2016
DPSAC News Year in Review
Highlights of DPSAC News articles published over the past year are presented here. Each publication date, printed in bold, is a link to the DPSAC News published on that date.
This is the sixth in a series of articles spotlighting position classifications that the NIH uses to determine the type of badge it can issue. Based on the individual's classification, s/he will be eligible for either an HHS ID Badge (PIV Card), an RLA Badge or an NIH Legacy ID Badge.
Determining an individual's correct classification is an important first step in the badge issuance process since it helps ensure that each person requiring access to NIH facilities and resources is vetted appropriately and qualifies for one of the three badge types.
Each classification also governs whether the individual will be entered into NED, the type of background investigation to be administered, who will conduct the background check (DPSAC or the NIH Police) and the lifecycle of the badge (i.e., less than 6 months, up to a year, up to 3 years or up to 5 years).*
Who is a Volunteer?
A Volunteer (other than Special Volunteer) is a non-paid individual who volunteers to support the function of the Clinical Center, a specific Institute or Center volunteer internship program, the
Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES)
, Parents of Preschoolers, Inc.(POPI), the Executive Child Development Center (ECDC), NIH Recreation and Welfare (R&W), NIH Federal Credit Union (FCU), Childkind, Inc., and others.
Individuals who fall into this classification are often referred to simply as 'Volunteers.'
Volunteers (other than Special Volunteers) include, but are not limited to: Red Cross, Sunday supper providers, Patient Ambassadors, Playroom Attendants, Family Friends, Language Interpreters, Patient Greeters and Social Worker Interns.
These individuals may begin volunteering at the NIH at any time throughout the year.
Temporary Six-Month ID Badges Issued During Summer e-QIP Outage Coming Due for Renewal; AOs and ATs Alerted to Watch for Renewal Notices in their Inboxes
A security breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) over the summer caused the agency to shut down e-QIP between July 16, 2015 and August 25, 2015. Over that six-week period, DPSAC issued temporary ID badges (good for six months) with the intention of re-issuing permanent ID badges at the end of the temporary badges' six-month lifecycle.
The NED Team recently notified the AO/AT community to be on the lookout for renewal tasks in their NED inboxes for staff who had been issued six-month (temporary) badges during that period as OPM took e-QIP offline to remedy security weaknesses to the system.
The background information request forms processed during this outage were paper. Since OPM did not accept these paper forms, anyone who falls into this category or still has a six-month badge must complete the background investigation request online.
DPSAC News (and the NED Team) want to remind all stakeholders that these temporary badges will soon need to be renewed in a timely manner.
(Optional) Two-Factor Authentication for e-QIP Enrollment to be Available January 10, 2016
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently announced that beginning January 10, 2016, e-QIP applicants will have the "option" of using two factor authentication when logging into e-QIP. OPM has also published a Login Guide that shows applicants how to use two-factor authentication when logging into e-QIP.
Helpful Tips
Do not lend your ID badge to anyone!
-- lending out your ID badge is prohibited. The issuance of ID badges is based on strict identity proofing and the determination of one's suitability for a specific position classification.
Renewing Short Term Badges Comes with a Warning in NED
If someone is initially entered into NED as short-term (i.e., less than 180 days), they will receive an RLA Badge that is only valid for 6 months. When that badge nears its expiration date, NED will generate a badge renewal task for the individual. Be advised that when an AO/AT runs the badge renewal task, NED will require the individual's NED record to be updated to reflect the person as long term (i.e., more than 180 days).
This change will require the person to undergo a full background investigation and receive a PIV Badge as opposed to an RLA Badge. Foreign nationals are an exception to this policy. They will be issued a new RLA badge with a life cycle of up to 3 years when their old RLA badge expires.
AOs and ATs should be aware that they will receive a warning from the NED Portal that it will initiate the immediate revocation of a person's badge whenever they update data that will result in a badge type change. Also, in the case of a badge renewal task, when an AO/AT chooses to renew the badge of a short-term badge holder, the Portal displays the message seen below.
Spotlight on Contractors
This is the seventh in a series of articles spotlighting position classifications that the NIH uses to determine the type of badge it can issue.
Classification: Contractor
(as the classification appears in the NED Portal)
Who is a Contractor?
A Contractor is a non-NIH employee or trainee that works for a company paid by NIH for services rendered via a procurement vehicle who provides program support services.
AOs and ATs: Watch for Renewal Notices for Temporary 6-Month Badges in your NED Inboxes
Temporary 6-month ID Badges issued during the summer e-QIP outage are coming due for renewal. As reported in the January 6, 2016 DPSAC News, a security breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) caused the agency to shut down e-QIP between July 16, 2015 and August 25, 2015 while it remedied its security problems. As a result, over that 6-week period, DPSAC issued temporary ID badges with the intention of re-issuing permanent ID badges at the end of the badges' 6-month lifecycle.
The NED Team and DPSAC have been reaching out to the AO/AT community to be on the lookout over the next three months for renewal tasks for staff with these temporary badges.
Note: the background information request forms processed during this outage were paper. Since OPM did not accept these paper forms, anyone who falls into this category or still has a 6-month badge must complete the background investigation request online via e-QIP.
Renewing Short Term Badges Comes with a Warning in NED
If someone is initially entered into NED as short-term (i.e., less than 180 days), they will receive an RLA Badge that is only valid for 6 months. When that badge nears its expiration date, NED will generate a badge renewal task for the individual. Be advised that when an AO/AT runs the badge renewal task, NED will require the individual's NED record to be updated to reflect the person as long term (i.e., more than 180 days).
This change will require the person to undergo a full background investigation and receive a PIV Badge as opposed to an RLA Badge. Foreign nationals are an exception to this policy. They will be issued a new RLA badge with a life cycle of up to 3 years when their old RLA badge expires.
AOs and ATs should be aware that they will receive a warning from the NED Portal that it will initiate the immediate revocation of a person's badge whenever they update data that will result in a badge type change. Also, in the case of a badge renewal task, when an AO/AT chooses to renew the badge of a short-term badge holder, the Portal displays the message seen below.
'HappyorNot' Update: Customers Continue to Give DPSAC High Marks for Service
Consistenly ranked DPSAC customer service in the 99 percentile
According to the most recent 'HappyorNot' customer satisfaction report covering the month of December, 2015, 99% of respondents indicated they were either 'very happy' (95%) or 'somewhat happy' (4%) with the service they received during their visit to the DPSAC Enrollment Office or Badge Issuance Office.
FAQs
Q.
I recently ran and approved a badge renewal task for a short-term (i.e., less than 180 days) person in my office. That very day, the individual's current ID badge was revoked. The person had to go without an ID badge until he was able to visit DPSAC to obtain his new badge. Is there a way I could have prevented the person's current badge from being revoked?
A.
No. The NED Portal provides a warning that it will initiate the immediate revocation of a person's badge whenever the AO/AT updates data that will result in a badge type change. In this instance, the person was short term (less than 180 days) and had an RLA Badge. When a short-term badge is being renewed, the person must be updated in NED to long term (greater than 180 days). For non-foreign nationals, this means the renewal badge will be a PIV Badge. Foreign nationals, however, will be issued a new RLA badge with a life cycle of up to 3 years.
NED Training Schedule: a Class a Month for the Balance of FY '16
New and relatively inexperienced NED Portal users with an Administrative Officer (AO) or Administrative Technician (AT) role are invited to take advantage of one of the hands-on NED training classes being offered (once a month) through the end of fiscal year 2016.
Spotlight on Employees
This is the eighth in a series of articles spotlighting position classifications that the NIH uses to determine the type of badge it can issue.
Classification: NIH FTE (Employee)
(the classification in the NED Portal appears as NIH FTE - including GS, SES, Title 42, etc.)
Who is an Employee?
An Employee is an individual who is Wage Grade (WG), Wage Leader (WL), Wage Supervisor (WS), General Schedule (GS), Senior Executive Service (SES), Scientific and Professional, Senior Biomedical Research Service (SBRS), Title 42, Title 38, Title 32, Senior Leaders, and Students (other than Summer Students).
Spotlight on . . . Contractors Revisited: Foreign Nationals
The Division of International Services (DIS) is responsible for verifying that all non-immigrants (individuals who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents) placed at the NIH:
* Have been lawfully admitted to the United States and
* Are undertaking activities at NIH that are appropriate for their
immigration status.
According to DIS, if you are a foreign national contract worker (i.e. your immigration status is sponsored by another employer and/or you are paid by that employer such as Leidos, MSC, Kelly Scientific Services, SRA International, etc.), please visit the DIS for clearance between the hours of 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. No appointment is necessary.
Applicants are advised to review the "
Summary of Requirements By Immigration Status
" to assure they have all documentation necessary for clearance. Foreign Nationals in the Contractor category will not receive a badge without prior clearance from DIS.
Make ORS Personnel Security Your First Stop When Seeking Badging Assistance from Another HHS Operating Division (OPDIV)
From time to time remote NIH employees, contractors, and affiliates will require assistance with identity proofing, enrollment, certificate renewal, and ID badge issuance. If an individual is unable to visit an NIH badging facility due to lack of proximity, please reach out to the NIH Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC) to request scheduling an appointment at a non-NIH Health and Human Services (HHS) badging facility.
Please DO NOT reach out directly to non-NIH HHS badging offices for badging assistance.
AOs should contact ORS Personnel Security regarding remote badging services. There are existing agreements with the Program Support Center (PSC) in the following cities: Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle.
There are additional HHS badging facilities at locations not listed here that require DPSAC to communicate with on a case by case basis.
DPSAC will coordinate all of the badging services related to the remote individual. DPSAC encourages Administrative Officers (AO) to contact ORS Personnel Security at
orspersonnelsecurity@mail.nih.gov
in order to make the arrangements with the appropriate parties.
Modernizing & Strengthening the Security & Effectiveness of Federal Background Investigations;
Federal Government to Overhaul Background Investigation System
The White House issued the following 'fact sheet' on January 22, 2016
January 22, 2016 at 11:00 AM ET by
Jamal Brown
Summary:
Today, the Government announced a series of changes to modernize and strengthen the way we conduct background investigations and protect sensitive data.
The Administration is announcing today the results of that review, and steps we are taking to improve the Government's security clearance and background investigation processes for federal employees and contractors.
These actions include establishing a new federal entity, which will strengthen how the Federal Government performs background investigations.
The actions will also assign the Department of Defense (DOD) responsibility for the IT security of and data related to the background investigations systems for the new entity. These actions will create a more secure and effective Federal background investigations infrastructure.
Establishing a New Federal Entity to Strengthen How the Government Performs Background Investigations
OPM's Federal Investigative Services (FIS) currently conducts investi-gations for over 100 Federal agencies - approximately 95 percent of the total background investigations government-wide - including more than 600,000 security clearance investigations and 400,000 suitability investigations each year.
As part of the reforms being announced today, the Administration is establishing a new government-wide service provider for background investigations, the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB), which will assume this mission and absorb FIS.
NBIB will concentrate solely on providing effective, efficient, and secure background investigations for the Federal Government. NBIB will report to the OPM Director, but unlike the previous structure, DOD will assume responsibility for the design, development, security, and operation of the background investigations IT systems for the new entity.
Safety Corner
Strange Odor in the Workplace?
The following fire safety awareness article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal
Know what to do and don't spend time looking for the source of a strange odor - report it by dialing 911 on a NIH phone (301-496-9911 on a cell phone) or 9-911 if off campus and, if necessary, evacuate the area.
Spotlight on Service Providers
Who is a Service Provider?
A Service Provider is an individual who works for a company that provides services in support of the NIH mission.
Service Provider badges are limited to a select few individuals who provide mission support services to the NIH. Due to past abuses in the sponsorship and badge issuance process related to this category of visitor, very strict adherence to an individual's mission support function and continuous need for access are judged by the Chief of Police.
As an example, a sales representative is not considered to provide mission support to the NIH, whereas a nitrogen or oxygen delivery person accessing the campus two or three times a week is.
The REAL ID Act and NIH
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson recently announced the schedule for implementing the fourth and final phase of the REAL ID Act.
Starting October 1, 2020, every air traveler will need a REAL ID-compliant license, or another acceptable form of identification, for domestic commercial air travel (see
News Briefs
below for Secretary Johnson's statement and the schedule for completing this final phase).
Note: Starting January 22, 2018, passengers with a driver's license issued by a state that is still not compliant with the REAL ID Act (and has not been granted an extension) will need to show an alternative form of
acceptable identification for domestic air travel to board their flight. Passengers with driver's licenses issued by a state that is compliant with REAL ID (or a state that has been issued an extension) will still be able to use their driver's licenses or identification cards.
The REAL ID Act prohibits federal agencies from accepting, for official purposes, driver's licenses and identification cards issued by states that do not meet the law's standards for secure issuance and production.
On October 10, 2015, DHS implemented Phase 3 of the Act, which applies the REAL ID Act to all federal facilities "except those providing healthcare, federally protected benefits and participation in law enforcement functions."
Because the NIH falls into the category of 'excepted federal facilities' by providing health care and federally protected benefits, it is not currently enforcing the REAL ID Act for campus access purposes. The current NIH policy is to accept all driver's licenses so that patients, invited speakers, and medical students are not turned away.*
The Office of Security and Emergency Response has asked the NIH Office of General Counsel (OGC) to determine REAL ID enforcement applicability for NIH.
*While American Samoa, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, Minnesota and Washington currently do not comply with the act and do not have an extension from DHS, NIH is currently accepting driver's licenses from these states and territory. This may change based on OGC's interpretation of the law.
Helpful Tips
Do not lend your ID badge to anyone!
--
lending out your ID badge is prohibited. The issuance of ID badges is based on strict identity proofing and the determination of one's suitability for a specific position classification.
Spotlight on Fellows
This is the tenth in a series of articles spotlighting position classifications that the NIH uses to determine the type of badge it can issue.
Classification: Fellow
(as this classification appears in the NED portal)
Who is a Fellow?
Fellows are individuals who receive NIH stipends. This classification includes Visiting Fellows (NIH Intramural Visiting Fellow Program or VFP Program), Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Fellows and Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) Fellows.
VFP Fellowships
NIH Intramural Visiting Fellow Program (VFP) Fellowships are established for the principal benefit of non-immigrant foreign national participants and to provide opportunities for developmental training and practical research experience in a variety of disciplines related to biomedical research, medical library research and related fields.
VFP Fellowships are designed to provide research training "for which fellowship support is not provided under
Section 487 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (Title 42 United States Code, Chapter 6A)
, and which is not residency training of physicians or other health professionals.
Exchange Program Facilitates Collaboration between NIH and its Neighbors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS)
The NIH Associate Director for Security and Emergency Response, William Cullen, recently sent the following e-mail (excerpted below) to the NED Administrative Community announcing the adoption of an exchange program to facilitate collaboration between medical professionals from NIH, WRNMMC and USUHS in order to further their mutual research goals.
Dear NED Administrative Community,
The Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences (USUHS), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), and The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have formalized the exchange program of personnel between the Bethesda Campus and Naval Support Activity Bethesda to facilitate collaboration of medical professionals to further mutual research goals.
The NIH has now standardized the badging process to allow NIH-sponsored personnel from WRNMMC and USUHS to be identified as Collaborators (Clinical or Non-Clinical) in support of the exchange and to be issued a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card (also referred to as an HHS ID Badge). Please note that foreign nationals (FN) and short-term staff will receive a Restricted Local Access (RLA) badge in lieu of a PIV card.
To initiate the processing for a PIV card to access the NIH campus, WRNMMC and USUHS participants must be sponsored by an authorized NIH Administrative Officer within the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) as a Collaborator (Clinical or Non-Clinical). The Collaborator classification was deemed appropriate for the personnel coming from USUHS and WRNMMC to collaborate with the NIH.
Any other ID badge issued by NIH (e.g. legacy, extended visitor) is not allowable for personnel covered by the joint agreement.
News Briefs
Two New NED Training Videos Now Posted to the DPSAC Website
DPSAC recently produced two new videos for NED users describing how to carry out a "Push Transfer" task and a "Pull Transfer" task in the NED Portal. Each four-minute training module, posted on the DPSAC website under "Training" at
http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Training/Pages/nedweb.aspx
, demonstrates the steps to successfully complete these NED tasks.
Spotlight on Summer Students
This is the eleventh in a series of articles spotlighting position classifications that the NIH uses to determine the type of badge it can issue.
Classification: Summer Students
("Summer Student" is an attribute of certain classifications in NED, such as: NIH FTE - including GS, SES, Title 42, etc.; Fellow; Special Volunteer; and Guest Researcher)
Who is a Summer Student?
A Summer Student is a temporary, full- or part-time NIH employee (or FAES employee) who is a Summer hire (at NIH during Summer months).
Helpful Tips
NOT IN NED = NOT ENTERING ON DUTY --
a number of new hires continue to show up at the DPSAC Enrollment Office on their Entry on Duty (EOD) day without being entered into NED by their AO.
Unfortunately, these new hires will remain 'invisible' to DPSAC staff at enrollment until they appear in NED. As a result, DPSAC must send these individuals back to their AOs to be entered into NED before they can be enrolled and issued an HHS ID Badge (PIV Card).
Entering new hires into NED as soon as possible gives DPSAC access to the individual's Personally Identifiable Information or PII (Full Legal Name, SSN, Date of Birth and Place of Birth) which DPSAC uses to check against OPM's database to see if the individual has a closed background investigation on file.
If DPSAC staff can determine that the individual already has an acceptable background investigation on file, DPSAC can skip the costly and time consuming steps of initiating a new background investigation, reviewing the investigation when it is returned, and releasing it to OPM. The result is a speedier hiring process for DPSAC, OHR and the IC.
FAQs
Avoiding Badging Delays with Timely Registration of New Employees into NED
Q.
Can I put someone into NED even though that person's Entry On Duty (EOD) date is a few weeks off?
A.
Yes. DPSAC actually encourages AOs to enter new staff into NED a few weeks before EOD.
Q.
If a contractor is converting to an FTE, can I, as an AO, reclassify the contractor to FTE via a NED update prior to their first day as an FTE without causing the person's badge to be revoked?
A. Yes you can! A contractor badge (with the green stripe) will continue to work until the badge holder receives the HHS ID Badge (PIV Card) with a white 'stripe' that is issued to FTEs.
Foreign national contractors require special attention when they are converting to an FTE or are renewing their PIV card. Due to limitations in the HHS smart card management system, AOs need to be aware that renewing the badge of a foreign national currently in possession of a PIV card or reclassifying a foreign national with a PIV card from contractor to FTE results in the immediate revocation of the PIV card.
To help mitigate this problem,
foreign nationals with PIV cards
should make their badge enrollment and issuance appointments on the same day as the sponsorship action
to help avoid any interruption to physical or logical access due to a deactivated badge.
If the affected foreign national is not immediately notified via e-mail to schedule his/her enrollment and badge issuance appointments once NED is updated, the individual should visit DPSAC (or his/her local security office) to request an appointment.
AOs should reach out to their foreign national customers before starting the badge renewal or sponsorship task and explain the importance of picking up their new RLA badge on the same day that their PIV card is revoked. By coordinating the timing of these activities, the AO can help foreign nationals obtain their new RLA badges quickly and avoid any interruption to their access privileges at NIH.
Spotlight on Board Members
This is the twelfth in a series of articles spotlighting position classifications that the NIH uses to determine the type of badge it can issue.
Who is a Board Member?
A Board Member is an individual who is not on the NIH staff who serves as a member of an NIH or IC or Program Advisory Committee, Board, or Council.
NIH Boards are comprised of individuals who bring expertise from a multitude of disciplines and represent a wide range of stakeholders and organizations, including government agencies, academia, business, voluntary health organizations, associations, and many other public and private organizations.
Each year, NIH's National Advisory Councils/Boards, Boards of Scientific Counselors and Program Advisory Committees generally replace one quarter of their members.
Board Members at the NIH may include the following classifications of individuals:
1) Federal Employee - NIH Federal Employee, who has a PIV Card issued by NIH, or Non-NIH Federal Employee, who has a PIV Card issued by another Federal entity. This individual is in the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) and subject to the requirements to obtain a PIV Card. Please note that if a federal employee already has a PIV Card, he/she will not be required to complete additional background checks to serve as a Board Member.
2) Special Government Employee (SGE) - a member of an NIH Advisory Council, Board of Scientific Counselors or Program Advisory Committee who receives an honorarium and/or per diem and travel benefits the same as a federal employee.
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Director of NIH, or the Director of an Institute/Center(IC) appoints these individuals to serve on an NIH Advisory Council, Board of Scientific Counselors, or Program Advisory Committee.
DPSAC News spotlighted Special Government Employees in its
November 25, 2015
issue
3) Representative - a representative of an organization outside of the federal government, (e.g., the American Lung Association), and not compensated in any way by the NIH.
Type of badge issued to Board Members
Representatives (and Special Government Employees) are issued an NIH (Legacy) ID badge for physical access only.
Issuing Extended Visitor Badges at NIH - Then and Now
This article first appeared in the May 27, 2015 issue of DPSAC News
Prior to 2014, NIH could issue an ID badge to an Extended Visitor based on a 'Name Check' of that individual since a Name Check provided an individual's complete criminal history.
The NIH police processed 'Name Checks' through the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and were able obtain a full criminal history profile on people sponsored for a badge, free of charge.
The NCIC check was the minimum acceptable criteria agreed to by HHS that gave NIH the delegated authority to print an Extended Visitor badge and grant a person access.
Two nearly simultaneous events took place in 2014 that forced a review of physical access privileges offered to non-NIH staff:
First, the FBI restricted NIH's ability to obtain an individual's complete criminal history using a 'Name Check', citing a 300% increase in NIH's use of the system since 2010 and a shift in FBI policy.
Second, as a result of this change, and to maintain NIH's credentialing authority from HHS, the extended visitor categories were reduced to include only those individuals who meet all of the following five criteria:
- The individual has a supporting role to the NIH mission
- The individual has a recurring requirement to enter the campus for the purposes of supporting the mission
- The individual is sponsored by an Administrative Officer (AO), who is authorized to enter persons into NED for an HHS ID Badge (PIV Card)
- The individual allows the NIH Police to take his/her fingerprints and the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control to adjudicate the results, if issues are uncovered.
- The sponsoring IC pays for the cost of processing fingerprints, which is currently $21.50 (FY2015).
FAQs
Q.
Is there a way that an applicant can fax the completed background information forms to his or her IC AO, who can then hand deliver the documents to DPSAC with a receipt of delivery?
A. The completed background information forms cannot be sent to the IC AO.
Given that e-QIP contains extremely sensitive and personal information, AOs should not be receiving or handling these forms.
DPSAC has a secure fax line for direct transmission of e-QIP forms and releases. The fax number is 301-480-0108.
Spotlight on Alumni/Retirees
Classification: Alumni/Retiree
Who is an Alumni/Retiree?
An Alumni/Retiree is an individual who previously worked as a federal employee at the NIH and would like to continue research and support his/her IC in an ad hoc capacity once his/her employment has ended.
Alumni and Retirees are listed as separate classifications on the Extended Visitors application form (DEPVF-100). The Retiree title includes individuals who have worked for the federal government and NIH long enough to qualify for retirement from NIH. Alumni include individuals who have worked at NIH and left the employ of NIH before qualifying for retirement.
Safety Corner
NIH Fire Hazard Reporting Tool
The following fire safety awareness article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal, ORS, NIH
In January 2016, the Division of the Fire Marshal (DFM), Office of Research Services (ORS) kicked off the New Year with a fire safety campaign titled, "Help Us Help You! - Know How to Spot Common Fire Safety Hazards in the Workplace."
You can choose to provide your name and contact information or you are welcome to issue a report anonymously. If you choose to enter your contact information, your submission will be handled confidentially.
The NIH community should not assume the DFM is aware of, or is working to correct every fire safety hazard. Peer responsibility plays a large part in keeping NIH facilities fire-safe. Therefore, it is extremely important for the NIH community to be able to spot and correct, or report, the more common workplace fire safety hazards before a fire incident occurs.
Spotlight on Construction Workers
This is the fourteenth in a series of articles spotlighting position classifications that the NIH uses to determine the type of badge it can issue.
Who is a Construction Worker?
A Construction Worker is an individual who supports the NIH's construction efforts, is not an NIH employee, and is not at a managerial level.
Who is NOT a Construction Worker?
Grounds Maintenance, which is classified separately on the Badging Authority Chart, includes individuals who provide landscaping, snow removal, and other services on the (NIH) grounds. Construction Workers and Grounds Maintenance are issued the same type of badge and undergo the same background check.
Type of badge issued to Construction Workers
Construction Workers are issued an NIH Legacy Badge for identification purposes and for physical access to the NIH campus.
Students Begin Arriving for NIH's 2016 Summer Internship Program
New NIH policy requires the IC Program Office or AO to attest to Parental Consent (Forms) prior to entering a minor into NED
From now through early June, approximately 1200 men and women will arrive at NIH to begin their Summer internships under the NIH 2016 Summer Student program.
This competitive program gives selected students the opportunity to work side by side with some of the most talented researchers, administrative staff and health professionals in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research.
This is the second full spring that incoming Summer Students will be issued NIH Restricted Local Access (RLA) ID Badges for physical and logical access.
The RLA Badge requires the normal two appointments. During the first appointment (15 minutes) the student will be identity proofed, fingerprinted and photographed; at the second appointment (15 minutes) the student will be issued his or her RLA Badge.
Issuance is subject to DPSAC's successful review of the fingerprint results.
Summer Student Frequently Asked Questions
Q.
How is a Summer Student defined for classification purposes at NIH?
A. Summer Student is a temporary, full- or part-time NIH employee (or FAES employee) who is a Summer hire (at NIH during Summer months).
(Note: "Summer Student" is an attribute of certain classifications in NED, such as: NIH FTE - including GS, SES, Title 42, etc.; Fellow; Special Volunteer; and Guest Researcher)
Q. Are Summer Students entered into NED?
A. Yes. Administrative Officers/Administrative Technicians (AOs/ATs) will notice when registering an individual in NED that Summer Student is not a stand-alone Classification listed in the NED drop down menu. Rather, Summer Student is an attribute of certain position classifications.
Selecting certain classifications will prompt the NED portal user to indicate whether the individual is a Summer Student (Yes or No). Other classifications do not offer this prompt. Classifications that offer the Summer Student prompt include: "NIH FTE - including GS, SES, Title 42, etc.", "Fellow," "Special Volunteer" and Guest Researcher. Examples of classifications that do not offer the Summer Student option include: "NIH FTE - Commissioned Corps (CC)" and "Contractor."
When the NED Portal user selects a classification and affirms that the individual is a Summer Student on the NED registration screen, the classification defaults the individual to an RLA badge. AOs/ATs will enter the individual who qualifies for student designation into NED and will sponsor him/her for an RLA badge.
This badge will provide the student with physical access to the NIH Bethesda campus (and with logical access to the NIH Network and IT services, if deemed appropriate).
New Departmental Procedures Will Speed Transfer Process Between HHS Operating Divisions (OpDivs)
HHS is implementing a new process within the HHS Smartcard Management System (SCMS) that will speed transfers between OpDivs and help NIH better understand when transferees leave the agency.
As part of this new process, which is scheduled to begin in May, 2016, NIH will receive an e-mail from the SCMS when an NIH PIV Cardholder is reassigned to another OpDiv in the SCMS. SCMS notifications will be directed to:
orspersonnelsecurity@mail.nih.gov
.
According to DPSAC, the new process will have three steps:
Step 1. DPSAC receives notice that the PIV Cardholder has switched to
another OpDiv in the SCMS; Step 2. The DPSAC Customer Service Team contacts the IC AO to terminate or adjust the NED record as required; Step 3. The DPSAC Customer Service Team notifies Access Control that the IC will be mailing the PIV Card badge back to them.
New Briefs
The Tech That Locks Down ID Cards
(excerpted from GCN, February 29, 2016 by Stephanie Kanowitz)
Across federal and state governments alike, secure identity cards are getting more secure. Whether the card allows for access into a government building or travel to another country, new technologies are making it easier for officials to verify identities.
Take the new Permanent Resident Card, or green card, which lets holders live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently began issuing redesigned cards, the front of which features ink that shifts from gold to green, embedded radio frequency identity (RFID) technology, tactile laser personalization, a laser-engraved fingerprint and a unique background design.
On the back, the cards have a personalized embedded hologram. Additionally, ultraviolet technology and tactile clues help deliver more accurate readings at border crossings.
Like previous versions of the card, the new cards use embedded optical media to store digital files including biometrics, a holographic image and micro-images of high-resolution pictures of state flags and U.S. presidents.
Spotlight on Transportation Visitors
This is the fifteenth in a series of articles spotlighting position classifications that the NIH uses to determine the type of badge it can issue.
Classification: Transportation Visitor
Who is a Transportation Visitor?
(As this classification appears on the 'Badging Authority By Classification Table' posted at:
http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/badge/Pages/applying.aspx
)
A Transportation Visitor is an individual who transports (drops off / picks up) either (1) a child enrolled at an NIH child care center, or (2) a spouse, parent or adult child who works at NIH, but cannot drive himself or herself.
Coming Soon - Building 31 Badge Issuance Office to Relocate from B1A26 to 1B03
DPSAC will soon be moving its Badge Issuance/Access Control services out of its Building 31, Room B1A26 offices into new space that will be part of a suite of offices that currently house Enrollment and Customer Services in 31/1B03.
The goal of the move is to simplify the badging experience for DPSAC customers by making all badging services - Identity Proofing, Enrollment, Badge Issuance, and Customer Services -- available in a single, contiguous area. Applicants who have completed the Enrollment process will now be able to walk just a few feet to pick up their badge.
Spotlight on NIH Residents
This is the sixteenth in a series of articles spotlighting position classifications that the NIH uses to determine the type of badge it can issue.
Classification: NIH Resident
Who is an NIH Resident?
(As this classification appears on the 'Badging Authority By Classification Table' posted at:
http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/badge/Pages/applying.aspx
)
An NIH Resident is an individual who is not an NIH employee but resides on the NIH campus.
Who is not an NIH Resident?
The NIH Resident position classification should not be confused with short-term elective rotations at the NIH Clinical Center, offered to residents or clinical fellows who are currently enrolled in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited training programs throughout the United States.
NIH elective rotations offer residents or clinical fellows the opportunity to have direct experience in the care of patients enrolled in investigational protocols in a host of disciplines. The NIH Residency Electives Program does not offer housing for selected participants.
Type of badge issued to NIH Residents
NIH Residents are issued an NIH Legacy Badge for identification purposes and for physical access to the NIH campus.
All Building 31 Badging Services Now Offered at One Convenient Location
ID Badge Issuance Services in Building 31 Are Now Co-located with Badge Enrollment in the 31/1B03 suite.
On Wednesday May 19, 2016, DPSAC's ID Badge Issuance services moved out of its Building 31, B1A26 office to co-locate with ID Badge Enrollment and Badging Customer Service in the 1B03 suite of offices. This recently expanded site is conveniently located on the first level of Building 31 and now houses badging services in a single location.
The change in locations also brings a change in operating hours for Badge Issuance. Now, ALL badging services in Building 31, including Badge Issuance, will be available between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Note: DPSAC will continue to offer Enrollment and Badging services in the South Lobby of the Clinical Center from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Frequently Asked Questions
With Summer Students arriving at the NIH throughout May and early June, DPSAC News is re-running these FAQs to assist administrative staff responsible for sponsoring these new arrivals for an NIH RLA badge.
Q. Are Summer Students entered into NED?
A. Yes. Administrative Officers/Administrative Technicians (AOs/ATs) will notice when registering an individual in NED that Summer Student is not a stand-alone Classification listed in the NED drop down menu. Rather, Summer Student is an attribute of certain position classifications.
Selecting certain classifications will prompt the NED portal user to indicate whether the individual is a Summer Student (Yes or No). Other classifications do not offer this prompt. Classifications that offer the Summer Student prompt include: "NIH FTE - including GS, SES, Title 42, etc.", "Fellow", "Special Volunteer" and Guest Researcher. Examples of classifications that do not offer the Summer Student option include: "NIH FTE - Commissioned Corps (CC)" and "Contractor."
When the NED Portal user selects a classification and affirms that the individual is a Summer Student on the NED registration screen, the classification defaults the individual to an RLA badge. AOs/ATs will enter the individual who qualifies for student designation into NED and will sponsor him/her for an RLA badge.
This badge will provide the student with physical access to the NIH Bethesda campus (and with logical access to the NIH Network and IT services, if deemed appropriate).
Spotlight on Accompanied Visitors
DPSAC News concludes its Spotlight series with two 'accompanied visitor' classifications - Advanced Accompanied Visitors and Accompanied Child Visitors.
Classifications: Advanced Accompanied Visitors & Accompanied Child Visitors
Two categories of visitors to the NIH require accompaniment while on the NIH Bethesda main campus and both types of visitors are issued a temporary pass rather than a PIV Card or NIH Legacy ID Badge to gain access to the campus.
* For individuals who qualify for an Advanced Accompanied Visitors Pass (AAVP), an NIH Employee holding a valid NIH ID must serve as that person's sponsor and must accompany that person onto the NIH campus.
* Children under the age of 16 who are brought onto the NIH campus must be sponsored and accompanied by an NIH Employee or Contractor holding a valid NIH ID. These visitors will be issued an Accompanied Child Visitor Pass (ACVP)
Advanced Accompanied Visitors
Who is an Advanced Accompanied Visitor?
These are individuals who do not hold an HHS ID Badge or an NIH Legacy badge who want to visit the NIH campus to attend an event, visit a colleague, or conduct business.
For individuals who qualify for an Advanced Accompanied Visitors Pass (AAVP), an NIH Employee must serve as that person's sponsor and must accompany that person onto the NIH campus.
The "nVision-NED Repository"... A Powerful, Time-Saving Tool Available to AOs and ATs
Most AOs and ATs and other administrative staff are likely familiar with nVision as an enterprise reporting system at NIH. But many nVision and NED users may not be aware of the specialized tool, the 'nVision-NED Repository', that resides within nVision (and is accessible via a link in NED as well) that allows users to query NED directly to obtain customized, actionable reports.
Need to check out whether there are people in your IC who should be removed from NED? In the past you would have to ask the NED team to create a targeted search for you. Now you can quickly make the determination yourself using the nVision-NED Repository. Simply running the report in its standard form will quickly provide you a list of all active NED records in your IC.
This tool can do much more beyond just providing a list of active NED records. With some customization, you can obtain a wide-range of details about the NED records in your IC. Need to know whose ID Badges will be expiring by a certain date? Want to create a list of all Fellows in a specific SAC or find out which building and room everyone works in? The nVision-NED Repository has you covered.
Registering for the nVision-NED Repository will allow users to create customized reports like these and perform other ad hoc data analyses. As noted above, the 'Repository' can be accessed directly through the nVision HR portal or via a link in the NED system.
The NIH OHR has prepared an easy-to-follow job aid that explains in detail how to register for the nVision-NED Repository and take advantage of this valuable resource to generate useful NED reports.
To view a pdf version of the job aid, "Registering for the 'nVision-NED Repository' click here
Happy 9th Anniversary DPSAC News
June 2016 marks nine years that DPSAC News has been bringing timely articles about HSPD-12 and related security and safety issues to the NIH administrative community, to DPSAC and ORS staff, and to other stakeholders on a bi-weekly basis.
In May, subscriptions to DPSAC News passed the 1,300 mark (1,313 to be exact)!
DPSAC News appreciates the important role that its subscribers play in the security of NIH personnel and NIH facilities and will continue to report on topics they can use in their work to help keep the NIH safe.
The
June 8, 2016 issue of DPSAC News
reported on the 'nVision-NED Repository' and its value to AOs and ATs as a specialized reporting tool for creating actionable NED reports.
The article described various ways customers might use the nVision-NED Repository to generate custom reports. It also provided a link to an illustrated job aid,
Registering for the nVision-NED Repository
, prepared by the nVision team.*
Shortly after the story ran, the NED Team announced the release of several exciting new reports within the nVision NED Repository reporting area. These reports will support the NED reporting community by identifying data discrepancies between NED and nVision HR and NED and FPS.
Users registered for nVision HR or the nVision-NED Repository can access these reports. Simply go to the 'NED Repository' tab within the nVision HR Community Page:
https://nvision.nih.gov/nvision_hr_portal/
.
Note: nVision HR users will notice that nVision has reconfigured the HR Community Page. The NED Repository reporting area will now display as a separate tab (NED reporting was previously located in the bottom-right of the community page).
Below is a list of the new data discrepancy reports along with a brief explanation of the content provided with each one:
* In NED-not in nVision HR (NED-01): This report identifies active NIH FTE (employee) records in NED without a corresponding active record in nVision HR (Civilian/Commissioned Officers).
* In nVision HR-not in NED (NED-02): This report identifies NIH employees who are active in nVision HR(Civilian/Commissioned Officers), without a corresponding active NIH FTE (employee) record in NED.
* NED-nVision HR comparison (NED-03): This report identifies discrepancies in data values for people who are active in both NED and nVision HR (Civilian/Commissioned Officers) with at least one mismatched data value among common fields in the respective systems.
* In NED-not in FPS (NED-04): This report identifies active NED fellow records without a corresponding active record in FPS.
* In FPS-not in NED (NED-05): This report identifies fellows who are active in FPS without a corresponding active fellow record in NED.
* NED-FPS comparison (NED-06): This report identifies discrepancies in data values for people who are active in both NED and FPS with at least one mismatched data value among common fields in the respective systems.
National Security Background Investigation Required for NIH Staff Working at Walter Reed
This article first appeared in the February 28, 2015 DPSAC News
AO Role is Key to Timely Completion of Higher-Level Background Investigation
NIH Administrative Officers (AOs) and Administrative Technicians (ATs) need to plan ahead for individuals who expect to rotate through or work at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) since they will require a higher level (National Security) background investigation in order to work at that facility.
NIH staff applying for positions of national security must complete the Questionnaire for National Security Positions [SF86] and undergo the appropriate background investigation. DPSAC strongly suggests that individuals print an Archival Copy of the completed SF86 for their records.*
Because the process for completing a higher level background investigation takes considerable time, DPSAC is advising AOs and ATs to initiate the process as soon as the candidates know that they will be working at WRNMMC.
Pre-Screening Overview for New Federal Employees: What is Required for a Final Offer Letter to be Sent Out
In July 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandated additional security requirements be implemented by all HHS Operating Divisions (OpDivs), including NIH, when hiring new federal employees. It required that before a final offer letter of employment could be sent to a prospective hire, the candidate must:
- Undergo a criminal history check by submitting fingerprints to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
- Complete any/all required forms to conduct a background investigation
To meet these new requirements, DPSAC partnered with the Office of Human Resources (OHR) and the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) team to create a five-step pre-screening process that, once completed, would signal to OHR that it could make a final offer to the prospective hire.
The steps in pre-screening process include:
____ Action Performed by
Step 1: Tentative Offer ------ IC/HR
Step 2: NED record ------ IC/AO
Step 3: e-QIP ------ Individual/DPSAC
Step 4: Fingerprints ------ Individual/DPSAC
Step 5: Final offer ------ IC/HR
Paper Fingerprint Cards: A Tool of Last Resort
As part of the pre-screening processes at NIH, new federal employees must be fingerprinted to conduct a criminal history check. While DPSAC strongly urges individuals to use an NIH or HHS Enrollment Station to provide electronic fingerprints, they understand that at times this is simply not possible due to logistical considerations.
In these rare instances, DPSAC advises individuals to start the prescreening process by getting ink fingerprinted at a local Police Department and mailing the paper fingerprint cards to DPSAC. DPSAC in turn can submit the fingerprints to OPM to conduct the required check.
Recently DPSAC has fielded several inquiries from AOs asking whether individuals who have submitted paper fingerprint cards and have completed their e-QIP questionnaires need to take further action to be issued a PIV Card.
In a word, yes! Fingerprint cards can be used to conduct the required criminal history check as part of the pre-screening process, but the cards cannot be used as part of the process to receive a PIV card. Individuals still need to get enrolled (i.e., identity proofed, photographed and fingerprinted with an electronic fingerprint reader) at an NIH Enrollment Station when they arrive at NIH. This is because the PIV card stores electronically captured fingerprints and the photo on the smart chip embedded in the ID badge.
News Briefs
Increased Police Patrols and Inspections of Common Areas Begin July 1 on NIH Campus
ORS sent the following notice to the NIH workforce via the 'ORS Information Line' on June 29, 2016
Beginning July 1, 2016 you will see increased police presence around the NIH campus. NIH police and associated K-9 units will be more visible to the NIH community with increased patrols and inspections of common areas of campus, such as vehicles in parking lots and multi-level parking garages as well as buildings common spaces such as a building's atrium.
The security measures are being put in place to comply with the Department of Homeland Security Interagency Security Committee's (
https://www.dhs.gov/interagency-security-committee
) 2016 edition of "Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities."
Discussion of these changes included briefings to the NIH Scientific Directors, Executive Officers, Fellows Committee, Community Advisory Board for Security and the Office of Research Services Advisory Committee. These changes should not interfere with normal operations.
OPM: Background Check Hack Affected More People Than First Disclosed
Excerpted from the June 27, 2016 NextGov Newsletter by Aliya Sternstein
An historic background check breach that the Office of Personnel Management had said impacted 21.5 million individuals also compromised potentially tens of millions of more people than initially disclosed, according to OPM's website.
Other family members and close contacts of those victims are "affected," according to an updated OPM FAQ. Last summer, OPM announced attackers had opened files on 21.5 million national security personnel and their immediate dependents.
Suspected Chinese cyberspies set their sights on forms submitted by Americans seeking clearance to handle classified information that, among other things, included details on their private lives.
FAQs
Q.
I'm hearing from my Administrative Officers (AOs), seemingly on a regular basis, that they are losing their Sponsorship role in NED and are no longer able to see their AD Account Review in NED. When we notify the NED help staff, they are having the AO re-take the online PIV Sponsor training. Does Sponsorship have to be renewed each year?
A.
No. AOs should not have to renew their sponsorship authorization. Unfortunately, NED has a known defect, namely, that when the SACs available to a sponsor change (i.e., added or removed), the sponsor role is terminated. According to the NED team, when this happens in the future, the affected AO should open a ticket and the NED team can restore the sponsor role. Indicate in the comments that sponsorship needs to be restored.
Advanced Accompanied Visitor Pass (AAVP) Requests Now Handled 100% Online
On the heels of the DPSAC News spotlight on Accompanied Visitors in the
June 8, 2016 issue
, the NIH police activated a new and better web-based Advanced Accompanied Visitor Pass (AAVP) application process as part of its new Pre-Cleared Visitor Program (PCVP) designed to help employees facilitate campus access for their guests.
Two or more business days before the guest's arrival, an NIH employee/sponsor can fill out the appropriate request with the guest's information. The information is then forwarded to the NIH Police, who will review the request and provide the appropriate pass if everything is in order.
With the new system in place, NIH employees who want to request an AAVP on behalf of an incoming visitor will now complete the appropriate NIH Police form posted on the
NIH Security website
as a fillable pdf. Upon completing the form, the employee/sponsor will electronically submit it to the NIH Police/Guard service to administer a name check on the visitor against an FBI database.
Once the NIH Police are in receipt of a successful name check, they will e-mail an approval along with a Visitor Pass that the employee/sponsor will print out to present to the guard or police when s/he accompanies the visitor at one of the staffed entrances.
For the AAVP, the NIH requires the employee/sponsor requesting the pass to accompany the guest at the point of entry.
Video Spells Out New Streamlined Process for Obtaining an AAVP
To assist NIH employees who plan to serve as visitor sponsors (n.b., only NIH employees can sponsor a visitor to the NIH campus), the NIH Police, in collaboration with the HSPD-12 Program Office, developed a brief video that walks the viewer through the new streamlined AAVP application and issuance process for requesting an AAVP.
This video is posted on the NIH security website as 'Instructional Video' at:
http://cm.security.nih.gov/Pages/ PCVP.aspx
.
Sponsorship Role Restricted to Individuals with Administrative Officer Access to NED
The HSPD-12 Program regularly receives signed PIV Sponsor Training certificates submitted by well-meaning Administrative Technicians requesting authority to serve as a PIV Sponsor.
Unfortunately, the HSPD-12 Program office must inform these individuals that they are not eligible to become sponsors since ONLY individuals with an Administrative Officer role in NED can qualify as an HHS ID Badge/PIV Card Sponsor.
The
training section of the DPSAC website
defines a Sponsor as "the Administrative Officer or equivalent at the NIH who substantiates the need for an HHS ID Badge to be issued to the Applicant. The Sponsor requests the issuance of an HHS ID Badge to the Applicant."
FAQs
Q.
The
July 6, 2016 DPSAC News
article, "Pre-Screening Overview for New Federal Employees: What is Required for a Final Offer Letter to be Sent Out " appeared to focus on FTEs and not on non-FTEs (IRTA, Special Volunteers and Guest Researchers) and Contractors.
What is the policy and procedures for pre-screening and issuing ID badges to personnel who fall into these classifications?
A.
To get an HHS ID Badge/PIV Card, all applicants, including those you listed, must do two things:
1. Be identity proofed, photographed and fingerprinted (i.e., Enrolled), with their fingerprints sent to the FBI and returned as "clean or cleared", AND
2. Complete accurately and completely e-QIP and any attachments and submit/release them to DPSAC so that the Case Review Team can review their submission and release their packet to OPM.
BOTH MUST OCCUR TO GET A BADGE!
It is the act of releasing e-QIP and any attachments to OPM combined with clean fingerprints that allows for an HHS ID Badge/PIV Card to be issued
Note: all foreign nationals must go through the Division of International Services (DIS) to validate they are in the country legally and are permitted to work at NIH, i.e., not on a tourist or educational visa.
"Waiting for ..." Status Messages in NED Allow NED Portal Users to Monitor the Badging Process
DPSAC News begins a new series to help the Administrative Community better understand some of the status messages associated with the sponsorship, enrollment and badging processes the NED Portal displays under "View Badge History."
To access View Badge History, login to the NED Portal (
https://ned.nih.gov/ned
) and select the View Badge History menu option under the "View Record/Status" section.
Knowing how to monitor, interpret and act on status messages that appear under View Badge History in the NED Portal are valuable skills that Administrative Officers (AOs) and Administrative Technicians (ATs) and other NED portal users can use to help shepherd an individual through the sponsorship, enrollment and badging process and make sure an applicant receives his or her ID badge in a timely manner.
While View Badge History displays a number of status messages that give NED Portal users a useful snapshot of steps that have either been completed or that might be underway, there are six status messages that require action, either by the applicant, DPSAC or the AO before the next step in the badging process can begin. These are the 'Waiting for' messages displayed in sequential order under View Badge History.
Over the coming weeks, DPSAC News will go behind the scenes to examine each of these status messages in some detail, describing the purpose of each message, the steps necessary to move the badge process forward, and tips and tricks to help expedite the process.
An AO/AT who knows what is required to complete each task is more likely to spot where a delay may be occurring and intervene to move the process forward.
The goal is to ensure that the applicant can get his or her HHS ID Badge/PIV card and start work as soon as s/he arrives for duty at NIH.
Below are the six 'Waiting for' messages that DPSAC News will cover in some detail over the next several weeks:
- Waiting for individual to submit personal information online
- Waiting for Sponsor to substantiate the need for the ID badge
- Waiting for DIS to validate work status
- Waiting for DPSAC to determine investigation requirements
- Waiting for DPSAC to authorize ID badge issuance
- Waiting for the individual to pick up a new ID badge
"Waiting for individual to submit personal information online"
is the first 'Waiting for' task that an AO/AT may see under View Badge History after initiating a NED Portal Register/Activate task for an applicant coming on board.
DIS Asking AOs to Update Citizenship Status in NED for Foreign Nationals Who Have Become U.S. Citizens
According to the Division of International Services (DIS), while many eligible U.S. lawful permanent residents (LPRs) apply for, and are granted, U.S. citizenship within 3-5 years of obtaining their LPR status, they may not remember to report their change of citizenship status to their IC.*
DIS is in the process of updating the NED data it maintains for foreign nationals at NIH and is asking the Administrative Community for their help by speaking with their scientists and updating the NED records of LPRs who have secured U.S. citizenship.
News Briefs
Increased Police Patrols and Inspections of Common Areas on NIH Campus
Beginning July 1, 2016 NIH police and associated K-9 units stepped up patrols and inspections of common areas on the NIH campus, including vehicles in parking lots and multi-level parking garages and building common spaces (e.g., building atria).
These security measures were put in place to comply with the Department of Homeland Security Interagency Security Committee's (
https://www.dhs.gov/interagency-security-committee
) 2016 edition of "Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities."
These changes should not interfere with normal operations.
FAQs
Q.
If a Contractor is converting to an FTE, should I be advising the AO to wait until the expected EOD date before reclassifying the person to avoid having his/her Contractor badge cut off?
A.
The "Contractor" badge (green stripe) is still good - and live - until the person picks up his/her HHS ID Badge (presumably at EOD).
Q.
I've heard from several Administrative Officers (AOs) who seem to have lost their NED Portal Sponsor role for no apparent reason. Does the Sponsor role need to be renewed each year?
A. No. The NED Portal Sponsor role does not need to be renewed. Once granted, the role should remain with a person unless they change ICs, convert to a non-FTE, or someone revokes their AO role. That said, NED has a known defect that results in revocation of an AO's Sponsor role when someone modifies the AO's SAC coverage. According to the NED team, if this happens, the affected NED Portal user should submit a request to the NIH IT Service Desk to have NED Support restore the Sponsor role.
"Waiting for ..." Status Messages in NED Allow NED Portal Users to Monitor the Badging Process
NED generates a number of status messages that give portal users useful snapshots of tasks that have either been completed or that might be underway in the badging process.
Six of these status messages are unique in that they require action, either by the applicant, DPSAC, or the Administrative Officer (AO) before the next task in the badging process can begin. These are the 'Waiting for' messages that NED generates in sequential order in the View Badge History section.
"Waiting for Sponsor to substantiate the need for the ID Badge"
Upon AO approval of a NED Portal Register/Activate task that includes an ID badge request, View Badge History displays the message "Waiting for Sponsor to substantiate the need for the ID badge" under the "Badge Activation" section.
If a NED Portal user with the AT role initiates a Register/Activate task and the AO who approves the task has the Sponsor role, they can sponsor the badge at the time of approval. If an AO initiates and submits a Register/Activate task, NED generates an "Awaiting Sponsorship" task and displays it in the NED Inbox of Sponsors whose primary SAC coverage includes the applicant's SAC assignment. A Sponsor can run the task from his/her NED Inbox and sponsor the applicant's ID badge.
Following sponsorship, View Badge History displays the following messages under Badge Activation: "Sponsor substantiated the need for the ID Badge" and "NED sent position information to DPSAC."
Reminder to AOs: Return Summer Student RLA Badges to DPSAC When Student's Employment Period Ends
DPSAC wants to remind AO Sponsors to collect the RLA badges from their Summer students once they end their employment/affiliation with the NIH and return them to DPSAC in Building 31, Room 1B03. All Summer Student RLA badges expire on September 30.
Safety Corner
Help Keep NIH Public Assembly Events Safe
The following fire safety awareness article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal, ORS, NIH
A "Public Assembly Event" is defined by the National Fire Codes as a gathering of 50 or more people for purposes such as lectures, plays, concerts, sporting events, amusements, entertainment, eating, drinking, banquets and worship services.
Public assembly events are typically held in structures that are classified as "Assembly Occupancies." (Examples include: auditoriums with fixed or loose chair seating, large conference rooms, multipurpose rooms, exhibition halls, libraries and cafeterias.)
With this type of occupancy, the fire codes are concerned with safety and hazards associated with large numbers of people gathered in one place at one time. Therefore, NIH public assembly events are required to comply with specific life safety requirements.
In order to assist the NIH community in meeting these requirements, the Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services provides: life safety consultations; pre-event planning; open flame permits; approvals for interior finishes and decorative materials; fire protection surveys; and, occupant load monitoring (e.g., crowd control).
Public assembly events at the NIH can be safely attended by employees and visitors by supporting the personnel who oversee the various public assembly requirements in order to avoid the following problem conditions:
-
Overcrowding
-
Blocked or impaired exits or means of exit access such as aisles
-
Chained or locked exits
-
Storage of combustible materials in non-approved locations
-
Improper use or control of smoking materials and open flames
-
Disregard for the fire characteristics of non-approved interior
finish and decorative materials
"Waiting for DIS to validate work status"
This is the third in a series exploring the "Waiting for ..." Status messages in NED that allow NED Portal users to monitor the badging process
The NED Portal's "View Badge History" displays a number of status messages that give Portal users useful snapshots of tasks that have either been completed or that might be underway in the badging process.
Waiting for DIS to Validate Work Status
Following sponsorship of a non-U.S. citizen who is not a lawful permanent resident (LPR), View Badge History displays "Waiting for DIS to validate work status."
Whereas U.S. Citizen applicants (and LPRs for now) can expect to proceed directly to Enrollment once they have been sponsored and their position information has been sent to DPSAC, non-LPR foreign nationals must first present themselves to DIS for additional vetting before DPSAC will enroll them for an ID badge.
As part of its validation process, DIS reviews the non-LPR foreign national's work authorization and immigration documents in order to enter their "Alien Authorized Work Until Date" (AAWUD). Please refer to "
Points to Remember about Foreign Nationals and Work Authorization
" to read more about AAWUD).
Important: NED will not send the badge request to DPSAC until DIS has validated the non-LPR, foreign national's work status.
Following completion of DIS validation, the ID badge process moves forward and View Badge History displays "NED sent position information to DPSAC."
Points to remember about foreign nationals and work validation:
- Only two fields on the NED Personal Information page are relevant in determining whether the Division of International Services (DIS) needs to validate an Applicant's work status: 'Country of Citizenship' and 'Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).' DIS only validates Foreign Nationals (non-US citizens) who are *not* LPRs. This policy may change in the future!
- A United States Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) is someone who has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. As proof of that status, a person is granted a permanent resident card (Form I-551), commonly called a "Green Card," which contains an Alien #/USCIS# specific to that person.
- Once DIS verifies the applicant's documents and completes a series of additional steps, the DIS Immigration Specialist updates the applicant's record in the NED Portal and the badge process moves to the next step.
Visitor Badges: The ONLY Option for Applicants Awaiting their PIV Cards
Use of a temporary or interim ID Badge/Card/Credential is prohibited for individuals who require a PIV card
DPSAC recently learned that some ICs are arranging for the issuance of NIH Legacy badges or other temporary ID cards (some seen with NIH and/or HHS logos) as a temporary 'solution' for individuals who are coming on board at NIH and are awaiting approval for a PIV card. Use of an NIH Legacy badge (or other interim credential) as a temporary means of gaining access to the NIH campus is prohibited.
Individuals who are being processed for an HHS ID Badge (PIV card) and who need to access the NIH campus are required to enter the NIH through the NIH Visitor Center or the NIH Gateway Center and obtain a daily visitor pass until s/he completes his/her Enrollment and Badge Issuance appointments.
Instructions for getting a new HHS ID Badge are spelled out in the following article: Getting a New HHS ID Badge.
Getting a New HHS ID Badge
The instructions below describe the four steps each applicant must take to successfully complete the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process and obtain a Health and Human Services (HHS) ID Badge (a.k.a., PIV Card).
For applicants at NIEHS-RTP and RML: Special instructions for completing the PIV process at these facilities can be found at
NIEHS-RTP
(PDF, 4 Pages) and
RML
(PDF, 2 Pages) respectively.
Step 1. Pre-Enrollment
Step 2. Background Investigation
Step 3. Enrollment (photograph and fingerprints)
Step 4. Getting Your New HHS ID Badge (Badge Issuance)
Safety Corner
Alert: Bogus Phishing 'Security' E-Mail 'Alert' Circulating Across NIH
A number of NIH staff have recently reported receiving a suspicious e-mail. NIH IT security has been alerted to its existence and is advising anyone who receives this e-mail to "Please do not click on any links nor reply to the sender in suspected phishing e-mails." "No further action is needed, please delete the original suspicious e-mail from your Inbox."
"Waiting for DPSAC to determine investigation requirements"
This is the fourth in a series exploring the "Waiting for ..." status messages in NED that allow NED Portal users to monitor the badging process.
The fourth "Waiting for" message: "Waiting for DPSAC to Determine Investigation Requirements"
Once the Sponsor of a U.S. Citizen (or LPR) applicant has substantiated the need for the ID Badge, or the Division of International Services (DIS) has validated the work status of a non-Lawful Permanent Resident, foreign national, 'View Badge History' displays the following sequential status messages: "NED sent position information to DPSAC" and "Waiting for DPSAC to Determine Investigation Requirements."
Determining the need for a background investigation
At this point, the applicant must wait for DPSAC to determine if a new background investigation is required. Once a determination has been made, DPSAC can notify the applicant to make an enrollment appointment.
The 'Waiting for DPSAC to Determine Investigation Requirements' status message is a signal to DPSAC to access the OPM database of completed background investigations to see if the individual has a previous investigation on file that meets the requirements for his/her position at NIH.
With the OPM background investigation information in hand, DPSAC manually updates the NIH Background Information Tracking System (BITS) database which in turn notifies the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED).
NED then uses the investigation requirements to determine who can be enrolled and issued their ID badge on the same day (i.e., the applicant has an appropriate background investigation on file) and who can be enrolled, but must wait for their ID badge (i.e., the applicant does not have an appropriate background investigation on file and must first complete and submit his/her e-QIP).
At Enrollment, badge applicants who have an appropriate investigation on file will be identity proofed, photographed and will require only two fingers printed. Badge applicants who require an investigation will be identity proofed, photographed, and will undergo fingerprinting of all ten fingers.
Applicants with an appropriate background check on file
For an applicant who has an appropriate background investigation on file, a badge is authorized for issuance as soon as the applicant completes enrollment and NED submits a badge creation request to the HHS Smart Card Management System.
View Badge History will display the status messages "Badge Creation Request Submitted" and "Waiting for the individual to pick up new ID badge"
Applicants without an appropriate background check on file
For an applicant who still must complete his/her e-QIP and therefore does not yet have an investigation on file, View Badge History displays the following sequential messages: "Applicant Enrollment Complete" and "Waiting for DPSAC to authorize the ID badge for issuance."
The applicant must successfully submit his/her e-QIP to DPSAC before DPSAC can authorize the ID badge for issuance (see Figure 2). Click here to view an enlarged image of Figure 2.
Points to remember:
- Individuals who have an appropriate background check on file (i.e., a background check that matches the requirements of his/her position) will be enrolled using only two fingerprints and can pick up their badge following enrollment.
- Individuals who do not have an appropriate background check on file (either there is no background check on file, or the current background check does not match the elevated requirements of the position) will be enrolled using all ten fingerprints and must wait for DPSAC to authorize the ID badge for issuance.
Common Mistakes PIV Card Applicants Make on their e-QIP Submissions --Plus Some Errors AOs Make When Entering Related Personally Identifiable Information (PII) into NED
As part of the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process required for the issuance of a PIV card (HHS ID Badge), each applicant must complete a questionnaire through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM's) secure online system: the Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP).
DPSAC, which is required to review the applicant's e-QIP for accuracy and completeness before it releases the questionnaire to OPM, regularly finds errors and omissions in the questionnaires submitted by the applicants.
When DPSAC reviewers discover incomplete or faulty e-QIP submissions, they must send the questionnaires back to the applicant to be corrected or completed.
Unfortunately a returned questionnaire will mean delays in the badging process and/or a disabling and confiscation of a person's badge at the perimeter gate when the person attempts to enter the NIH campus. In instances when the individual's badge is confiscated, s/he will need to contact Personnel Security to re-initiate his or her background investigation.
DPSAC has prepared a list of the most common errors and omissions associated with e-QIP applications. DPSAC hopes that by making applicants aware of these common errors, applicants can avoid problems before they occur and not have to experience delays in the badging process.
"Waiting for DPSAC to authorize ID badge issuance"
This is the fifth in a series exploring the
"Waiting for ..." status messages in NED that allow NED Portal users to monitor the badging process.
Waiting for DPSAC to authorize ID badge issuance
The fifth message, "Waiting for DPSAC to authorize ID badge issuance"
is the next sequential 'Waiting for...' message to appear following "Waiting for DPSAC to Determine Investigation Requirements."
Before DPSAC can authorize ID badge issuance, DPSAC must have (1) the results of the fingerprint check and (2) e-QIP submitted to OPM.
One of the more surprising, consistent and disappointing metrics regularly reported by DPSAC identifies over two thirds of applicants' e-QIP submissions with missing and/or incorrect information or all required forms.
Despite appeals through DPSAC News articles and correspondence with the administrative community and badge applicants to make sure e-QIP questionnaires and ALL accompanying required forms are complete and accurate before submitting them to DPSAC, this statistic has remained fairly constant.
Remember, DPSAC's goal is to issue badges to all applicants in a timely manner, i.e., they have their badges on their first day of work. DPSAC cannot release the applicant's e-QIP and ALL accompanying required forms to OPM until they are in receipt of the applicant's completed e-QIP and ALL required forms.
Applicants with an appropriate background check on file
For an applicant who has an appropriate background investigation on file, a badge is authorized for issuance as soon as the applicant completes enrollment and NED submits a badge creation request to the HHS Smart Card Management System (SCMS).
View Badge History will display the status messages "Badge Creation Request Submitted" and "Waiting for the individual to pick up new ID badge" (Figure 1). Click
here
to view an enlarged image of Figure 1.
Applicants without an appropriate background check on file
For an applicant who still must complete his/her e-QIP and therefore does not yet have an appropriate investigation on file, View Badge History displays the following sequential messages: "Applicant Enrollment Complete" and "Waiting for DPSAC to authorize the ID badge for issuance."
The applicant must successfully submit his/her e-QIP to DPSAC AND have his or her fingerprints scanned successfully and adjudicated, if necessary, before DPSAC can authorize the ID badge for issuance (Figure 2). Click
here
to view an enlarged image of Figure 2.
Note: if an applicant's fingerprints are un-classifiable (i.e, they cannot be read electronically by OPM), DPSAC may contact the person to be fingerprinted again.
Once both requirements (i.e., successful fingerprints and a successful e-QIP submission) are met, DPSAC manually updates the Background Information Tracking System (BITS) which in turn notifies NED to authorize the ID badge for issuance.
Points to remember:
- Individuals who have an appropriate background investigation on file (i.e., a background check that matches the requirements of his/her position) will be enrolled using only two fingerprints and can pick up their badge following enrollment.
- Individuals who do not have an appropriate investigation on file (either there is no background investigation on file, or the current background investigation does not match the elevated requirements of the position) will be enrolled using all ten fingerprints and must wait for DPSAC to authorize the ID badge for issuance.
Once both requirements (i.e., successful fingerprints and a successful e-QIP submission) are met, DPSAC manually updates the Background Information Tracking System (BITS) which in turn notifies NED to authorize the ID badge for issuance.
Last Call and Reminder to AOs: Return Summer Student RLA Badges to DPSAC When Student's Employment Period Ends
DPSAC wants to remind AO Sponsors to collect the RLA badges from their Summer students once they end their employment/affiliation with the NIH and return them to DPSAC in Building 31, Room 1B03. All Summer Student RLA badges are accountable property and all automatically expire on September 30 and will not work thereafter.
Safety Corner
Fire Prevention Week 2016 (October 9 - 15, 2016)
"Don't Wait - Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years"
This fire safety awareness article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal, ORS, NIH
This year the Fire Prevention Week campaign "Don't Wait - Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years" takes aim at ensuring every room used for sleeping in your home has a working smoke alarm. In fact, working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in home fires in half!
Smoke alarms generally have a useful life expectancy of 10 years. It is wise to check the date of manufacture for your smoke alarms and replace them as you deem appropriate.
The Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services is strongly urging the NIH community to ensure their homes, sleeping rooms, and loved ones are adequately protected by using battery operated smoke alarms in their residences.
"Waiting for the individual to pick up new ID badge"
This is the sixth and final article in a series exploring the
"Waiting for ..." status messages in NED that allow NED Portal users to monitor the badging process.
When NED authorizes the ID badge for issuance, the sixth message, "Waiting for the individual to pick up new ID badge," will appear under the NED Portal's "View Badge History."
At this point, NED will send the applicant an e-mail to schedule a badge issuance appointment. The applicant can use the online calendar (a link to the calendar is provided in the e-mail ), or s/he may contact the
DPSAC Access Control
office (or the appropriate security office at one of NIH's remote sites) to schedule an appointment.
Note: NIAID's Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) (MT) does not offer an online scheduling calendar. The applicant will need to visit or contact the
RML security office
to schedule a badge issuance appointment.
Additional Badging Services at Remote Locations
From time to time, remote NIH employees, contractors and affiliates will require assistance with identity proofing, enrollment, certificate renewal and ID badge issuance.
If an individual is unable to visit an NIH badging facility due to lack of proximity, please reach out to the NIH Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC) to request scheduling an appointment at a non-NIH Health and Human Services (HHS) badging facility.
Remote Processing in Arizona
DPSAC encourages Administrative Officers (AOs) to contact ORS Personnel Security at
orspersonnelsecurity@mail.nih.gov
or 301-402-9755 to make arrangements with the appropriate parties.
Remote Processing at PSC Locations
NIH-DPSAC has made arrangements with the Program Support Center (PSC) in the Department's 10 regional offices to assist with Identity Proofing, Enrollment and Badge Issuance.
The 10 PSC offices are located in the following cities: Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City (MO), Denver, San Francisco and Seattle. DPSAC will coordinate the appointments at these 10 locations.
Please DO NOT reach out directly to non-NIH HHS badging offices for badging assistance. AOs should contact ORS Personnel Security regarding remote badging services.
Points to remember:
- Applicants must bring two forms of acceptable identification when they show up at their badge issuance appointment. (One must be a federal or state-issued photo ID and both must not be expired.
- Both forms of ID must show the applicant's Full Legal Name. Full Legal Name consists of Full First Name, Full Last Name. Middle Name or Initial is preferred but not required. IMPORTANT: The names on the two IDs MUST MATCH.
- Applicants who wish to check the status of his/her HHS ID Badge can log into NED (s/he must already be logged into the NIH network to access NED). After logging in, the applicant can click on the "Track My Badge Status" button to view most up-to-date information on his/her new HHS ID Badge.
FAQs
Q. I am an AO working with a badge applicant living in Arizona who will need to be enrolled and issued a badge. Is there somewhere nearby that she can go for these services?
A.
Yes. You should contact ORS Personnel Security at 301-402-9755
Q.
I am an AO working with a badge applicant living in Chicago who will need to be enrolled and issued a badge. Is there a local badging office he can go to get help?
A. Yes. NIH-DPSAC has made arrangements with the Program Support Center (PSC) in the Department's 10 regional offices to assist with Identity Proofing, Enrollment and Badge Issuance. The 10 PSC offices are located in the following cities: Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City (MO), Denver, San Francisco and Seattle. DPSAC will coordinate the appointments at these 10 locations.
Please DO NOT reach out directly to non-NIH HHS badging offices for badging assistance. AOs should contact ORS Personnel Security regarding remote badging services.
Verifying Residency and Citizenship When Registering Badge Applicants in NED - Where Errors Occur
In this issue of DPSAC News, the focus turns to NED registration and some of the common errors that the Division of Personal Security and Access Control (DPSAC) sees in regards to an individual's citizenship status.
Most often, these errors occur when NED portal users enter Personally Identifiable Information (PII) for an applicant and make faulty assumptions about the individual's place of birth, residency or citizenship status.
It is very important that these questions regarding citizenship be answered accurately. They help determine the type of ID badge issued to the applicant, how long the badge will be valid, whether the person must visit DIS as part of the badging process and the type of background investigation that must be completed.
Points to remember:
- Don't assume that a person living in the U.S. has Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status. They may be residing and working in the U.S. under a temporary visa.
- A United States Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) is someone who has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. As proof of that status, a person is granted a permanent resident card (Form I551), commonly called a "green card" which contains an Alien#/USCIS# specific to that person.
- An individual can be a citizen of a foreign country, but still be a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (green card).
- Only two fields on the NED Personal Information page are relevant in determining whether the Division of International Services (DIS) needs to validate an Applicant's work status: 'Country of Citizenship' and 'Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR).' DIS only validates Foreign Nationals (non-US citizens) who are *not* LPRs. This policy may change in the future!
- DIS validation is typically provided at the time of Entry on Duty (EOD)/check-in.
- DIS must verify the applicant's documents and complete a series of additional steps before the DIS Immigration Specialist can update the applicant's record in the NED Portal and allow the badge process to continue toward approval and issuance.
- DIS needs to review a non-LPR, foreign national's work authorization and immigration documents in order to enter their "Alien Authorized Work Until Date" (AAWUD) in NED.
Important: NED will not send the badge request to DPSAC until DIS has validated the non-LPR, foreign national's work status.
The AO Sponsor who can answer these questions and is familiar with the various citizenship and residency requirements and proactively reaches out to his or her applicant to clarify citizenship questions will be helping his/her applicant avoid the inevitable delays that occur when citizenship and residency fields are entered incorrectly in NED.
Please note that PII should always be transmitted securely.
Below are brief descriptions of the citizenship categories to help AO sponsors complete the residency and citizenship fields accurately:
U.S. Citizen:
U.S. citizens are:
- individuals born in one of the several states of the United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, or Virgin Islands;
- foreign-born children, under age 18, residing in the U.S. with their birth or adoptive parents, at least one of whom is a U.S. citizen by birth or naturalization; and
- individuals granted citizenship status by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (naturalized U.S. citizens).[1]
Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR):
- A United States LPR is someone who has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. As proof of that status, a person is granted a permanent resident card (Form I-551), commonly called a "green card," which contains an Alien#/USCIS# specific to that person.
Never hesitate to reach out to the applicant if there's a question about the individual's work or citizenship status. A quick conversation or e-mail exchange with the applicant can help avoid errors and minimize delays in the badging process.
OPM Publishes FY 2017 Pricing Schedule for Background Investigations
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has published the FY 2017 pricing schedule for Background Investigations in OPM Federal Investigations Notice - No. 16-06: Investigations Reimbursable Billing Rates Effective October 1, 2016.
According to the notice, "for FY 2017, the OPM is issuing prices to fully recover an estimated 5.4% increase in the costs necessary to sustain and advance the program." To read Notice 16-06 in its entirety and view all FY 2017 billing rates, please click on the link:
Federal Investigations Notice No.16--06
.
November 23, 2016
HHS OSSI Now Must Approve Individuals Filling Positions Requiring National Security Clearance
Since September 11, 2001, the United States has worked diligently to better secure and protect its citizens and the nation against terrorism. As an important part of these efforts, the federal government has implemented a number of policies that tighten the screening and vetting processes for current and future federal workers.
Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced changes to its policies for granting national security clearances. At NIH, these changes will affect a very small segment of its workforce, namely, those who require an active security clearance and who are hired for 'non-critical sensitive' or 'critical' positions. According to DPSAC, these individuals will require special handling before they come on board.
OSSI/HHS to confirm whether a position requires a security clearance before DPSAC submits e-QIP to OPM
To be consistent with these policies and Department changes for granting national security clearance, DPSAC will now collect all required forms before the individual comes on board for any federal positions designated as 'non-critical sensitive' or 'critical.' These forms include the OF-8, the Position Description (PD), and the Request for Security Clearance form HHS-207.
Before DPSAC releases the individual's e-QIP to OPM, the
HHS Office of Security and Strategic Information (OS/OSSI)
will review these forms to confirm that the current position and position sensitivity requires a security clearance.
If a new OF-8/PD is created, it must state the need for the security clearance prior to OSSI granting clearance. OSSI also requires that the PD must reflect that a security clearance is required to perform their daily duties and that security clearances are not granted for additional or collateral duties.
The goal of these policies is to maintain an effective program to ensure that access to classified information by each employee is clearly consistent with the interests of the national security.
CIT to LWS Points of Contact: Expect a Spike in Digital Certificate Update Requests
CIT recently notified all NIH Lifecycle Work Station (LWS) Operators/Points of Contact (POC) about plans to correct errors in the PIV card digital certificates of about 3,000 people at NIH.
Below is the e-mail that went out to the LWS POCs as well as a copy of the e-mail that will be sent to those who need to update their digital certificates. This message explains why the PIV certificates need to be updated, and provides instructions on how to download new certificates.
So, if you see an influx of people at your LWS, this is why.
What You Can Do To Help
- Help people update their digital certificates. The process is the same as if they are renewing their digital certificates.
- If people ask, confirm that the attached e-mail is legitimate and not phishing or SPAM.
OPM Publishes FY 2017 Pricing Schedule for Background Investigations
This latest pricing schedule is also posted on the DPSAC website under
Background Checks
.
Getting a New PIV Card Because of a Name Change
The NIH IT Service Desk is asking the administrative community to inform customers having a Name Change to contact the Service Desk/Accounts Team to process the name change on their domain and e-mail account BEFORE picking up their new PIV Card (HHS ID Badge).
Customers should not go to the badging office to get their new badge (PIV Card) prior to the name change being processed on their Domain Account.
According the NIH IT Service Desk, customers who get a new PIV card/badge prior to the Service Desk making changes on the account will need to update the certificates on the PIV card after the Service Desk makes the changes.
By waiting for the name change to be processed on their Domain Account, the customer can avoid having to update their digital certificates after they pick up their new PIV card. Following the correct sequence will also help the individual avoid any inconvenience or confusion when s/he discovers that the PIV card is not working properly.
Avoid Losing Your Access to the NIH Network
Individuals who fail to respond to Letters of Inquiry (LOI) from DPSAC adjudicators or who fail to complete and submit their e-QIP in a timely manner are subject to having their logical access (i.e., access to the NIH network) deactivated.
DPSAC urges anyone receiving an LOI from its adjudication staff to respond as soon as they are in receipt of the letter.
FAQs
Q. I have someone coming on board who would like to avoid having to go to the NIH Gateway Visitors Center each day to obtain a temporary visitor badge while he's waiting for his PIV card from DPSAC. Can I request an extended visitor badge to give him access to campus while he waits for his badge?
A. No. ICs should not request an extended visitor badge while waiting for a PIV card or an RLA badge from DPSAC.
NED Team to Deploy NED v4.0 for Increased System Security, Improved Platform to Support New Functionality
The NED team will deploy an upgraded version (v4.0) of the NED Portal during the weekend of December 9 with a go-live date of December 12. The upgraded Portal utilizes new business process management software running on new hardware. The upgrade will increase system security and provide an improved, modernized platform that will better support future system enhancements and new functionality.
How will the upgrade affect NED Portal users?
The NED Portal URL is changing, but users will be automatically redirected to the new URL starting December 12. The NED team will communicate the new URL on December 12.
After the upgrade, Portal users with the Administrative Officer (AO) or Administrative Technician (AT) role will see a few cosmetic changes, e.g., minor differences in the look and feel of their Portal Inbox. Also, after initiating a Portal task, an AO or AT won't see the Portal menu until after they complete, save or terminate the task. Click
here
to view a complete list of differences between the NED v3.x and NED v4.0 Portal.
Aside from these minor differences, the NED Team expects no impact to NED Portal users.
December 7, 2016
NIH Moves to Expedite Hiring in Anticipation of End-of-Year Hiring Actions
In order to expedite the end of year hiring surge, the Office of Human Resources (OHR) and the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC) are working together to expedite hiring actions.
Institute/Center (IC) hiring officials and Administrative Officers (AOs) are encouraged to work with their servicing HR specialist to ensure their candidates are processed as efficiently as the system will allow.
Administrative Officers (AOs): Don't Abandon a NED Record Just Because You Entered Incorrect Information During the Registration Process
Starting a New NED Registration While an Incorrect Record is Still in the Pipeline Can Compromise Security and Data Integrity. According to the ORS Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC) and the Division of International Services (DIS), abandoning an incorrect and incomplete NED record may result in multiple records for the same person, very possibly compromising security and creating data integrity issues.
The creation of multiple NED records occurs most often after a person has been entered into NED and sponsored for an ID badge. At that point, the AO will be notified that the personal information associated with the NED record is inaccurate. When this occurs, the correct solution is not to create a new NED record using the correct information, but to update the existing NED record to reflect the correct information. This will avoid multiple NED records for the same individual.
Any AO who is not sure how to successfully update an existing record when erroneous information is discovered should submit a ticket to the NIH Service Desk. The Service Desk will have a NED administrator contact the AO and advise him/her on how to successfully correct the necessary information.
If an AO has questions about a citizenship classification, s/he can contact DIS directly. Contact information and hours of operation are posted at:
https://www.ors.od.nih.gov/pes/dis/AboutDIS/Pages/default.aspx.
CIT to LWS Points of Contact: Expect a Spike in Digital Certificate Update Requests
CIT recently notified all NIH Lifecycle Work Station (LWS) Operators/Points of Contact (POC) about HHS's plans to correct errors in the PIV card digital certificates of about 3,000 people at NIH.
Due to this pending action, LWS operators should expect an increase in requests from affected individuals who will need their digital certificates updated.
FAQ
Q.
I have someone coming on board who would like to avoid having to go to the NIH Gateway Center each day to obtain a temporary visitor badge while he's waiting for his PIV card from DPSAC. Can I request an extended visitor badge to give him access to campus while he waits for his badge?
A.
No. ICs should not request an extended visitor badge while waiting for a PIV card or an RLA badge from DPSAC.
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