Facility Security Officers (FSO) and Security Managers, if you haven’t already done so, you should take note of the impending transition of the Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS) over to the Defense Information System for Security (DISS) next month. The Defense Security Service has published a document called “Preparing for DISS – Cleaning up your JPAS Account” to help FSOs and security managers perform data cleanup and validation activities. DISS has been several years in the making and will serve as the system of record for all personnel security, suitability, and credential eligibility management for all military, civilian and DoD contractor personnel. Some of the enhancements the new system will provide to help security personnel and adjudicators streamline process are:

– Adjudication Workflow Management (this helps assign and track adjudicative review processes and timeliness)

– E-Delivery of Investigative Materials (electronically sending the closed investigation to the adjudicating entity)

– E-Adjudication of eligible T3 Cases (improves timeliness and adjudicators can spend time on issue cases)

– Request for Action (RFA) to Security Management Office (notifies the SMO of applicants or clearance holder of actions needed)

– Customer Service Requests (CSR) to the DoD CAF

– Reporting of Foreign Relationships by Security Management Office (easier notification/documentation of contacts)

Phase 1 deployment to military departments has been going on since last January and next month’s deployment to Industry will complete the transition. If all goes as planned, the system upgrade will provide FSOs, Adjudicators and Security Managers accurate and up-to-date eligibility and access information as well as the ability to input continuous evaluation information for review.