Industry’s asking DCSA for transparency on continuous vetting, and they’re right to push. The shift away from periodic reinvestigations was overdue—automated alerts surface issues faster, and investigators can focus where it matters. But contractors are now sitting in limbo when CV flags pop, unable to move cleared talent onto new programs while adjudication drags. LaToya Coleman from ManTech put it plainly at the NISPPAC meeting: without metrics or timelines, FSOs are flying blind.
The scale is staggering. DoE saw over 500,000 alerts in a single quarter before transitioning fully to DCSA’s system. DHS processed a similar volume, with 92% classified as low-risk and an average 13-day adjudication. That’s the model working—triage at speed, prioritize the 2% that matter. But DCSA’s own numbers show nearly a million industry employees now enrolled, and the agency’s still working out contact protocols and resolution workflows. Tom Giancoli acknowledged they’re gathering data, but contractors need more than acknowledgment. They need predictable timelines and a clear path to resolve alerts without benching people who’ve been trusted insiders for years.
The ask isn’t complicated: loop FSOs into the process earlier, publish resolution metrics, and give industry the same visibility government agencies are starting to see. Continuous vetting is the right direction, but it only works if adjudication keeps pace with the alerts. Right now, the system’s creating friction where it should be creating speed.