Anyone have any insight into when DCSA in person of anything is happening? We had a small movement forward with a jump backwards earlier this month but little information/indication of anything else.
I’m with a contract company and I work on the DCSA contract. So far there is zero mention of going in person. I’ve heard rumors that it’s not even going to be considered until after the new year. I’d certainly love to get back to the field even on a reduced basis!
I do not have any insight but I personally believe we could go back into the field at least at a reduced capacity. I think we have a better idea now how the virus spreads and who is at risk. As long as investigators and the people they are interviewing follow proper precautions (face masks, hand washing/sanitizing, social distancing) then I would be fine with doing in person. I have had in person interviews on other contracts and have had no issues.
Due to no driving DCSA is getting work done faster and contract companies are getting rich raising production expectations so they’ll all just keep playing dumb about working from home.
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It seems they would give out some type of planning guidance for child care/lifestyle planning purposes. So many people working from home can’t just start going back into the field with 24 hours notice. Everyone needs a little bit of time to adjust and work out COVID daycare/lifestyle/transportation issues. I’ve heard many realistic employers are telling employees a “not before” date. ie. You won’t be expected to go back into the office before “this date” but plan to do so on that date and remember that date could be pushed.
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I’m sorry, but I think this is going to be the New Normal™️. Now that the powers that be realize they can maximize production via a tiny handful of investigators working encrypted email and VTC details, why on earth would they go back to paying mileage and 40 hours, plus TDY details for a lot of investigators to do face to face interviews? Shoot, they don’t even have to provide credentials to people in this scenario.
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I think you have it right. There is no financial incentive to go back to the field. If the government was so concerned about how thorough the process is they would have never brought in contracting companies in the first place. Churn and burn!
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I agree. I think this will definitely prompt a lot of long term adjustments to how we conduct work. Although I think there are still areas in which it really makes sense to be in person.
My prediction is that we’ll see a shift to virtual in most areas but hopefully still go into the field for select items.
But maybe I’m trying to apply logic to an illogical system haha. Who knows.
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Agencies not associated with the DCSA contract are very particular about how backgrounds are done and will not continue telephone interviews after the stay home. You can take that to the bank.
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It is so interesting how something or some concept or detail is so important in one organization is not so important in another very similar organization. Bureaucracy at it’s best. I guess the best security practice is to keep everyone guessing every day what the best practice is and we can all be confused all the time.
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I think this is the new normal until the rebid…which I have heard has been pushed back “significantly.” Between now and then, I think DCSA is figuring out how much can be done by phone and how much work they can squeeze out of the investigators. I think this is especially true given DCSA has lowered the price almost 4% for this entire year. Contract companies are not going to be biting at the bit to get back to paying mileage, parking, tolls, etc when they are getting less money for each case. Especially when they have been getting near twice the work out of each investigator when all work is by phone (no drive time). I think/hope that we will have official word on the new way of life when the contract rebid is finalized as I don’t think they can finalize anything with so much in limbo…Maybe COVID is the reason the rebid has been pushed back…
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“Especially when they have been getting near twice the work out of each investigator.”
Complain and save emails about the absurd amount of work that’s being assigned. Years ago I contacted an attorney who said companies can assign any amount of work even 1000 cases per day and it’s not illegal. However, if they reprimand you for not completing the work that’s illegal. Companies know it’s impossible to complete massive assignments in 40 hours and are playing a game called let’s see if we can get people to work off the clock doing 50 or 60 hours work in 40 hours, or 40 hours in 32. People try to complete assignments because of constant harassment and intimidation about dates, but notice people are rarely written up about missing dates…BECAUSE THEY KNOW ITS ILLEGAL. I have a good attorney and a stack of emails ready and waiting. Keypoint is still being sued to this day under the name Keypoint. Signed, USIS 2.0 (even though they said it wasn’t lol)
Forget saving email - now there’s a video with the man himself explaining how the excess in assignments are being handled. The way that thing was edited, I’d wager there is so much more said that wasn’t shared for company edification.
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Was something said about over assigning? I must have missed that. All I heard was a vague admission strategically placed in the middle of another topic/sentence that our reduced hours are being given to newly hired part-timers because the company is looking to the future, which they finally had to admit publicly because the cats out of the bag through networking. I wonder whose future the company is looking to? Apparently not the originally hired full-timers since many are still on reduced hours while hours are being given to newly hired part-timers.
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OK, you folks have lost me…Is this an SCIS thing (the video)? I am with CACI and we are just getting half the credit for our work and the comment that bonuses are being evaluated (don’t hold your breath).
We have transitioned to video interviews
So far we are still doing mostly phone.
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