What are the steps to getting a Personnel Clearance (PCL)?
A cleared contractor identifies an employee with a need to have access to classified information (e.g., the employee will work on a classified contract). Once identified, the contractor’s Facility Security Officer (FSO) submits an investigation request through the Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS) and ensures that the employee completes a clearance application in the Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP). The FSO then reviews, approves, and forwards the completed e-QIP to the Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO) for their approval and release to Office of Personnel Management (OPM). OPM conducts an investigation and sends the results of the investigation to DISCO. DISCO either grants a clearance or forwards the investigation to Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA) for further adjudication.
