances.”
Somehow the State Department escaped public shaming 
I will throw them under the bus here, lol. Endless bureaucracy, goatrope, busy work, insist they have no secure line, etc. My client’s clearance division current leadership gave up on them and will not lift a finger to work with State. If the clearance is not visible in JPASS, Scattered Castles or any of the systems they have eyes on…they will not attempt. And that is perfectly ok with state.