Background Investigations: Impediments to Consolidating Investigations and Adjudicative Functions

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed federal processes for conducting background investigations, focusing on: (1) the feasibility of one central agency conducting all background investigations; (2) federal agencies' compliance with National Security Directive 63 on single-scope background investigations for top secret clearances; and (3) the costs of obtaining background information and the number of security clearances conducted in 1993.