What is meant by the above title/statement?  The PSSPQ is a quickly-taken (only 72 multiple-choice items) psychological test that produces, when properly scored, a means for accurately predicting whether an individual will, or will not, be successful were he/she to ever be processed and adjudicated for a high-level security clearance (i.e., up to and including the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Intelligence [TS/SCI] level).

                Note:  the index/home page for the PSSPQ can be found at:
                     http://www.home.earthlink.net/~lastone2/psspq.html

     At the present time (i.e., a couple of years 'post' 9/11), and with the enlargement of our Department of Defense, as well as the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, greatly increased numbers of U.S.A. citizens are being evaluated for security clearance status that are absolute requirements for employment in a large number of governmental and govenment-contracted work situations.  Unfortunately, with such large numbers being processed, the time lag between the start and completion of the security clearance evaluation adjudication process has begun to stretch up until 24 or more months time.

     There is no question as to the truthfulness or validity of the immediately preceding statement.  For example, in early May 2004, the backlog of government workers requiring security clearance before they can do their jobs could be a threat to national and homeland security was pointed out in a statement made in a letter that House Governmental Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va, sent to Defense Security Donald Rumsfeld.  Davis noted in his letter that the average amount of time for a governmental contractor to get a security clearance is more than a year.  "These delays and backlogs make  our country less secure by depriving industry and the government of the personnel necessary to develop security sensitive technology and otherwise carry out the government's national security mission." Davis wrote.

     Another very timely and recent example is the lengthy column that appeared in the Washington Post (14 May 2004, pages E1 and E4), written by Ellen McCarthy, one of this paper's senior Staff Writers, who quite frequently writes about the subject of security clearances as they relate to employment issues.  Ms. McCarthy indicated that there was (i.e., in May 2004) a backlog of 188,000 requests for security clearances from private contractors, who are now complaining that the resultant delays, "hampers business."  Also, in this same time period, when counting the actual grand total of clearance requests made for potential governmental employees of the many government agencies that require security clearances for their employees is seen as being in excess of 360,000. Ms. McCarthy also notes that the Department of Defense and the Office of Personnel Management together process clearances for most federal agencies and currently have about 4,200 investigators handing applications.  According to a recent report made by the General Accounting Office, over 8,000 investigators are minimally necessary to eliminate the current backlog of 'to-be-done' clearance investigations.

     An increase in the number of security clearance investigators is unlikely to happen according to government officials.  "I don't think we expect significant improvement this year," said Rick Lawhorn, a senior manager with the Defense Security Service, the Defense Department office that manages the clearance process.  When this status is combined with a sentiment recently heard in the 'Halls of Congress,' which suggests that a number of lawmakers have been recently calling for an even more thorough vetting processes, it can be easily concluded that, in the near (and even distant) future, much longer delays can be expected for the time period between the start of the process for security clearance evaluation and the adjudicated completion of same.

     Knowing what is explained in the immediately preceding paragraphs, it should be no surprise to learn that the time period, between a start of processing for potential granting of a high-level security clearance and the completion of the process, is significantly increasing when compared to the time period lengths seen several or more years ago.  Today, it is not at all unusual, especially with Top Secret and above levels, for time intervals to be in excess of a year or so.  In fact, it really is not at all unusual for two years or more to pass before a final adjudication decision is rendered.  The developer of the PSSPQ is personally aware of delays in excess of 30 months for clearance processing took place 15-25 years ago when backlog numbers were far lower than what are described for the present time frame.  With the greatly increased backlog of yet-to-be accomplished clearance processings that exists today, along with the incredibly small number of security clearance investigators who will be involved in the processings, a quite large number of very long-term processings can be expected in the future.
 
 

     To familiarize readers with how civilian individuals are 'put in' or nominated for being processed for potential granting of security clearances.  There are really only two different avenues for the investigation process to start.  The first is for government employment; when an individual is seen as being employable as 
far as knowledge, skills and ability are concerned, at this point a security clearance investigation is started and if completed with a positive adjudication, then a job offer is made.  For those in the military services, the security clearance evaluation process is usually started when the involved persons are already in the uniformed services. 

     The second path for being nominated for a security clearance is when an individual is being considered for possible employment with a governmental contractor whose employees are required to hold specified security clearance status.  Two somewhat different employment arrangements are now seen in the governmental contractor arena.  What used to be the most frequently seen arrangement was that a person would be hired and then the contractor organization would request that the government start the security clearance investigation.  In the meantime the contractor would place the newly hired person in some slot that did not require the needed clearance(s).  In this arrangement, the contractor organization generally experienced a financial loss as the new employee was usually given work well below his/her training, abilities and experience levels.  Also, it is very important to note that with contractor employees, the contractor organization is required to pay the government to conduct the security clearance evaluations.

     In the past year or so, another contractor employee hiring arrangement is being more frequently encountered.  A contractor will accept an individual for potential employment and then request the government to conduct the needed security clearance processing.  Then, and only if the government decides to grant the required clearance status, will the contractor then actually hire and place the now-cleared individual on the payroll.
 

     For persons graduating from college and/or those simply looking for new civilian employment that requires the being granted a high-level security clearance, the prospect of being processed for the job-required security clearance and eventually denied being granted the clearance status has very important future career damaging potential.  For those who enlist in one of the military services and apply for training in military career fields that require the trainee to be later granted high-level security clearance status, if the government decides not to grant the clearance status, then one's future military career is most certainly not enhanced.  In fact, just the opposite can be expected; such persons generally end up in what are considered to be the lowest advantaged career fields.

      Some people, who have been processed for security clearances, and who were subsequently denied being granted the needed clearance, have described their later career development as having been negatively affected (i.e., damaged).  Some have suggested that such a governmental adjudication decision was just about equal to having a felony conviction or some past major mental illness status in one's historical background.  When future potential employers (including the government) become aware that the subject individual has been 'turned down' or officially denied a security clearance in the past, many times their naive suspicions of past wrong-doings, or the like, are actually much more severe than were the real justifications used in the actual denial decision itself..  Therefore, the most wise thing to do is to not ever be officially denied being granting a governmental security clearance.

     In addition to the expected future career problems that should be seriously considered to be associated with a denial adjudication decision, with respect to a hoped-for security clearance, there generally are some other related problems encountered.  A 'turn-down' with respect to security clearance granting usually also causes some embarrassment type problems with spouses, significant others, family, neighbors, friends, work associates, etc.  In fact, some significant number of divorce proceedings have been attributed to have been initially triggered when one spouse receives a denial notice from a government official or one's actual or potential employer.  Receiving a denial notice can start of long series of questions as to the basis for the denial. Enough said!

     What would be closer to some kind of ideal solution to the problem of having to decide to make application to enlist in the military, or apply for a civilian government job that requires one to be then processed for high-level security clearance status, or to make employment application with a governmental contractor regarding a position requiring governmental granting of clearance status, can be obtained from having been administered the PSSPQ.  Prediction information, regarding whether an individual will or will not be eventually successful if he/she is later processed for high-level security clearance status, comes from statistical prediction information based upon PSSPQ scorings.  Whether a person will be granted or denied a security clearance can be predicted with about a 95% accuracy rate.  Strong, scientific-based, statistical evidence repeatedly confirms the PSSPQ's  prediction accuracy.

     For those wanting more information regarding the PSSPQ, please click on the following shown Web Site address:

                    http://www.home.earthlink.net/~lastone2/psspq.html

For those who might want to know more about the developer of the PSSPQ (i.e., Dr. LeRoy A. Stone), if one goes to the Web Site address given below, such focused information is available:

                   http://www.home.earthlink.net/~lastone2/home.html

Full instructions on how to apply for being administered the PSSPQ can be found at:

            http://www.home.earthlink.net/~lastone2/howtotakepsspq.html