The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) announced the merger of two of its primary Personnel Security mission areas, Consolidated Adjudication Services (CAS) and Vetting Risk Operations (VRO) into a new cohesive organization known as Adjudication and Vetting Services (AVS), on March 22.
Overseen by Dr. Mark Livingston, DCSA assistant director of Personnel Security, the merger redefines key components of DCSA’s personnel vetting enterprise, establishing a more dynamic and responsive organization, better equipped to navigate the challenges of tomorrow in the changing security landscape.
"This merger is a game changer and will make our process of securing a trustworthy government workforce faster, better, and stronger. This merger and other mission transformation efforts reflect our continued progress in the DCSA personnel security directorate,” said Livingston.
CAS renders determinations on eligibility for access to classified information, or to occupy a sensitive national security position and favorable suitability, fitness and credentialing decisions. Through this adjudicative staff, DCSA is responsible for evaluating over one million cases each year. VRO provides an extensive suite of tools and services to identify and address personnel security risk. America’s trusted workforce is comprised of approximately four million cleared personnel that must be continuously vetted to confirm their ongoing trustworthiness. The merger of these two organizations represents another step in providing robust capabilities to DCSA’s customers.
“Our goals include delivering enhanced service offerings, improving response times, and optimizing case management for customers,” said Heather Green, DCSA principal deputy assistant director for AVS. “We are carefully managing the transition to ensure service continues without interruption through this transformational period. It is essential that we maintain our focus on supporting the mission by ensuring our customers and stakeholders have the necessary products and services to support mission readiness and protect national security.”
The purpose of the merger was threefold; to better use limited personnel and resources, better align DCSA functions to Trusted Workforce 2.0, and to enable effective protections from threats to the United States. The merger will follow a phased, outcome-driven approach with priority lines of effort and associated initiatives. The foundational phase will span much of fiscal year 2024 and involve integrating critical operations, removing process redundancies, aligning functions with policies and enhancing collaborative knowledge sharing.
TW 2.0 is a whole-of-government background investigation reform effort that is overhauling the personnel vetting process by establishing a government-wide system enhancing security, allowing reciprocity across organizations, and generating cost savings across government. This includes replacing periodic reinvestigations with a continuous vetting (CV) program, ensuring a trusted workforce in near real time through automated records checks and inter-agency information sharing.