Question 1

What is the primary goal of the Special Access Program Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training course?

Accepted Answer

The primary goal is to explain the Special Access Program nomination process and the role and responsibilities of a Special Access Program Personnel Security Official (SPO) in that process. [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "The goal of this course is to explain the Special Access Program, or SAP, nomination process as well as the role and responsibilities of a Special Access Program Personnel Security Official, or SPO, in that process." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

Question 2

What are the five roles involved in the SAP Nomination process?

Accepted Answer

The five roles involved in the SAP Nomination process are the Requestor, the SPO, the Program Security Officer (PSO), the SAP Central Office (SAPCO), and the Access Approval Authority (AAA). [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "There are five roles involved in the SAP Nomination process. They are the Requestor; the SPO; the Program Security Officer, or PSO; the SAP Central Office, or SAPCO; and the Access Approval Authority, or AAA." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

Question 3

What must a Requestor provide when initiating the Program Access Request (PAR)?

Accepted Answer

The Requestor must provide justification to grant access to a SAP, addressing the need-to-know and the nominated individual's material contribution to the SAP. [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "The justification must address why access is required by establishing need-to-know, or NTK, and the nominated individual's material contribution to the SAP." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

Question 4

What is one of the responsibilities of the SPO in the SAP Nomination process?

Accepted Answer

The SPO is responsible for ensuring the completeness and accuracy of all information submitted in the nominated individual's PAR package. [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "It is the SPO's responsibility to ensure the information contained in the requestor's PAR package is complete and accurate." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

Question 5

What is the purpose of the Letter of Compelling Need (LOCN)?

Accepted Answer

The LOCN accompanies the nomination request for individuals who do not meet the nomination requirements and describes the individual's unique skills and the benefit to the SAP. [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "A Letter of Compelling Need will accompany the nomination request package for any individuals who do not meet the nomination requirements." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

Question 6

What is the role of the Access Approval Authority (AAA) in the SAP Nomination process?

Accepted Answer

The AAA is responsible for making SAP access approval or disapproval decisions, including evaluating a nominated individual's suitability when unique risk is identified. [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "The Access Approval Authority is responsible for making SAP access approval or disapproval decisions, including evaluating a nominated individual's suitability when unique risk is identified in responses to the SAP PSQ." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

Question 7

What must the SPO do if previously unreported derogatory information is revealed during the PSQ review?

Accepted Answer

The SPO will refer the person to their cognizant Special Security Officer (SSO) or Security Manager (SM) to report that information through appropriate channels to the DOD CAF. [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "The SPO will refer the person to their cognizant SSO or SM in order to report that information through appropriate channels to the DOD CAF." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

Question 8

What is the significance of the SAP Pre-Screening Questionnaire (PSQ) in the nomination package?

Accepted Answer

The PSQ is used to collect personnel security information and assess associated risk to SAPs; it must be recertified annually or resubmitted when reportable information changes. [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "The SAP Pre-Screening Questionnaire needs to be included in the nomination package and is used to collect personnel security information and assess associated risk to SAPs." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

Question 9

What should the SPO do if the PSQ templates are missing from the nomination package?

Accepted Answer

If the templates are missing, the package must be returned to the requestor for completion. [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "If the templates are missing, then the package must be returned to the requestor for completion." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

Question 10

What is a common issue SPOs face when reviewing the Foreign Affections template?

Accepted Answer

A common issue is that nominees may list their in-laws on this form, which is incorrect as in-laws are not considered immediate family. [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "One of the more common issues that SPOs may see on a nominee's Foreign Affections template is listing their in-laws on this form." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

Question 11

What is the SPO's responsibility regarding the verification of the nominee's clearance?

Accepted Answer

The SPO must verify that the nominee's clearance is in the system of record as required or is in deferred status in Continuous Vetting. [Source: CDSE — Special Access Program (SAP) Personnel Security Official (SPO) Training (SA106.16) Student Guide — "The SPO will verify that the nominee's clearance is in the system of record as required or is in deferred status in Continuous Vetting." https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/student-guides/SA106-guide.pdf]

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