The government still hasn’t managed to fine tune the clearance system to make sure it gets the best value IT contractors for sensitive projects.
Ministers have been accused of operating a closed shop when it comes to sensitive projects because only contractors who already hold a valid clearance certificate are let in.
Michael Shryance, the head of the national security secretariat, said recently that the Cabinet Office is committed to addressing circumstances where vacancies specify that security clearance is a pre-requisite.
In response to a criticism levelled by the PCG last October, Shryance said he shared the Group’s concerns that some contractors may be excluded by this bad practice. He also admitted that the government was not getting the best value from sub-contractors.
The latest government guidance states that candidates should only be required to hold valid security clearance at the application stage in exceptional circumstances. Despite this, the PCG found that many top workers are still blocked from contracts they deserve, in favour of people who already hold clearance.
It’s something of a Catch 22 situation, but Mr Shryane said it was impractical to put all vetting procedures on a statutory footing, although it would be worth exploring the policy objectives. It would also be worth drawing up a Code of Practice and make adhering to it a requirement for recruitment and procurement professionals who want to gain other forms of certification.
He also welcomed the PCG’s proposal to start a Security Clearance Forum. This would monitor the actions of recruiters and clients and would be a welcome “challenge function”, he said.
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