WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kay Coles James announced that OPM's e-Clearance Project has successfully begun implementation of its "imaging" phase.

The digital imaging phase is intended to replace current and future paper investigations records with electronic versions and make them universally accessible to authorized users on a real time basis.

"The digital imaging module of e-Clearance is a key aspect of the e-Government Initiative contained in the President's Management Agenda. It will help agencies meet the national standard for background checks, a critical responsibility they have a duty to meet," James said. "Ultimately, background investigation checks are sent to OPM's Center for Investigations Services. The efficiency with which imaging enables us to receive and process information is greatly increased, and our nation's security stands to benefit."

"We have taken this module beyond its initial goal of making the records 'universally accessible' by developing a secure network to transmit these records electronically from repositories to requestors," James remarked. "The design of that network is in its final stages and implementation should occur before the end of the fiscal year. At that point, the majority of the repositories should have phased in the imaging of records in their organization."

Currently, two of the 18 participating agencies have met the goal and are already imaging their material, putting the project ahead of schedule.

For more information about the e-Clearance project or OPM, please contact the OPM Office of Communications at 202-606-2402.

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.