HSPD-12 PIV Card Problems at DHS
Posted by William Henderson on 01 Mar 2010 at 10:31 am | Tagged as: Chit-Chat, Cleared News
A February 17, 2010 article at Government Computer News reported that:
“The Homeland Security Department is nearly three years behind in getting Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards for its employees and contractors, according to a new report from DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner.”
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (August 2004), Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors, mandated that federal agencies issue secure federal ID cards by October 2008. As of September 2009, only 15,567, of the approximately 250,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees and contractors, had been issued PIV cards. The January 2010 DHS Inspector General’s report outlined 15 recommendations to improve the department’s implementation of HSPD-12.
Other federal agencies have also had problems implementing the PIV card requirement. According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as of December 2009 only a handful of federal agencies had met the October 2008 PIV card implementation requirements of OMB Memorandum M-05-24. A February 2008 article at nextgov.com provides a good overview of the program and its problems.
This is an absolute joke. I have a card and cannot use it anywhere except in a DoD facility because they are friends. I cannot believe this has taken so long and, I’m betting by the time it’s done, the technology will be old and replaced.
It’s easy, set an appt, collect the info and print the card!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I was in the military we did thousands of Security Badges in a 2 month period when we changed requirements. And that was with only 3 machines to make the badges.
Not quite that easy, INVESTIGATOR, however the technology and tools are all there. Problem is, DHS can’t get the philosophy right. …supposed to be “interoperable” and by the federal standard (called FIPS 201). That’s why your card doesn’t do anything. They’re now so wrapped up in a proprietary system they can’t figure out how to fix it (not fixable, by the way – to do it right, they’ll have to scrap and start over). So, they just pour more time and money into the various “stewards” involved in the project. By the time all is said and done, I’d suspect they’ll end up not only the subject of more IG (recent as last month) and GAO findings, but maybe a page or two in the Washington Post. Real close to WF&A.
I have had my PIV for over 1.5 years, have never used it and actually have no idea where I would be able to use it. I carry it with me but I haven’t quite figured out why.
On a side note, doing work for a non-OPM contract, they wanted me to get a second PIV, explaining that their agency-specific PIVs are the only ones that work in their turnstiles. I never did get around to getting one but I thought the whole point was to consolidate.
Contract Inv,
That was kinda the plan. I sat some committees on the initiative in early 2003 before I retired from the military. This is typical power struggling at it’s finest. These agencies, in my opinion are unable to share and play nice. I do not anticipate you will ever see a universal ID Card. I have yet to run into a Fed Bldg, who can accept this card. As you have seen, there are no commonalities in security from one place to the next.
I will tell you that military bases have potential for accepting the PIV–contact the local visitor center folks (Air Force) or the Provost Martial Office and usually the base or Wing Commanders can approve/deny use on their own installation. Should save you some time if any bases near you use a simple entry list.