FederalDaily - August 23, 2007
OPM Demos E-Delivery of Background Investigations
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Aug. 20 launched a demonstration project in which completed
background investigations are electronically transferred to the Army Central Personnel Security Clearance
Facility (CCF) for adjudication of clearances. OPM Director Linda Springer said the move was an attempt
to speed up and streamline the adjudication of clearances under CCF’s jurisdiction. The program
is expected to dramatically reduce the time necessary to transfer documents to the CCF for adjudication.
Currently, completed investigations are normally delivered through the U.S. Mail or other hand-delivery
means—which can take weeks, Springer said. “OPM has worked diligently over the past two
years to increase the speed with which federal employees receive their security clearance,” Springer
said. “Through electronic transfer, agencies will have instant access to completed background
investigations, ensuring more timely and efficient adjudication of clearance cases.” If successful,
OPM expects to extend electronic transfer to all agencies by Oct. 1. To see more, go to: www.opm.gov/news/opm-begins-electronic-delivery-of-completed-background-investigations-to-army-ccf,1315.aspx
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NATCA Says Errors Forced Suspension of Training
Errors at the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center—including four operational errors in
one week—prompted local Federal Aviation Administration officials to suspend training of new
controllers there for 30 days, said the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). While
local FAA management reassesses the facility’s training and staffing, it also has required that
a third air traffic controller monitor the sector where the series of errors occurred, NATCA said in
an Aug. 20 statement. The sector is normally worked by only two controllers. While the addition of
a third controller is welcome, NATCA said, the facility does not have enough controllers to go around. “We
have fewer controllers working longer time on position,” said NATCA New York Center Facility
Representative Julio Henriques. “Controllers are being pushed to their breaking point.” Henriques
added that the facility in the last 10 months has lost 44 controllers to retirement, promotions to
management positions and transfers. To see more, go to: www.natca.org/mediacenter/press-release-detail.aspx?id=449
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FDA: ORA Lab Closing Plan Not Canceled
A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official said Aug. 22 that the agency is not abandoning its plan
to close about one-half of the agency’s 13 Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) labs and trim staff.
The latest announcement seems to contradict statements made on Aug. 17 by Margaret Glavin, FDA’s
associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, that the agency was walking away from plan. Glavin’s
use of the word “cancellation” referred to the implementation of the plan that is suspended,
said FDA spokeswoman Kimberly Rawlings. “FDA is temporarily suspending the plan to reorganize
our field operations,” Rawlings said, “including the lab closures, to re-evaluate best
way to proceed, in context of looking at priorities, investment needs, business processes to support
new food safety strategy, import changes from the President’s Import Working Group, and then figure
out what organizational changes are needed to support all this.” FDA had been pressing the plan
amid growing opposition. The House had inserted language into the FY 2008 FDA appropriations bill (H.R.
3161) barring use of funds for ORA lab closures. To see more, go to: www.fda.gov
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