Washington, D.C. - Senior staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently hosted a briefing for defense industry organizations on the planned transfer of the Department of Defense's (DOD) Defense Security Service (DSS) to OPM. The 2004 Defense Authorization Bill permits the director of OPM to approve the transfer and will allow OPM to perform the most sensitive investigations for the federal government. OPM announced the transfer on November 22.

"The transfer of DSS to OPM's Center for Investigative Services will bring under one roof a division that will conduct the vast majority of background investigations for the entire federal government," said OPM Director Kay Coles James. "This is an enormous responsibility and critical to the security of our nation, and it is very important that defense industry organizations understand how the transfer process will take place."

DSS is the organization that performs security background investigations for DOD employees, contractors, and the military. Under the terms of the transfer, more than 1,800 DOD employees will now perform security background investigations under the auspices OPM, rather than DOD, as had been done since DSS' inception in 1972.

"This transfer is a positive development. By consolidating background investigations services to OPM, we will ensure a timely adjudications process that's critical to the needs of federal agencies," James added.

The following industry organizations were represented at the recent briefing:

• National Defense Industrial Association
• Council of Defense and Space Industrial Associations
• Security Affairs Support Association
• Professional Services Council
• Aerospace Industrial Association

OPM will provide further briefings as the final transfer date nears.