DCSA - Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
11/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/08/2024 15:53
Inside DCSA BI: CSE Liaison Team: Enhancing collaboration for facility clearances
Throughout the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), industry engagement is a vital component of the agency's mission. With approximately 12,500 contractor facilities, ranging from small "mom and pop shops" to large multinational corporations, that are permitted access to classified information, they encompass a population known as "industry."
In 2023, DCSA leadership recognized that the agency's cleared industry stakeholders required more support to be efficient and successful. Under the realm of the agency's Background Investigations (BI) division, the Customer & Stakeholder Engagement office (CSE), developed a three-man team of Industry Liaisons. A coalition, comprised of Scott Glassic, Eric Crytzer, and Joshua Defibaugh, was formed to serve as a "one-stop-shop" for facility security officers (FSO) and security professionals to reach out for subject matter expertise on policy, processes, information, and a broad range of questions across the DCSA spectrum.
"Because there are so many industry stakeholders, we setup an email box to serve as a primary communication between us and them," said Crytzer. Creating this email box established a centralized location for industry stakeholders to reach out to the liaison team. Moreover, it allowed the liaison team to best serve and support as a Personnel Security representative to the defense industry on a wider scope.
The Industry Liaison team was proactive in the efforts to increase industry engagement. Along with operating help desks and speaking at industry engagements, the team made great strides by advocating for policy changes as well. A significant roadblock the team faced was the inability to disclose case status information to FSOs on investigations of subjects under their support.
Coordinating with internal DCSA mission areas, the Industry Liaison team was able to create new DCSA policy that allowed them to verify the relationship between the FSO and subject and disclose case information once the 'need to know' is confirmed. The application of this new policy revolutionized the relationship between DCSA and the industry, providing new avenues for collaboration and partnership where no opportunities existed previously.
"We are constantly being proactive and researching new things that benefit industry," said Glassic. In researching new methodologies, the three-man team quickly established a strategic plan on how to meet and engage with multiple FSOs and industry security professionals at one time by attending industry conferences, meetings, working groups, social networking forums, and gatherings across the country. The Industry Liaison team briefs personnel security updates and works alongside other DCSA directorates to provide full-service help desk support to those in attendance. "It's not just answering the phones or responding to emails," said Defibaugh, "there's a great deal of face-to-face interaction that is necessary for us to fulfill our duties."
Furthermore, the three-man team has proven themselves to have the adept ability to identify roadblocks that interfere with continuity of business. To process an investigation, DCSA policy requires a valid fingerprint. Only industry fingerprints are submitted to a queue for 24 hours before releasing for processing. Industry is further unique because they cannot see that a fingerprint processed in DCSA's verification system. They must wait an additional 48-72 hours for the fingerprint to flow into a system called the Defense Information System for Security (DISS). During a key industry engagement, the Industry Liaison team discovered the internal process of a 24-hour hold was not necessary and achieved a 20% increase in overall processing time for every industry fingerprint submission-which in 2023 exceeded 136,000.
"Our customer base is nationwide, side-to-side, top to bottom," said Defibaugh. "We are adamant in covering all of our stakeholders." Through quarterly engagement sessions held virtually, the three-man team provides comprehensive information across the entirety of DCSA directorates and mission areas. Additionally, the Industry Liaison team communicates key strategic interests and concerns of the 12,500+ industry stakeholders, to DCSA's director and senior leadership. By doing this, it strengthens the cooperative partnership between the agency and Defense Industry stakeholders.
With the implementation of the National Background Investigation Services (NBIS), the Industry Liaison team was challenged with the substantial undertaking of assisting in the onboarding of 12,500+ facilities in preparation for industry partners to transition from Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing, or e-QIP, to submitting investigation requests through NBIS' eApplication (eApp). "We tackled the onboarding process in a phased approach, mainly focusing on the communication aspect," said Crytzer.
In 2023, utilizing a 'what can we do for you?' methodology, the Industry Liaison team developed and coordinated two additional investigative processes. The first improved efficiency and timely completion of background investigations for deployed servicemembers and individuals. The second involved creating a new sign language interpreter process for Defense Industry stakeholders in need of accessibility services for the completion of their background investigations.
Always looking forward, the Industry Liaison team is focused on expanding their presence. "One of our main goals is establishing a tool called GovDelivery," said Glassic. "Our goal is to implement a communication mechanism that will allow us to communicate with our federal partners, FSOs, and Industry stakeholders in a one-stop-shop format based on the audience, scope, and focus."
Since their conceptualization in 2023, the Industry Liaison team has established themselves as an integral part of the DCSA's industry engagement and support mission. Employing their individual skills and talent, the three-man team has drastically improved customer service for the Personnel Security (PS) directorate and BI division for cleared industry stakeholders.
In 2023, DCSA leadership recognized that the agency's cleared industry stakeholders required more support to be efficient and successful. Under the realm of the agency's Background Investigations (BI) division, the Customer & Stakeholder Engagement office (CSE), developed a three-man team of Industry Liaisons. A coalition, comprised of Scott Glassic, Eric Crytzer, and Joshua Defibaugh, was formed to serve as a "one-stop-shop" for facility security officers (FSO) and security professionals to reach out for subject matter expertise on policy, processes, information, and a broad range of questions across the DCSA spectrum.
"Because there are so many industry stakeholders, we setup an email box to serve as a primary communication between us and them," said Crytzer. Creating this email box established a centralized location for industry stakeholders to reach out to the liaison team. Moreover, it allowed the liaison team to best serve and support as a Personnel Security representative to the defense industry on a wider scope.
The Industry Liaison team was proactive in the efforts to increase industry engagement. Along with operating help desks and speaking at industry engagements, the team made great strides by advocating for policy changes as well. A significant roadblock the team faced was the inability to disclose case status information to FSOs on investigations of subjects under their support.
Coordinating with internal DCSA mission areas, the Industry Liaison team was able to create new DCSA policy that allowed them to verify the relationship between the FSO and subject and disclose case information once the 'need to know' is confirmed. The application of this new policy revolutionized the relationship between DCSA and the industry, providing new avenues for collaboration and partnership where no opportunities existed previously.
"We are constantly being proactive and researching new things that benefit industry," said Glassic. In researching new methodologies, the three-man team quickly established a strategic plan on how to meet and engage with multiple FSOs and industry security professionals at one time by attending industry conferences, meetings, working groups, social networking forums, and gatherings across the country. The Industry Liaison team briefs personnel security updates and works alongside other DCSA directorates to provide full-service help desk support to those in attendance. "It's not just answering the phones or responding to emails," said Defibaugh, "there's a great deal of face-to-face interaction that is necessary for us to fulfill our duties."
Furthermore, the three-man team has proven themselves to have the adept ability to identify roadblocks that interfere with continuity of business. To process an investigation, DCSA policy requires a valid fingerprint. Only industry fingerprints are submitted to a queue for 24 hours before releasing for processing. Industry is further unique because they cannot see that a fingerprint processed in DCSA's verification system. They must wait an additional 48-72 hours for the fingerprint to flow into a system called the Defense Information System for Security (DISS). During a key industry engagement, the Industry Liaison team discovered the internal process of a 24-hour hold was not necessary and achieved a 20% increase in overall processing time for every industry fingerprint submission-which in 2023 exceeded 136,000.
"Our customer base is nationwide, side-to-side, top to bottom," said Defibaugh. "We are adamant in covering all of our stakeholders." Through quarterly engagement sessions held virtually, the three-man team provides comprehensive information across the entirety of DCSA directorates and mission areas. Additionally, the Industry Liaison team communicates key strategic interests and concerns of the 12,500+ industry stakeholders, to DCSA's director and senior leadership. By doing this, it strengthens the cooperative partnership between the agency and Defense Industry stakeholders.
With the implementation of the National Background Investigation Services (NBIS), the Industry Liaison team was challenged with the substantial undertaking of assisting in the onboarding of 12,500+ facilities in preparation for industry partners to transition from Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing, or e-QIP, to submitting investigation requests through NBIS' eApplication (eApp). "We tackled the onboarding process in a phased approach, mainly focusing on the communication aspect," said Crytzer.
In 2023, utilizing a 'what can we do for you?' methodology, the Industry Liaison team developed and coordinated two additional investigative processes. The first improved efficiency and timely completion of background investigations for deployed servicemembers and individuals. The second involved creating a new sign language interpreter process for Defense Industry stakeholders in need of accessibility services for the completion of their background investigations.
Always looking forward, the Industry Liaison team is focused on expanding their presence. "One of our main goals is establishing a tool called GovDelivery," said Glassic. "Our goal is to implement a communication mechanism that will allow us to communicate with our federal partners, FSOs, and Industry stakeholders in a one-stop-shop format based on the audience, scope, and focus."
Since their conceptualization in 2023, the Industry Liaison team has established themselves as an integral part of the DCSA's industry engagement and support mission. Employing their individual skills and talent, the three-man team has drastically improved customer service for the Personnel Security (PS) directorate and BI division for cleared industry stakeholders.