**GAO-09-261R**                      Published: Dec 19, 2008. Publicly Released: Dec 19, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

This correspondence provides our preliminary assessment of the timeliness and quality of the Department of Defense's (DOD) personnel security clearance program. These findings are based on an ongoing engagement that we have been conducting since February 2008 under the Comptroller General's authority to conduct evaluations on his own initiative. In 2009, we plan to issue a report providing more details regarding these findings. In response to a draft of this briefing report, DOD provided written comments and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provided comments via email. Our summary and evaluation of DOD's and OPM's comments and DOD's written comments are included. We are addressing this product to Congress at Congress' request due to Congress' continued interest in the DOD personnel security clearance program.

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## Topics

National Defense

National defense operationsPersonnel security clearance programsProgram evaluationProgram managementQuality assuranceQuality controlQuality improvementRisk assessmentRisk managementSchedule slippagesSecurity clearance backlogsSecurity clearancesTotal quality management