(a) Agencies that authorize, approve, certify, or accredit facilities shall provide to the SPB Staff a points of contact list to include names and telephone numbers of personnel to be contacted for verification of the status of facilities. The SPB Staff will publish a comprehensive directory of agency points of contact.

(b) After initial security authorization, approval, certification, or accreditation, subsequent reviews shall normally be conducted no more frequently than annually. Additionally, such reviews shall be aperiodic or random, and be based upon risk-management principles. Security Reviews may be conducted “for cause”, to follow up on previous findings, or to accomplish close-out actions.

(c) The procedures employed to maximize interagency reciprocity shall be based primarily upon existing organizational reporting channels. These channels should be used to address alleged departures from established reciprocity requirements and should resolve all, including the most egregious instances of non-compliance.

(d) Two complementary mechanisms are hereby established to augment existing organizational channels: (1) An accessible and responsive venue for reporting and resolving complaints/reported instances of non-compliance. Government and industry reporting channels shall be as follows:

(1) Governnment.

(A) Agency employees are encouraged to bring suspected departures from applicable reciprocity requirements to the attention of the appropriate security authority in accordance with established agency procedures.

(B) Should the matter remain unresolved, the complainant (employee, Security Officer, Special Security Officer, or similar official) is encouraged to report the matter formally to the Senior Agency Official for resolution.

(C) Should the Senior Agency Official response be determined inadequate by the complainant, the matter should be reported formally to the Director, Security Policy Board Staff (D/SPBS). The D/SPBS, may revisit the matter with the Senior Agency Official or refer the matter to the Security Policy Forum as deemed appropriate.

(D) Should the matter remain unresolved, the Security Policy Forum may consider referral to the SPB, the agency head, or the National Security Council as deemed appropriate.

(ii) Industry.

(A) Contractor employees are encouraged to bring suspected departures from the reciprocity provisions of the NISPOM to the attention to their Facility Security Officer (FSO) or Contractor Special Security Officer (CSSO), as appropriate, for resolution.

(B) Should the matter remain unresolved, the complainant (employee, FSO, or CSSO) is encouraged to report the matter formally to the Cognizant Security Office (CSO) for resolution.

(C) Should the CSO responses be determined inadequate by the complainant, the matter should be reported formally to the Senior Agency Official within the Cognizant Security Agency (CSA) for resolution.

(D) Should the Senior Agency Official response be determined inadequately by the complainant, the matter should be reported formally to the Director, information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) for resolution.

(E) The Director, ISOO, may revisit the matter with the Senior Agency Official or refer the matter to the agency head or the National Security Council as deemed appropriate.

(2) An annual survey administered to a representative sampling of agency and private sector facilities to assess overall effectiveness of agency adherence to applicable reciprocity requirements.

(i) In coordination with the D/SPBS, the Director, ISOO, as Chairman of the NISP Policy Advisory Committee (NISPPAC), shall develop and administer an annual survey to a representative number of cleared contractor activities/employees to assess the effectiveness of interagency reciprocity implementation. Administration of the survey shall be coordinated fully with each affected Senior Agency Official.

(ii) In coordination with the NISPPAC, the D/SPBS shall develop and administer an annual survey to a representative number of agency activities/personnel to assess the effectiveness of interagency reciprocity implementation. Administration of the survey shall be coordinated fully with each affected Senior Agency Official.

(iii) The goal of annual surveys should not be punitive but educational. All agencies and departments have participated in the crafting of these facilities policies, therefore, non-compliance is a matter of internal education and direction.

(e) Agencies will continue to review and assess the potential value added to the process of co-use of facilities by development of electronic data retrieval across government.


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