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Division of Personnel Security
and Access Control

Helpdesk: 301-402-9755
e-QIP: 301-402-9735
Appointment Line: 301-496-0051
Email: orspersonnelsecurity@mail.nih.gov

This is the July 29, 2009 issue of the DPSAC NEWS

“Tasks that Aren’t” in NED

The NED team has discovered a quirk in NED that may cause confusion for NED users. The team found that NED will generate what they’ve nicknamed “Zombie tasks” when the NED user selects a menu item (such as ‘Modify’ or ‘Update’) but fails to click on either submit/complete or cancel to exit the menu.

For example, a NED user may pull up the “Update” menu and select a person whose file they want to update. But before the user proceeds with the “Update”, s/he realizes that what s/he really wanted to do was “Modify” that person’s NED record. Instead of closing out the Update menu [i.e., completing the update and hitting “Submit” or cancelling out of the Update menu by hitting (you guessed it), the “Cancel” button], the NED user proceeds directly to the “Modify” menu by clicking on it at the left side of the NED page.

When the user later goes to view his/her tasks, NED will list a false or “zombie” task of “Awaiting Update.” NED will generate these non-tasks whenever the NED user enters any menu selection and does not properly close out. To avoid confusion, the NED user should make sure s/he either exits menus by selecting the submit/complete or cancel button before moving on to another menu.

Reminder for AOs – Easy-to-Use Online Enrollment Appointment System Saves Your Employees Time

DPSAC wants to remind AOs that scheduling an enrollment appointment for an employee is as simple as logging on to the Background Investigation Online Appointment System (a.k.a., the Enrollment Appointment Scheduling System), finding an available date and time and signing the person up. While this option requires some additional work by the AO/AT (versus having the individual call Personnel Security directly or visit the Enrollment center to arrange an appointment), it might be a particularly appealing alternative when the individual has been unable to reach ORS Personnel Security by phone or when s/he can’t easily stop by the enrollment center. Unfortunately, the Personnel Security office has been overwhelmed by the current volume of walk ins and phone calls. DPSAC is working to remedy this situation.

Remember that once an individual has completed pre-enrollment, s/he receives an e-mail with ‘next steps’ for completing the enrollment process. As noted above, the individual is presented with three options for scheduling an enrollment appointment. AOs who wish to use the online scheduling system can click on http://fmp-8.cit.nih.gov/rdis/ and enter their IC-specific password. To obtain your IC’s password just e-mail Dan Shumate, shumated@mail.nih.gov in the HSPD-12 Program Office with your request and he will forward it to you.

After an AO has accessed the Background Investigation Online Appointment System s/he will be asked to select a date for an appointment. No appointments are currently made for EOD Mondays. Appointments can only be made for 60 days in advance. Please remember that people only need an appointment when they need to be fingerprinted. For all other inquiries, individuals can simply stop by to speak to a DPSAC customer service representative.

Investigation Requirements for Contractor Personnel

Contractor personnel are not required to submit the OF-612 (Optional Application for Federal Employment); however, they are required to answer items 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, and 17a, on the OF-306 (Declaration of Federal Employment).

Everyone else who completes e-QIP must complete the OF-612. This includes FTEs, Fellows, Guest Researchers and Special Volunteers.

‘Not To Exceed’ (NTE) Report in NED Can Help AOs Avoid Unwelcome Surprises

Did you know that NED offers AOs the ability to run reports showing the NTE dates for everyone they service? Since an NTE expiration notification will go out to the badge holder and their AO only once, it can be easy to lose track of an individual’s pending expiration date.

The NTE tracking tool in NED can help AOs better manage their people and avoid the surprise (and hassle) of allowing a NED record to terminate unintentionally. Remember, the NED record will shut off on the NTE date unless the AO takes action to extend the date in NED.

For U.S. citizens, the one time NTE notification generated by NED goes out 60 days prior to the NTE date; for non-U.S. citizens and for individuals who don’t have citizenship data in NED, the notification goes out 120 days prior to the NTE date.

Employees and Contractors (and an occasional AO/AT) sometimes confuse the NTE Date with the Badge Expiration Date. When a badge expires, Access Control disables the badge, preventing the holder from gaining access to NIH facilities with the badge. When an NTE date is reached and no extensions have been recorded in NED, the individual’s NED record shuts down and all privileges conveyed with an active NED record terminate.

Helpful Tips

Your Smart Card Reader and the Mozilla Firefox Web Browser Some AOs and IT Support staff report difficulty getting their USB ActiveIdentity smart card readers to work with NED when using the Mozilla Firefox web browsers. The office of the ODCIO is aware of this issue and is working with the NIH Login team to document a solution. In the meantime, anyone who needs help with this issue can contact Mark Silverman, ODCIO, at Mark.Silverman@nih.gov. Mark is available to explain what to do. No problems have been reported using Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Minimum Age Requirement for Federal Employees The Office of Personnel Management’s Code of Federal Regulations (part 551.601, title 5), states that the minimum age for Federal Employees is 16 years old. This is why e-QIP will not allow anyone under age 16 to fill out a Standard Form. The full regulation can be read at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/5cfr551_02.html

Remember to take two forms of appropriate identification when you go to your enrollment appointment. Suitable forms of ID include your driver’s license, your NIH ID Badge, your passport, and other I-9 documents. Library and credit cards are NOT acceptable forms of ID for enrollment purposes. For a list of acceptable forms of identification, please click here.

Find all past issues of DPSAC News posted on the ID Badge website (http://idbadge.nih.gov) under ‘News and Information / DPSAC Newsletter.’

FAQs

Q. Has it been determined yet who will be getting their HHS ID Badges first?

A. DPSAC has determined that First Responders (Police, Fire, etc.) along with badge holders requiring elevated background investigation will be among the first groups to complete the process and receive the new badge. DPSAC is in the process of determining the order of rollout for the rest of the NIH workforce.

Q. I have a question regarding lost badges. I put in a request for a new (replacement) badge in NED for one of my customers and it has been approved and sponsored by her AO. I did this task a week ago and the individual has not received an e-mail notifying her that she can pick up her new badge. The badge status in NED says "Awaiting Investigation Information from DPSAC."

I thought lost badges did not have to go through the background check process? Can you explain the process of getting a new badge and if there is anything I need to do to help the process?

A. Individuals who lose their ID Badge *WILL* need to go through the background check process. However, these individuals are entitled to pick up a replacement badge immediately after their AO sponsors them. Note that the badge will be a temporary one (with an expiration date 60 days into the future), but at least it will work.
 

During this “grace” period, Personnel Security will check with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to determine whether the individuals’ fingerprints are on file. Individuals whose fingerprints are not on file will receive an e-mail directing them to get fingerprinted; individuals whose fingerprints are on file will receive an e-mail directing them to pick up their permanent replacement badge.

Q. One more follow up question, please. Should the individual who lost her badge call the badging office first to make an appointment and to verify there is a temporary badge? Or will DPSAC just print up a badge for her whenever she can go?

A. She should do both. Her call to make a fingerprinting appointment will serve as a signal for DPSAC to initiate the check with OPM to determine whether her fingerprints are on file; she can stop by a badging station any time to get her temporary badge.
 

Thanks to your question, DPSAC plans to “copy” those individuals who have lost their badges when they notify Access Control that a replacement for a lost badge has been sponsored and approved. This will give the applicant a "heads up" to go in for their temporary replacement badge.

Q. Can you explain the difference between “Guest Researcher” and “Special Volunteer?”

A. The NIH Manual Chapter 2300-308-1 explains in detail the differences between these two position classifications. This Chapter defines the two classifications as follows:

Guest Researcher: “…scientists, engineers, and students who are permitted to engage in scientific studies and investigations using NIH Facilities. Under this program, these individuals further their own research by using equipment and resources that are otherwise unavailable to them. They provide no direct service to NIH;”
 

Special Volunteers: “…individuals who provide research services, direct patient care, clerical support, technical assistance, or any other necessary services for NIH.”
 

The Manual Chapter also distinguishes between the two position classifications by their eligibility requirements as follows:

Guest Researcher Eligibility: “NIH research facilities are available to non-NIH employees who are sponsored and paid by an outside organization or who are self-supporting.

The following individuals are not eligible to be NIH Guest Researchers:

• Scientists at NIH for the purpose of informal observation, discussions and/or participation in scientific activities that have no formal relationship with NIH

• Scientists at NIH for less than 1 week

• Special Volunteers

Special Volunteer Eligibility: “Volunteer services may be accepted from any appropriate source, including individuals who are:

• donating their services as members of volunteer or charitable organizations

• offering their services on their own time

• receiving fellowship or stipend support from outside organizations with whom they have non-employment relationships

• employed by, and receiving compensation from outside organizations (nonprofit or otherwise) or are employees of outside organizations on
sabbaticals or leaves of absence

• Federal employees volunteering services unrelated to their official duties and responsibilities, outside of their normal work hours

Volunteer services may not be accepted from individuals who are:

• Commissioned Officers in the U.S. Public Health Service or members of other Uniformed Services

• paid employees of outside organizations who are not on sabbaticals or leaves of absence

• Guest Researchers

DPSAC is the badging authority for both Guest Researchers and Special Volunteers regardless of their anticipated term of employment. Individuals whose appointment at NIH will be six months or greater will undergo a full background investigation whereas those with an appointment shorter than six months will undergo a fingerprint check only.
 

To find out more about these two position classifications, refer to NIH Manual Chapter 2300-308-1, available by clicking on the following link: http://www1.od.nih.gov/oma/manualchapters/person/2300-308-1/ 

A biweekly e-newsletter from the Office of Research Services, Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (ORS/DPSAC) to keep you informed as NIH rolls out "Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12" (HSPD-12) establishing a common identification standard to better safeguard NIH and its workforce.