DPSAC News
A bi-weekly newsletter from the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control
Providing timely information to help keep NIH safe and secure.

September 26, 2018 Issue of DPSAC News

In this issue:
  • Creating a NED Record: The Need to Provide Accurate and Complete Information (Part 3)
  • New Form to Supplement SF85P Questionnaire for Public Trust Background Investigations
  • NED Adopts OPM's 5-Tier Background Investigation Standards and Naming System
  • Fire Prevention Week 2018 (October 7 - 13) -- "Look. Listen. Learn."
Creating a NED Record: The Need to Provide Accurate and Complete Information  (Part 3)
DPSAC to NED Sponsors: "Remove any Doubt...Check it Out!"
This is the third installment on “Creating Accurate and Complete NED Records.” Below we will provide an in-depth overview of Citizenship and Legal Status Discrepancies and how these are detrimental to the PIV badging Process and the overall security of our NIH workforce.

Between April and July of 2018, over 90 discrepancies in NED data were discovered, many of which were related to the Citizenship or Legal Status information entered into NED by the applicant and/or NED Administrator.

Many of these discrepancies are easily fixable at the time of entry; however, once the NED record is created and sponsored, these errors are much more difficult to correct. 

Please see below for helpful information on how to accurately enter Citizenship/Legal Status’s in NED.

ii. Country of Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) Status, Legal Visitor Status

The AO should use proof of documentation to verify U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Resident Status or Legal Visitor Status when entering this data into the NED fields.

  • U.S. Citizenship should not be confused with U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status (a.k.a. “Green Card” holders). A Lawful Permanent Resident must provide proof by presenting their LPR (Green) card.
 
  • Similarly, possession of an “Employment Authorization Card” should not be confused with a “Lawful Permanent Resident Card.”

Individuals who possess Employment Authorization Cards are
not Lawful Permanent Residents even though they are authorized to work in the U.S.
 
  • Naturalized U.S. Citizens should be able to produce a Certificate of Naturalization to show proof of U.S. Citizenship.

Important: Entering incorrect information into these fields has serious impacts and consequences.

With the exception of Lawful Permanent Residents, all non-U.S. Citizens must be routed through the NIH’s Division of International Services (DIS) to validate legal status and employment authorization.

Incorrectly entering an individual as a Lawful Permanent Resident or U.S. Citizen when the individual is in fact a non-citizen/non-LPR, creates a security vulnerability within the NIH workforce. These errors cause applicants to wait additional days or weeks while the NED Helpdesk, DPSAC, and AOs coordinate corrections across five different information systems.

If the AO has any questions as to whether the individual is a U.S. Citizen or LPR, s/he should request proof of documentation before entering data into the NED record.

For an overview of DIS responsibilities and guidance on the DIS Badge Process, click here .

Upcoming Articles
The fourth installment in this series, to appear in the October 10, 2018 DPSAC News, will feature helpful tips for administrators on validating Personal, Work or Position Information.
New Form to Supplement SF85P Questionnaire for Public Trust Background Investigations
As part of the mandatory background investigation, individuals in Public Trust positions at NIH are now required to fill out a new form, per directive issued by the Joint Security and Suitability/Credentialing Executive Agent.

According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB), this new form, titled " Additional Questions for Public Trust Positions ," is a supplement to the S tandard Form 85P, Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions . This is an interim collection method on additional questions which were approved but have not yet been implemented into the current Public Trust questionnaire within the Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (E-QIP) system.
 
Below is a brief summary of the categories that contain expanded questions that are covered on the new “Additional Questions for Public Trust Positions” form.
 
·         (Questions 01-03) Personal Information/Education Details
·         (Questions 04)   Foreign Passport (or identity card)
·         (Questions 05-06) Misconduct in the Workplace
·         (Questions 07) Foreign Employment
·         (Questions 08-09) Criminal History
·         (Questions 10-15) Illegal Drugs or Controlled Substances
·         (Questions 16-19) Financial Obligations
·         (Questions 20-23) Conduct while at work
·         (Questions 24-30) Domestic/Foreign Terrorism 
 
For questions 4 through 30, a ‘Yes’ response will prompt the applicant to answer corresponding branching questions. Each category can prompt multiple branching questions depending on the applicant’s initial answer(s).
 
According to DPSAC, this supplemental form will go out to the applicant with the e-QIP instructions when DPSAC initiates a Tier 2 (moderate risk public trust) or Tier 4 (high risk public trust) investigation. 
NED Adopts OPM’s 5-Tier
Background Investigation Standards
and Naming System
With the deployment of NED Maintenance Release v4.3.2 on September 9, 2018, NED portal users will now see a change in background investigation naming conventions and values that align with current OPM/NBIB “Tier” terminology.

NED Portal
The deployment of Maintenance Release v4.3.2, incorporated the OPM/NBIB Tier nomenclature and values system into the NED Portal and marks the final step in NIH’s changeover to the Tier system.

For a detailed description of the five tiers and their corresponding background investigations, visit the DPSAC website at:  https://go.usa.gov/xQKgR .
Fire Prevention Week 2018 (October 7 - 13) - "Look. Listen. Learn."
The following fire safety awareness article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal, ORS, NIH.
 
Today's home fires burn faster than ever. Home fires in the United States continue to claim many lives each year. Although people feel safest in their home, it is also the place people are at greatest risk to fire, with 4 out of 5 U.S. fire deaths occurring at home and the majority happening at night when most people are sleeping.
 
Most people think they have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life threatening. The time available is often less. Data indicates that a typical living room fire can become deadly in only 2 minutes or less. Knowing how to use that time wisely takes planning and practice
 
This year, the Fire Prevention Week campaign "Look. Listen. Learn." highlights three very important steps people can take to quickly and safely escape a fire in their home:
 
·        Look for places fire could start.
·        Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm.
·        Learn 2 ways out of every room.
 
COOKING
  • Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.
  • Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food.
  •  If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly and stay in the home.
  • Keep anything that could catch fire away from your stovetop.
 
HEATING
  • Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires during the winter months.
  • Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating equipment fires.
  • All heaters need space. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
  • Have a 3-foot "kid-free zone" around open fires and space heaters.
  • Purchase and use only portable space heaters listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
  • Have a qualified professional install your heating equipment.
  • Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional.
 
Do NOT lend your ID badge to anyone! Lending your ID badge is prohibited. The issuance of ID badges is based on strict identity proofing and the determination of one's suitability for a specific position classification. To do so is a criminal offense!

Return Your Badge When Leaving NIH
If you plan to leave the employ of NIH, whether you’re an employee, contractor or affiliate, you will need to turn in your HHS ID Badge (or RLA Badge) to your Administrative Officer so that s/he can deactivate your badge in NED. The AO will turn over the deactivated badge to the badging office.

Ad ministrative Officers (AOs) who wish to obtain sponsor authority must complete the sponsor training. To access the training module, click on: Sponsor .

Upon completion, the AO should sign and e-mail a copy of the certificate found at the end of the training module to Alex Salah at: [email protected] . Upon receipt of the certificate, Mr. Salah will authorize the AO as a Sponsor. 

Note: ONLY individuals with an Administrative Officer role in NED are eligible to be HHS ID Badge/PIV Card Sponsors.  
A biweekly e-newsletter from the National Institutes of Health, Office of Research Services, Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (ORS/DPSAC) to keep its readers informed of personnel security and access control policies and practices designed to safeguard the NIH and its workforce. DPSAC is responsible for verifying personal identity, validating suitability, reviewing background checks, authorizing facility access and issuing ID badges for NIH personnel. 

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Office of Management
Office of Research Services
Division of Personnel Security and Access Control
New Form to Supplement SF85P Questionnaire for Public Trust Background Investigations
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