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
May 20, 2020 Issue of DPSAC News
In this issue:
  • Fingerprint Requirement Delayed, But NOT Eliminated Due to COVID-19: DPSAC Offers Clarification
  • Guidance to NED Portal Users Experiencing Technical Issues When Accessing DCSA's Position Designation Tool
  • Guidance for AOs/ATs Reclassifying a Non-FTE (Except Fellow) to FTE and Reclassifying a Fellow to FTE
  • What is Being Done About Expiring ID Badges During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
  • FAQs: Scheduling Badge Pick-Up After EOD
  • AOs Who Wish to Obtain Sponsor Authority
Fingerprint Requirement Delayed, But NOT Eliminated Due to COVID-19: DPSAC Offers a Clarification
DPSAC will contact individuals who must submit fingerprints for their background investigation once the deferral is no longer valid
DPSAC is reprinting a DPSAC News article originally published on May 6, 2020 in response to readers’ questions regarding the temporary guidance by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) for submitting background investigation requests without fingerprints for those impacted by COVID-19. Clarifying information is provided in red text:

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) issued Federal Investigations Notice 20-03 on March 30, 2020 advising agencies of the temporary deferral of fingerprint requirements to submit background investigations effective April 6, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally, fingerprints are required in order to schedule a background investigation request with DCSA. This waiver applies to background investigation submission requirements only and   does not  apply to  HSPD-12 PIV Badge/RLA Badge Credentialing requirements  or  DPSAC   requirements for prescreening clearance ; both of which still require capturing biometric fingerprints.  Please note, individuals whose investigation requests were submitted without fingerprints will not be authorized DPSAC prescreening clearance or PIV badge issuance until they complete fingerprinting. Individuals whose investigation requests were submitted without capturing fingerprints as part of this waiver will be required to provide fingerprints once the waiver is no longer valid. At that time, DPSAC will contact these individuals in order to capture fingerprints. 

In addition to delaying fingerprints, DCSA has made operational changes to mitigate COVID-19 impacts to include conducting interviews via telephone for most investigations. If NIH staff have been contacted by a DCSA investigator and have concerns, they can verify the investigator’s name at: https://www.dcsa.mil/mc/pv/mbi/vi/ .
 
NED Team Provides Guidance to NED Portal Users Experiencing Technical Issues When Accessing DCSA's Position Designation Tool
On May 15, 2020 the NED Team sent out the following notification to NED Portal Users regarding DCSA PDT Certificate Error Guidance:

To: NED Users 
From: NED Team
Subject: DCSA PDT Certificate Error Guidance
Contact: NED Team ([email protected])
  
Hello,

Some NED Portal users are experiencing an issue when accessing the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) Position Designation Automated Tool (PDT) where they may get an error message that the website certificates are revoked. 

Please disregard the message sent out earlier today. If you encounter this error when accessing the PDT, please clear your browser’s cache, restart it, and try again. 

DCSA is aware of the technical issue and expects a fix to be completed by May 20, 2020. We will provide an update when it has been fixed.

Please contact the NED Team at [email protected] if you have questions or concerns.

Thanks,
NED Team   
Guidance for Reclassifying a Non-FTE (Except Fellow) to FTE and Reclassifying a Fellow to FTE
AOs or ATs updating an individual’s classification from non-FTE to FTE in NED should first check whether the person’s Position Sensitivity Level (PSL) has been elevated to a higher Tier. Changes in classification should be entered into NED before the person is approved for EOD . This will ensure that the individual will receive the appropriate background investigation for the new position.
 
Reclassifying a non-FTE (Except Fellow) to FTE
Update the person’s classification from non-NIH FTE to NIH FTE using the Update function in NED.
This step will notify DPSAC of the change so they can initiate a background investigation for the NIH FTE position if needed. Please do not modify the person’s EOD date during the reclassification process as NED will revoke the person’s current badge. The official FTE EOD will be provided by HR once DPSAC has approved badge issuance for the new FTE position.
 
Reclassifying a Fellow to FTE
When changing a Fellow’s classification from Fellow to NIH FTE, the Fellowship Payment System (FPS) will prevent the Fellow’s IC from creating, renewing, transferring, or activating any type of award, as the person is no longer identified as a Fellow. However, the person will continue to receive all their stipend payments for any awards activated prior to the change in classification.
 
ICs are encouraged to create and approve award renewals to extend a Fellow’s duration prior to changing the individual’s classification in NED. If the renewal is not needed, it can then be cancelled. Awards of any type will not activate automatically; nor can they be activated manually after the classification has changed.
 
If the classification has been changed to NIH FTE in NED, the IC needs to enter an NBS FPS help desk ticket to create, extend, or activate an award in FPS. The IC must include the Fellow’s name and HHS ID, award number, and details regarding the required actions. The NBS FPS team will coordinate with the IC and OFM to manually process the action. Please enter “Assistance with Fellow to FTE” in the short description of the ticket and include instructions to triage to the NBS FPS team directly.
 
Please contact:
  • the NED team at [email protected] for questions about entering or updating information in NED
  • DPSAC Team at [email protected] for questions about background investigations
  • FPS Team for questions about FPS, by opening a help desk ticket for NBS FPS team
What is Being Done About Expiring ID Badges During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
DPSAC News is reprinting portions of this article that first appeared in the April 22, 2020 DPSAC News. You can read the entire article by clicking on the following link: Expiring ID Badges .

A lot of people are wondering what is happening to individuals whose ID badges are expiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. DPSAC has been working alongside CIT and HHS staff to identify a variety of possible alternatives. 
The following message (indicated in italicized text in the accompanying full article and updated to reflect the most current deadlines) was sent to all NIH staff on Friday April 10, 2020. The key thing to remember is that DPSAC will be contacting individuals with expiring ID badges. Each person will have the option to complete the renewal process now or extend the certificates on their badge to June 30 .

Please know that for some individuals who choose to extend their current badge, the existing badge renewal task in NED will need to be terminated. In those instances, DPSAC will contact the servicing AO for the individual to let them know how to complete a new badge renewal task.
Q. One of our new employees was advised that she could not schedule her badge pickup until after her EOD date. Is that accurate? We’re just working on our COVID-19 onboarding processes and I’m working out the details (e.g. computer installations). Thank you!

A. If a new employee is 'Ready for Badge Issuance' in NED, they can pick up their badge on, or after their EOD date. The NED system will not allow the badge to be issued prior to EOD. 

Our main office in Building 31, Room 1B03 on the NIH Main campus is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday and is by appointment only. If all appointments are booked on a particular day, the new employee would schedule badge pickup for the next available day. Remember, the appointment must be on or after their EOD date, but not before.  

In terms of scheduling appointments, the employee can call DPSAC to schedule, assuming they’re ready for issuance in NED, or, “Awaiting EOD Date” in NED.  If it’s the latter, DPSAC Customer Service can force the appointment scheduler software to create an appointment.  
Avoiding Additional
Delays in Processing
New Hires

Processing times are often delayed due to reasons outside of DPSAC control, which include, but are not limited to:

  • Incomplete or not submitted OF-306
  • Candidate response time
  • Issues requiring clarification by the candidate
  • Untimely submission of initial e-QIP or corrected e-QIP

How the AO and HR communities can assist:
  • By ensuring all required documents have been uploaded into HR's 'Onboarding Manager' prior to establishing a NED account
  • By entering candidates as early as possible but no later than 8 weeks prior to their Entry on Duty (EOD) date
  • By working with DPSAC to ensure candidates respond in a timely manner to inquiries

ALT cards -- should be returned to the  IC ALT card coordinator - NOT to DPSAC.
Administrative 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 email 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.  
Are there topics you would like to read more about in future issues of DPSAC News?
Please send your suggestions to: [email protected] . Your input is greatly appreciated.
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. 

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