You should know this.
It always has been.
This is a numbers game.
4 Likes
What I think is that, whether via telephone or in person, we have a system that is really good at catching people who list their mobile number as their home number, catching people who fail to list that they lived with mom and dad each summer while they were in college, catching 18 year olds who fail to list that they are ineligible for rehire at Burger King because they didnât give two weeks notice before quitting, and catching people who didnât list that they got off the cruise ship one day in the Bahamas. Itâs also really good at catching people who list the DUI they got five years ago but fail to list the MIP they got 18 years ago. Or the ones that list the bankruptcy that was discharged three years ago, but fail to list the 17 accounts that were in collections prior to being discharged in the bankruptcy. Do I think any of these are indicators of someone who intends to commit espionage? No I donât. I think they are indicators of people who have trouble interpreting written directions. Do I think the system we have is good at catching people who intend to commit espionage? Based on the fact that every major spy case from the last few decades involved a cleared person committing espionage (and some of them having their clearance repeatedly renewed), I have my doubts. Over the years I have encountered a handful of subjects who I felt were deliberately trying to conceal serious issues. But I always felt their motivation was to obtain/keep a really good government or military job, not that they wanted to become a spy. So, to answer your question, I donât think it really matters.
7 Likes
I hate to break it to you bud but the answer is yes. And it has been yes for a long time.
3 Likes
Everyone that has replied has spoken the truth. Itâs all about money (especially for the contracting companies). It always has been. Yes, quality is important, for obvious reasons, but do you see any of the contractors or DCSA hammering on quality or do you seem them pushing and driving productivity? More cases completed = more money. Itâs clear as day.
3 Likes
I am going to use this as the job description on my resume. Whew buddy, the accuracy.
1 Like
Iâm not sure what you mean by quality but why donât we look at this in regards to the end result. I would argue that the objective of our work is to ensure that people who are not worthy donât get a clearance. The final outcome is they either get a clearance, or they donât. So if I do an in person interview, and I get the kid to admit that he tried pot twice in high school, and he got a written warning at McDonalds for being on his phone too much, yet he still gets his clearance, whatâs the difference if I do a phone interview and he doesnât admit the pot and written warning, and he gets his clearance. Either way we get the same result. Now obviously if I got him to admit an issue serious enough to have his clearance denied, then it would make a difference. But how many times have you gotten a subject to admit a C or D level issue that you didnât already know about from another source such as a law check? Iâve been racking my brain and I just donât recall more than one or two cases of drug use with substances other than pot, and one or two foreign contacts/foreign travel to HR countries. And if they volunteer that info, does it generally result in a clearance denial? I donât know.
In summary, I would argue that we usually know about serious information on the case from other sources and confronting the subject over the phone is just as effective as confronting them in person. And from my limited experience, itâs highly unlikely that you are going to develop any information from the subject serious enough to deny the clearance.
4 Likes
It should always be about quality. Production should be way on down the line.
The vendors have bastardized the product by insisting that production and timeliness should be put over quality.
1 Like
You have that absolutely right. The contract companies have âbastardizedâ the investigations process. However, itâs the âCustomerâ that has allowed it every step of the way. My children only get away with what I allow.
6 Likes
We donât live in an ideal world.
2 Likes
Yes our job is really just about collecting dossiers on people who want clearances, and having most of them adjudicated favorably (about 90) because you have to be really messed up to get denied. But ,I have also believed our job is also about having dossiers on people who are caught in/or suspected of espionage. A complete record of their past contacts and behaviors to catch and/or help in their eventual prosecution seems like a good thing. I have no idea if that is true or not but it seems logical to me. When NSA contractor Harold Martin was suspected of taking classified documents, reviewing his years of SF-86 info probably provided a lot of good information and leads for prosecution. Edward Snowden, Reality Winner, etc. etc.
The âget the vaccine argumentâ no longer holds weight. Originally, the vaccine was to prevent the spread of COVID. Iâve had 2 shots, a booster, and can still get it, pass it on to others, and die from it. What was gained?
1 Like
What was gained is certain people getting rich from big pharma kickbacks and payoffs into private trusts that can never be traced.
1 Like
and the hospitals arenât overwhelmed with treating unvaccinated covid patients and when someone has a heart attack, a baby, a car accident, etc. there is hopefully still an icu bed for you.
1 Like
Vaccinated or unvaxed, doesnât appear to be much of difference. Telephone interviews became the norm due to Covid. That argument doesnât appear to hold water any longer.
1 Like
Video interviews are here to stay, I work full cases from South Korea to the East Coast with no TDY or travel. DoD likes how cheap field work has become since COVID.
4 Likes
Yep, coupled with backlog mitigation policy still in place, we are a case closing machine!
With the new telematics in our cars being teed up for the future, I prefer just to stay home.
The cost savings will keep investigators at home and on the phone.
3 Likes
You have pretty much summarized it spot on! The accuracy is 100%!! We are glorified proof readers and box checkers. Anyone that feels some type of way with their shiny badge and creds, I suggest you apply to be a real investigator at a law enforcement agency. Over here, we just check boxes and make sure we explain how in the world the Subject managed to work AND go to school at the same time.
5 Likes
Totally agree with your thoughts. If they lie they lie, in person or not. Being in same room does not change that or up âqualityâ; Iâd love to hear explanation as to how it does. Been interviewing for 30 years for various careers and sometimes phone better, sometimes not. Actually depends upon person and topic I found.
3 Likes
As professionals we can adapt and learn. Started due to Covid, but has there been any data out there that âqualityâ was eroded? Timeliness I am guessing improved due to phones! So we just go back to in-person now as âthatâs they way we always did itâ?
1 Like