DCSA updates continuous vetting process for NISP contractors

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has overhauled elements of its personnel vetting policy for National Industrial Security Program contractors, ending the requirement for periodic reinvestigations and moving to a standardized five-year update of the Personnel Vetting Questionnaire. The announcement supersedes guidance issued in August 2022 and aligns with capabilities delivered in DISS Release 14.5.

Under the change, all cleared contractor personnel—regardless of eligibility level—must submit an updated PVQ, also referred to as the SF-86 eApp with associated releases, every five years. The five-year interval will be calculated from the “PVQ Date” recorded in the Defense Information System for Security, which corresponds to the date of the SF-86 in an individual’s record.

To manage compliance, security offices are directed to use the DISS Subject Report to identify personnel approaching their update window, using the PVQ Date as the primary trigger. Once identified, organizations are to submit the required materials to the Personnel Security Management Office for Industry.

The update further codifies the government’s shift away from traditional reinvestigations toward a model built around regular data submissions and continuous monitoring across the cleared contractor community.

The full guidance is available at: https://www.dcsa.mil/Portals/128/Documents/IS/DISS/Industry_Continuous_Vetting_Guidance_260416_FINAL.pdf