ICPG 704.1 - Personnel Security Investigative Standards

(EFFECTIVE: 02 OCTOBER 2008)

(AMENDED: 20 JUNE 2018)

A. PURPOSE

1. Pursuant to Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 101, Section G.1.b.(3), a technical amendment is hereby made to Intelligence Community Policy Guidance (ICPG) 704.1, Personnel Security Investigative Standards and Procedures Governing Eligibility for Access to Sensitive Compartmented Information and Other Controlled Access Program Information, October 2008.
2. This ICPG, as amended, conforms to the Federal Investigative Standards, December 2012.

B. EFFECTIVE DATE

This technical amendment becomes effective on the date of signature.

A. AUTHORITY

The National Security Act of 1947, as amended; the Counterintelligence Enhancement Act of 2002, as amended; Executive Order (EO) 12333, as amended; EO 12958, as amended; EO 12968, EO 13355, and other applicable provisions of law.

B. APPLICABILITY

This Intelligence Community Policy Guidance (ICPG) applies to the Intelligence Community (IC), as defined by the National Security Act of 194 7, as amended, and to such other elements of any department or agency as may be designated by the President, or designated jointly by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), and the head of the department or agency concerned, as an element of the IC, or those government entities authorized to conduct background investigations.

C. POLICY

1. Background investigations shall be conducted in accordance with the Federal Investigative Standards (FIS).
2. All investigative personnel shall receive initial and ongoing training consistent with the requirements of the Background Investigator Training Standards.
3. Investigative agency supervisors shall ensure that investigations are professionally conducted, with complete coverage, quality interviews, accurate reporting, and timely case closures.
4. Quality control methods and reviews shall be conducted consistent with the Quality Assessment Standards for National Security and Suitability Investigations.
5. Periodic reinvestigations shall be initiated no later than five years from the date of the previous investigation.
6. Reinvestigations may be initiated at any time within the prescribed time frame randomly or to resolve personnel security concerns.
7. Protocols for temporary access approvals for Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI):
   1. Heads of IC elements, those government entities designated to determine eligibility for SCI access, or designees may approve temporary access before the investigation and adjudication processes are completed during periods of national emergency, hostilities involving U.S. personnel, or in exceptional circumstances when official functions must be performed pursuant to EO 12968, as amended. Concurrently, background investigations and adjudications shall be conducted as expeditiously as possible.
   2. Heads of IC elements, those government entities designated to determine eligibility for SCI access, or designees shall ensure that subjects granted temporary access approvals are limited in exposure to classified national intelligence and indoctrinated only to the level necessary to perform authorized functions.
   3. Temporary access approvals shall remain valid until the emergency, hostilities, or exceptional circumstance has abated or the access is rescinded. In any case, temporary accesses shall not exceed one year. They shall be valid only with the granting organization and may be revoked or suspended at any time if unfavorable information is received.
   4. SCI temporary access approvals require favorable reviews of: completed SF86 packets by the adjudicating authorities, completion of subject interviews by qualified investigators, completion of National Agency Checks identified for Tier 5 in the FIS to include the Director of National Intelligence Signal Flags database, and the initiation of expedited Tier 5 investigations. Subject interviews and checks conducted for a lower tier investigation that meets
      reciprocity requirements may be used in place of these pre-approval requirements, but must be completed as part of the expedited investigation to ensure they are up-to-date.
   5. Certifications regarding a subject with temporary access approvals shall explicitly emphasize their temporary nature. Other organizations, in exceptional circumstances, may agree to accept these temporary access approvals. Temporary access approvals at any level shall be so identified in the Scattered Castles database.

D. EFFECTIVE DATE

This Policy Guidance becomes effective on the date of signature.