Learn the fundamentals of personnel security adjudication, focusing on eligibility for security clearances, applying adjudicative guidelines, and understanding the decision-making process. Lessons are designed for professionals involved in federal security clearance evaluations.
Overview
Syllabus
Module 1: Adjudicator Responsibility
- Understanding the role of the adjudicator in assessing security risks and making security clearance decisions.
- Reviewing the adjudication process and the importance of impartial, unbiased decision-making.
- Examining the factors influencing suitability and security clearance decisions, including past conduct and current behavior.
Module 2: Overall Process
- Exploring the process of security clearance adjudication from start to finish.
- Understanding the importance of thorough background checks and investigations.
- Learning about the different types of investigations and risk designations for positions within the government.
Module 3: Decision Standards
- Overview of decision standards for granting or denying security clearance eligibility.
- Learning how to apply federal regulations, credentialing, and agency standards in decision-making.
- Understanding the impact of an employee's financial, personal, and professional history on the adjudication process.
Module 4: Adjudicative Guidelines
- Reviewing the 13 adjudicative guidelines that assess an individual’s eligibility for national security clearance.
- Understanding the concept of the “whole person” in adjudicating security clearance decisions.
- Exploring how to apply mitigating and disqualifying conditions for each of the adjudicative guidelines.
Module 5: Case Summaries
- Analyzing case studies to identify potential derogatory conduct and mitigating conditions.
- Understanding how to interpret security concerns in real-world scenarios.
- Applying knowledge of decision standards and adjudicative guidelines to make informed decisions.
Module 6: Adjudication Process
- Step-by-step breakdown of the adjudication process from case initiation to final determination.
- Understanding the process of gathering and evaluating evidence, making determinations, and taking appropriate actions.
- Recognizing the importance of due process and the role of appeals in the adjudication process.
Taught by
Dan Kowalski, Judy Mintze, Natalya H. Bah, Richard Rodieck, Victoria Cox, Adrianna Harden, Sarah Gurwitz, Sineta Scott Robertson, DeShanta Hinton, and Caren Eirkson
