SSBI Source Yield: An Examination of Sources Contacted During the SSBI.

To meet the requirements of Executive Order 12968 to develop a common set of investigative standards for background investigations for access to classified information, the Personnel Security Committee PSC of the Security Policy Board SPB commissioned a study of the sources contacted during the Single Scope Background Investigation SSBI. A team of personnel security adjudicators reviewed 1,101 cases at four agencies which routinely conduct the SSBI Central Intelligence Agency CIA, Department of Defense DoD, National Reconnaissance Office NRO, and Office of Personnel Management OPM. To ensure that the study examined only cases eligible for a full scope SSBI, case review focused on Subjects age 28 or older who had not received a prior investigation and who had issues in their background. Information was collected on the type of issues, the investigative sources which provided information about the issues, and the minimum length of time required to develop the issues. In 81 of the cases the Subject, through the Personnel Security Questionnaire PSQ and the subject interview, provided the issue information. This means that only 19 of the cases were developed from sources other than the Subject. The most productive standard interview sources were Ex-Spouse, Relative, Employment, and Developed and Listed reference interviews. The most productive record sources were Local Agency checks, Financial records and Employment records. Residence, Birth records BVS, and Education records had very low productivity. The data indicated that 97.6 of all issue cases were developed within a 7-year scope. When the Subject did not disclose the issue, 86.6 of the issue information was captured within a 7-year scope.