Office of Personnel Security and Identity Management
The Office of Personnel Security and Identity Management (PS&IM) is comprised of VA’s Personnel Security and Suitability Service (PSS), Security and Investigations Center (SIC), and the HSPD-12 Program Office (HSPD-12) within the Office of Operations, Security and Preparedness (OSP). PS&IM ensures alignment, accountability, and transparency of VA’s personnel security, suitability, and HSPD-12 programs and provides central coordination and oversight of the Department’s personnel security, suitability, and identity management infrastructure.
The Office of Personnel Security and Suitability (PSS) carries out the Department’s responsibilities to maintain a personnel security program as authorized by laws, regulations, Executive Orders, and Directives at VA Central Office and throughout the Department. PSS provides broad Department-wide policy direction, standard setting, coordination, and performance assessment for organizational components within VA and carries out VA’s responsibilities to maintain a suitability program; including policy direction, standard setting, coordination, and performance assessment for organizational components for making suitability and fitness determinations within VA.
The Security the Security and Investigations Center (SIC) processes and adjudicates background investigations for all moderate risk and high risk public trust and national security positions for federal employees within the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as all level of investigations for contractors performing jobs and functions for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The SIC provides resources and facilitates requests for the VA Human Resource offices, Contracting Officers, and Contract Officers Technical representatives that initiate background investigations.
The HSPD-12 Program Office is responsible for carrying out the requirements of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) at VA and for managing the issuance of federal identification cards to all VA employees, contractors, and affiliates. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) requires a Government-wide, common identification standard for all Federal employees and contractors requiring physical and/or logical access. HSPD-12 and its common identification standard require personal identity verification (PIV), background investigations, and suitability determinations for all affected personnel. The HSPD-12 Program Office provides Departmental policy and guidance, management, communications, training, deficiency requirements, and oversight for identity and access implementation programs; including PIV, Physical Access Control Systems, and Logical Access Control Systems.
