**GAO-08-470T**                      Published: Feb 13, 2008. Publicly Released: Feb 13, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

The Department of Defense (DOD) maintains approximately 2.5 million security clearances on servicemembers, federal DOD civilian employees, industry personnel for DOD and 23 other federal agencies, and employees in the legislative branch. Delays in determining eligibility for a clearance can heighten the risk that classified information will be disclosed to unauthorized sources, increase contract costs, and pose problems in attracting and retaining qualified personnel. In this statement, GAO addresses: (1) the status of DOD's efforts to improve its projections of the numbers of clearances needed for industry personnel, and (2) other long-standing challenges that have a negative effect on the efficiency and effectiveness of DOD's personnel security clearance program for industry personnel. This statement is based on a report GAO is issuing today (GAO-08-350) and other prior work, which included reviews of clearance-related documents and interviews of senior officials at DOD and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

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## Topics

National Defense

Background investigationsCost analysisData integrityDefense cost controlInvestigations by federal agenciesPersonnel managementPersonnel security clearance programsPersonnel security policiesProgram evaluationProgram managementRecords managementReporting requirementsSchedule slippagesSecurity clearance backlogsSecurity clearancesSecurity investigationsCost estimatesGovernment delaysPolicies and procedures