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Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday Personnel Security Helpdesk: 301-402-9755 E-mail: orspersonnelsecurity@ mail.nih.gov Access Control Helpdesk: 301-451-4766 E-mail: facilityaccesscontrol@ mail.nih.gov   |
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NIH Adopts OPM's 5-Tier Background Investigation Standards and Naming System
In 2012 Federal Investigative Standards (FIS) established new requirements for conducting background investigations to determine eligibility for logical and physical access, suitability for U.S. Government employment, fitness to perform work for, or on behalf of, the US Government as a contract employee, and eligibility for access to classified information or to hold a sensitive position. The standards consist of five tiers (with an Expandable Focused Investigation (EFI) model at each tier.
OPM rolls out 5-tier background investigation process in phases
In October, 2014, (FY '15) the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) implemented the first 2 tiers of the new 5-tier background investigation process that was approved through collaboration between OPM and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
- Tier 1 (uses the SF-85 form): Non-Sensitive Low Risk positions/Physical and/or Logical Access (HSPD-12)
- Tier 2 (uses the SF-85P form): Public Trust Moderate Risk positions, with an expanded background investigation
At the beginning of FY 2016, OPM implemented Tiers 3 and 3R (re-investigation) and incorporated them into the new billing standards. (Federal Investigations Notice No. 16-01 issued on October 2, 2015).
- Tier 3 (uses the SF-86 form): Non-Critical Sensitive positions requiring Confidential or Secret background investigations
Starting in FY 2017, OPM moved forward in implementing its Tier 4 and Tier 5 background investigation products. Tier 5 replaced the Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI).
- Tier 4 (uses the SF-85P form): Public Trust High Risk positions
- Tier 5 (uses the SF-86 form): Critical Sensitive positions requiring Top Secret or Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)
DPSAC website incorporates OPM's revised investigation process and 'tier' nomenclature
Now that OPM has completed the transition to Tiers, DPSAC revised its web pages to reflect OPM's new 5-tier investigation process and revised naming convention.
Under the website's "Background Checks" in the left navigation panel (Figure 1), readers will find the Tier system replacing Levels in the "
Pricing Schedule" and in the section describing '
Your Position Sensitivity Tier." Each tier citation listed on the website includes a reference to the 'Level' that the Tier replaces.
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Summer Students Must Return Their ID Badges When Leaving NIH
When Summer Students end their affiliation with the NIH, they must turn in their RLA badge to their Administrative Officer (AO)/Sponsor so that s/he can deactivate the badge in NED. The AO must return the deactivated badge to DPSAC in Building 31, Room 1B03, or to the local badge issuance office.
All RLA badges issued to Summer students are valid for the duration of the students' appointment, but will expire no later than September 30 of the year issued.
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Checking Your Badge Status in the NED Portal
This article first appeared in the June 21, 2017 DPSAC News. Because some readers reported having difficulty opening the link to the NED portal, a workaround has been added to ensure that readers can access the NED Portal.
You don't have to ask your AO to check on your badge status. You can do it yourself. Simply use the link https://nedportal.nih.gov to access the NED Portal and click on the 'Track My Badge Status' button under 'Self Service' in the left navigation panel (Figure 1). Note: If you are unable to open the link directly from the DPSAC News article, copy and paste the URL onto your browser address bar and hit return.
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| Tutorial Guides New Federal Employees through the e-QIP Process
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Figure 1. Link to 'e-QIP Tips for New Federal Employees' (under 'What's New' on the DPSAC website main page)
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New federal employees who need to complete e-QIP can find help with the process by logging onto the DPSAC website to view "e-QIP Tips for New Federal Employees" (see Figure 1).
This easy-to-follow slide presentation makes use of illustrations and screen shots to explain the e-QIP process. The tutorial begins with some friendly introductory words of advice to "set aside ample time to complete the questionnaire since it can take a few hours" to complete.
Applicants are urged to "begin as soon as possible" and "don't wait until the last minute" since "your employment offer may be rescinded if all required materials are not received within the time stated in your e-mail."
This tutorial offers practical advice on gathering the materials needed to cover the period of time requested on the form, including citizenship and identifying information for the applicant, his/her spouse and other relatives, previous residency addresses, education history, employment history and the full names, addresses and phone numbers of friends or other individuals who can verify the applicant's recent education, employment status and residence history.
The applicant must complete the final step in the e-QIP questionnaire ("Select 'Release Request/Transmit to Agency'") to ensure that OPM receives the e-QIP forms. The Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC) will contact the applicant if additional or clarifying information is needed. Applicants are encouraged to print a copy of the e-QIP submission for their own records.
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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. To do so is a criminal offense!
e-QIP Tips for New Federal Employees' guide now available on the DPSAC website -- to help prospective employees, contractors and affiliates navigate the background investigation questionnaires (e-QIP) process. The site's
main page contains two links (one under 'What's New' and one under 'Background Checks' on the left navigation panel) that connect to this useful slide presentation.
ALT cards -- need to be returned to the
IC ALT card coordinator -
NOT to the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC).
All Building 31 badging services -- Enrollment, Badge Issuance and Customer Service -- now offered at a single, convenient location in 1B03. All badging services in Building 31 are available between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. DPSAC also offers Enrollment and Badging services in the South Lobby of the Clinical Center from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Administrative Officers (AOs) who wish to obtain sponsor authority -- must complete the sponsor training (see:
http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Training/Pages/administrators.aspx) and e-mail a copy of your signed certificate to the NIH HSPD-12 Program Office at
[email protected]. Upon receipt of the certificate, the Program Office will authorize the AO as a Sponsor.
Please note: ONLY individuals with an Administrative Officer role in NED are eligible to be HHS ID Badge/PIV Card Sponsors.
ICs that want to add Lifecycle Work Station (LWS) operators to the approved roster -- send a written request to Richie Taffet at: [email protected]. Your request should include:
- the new operator's name
- his/her Institute or Center (IC)
- his/her NED number
- the operator's e-mail address, building/room and phone number
- the hours of operation of the Lifecycle Work Station
Once Mr. Taffet has approved the request, he will forward the name(s) to
[email protected] to complete the approval process, add the name(s) to the LWS operator roster, and inform the IC that the individual is now approved to operate the LWS.
Need to make changes to the LWS operator directories? -- drop an e-mail to Lanny Newman,
[email protected], and let him know what needs changing (e.g., adding new operators or LWS locations, removing operators, etc.). Remember, before a new operator can be added to the LWS directory, s/he must first be approved by Richie Taffet (see preceding Helpful Tip).
If an LWS is not available in your IC or your immediate area, and you work in the greater Bethesda or Rockville area -- please call 301-402-9755 to schedule an appointment with DPSAC, located in Building 31, Room 1B03 or in Building 10, South Lobby, Room 1C52.
If you work outside the Bethesda/Rockville area, contact your local badge issuance office. You can find contact information for all badge issuance offices at:
http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Pages/contactinfo.aspx.
Know someone who should be reading DPSAC News? -- have the person contact Lanny Newman,
[email protected], and ask to be put on the mailing list.
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FAQs
Q. Can a Summer Student be issued an Alternative Logical Token (ALT)?
A. No. There are two reasons Summer Students are not eligible for an ALT: their tenure at NIH is for a short duration, i.e., less than 6 months. (Summer Students are issued RLA badges that expire on September 30 of the year issued); while Summer Students will be fingerprinted, they will not undergo a full background investigation.
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NED Training Schedule for FY'17
Description:
This course provides an overview of the NED Portal and the NIH business functions it supports from the perspective of a NED Portal user with the Administrative Officer (AO) or Administrative Technician (AT) role. Upon completing the course, students will have a solid working knowledge of the NED Portal and be able to perform the following tasks: Register/Activate, Update, Modify, Transfer, Badge Renewal, and Deactivate.
The course will also familiarize students with other aspects of the NED Portal so they can: set their primary SAC coverage using Preferences; determine the status of a person's ID badge and/or network account request; look up and view information in a person's NED record; and, utilize NED reporting capabilities.
Intended Audience:
New or relatively inexperienced NED Portal users with the AO or AT role.
Prerequisites:
Basic personal computer skills and experience with web-based computer applications.
Reasonable Accommodations/Interpreting Services:
For deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals requiring interpreting services, please enter your request online in the Interpreting Services System at least five (5) days before the start of the class.
If you want to make a request, or have any questions regarding this service, you may contact the ORS Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS) Interpreting Team at (301-402-8180). Individuals who need other reasonable accommodations to participate in any of the Center for Information Technology (CIT) Training courses should let CIT Training know at least 5 days prior to the class.
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Safety Corner
NIH Fire Hazard Reporting Tool
For questions or assistance regarding any workplace fire safety matter, please contact the DFM at 301-496-0487.
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