LEGEND
= Met
= Not Met
= No Data Available
= FY 2000
D = Deferred
P = Progress

FY 1999 Performance Report
Appendices

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U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Appendix E
Investigations Service (IS)

FY 1999 Performance Report
Goal & Performance Indicators Checklist

OPM Strategic Goal I
Provide policy direction and leadership to recruit and retain the Federal workforce required for the 21st Century.

IS Goal 1

Only suitable applicants, appointees, and employees are hired for, and remain in, the Federal competitive service.

Carry out suitability casework for agencies.

Completed suitability casework from agencies:

Suitability determinations - 1,560

Extensive suitability investigations - 402

As a result of our suitability casework, OPM directed the removal of 58 employees from the Federal service.

Minimize the number of suitability decisions overturned by the Merit Systems Protection Board on appeal.

Only 4 suitability decisions were reversed on appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board. When appropriate, we worked closely with the General Counsel to come to a settlement with appellants. OPM prevailed on 36 cases.

Timeliness of case processing is maintained.

In FY 1999, timeliness was an issue for suitability casework. As a result, timeliness standards will be included in the written statement of work in FY 2000 preparation for the contract reprocurement in 2001.

Provide investigations policy guidance, etc.

We hosted a Security Directors' conference to share and discuss policy guidance early in FY 1999, which earned a 98% satisfaction rating.

IS Goal 2

Ensure uniform application of investigative standards mandated by statute and executive order by developing and implementing Governmentwide investigative policy.

Continue membership in the U.S. Security Policy Forum.

In addition to the Security Policy Forum, IS was invited to be a member of the Industrial Security Summit and the Board of Governors of the Extranet for Security Professionals.

Ensure Governmentwide uniformity in the application of investigative standards.

Targeted agencies' implementation of new investigative standards in our FY 1999 Security Appraisal visits.

Evaluate feedback from Investigations' Customer Satisfaction Assessment Survey.

Extent to which agencies have implemented new policies and standards.

We have found that a great number of agencies have implemented the new investigative standards. We continue to work with those that have not to ensure that they comply.

OPM Strategic Goal II
Protect and promote the merit-based civil service and the employee earned benefit programs through an effective oversight and evaluation program.

IS Goal 3

Agency personnel security programs are made more effective as a result of OPM evaluations which note best practices, identify deficiencies and make recommendations for improvements.

Results of agency security appraisal self-assessments .

The self-assessment tool helped us identify three problem areas in one agency alone without having to conduct an on-site visit. Another agency's self-assessment has led to OPM planning a possible on-site visit to gather more information on their security and suitability programs. We are analyzing the results of the other self-assessments and evaluating the need for any redesign of the assessment tool.

Agency feedback. [Agencies are given 60 days to respond to our appraisal findings.]

Agencies are given an opportunity to comment on our security appraisal reports and we follow-up with the agency if we have not received comments.

Measurable improvements found in follow-up audits of agencies' personnel security processes.

Carried out 5 agency security appraisal visits.

Quality of agencies' personnel security operations.

We have seen improvement in some agencies' security/suitability programs. As a result of one agency's ongoing appraisal follow-ups the decision was made by the agency to return a significant part of their casework to OPM to improve their security and suitability program.

OPM Strategic Goal IV
Deliver high-quality, cost-effective human resource services to Federal agencies, employees, annuitants and the public.

IS Goal 4

The quality of investigations is maintained, workload demands are met with timely, relevant products and the cost to the agencies is decreased.

Quality of contractor's case products meets OPM standards.

Both OPM and its contractor, US Investigations Services, have expanded quality reviews in FY 1999. We also worked closely with our investigative contractor to ensure that the quality of casework will continue at the same high levels as the amount of work increases substantially in FY 2000 and beyond.

Offer agency customers more competitive case prices.

In FY 1999 OPM reduced the price of the Single Scope Background Investigation by about 13% and the Background Investigation by 8%. The price of the Background Investigation has been reduced another 3% for FY 2000.

Implement further cost reductions.

We reduced operating costs by reducing the number of GSA vehicles in use by our contractor, saving approximately $500 thousand per year.

Develop new products based on customer needs.

New expanded case products have been developed to meet the needs of the Department of Defense.

Background investigations – 42,500

Completed 44,005 background investigations (+4% over plan)

National Agency Checks/Inquiries – 110,000

Completed 124,969 National Agency Checks/Inquiries (+11% over plan)

Special Agency Checks/Inquiries – 192,000

Completed 200,683 Special Agency Checks/Inquiries (+5% over plan)

OTHER INITIATIVES

We have a major new initiative to assist the Department of Defense (DOD) in their reinvestigations program. This will be an increase of close to 40% in our workload over the next few years. We have worked closely with DOD and our investigative contractor, US Investigations Services, Inc. to develop products and timeliness standards to meet their needs.

We also worked closely with OPM's Chief Financial Officer and our customer agencies to ensure that investigative case billing was being carried out as efficiently as possible.