Security & Suitability Reform Effort
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) challenged the Federal Government to address longstanding problems with the timeliness and effectiveness of the process for granting national security clearances. Congress called for performance improvements and established specific timeliness goals.
The leadership of the Executive Branch agencies primarily responsible for performance of these security and suitability processes - the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Department of Defense (DOD) – took charge of the reform effort to ensure the goals of the IRTPA are met.
Executive Order (EO) 13467, among other things, required greater alignment of the processes for determining suitability for Federal employment, eligibility for access to classified information, and employment in sensitive national security positions. It also created the Performance Accountability Council (PAC), as well as the Security and Suitability Executive Agents. The PAC is chaired by the Deputy Director for Management, OMB, and is accountable to the President to ensure coordination across the Federal Government, align processes to the extent possible, drive reform efforts, and oversee implementation of reform.
