I currently hold an interim secret clearance. A friend of mine submitted his SF-86 [for secret] several weeks after me and has already gotten his clearance. A coworker said my delay may be due to the contract. Could an issue with the contract delay a clearance process? The original contract didn’t require a clearance, so they were going to put me on another contract so I could obtain my clearance.
Another question, I have a conditional job offer at another government agency that is contingent on my TS clearance. Could this TS clearance investigation interfere with my current secret level investigation?
Finally, is it true that if you fail the full scope poly, you will never be able to get a clearance since you have to tell them on the sf-86 that you failed the poly?
Just because someone was granted a clearance before you doesn’t mean there are issues. There are numerous scenarios that could have occurred for this to happen, but your sponsoring company does have to justify the need and submit the request for you clearance to get processed. There cannot be to investigations going on at the same time. If you were submitted for an investigation for a TS, then the higher level investigation trumps and they will discontinue the lower level one. Polygraphs can result in not being given certain accesses for which the Poly is a requirement, but does not automatically mean you will not be granted a clearance.
At the end of my expertise, you will have to research additional information on your own, but it also sounds like you are overthinking the process, which could be detrimental.