Reply to: SC Clearance

[Ian]

My SC came through this week.

Forms were sent off mid August. Took about 2 weeks for the DVA to scan it onto their system - backlog apparently. Once on their system took about 5 weeks, although I was warned that typically could take 2 months. I previously had SC but this lapsed 3 years ago and have no history that would ring any alarm bells.

Didn't make any difference to me but the guy at the DVA also said that people with USA family history could take as long as a year??? Didn't say why though.

[malvolio]

Been there, done that, got the same kind of inadvertant update! There's this helpdesk....

However it's a risk assessment: the PM may well rteat you as a non-threat, but some noddy clierical officer has to follow the rules and overrides him. As you say, it's not about protecting secrets.

[opc]

It took me nine weeks to get clearance earlier this year but I was able to start the contract and work on unclassified stuff, in an unclassified part of the client site.

I believe at the moment SC is taking even longer (a colleague waited 16 weeks).

[NotAllThere]

Yeah, I was able to work on an SC site with BC clearance until mine came through on the basis that:

...
3) I wasn't allowed to touch anything myself

What - even when escorted to the loo?

PwC were working on the same assignment as me. Somehow, their lead functional consultant, an Irishman, was able to work, despite his SC not having come through.

And re: different clearances... I had to code around something along the lines of "If this object equals this value, then don't display". Only, I wasn't cleared to know what "this value" was. So we worked out how I could do all the coding, without needing to know the value, and, more importantly, not being able to find out the value. I was mentioning this as one of the interesting facets of working in a secure environment, to the chief security officer. He said "oh, you mean..." and he quoted the value.

The official secrets act is there to protect officials, not secrets.

[Peter Loew]

Got a gig right now in the heart of the beast, and I can tell you that *in theory* there are people with Basline who are seeing things people with SC should see, and there are people with SC who are seeing things only people with DV should see.

The whole clearance process is a bit of a mess and enforcing clearance in a place like the central gov. is actually quite difficult, especially with suppliers on board.

P

[nad25]

so looks like it could be a long wait!!!!

im gonna give it another 2 weeks see what happens....


anyone had their clearance done in a short time of space without any problems?

[TheFaQQer]

I couldn't possibly comment...

However, mildly interesting question for those who are on site but with clearance pending. How many are working directly to the department and how many are through a prime consultancy or PFI consortium?

My bet is that the ones without clearance yet are the ones who went "direct"...

I'm through an agency to a consultancy, working off-site but with full access to the system.

[malvolio]

If only I were half as smart and well informed as Mal.

I couldn't possibly comment...

However, mildly interesting question for those who are on site but with clearance pending. How many are working directly to the department and how many are through a prime consultancy or PFI consortium?

My bet is that the ones without clearance yet are the ones who went "direct"...

[The Lone Gunman]

You are Malvolio and I claim my £5 discount on insurance.

If only I were half as smart and well informed as Mal.

[TheFaQQer]

Point your client and agent here.

http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/index.php?...375&Itemid=639

HTH.

You are Malvolio and I claim my £5 discount on insurance.

[The Lone Gunman]

Point your client and agent here.

http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/index.php?...375&Itemid=639

HTH.

[b0redom]

Yeah, I was able to work on an SC site with BC clearance until mine came through on the basis that:

1) It was pending
2) I was escorted at all times by someone with SC clearance
3) I wasn't allowed to touch anything myself

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I have waited 3-6 months. They are slow and incompetent. Each time I chased things up they claimed to have lost all the details and I had to fill the forms in a number of times. They really are scum. One time I sat in the office of the woman dealing with my SC and asked her face to face if she had all the details she needed (this was after weeks of her raising one extra query per week) - she said yes and then still raised a further query a week later.

On the upside, at the last gig they did a "basic check" kind of interim clearance that allowed you to get on site and work pending the full thing. When I first started working in the wonderful world of government, I had to ask someone to come with me each and every time I wanted to go the the loo!

[TheFaQQer]

I'm in an SC role at the moment, but can work pending clearance.

I got Baseline Standard in July (which you need before you can get SC), and I'm still waiting for the SC to come through. So far, it's been 52 working days - they aren't allowed to escalate it until it's been in for three months.

DV will take a lot longer than SC - it depends where you need it for as well. The Home Office is swamped with applications at the moment, apparently, so they are taking longer than usual. No idea how other clearance is going.

[b0redom]

I got mine a couple of years ago, and it took about 6 months. I think the HR dept were sitting on the forms for a while though. Basically it all depends on how many other people are on the waiting list, and how high your priority is.

I believe direct goverment employees get the fastest service, and the 4 week thing is a minimum. A mate has just had DV clearance for some police contract and that took about 3 months....