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October 15, 2014 issue of the DPSAC NEWS

In This Issue
New e-QIP Policy Becomes Effective October 14, 2014
Extended Visitor Badges
NED Release v.3.7 Incorporates Emergency Tier Designation Functionality
DPSAC Wants to Hear from its Customers
Helpful Tips
News Briefs.
FAQs
Safety Corner

   

 

Contact Us

 

Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC),  

Office of Research Services  

 

Personnel Security 

Helpdesk: 301-402-9755

e-QIP: 301-402-9735

Appointment Line: 301-496-0051

E-mail: orspersonnelsecurity@ 

mail.nih.gov

 

Access Control

Helpdesk: 301-451-4766

E-mail: facilityaccesscontrol@ 

mail.nih.gov

 

       

        HHS logo small Logo Mark NIH Logo Mark    

New e-QIP Policy to Become Effective in FY 15 

Later this fiscal year, DPSAC will no longer issue PIV cards (HHS ID Badges) to individuals who have not completed their Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) and had DPSAC staff review the documents for submission to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).   

 

This new federal policy stipulates that NIH employees, contractors and affiliates must have completed their e-QIP forms to obtain a PIV card. This means that before an individual can be issued a PIV Card (HHS ID Badge) to access NIH facilities and NIH IT resources, s/he must first accurately complete and submit the e-QIP and related investigation forms in a timely manner to allow DPSAC to review and release them to OPM.

If DPSAC determines the application forms are incomplete, DPSAC will be required to send the documents back to the individual for completion, thus delaying the badging process. All new employees, contactors and affiliates must follow these guidelines. There are no exceptions!

 

Individuals new to NIH who do not complete their e-QIP prior to their "Entry on Duty" (EOD) day will not receive a PIV card until this review and release process is completed.  

 

Advanced Planning for EOD  

The NIH administrative community can help new staff members by entering them into the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) BEFORE they arrive at NIH. This will give individuals the ability to complete e-QIP before they start at NIH and avoid the significant inconvenience of having to go without an HHS ID Badge because they didn't complete and submit their e-QIP forms to DPSAC.

 

To help the NIH administrative community manage this new policy, the HSPD-12 Program Office recently circulated a sample e-mail 

to ICs that they can adapt for their use. ICs are encouraged to make this e-mail a regular part of their communications with their new hires to alert them to their responsibilities regarding e-QIP submission.

Advanced Notice 

Once a specific date for this change is determined, DPSAC will be sure to communicate this well in advance to the administrative community and other stakeholders. 
 

OPM Stresses Complete and Accurate Forms 

In May 2014, the OPM contacted all federal agency personnel security offices to remind them that it is "their responsibility [to ensure that] the information on the documents provided to OPM [is complete]."

OPM emphasized that "the goal [of all agencies] should be to submit accurate and complete documents the first time." The following chart illustrates the most common quality errors and the overall rate of occurrence cited by OPM.   

 

 

 

Extended Visitor Badges

Some administrative officers will now receive requests to approve Extended Visitor Badges. New policies and procedures for issuing Extended Visitor Badges will require AOs who are sponsors for PIV Badges to sign off on some extended visitor forms. The IC will be charged the FY 15 cost of $21.50 for the fingerprint results if the applicant requires a SAC (fingerprint) check.

New sponsorship forms are posted at
http://security.nih.gov/Pages/Home.aspx to accommodate these changes.

Please note: sponsorship of non-NIH personnel must include a justification statement by the AO sponsor as to why the individual requires employee-like access to the NIH campus.

NED Release v.3.7 Incorporates Emergency Tier Designation Functionality

 

The NED Team recently deployed NED version 3.7 that includes important functional enhancements that provide the capability to collect and manage NIH employee Emergency Tier Designation (ETD) information and make this data available for use by external systems.  For information about the NIH Emergency Tier Designation Program, please visit: https://intrahr.od.nih.gov/documents/ETD/ETDGuidelines.pdf 

 

See related article under Safety Corner.   

 

DPSAC Wants to Hear from its Customers

 

DPSAC invites its customers to participate in a short survey so that it may better serve NIHers who require badge enrollment and issuance services. You can find a link to the survey on the DPSAC website main page
'Quick Links' at: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Pages/Home.aspx.
  
Helpful Tips 
 
ICs that want to add Lifecycle Work Station (LWS) operators to the approved roster -- send a written request to Richie Taffet at: [email protected]. Your request should include the new operator's name, his/her IC, his/her NED number, as well as the operator's e-mail address, building/room and phone number. 

Once Mr. Taffet has approved the request, he will forward the name(s) to
[email protected] to complete the approval process, add the name to the LWS operator roster, and inform the IC that the individual is now approved to operate the LWS.

Need to make changes to the LWS operator directories?
-- drop an e-mail to Lanny Newman,
[email protected], and let him know what needs changing (e.g., adding new operators or LWS locations, removing operators, etc.). Remember, before a new operator can be added to the LWS directory, s/he must first be approved by Richie Taffet (see preceding Helpful Tip).

If an LWS is not available in your IC or your immediate area, and you work in the greater Bethesda or Rockville area
-- please call 301-451-4766 or 301-402-9755 to schedule an appointment with the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control located in Building 31, Room B1A26 or in Building 10, South Lobby, Room 1C52.

If you work outside the Bethesda/Rockville area, contact your
local badge issuance office. You can find contact information for all badge issuance offices at: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Pages/contactinfo.aspx.

News Briefs

Badge Renewal Notice to Foreign Nationals Advises Close Coordination with AOs to Avoid Temporary Loss of Access Privileges

Foreign Nationals whose badges are coming up for renewal will receive a notice from the HSPD-12 Program Office advising them to coordinate their renewal action with their Administrative Officer (AO) to avoid any loss of access privileges to the NIH campus and/or NIH networks.  The servicing AO for that individual will be copied on this notification.

To view this notice click on the link: Badge Renewal Notice

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FY 2015 OPM Pricing Schedule for Background Investigations
 
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently published the FY 2015 pricing schedule for Background Investigations in OPM Circular Federal Investigations Notice - No. 14-07 - Investigations Reimbursable Billing Rates for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015.

Costs for the eight most commonly ordered investigations at the NIH are posted on the DPSAC website at: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/bgchecks/Pages/pricing.aspx.

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Despite Name Change, 'Old' Name Still Appears on Digital Certificates Due to Software Bug

 

When individuals change their name in NED, they should be aware that their 'old' name will still appear on their badge's digital certificates. While this is a known bug with the HHS badge management software, it will not affect the individual's login or secure e-mail. Likewise, when an individual transfers to NIH from another HHS operating division (e.g., FDA), his/her prior organization will still appear in their digital certificates (e.g., OU=FDA).    

 

Issuance Works Station (IWS) operators and DPSAC Customer Service staff have been alerted to this issue and will now ask the badge holder at the time of re-issuance whether this action (re-issuance) is being requested due to a name change.    

 

If the answer is yes, staff will be able explain that even though the user's old name/organization will still appear in his/her certificates due to the HHS software bug, login or secure e-mail will be unaffected.  

 

Once this software bug is fixed, which is expected to occur before the end of the calendar year, affected individuals will be notified of the fix and told how to download new certificates with his/her new name/organization in the certificate. 

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FAQs

Q. I'm an AO but seem to be unable to sponsor individuals. What do I need to do to get this authorization?

 

A. You are not listed as having a sponsor role in NED. To become an AO Sponsor, you must complete the training found on DPSAC's website under the 'Training/Administrators' section at http://go.usa.gov/fc2e and fax the completion certificate to the HSPD-12 Program Office at 301-480-0108. 

They will assign the Sponsor role to you in NED. If the fax doesn't go through, you should send the PIV Sponsor Certificate to Richard Taffet ([email protected]) via encrypted e-mail.

Once you are updated in NED with the sponsor role, you will see the account renewal e-mails.
 

Q.
Can you please advise me on steps I need to take to renew my security badge?
 

 

A. Instructions for renewing an existing badge are posted on the DPSAC website at: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/badge/Pages/4steps.aspx.                 

 

Q. I am currently an AO and a NED super user for our office. Do I need additional training in order to approve Extended Visitor badges?

A. If you have authority to sponsor an Employee, Contractor or Affiliate in NED for a PIV Card (HHS ID Badge), you do not need additional training.
  
   
Q.  Where can I find the new application form for the Extended Visitors Badge requiring the justification and fingerprints?

 

A. The revised 'Authorization for Release of Information Form (Extended Visitor ID Badge Application" is posted on the NIH Security website: http://www.security.nih.gov/Pages/Home.aspx. To go directly to the form, click on: Authorization for Release of Information Form (Extended Visitor ID Badge Application.    

Safety Corner

The following fire safety awareness article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal, ORS

 

Each year at this time, questions arise concerning the use of space heaters at NIH owned facilities. The guidelines that follow below do not pertain to NIH leased facilities. Please be aware that if you work in a leased facility, there may be more stringent requirements from the building owner and/or local fire-safety "Authority Having Jurisdiction."   

  

Please check with your Office of Research Facilities (ORF) Facility Manager (http://orf2.od.nih.gov/AboutORF/BuildingsandFacilityManagers.asp) before purchasing or using a space heater in any NIH leased facility.    

 

Before a space heater can be considered for an NIH owned facility, any difficulties in regulating or maintaining a comfortable temperature must first be directed to ORF to have a building engineer attempt to make mechanical adjustments to the heating system.   

  

If it is determined by ORF that an area cannot be adequately heated, written approval will be provided by the ORF Facility Manager assigned to the building to support the purchase and use of a space heater in designated areas only.

 

Space heaters are not permitted, under any circumstances, in laboratories, patient care units, or clinics.

 

Prior to installing any space heater, ORF must also verify that the electrical service to the area is adequate to safely accommodate the heater. Space heaters can easily overload electrical circuits in a building, therefore, additional circuits may need to be installed.   

  

If electrical work is required, the occupant's IC should initiate a work request. If ORF has available funds and it is clear the building is not capable of providing reasonable levels of heat (70 degrees) in that particular room, ORF will fund the electrical work.

 

The Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services, does not endorse any particular brand or manufacturer of space heaters; however, a convection-type heater is preferable. Convection models slowly warm the air around them and pose less of a burn hazard since their surface temperatures are generally lower.   

  

Prior to purchasing the heater, be sure that the unit has been tested by an approved testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and is equipped with ALL of the following features to minimize fire hazards typically associated with these devices:   

  • A multi-directional tip-over switch - space heaters can easily tip over. This switch automatically turns off the unit regardless of which way it may fall.
  • An overheat sensor - this sensor limits the heat output of the space heater and automatically turns off the unit if it becomes too hot.
  • A visible on/off indicating switch and light.

Proper placement of the space heater is important for safety as well as for comfort. Make sure the unit is placed on a hard, non-combustible surface instead of carpet. All combustible materials (e.g., paper, plastics, wood,

etc.) must be stored at least three feet away from the heater. The power cord must not be covered by carpeting or other materials and extension cords should not be used.   

  

Electrical current used for space heaters can cause extension cords to overheat and potentially cause a fire. Plug the space heater directly into a properly grounded outlet.

 

Never leave the heater in operation when an area is unattended or unoccupied.

 

If you have questions concerning the selection and use of space heaters, please contact the Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services at 301-496-0487.



NEDNED Release V 3.7 Boosts Emergency Preparedness at NIH
 

 

The Director of the Office of Human Resources, Christine M. Majors, recently distributed the following notice to all NIH Employees announcing the integration of the NIH Emergency Tier Designation (ETD) into the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED):   

Re:  New NED Feature Boosts Emergency Preparedness at NIH

The Offices of Human Resources and Research Services are excited to announce the integration of the NIH Emergency Tier Designation (ETD) into the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED). Beginning on October 14, 2014, all NIH employees will be able to find their ETD in their NED profile https://NED.nih.gov/. This new functionality within NED will facilitate Emergency Tier assignments and will provide employees and supervisors ready access to view their emergency Tier designation at any time.

The NIH ETD program, implemented in December 2012, uses a three-tiered system and is based on the functions performed by the employee to support the NIH mission and the employee's participation in the NIH Telework Program. The Tiers are as follows:

Tier I - Emergency Employees

Tier II - Non-Emergency/Teleworkers

Tier III - Non-Emergency/Non-Teleworkers

FINDING YOUR EMERGENCY TIER DESIGNATION:   
As of October 14th, employees can view their ETD in their NED profile by accessing NED via https://NED.nih.gov/, NED displays the 'search' page. Once the employee enters their last name and first name in the search information and clicks the 'find' button, NED will display the information about the FTE, including their assigned ETD.

Please take this opportunity to review your phone number and building location information so that you will receive the appropriate notifications for emergencies that may impact your work location.


NEW EMPLOYEES AND POSITION CHANGES:
To account for new employees or employees who have recently changed positions and may have not yet been formally notified of their Tier, NED will automatically populate their ETD field with a "Tier III-Default-Non Emergency/Non-Teleworker" designation.

If an emergency should occur prior to the employee being formally designated and notified, the employee should respond to emergency communications as a Tier III-Non-Emergency/Non-Teleworker unless otherwise instructed by their supervisor.


EMERGENCY TIER DESIGNATION COORDINATORS:
The Executive Officers of each IC have identified ETD Coordinators who will serve as points of contact to effectively implement the ETD program within their IC.


WHERE TO FIND HELP:
Should you have questions about your ETD or how to find it, please contact your ETD coordinator. An ETD Coordinators listing along with other ETD resources can be found in the Emergency Preparedness and Continuity of Operations section of the Administrative Hub via http://adminhub.nih.gov.  


Christine M. Major, IPMA-CP
Director, Office of Human Resources

National Institutes of Health 

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.