Why so much anger directed at USIS? Many of the failures in the Security Investigation process were raised as concerns during the privatization of Investigations out of which USIS created.
The more compelling question is do our current investigation regulations and critera actually identify risk behavior…or are we spending millions forcing investigators to track down a 20 year old underage drinking citation and corresponding court record just because it is an “ever” questions without anyone at the OPM/FISD management thinking of the relevance or cost effectiveness of this rule? Are Automatons running the show?
The entire system is broken and OPM/FISD is a lurching bureaucratic government entity who would rather set up scenarios in which they look dedicated, competent and critical to national security while setting contracts up to fail.
Never mind OPM’s favorable adjudication on Edward Snowden or the Navy Yard shooter or their data breach of everyone’s most sensitive information that is far larger than anything at USIS or KPGS.
You are correct Old…I could care less if a person works multiple jobs, while being a student, and him/her annotating duplicate information on the case papers with review saying you "did not address so -so gap, or why did they do both or all functions simultaneously. Who know’s you, direct reporting, direct interviewing is required and not a HR agency looking for misspells, omissions of an email address or other…
No anger toward USIS; I believe there is two parts to USIS - THE OLD and then the better. From 2010 to the end they were head over heals of the others…
I agree with your sentiments, but I think your criticism is misdirected. There is a problem with the adjudication part, not the field investigation part. While the investigation part is bogged down with seemingly infinite new procedural BS, and the review part is nitpicky nonsense concerned with formatting, templates, and disclaimer idiocy, things like tracking down whether a 20-year old got an underage drinking citation and obtaining court records is important. So too is talking with people who know or knew Subject in various activities. In fact, it is why electronic monitoring and record snooping will never replace the current method of conducting background investigations. It is because, “The best predictor of future behavior is … past behavior”. It’s the most fundamental axiom in forensic psychology. Also, details such as the frequency of the behavior(s), the duration of behavior(s), the corrective action(s) of the behaviors all have predictive elements. And you will notice that in ESI issue resolution questions you seek to obtain details which correspond to these elements. The questions themselves often seem asinine to the investigator and innocuous to the Subject, but they are important in establishing behavioral patterns which can be predictive.
As I said in an earlier post, contracting out the investigative part of OPM BI’s has increased the quality of the field work immeasurably. It would be a colossal mistake to insource it. In the contractor ranks you have retired federal agents, LEOs, military intelligence folks, et al., whom you would never be able to get as GS employees within an agency. Collectively these folks in the contractor ranks have thousands of years of national security and investigative expertise.
If I were running the training program for OPM background investigators, I would assign two books to be read prior to classroom study: “The Like Switch” by Jack Schafer (retired FBI agent) and “Find Out Anything From Anyone, Anytime” by James Pyle (former U.S. Army interrogator).
Lastly, any anger that has been expressed here, directed at USIS the company (i.e., leadership), is not enough.
I agree; however how does the “former” housewife become a District Manager in charge of Investigations? Or, for that matter (not meant to offend) the housewife who sits at her table with 3 screaming kids qualify as an investigator?
Youre kidding us right? Former housewife and mother of 3 crap? What year is this? Ok then be fair, in order to be competent you cannot have children. Regardless of your gender. Ridiculous statements. Bitter person with minimal capabilities, in and out of the investigative field,frequently passed over for more competent and harder working people who may or may not be former housewives (househusbands)or mothers (fathers) posts irrelevant nonsense on message board.
In the interview process for CACI - any words of wisdom? This would be a major career change, leaving a secure but boring dead end job. Would people join CACI at this time?
Definitely not a boring job and definitely a demanding, and at times frustrating, job. Who knows the future of this field? It will be a damn shame if contract investigators are not the only element kept during the overhaul of the process. Contract investigators have been the only bright spot. They have been orders of magnitude more efficient, effective, and thorough than their federal counterparts. And their ranks are made up retired special agents, detectives, military counterintelligence, et al. Backgrounds you do NOT have on the OPM federal side.
There has to be a way to allow contract investigators to do the field investigations while at the same time separating them, shielding them, from the unrealistic demands of their profit-motive, corner-cutting, corporate-management overlords.
There are two recently published books I would recommend that will help you in the BI job. They will provide an excellent foundation and lessen the learning curve in the science, and mostly art, of questioning and eliciting pertinent, good info. Even if you don’t pursue BI work, they would be helpful in any job or activity.
Find Out Anything From Anyone, Anytime: Secrets of Calculated Questioning From a Veteran Interrogator by James Pyle and Maryann Karinch
And if you do decide to work as a contractor BI, I have a huge piece of advice. Thoroughly learn the OPM Handbook (IHB), the SF forms, and any field guide inside and out. And go over any new changes like a sabermetrician going over box scores. Memorize all required questions and follow-ups till they are second nature. Some environments and Subjects are hospitable, some not so much. When you’re in, or with, the latter you can get rattled and need to fall back on rote, sequential questioning at points. This will often get you past difficult spots and allow you to be poised when you see a crack in the armor in the middle game or end game. But at all times act unassuming and deferential. Never be confrontational, even if they are. Think like a Belgian Malinois, but act like a Golden Retriever. And fhe tail starts wagging when you call them to set up an interview. Have a beaming smile on your face when you call someone, because, believe it or not, they can hear it in your voice. Lastly, be extremely organized and always work with the following principle, “Do it now!”
Recently, we were assured our jobs are safe (a day off here or there possibly) so it’s hard to say anything either way. Last year we were told the same thing and - boy that worked out- didn’t it. The OPM INVs I deal with say they’ve been told to just manage the workload (as usual) to quality…
CACI is not moving away from production points. In fact, CACI recently revamped their metrics system to include reopens cases -days in production (dip). Quality is another pièce in the grading metrics. CACI is no different than any other conpanies out there. Don’t be fooled. I have worked for CACI since 10/2010.
Agreed. The private companies upper management and OPM need to find the sweet spot between realistic production+quality and time. If not, this silly cycle of 50-60 % real vetted clearances will continue. I’ve read numerous great suggestions to improve the industry from seasoned field investigators and Section Leads in various threads. It would exceptional if this information can be collected and summarized in a white paper, and then conveyed to right set of eyes and heard by the rights ears. Kind regards & Blessings Steve Gutierrez
“Overcome by Positivity”
Does SCIS even have work to bring people on in mass yet? Have heard they keep putting people off while trying to meet all requirements. Just wondering how people are leaving CACI already.