NAO investigation highlights “poor performance” of UK Security Vetting

This second investigation into UKSV by the NAO – the results of the initial study having been published in September 2018 – reveals what the NAO describes as a “pattern of underperformance” and missed targets. UKSV introduced a stabilisation plan in 2022, in fact, with the distinct aim of seeking to improve performance.

In January 2017, UKSV was established with the key remit of vetting the applications of individuals with access to sensitive Government information, locations, or equipment. The three most common categories of vetting are Counter-Terrorist Checks (CTC), Security Checks (SC) and Developed Vetting (DV), the latter allowing access to more sensitive assets.

The NAO’s report finds that, on this occasion, UKSV has not met its targets since August 2021 for CTC and SC clearances and, since May 2021, for DV clearances. UKSV aims to complete 85% of CTC/SC clearances in 25 days and 85% of DV clearances within 95 days.

Processing of CTC/SC clearances last met the stated target in July 2021 and fell to a low of 15% of clearances cleared in 25 days in September last year. For DV clearances, UKSV last met its target in May 2021 with performance falling to just 7% of clearances being completed within 95 days in April 2022.

UKSV’s performance on priority clearances, where Government departments can request an accelerated process for up to 3% of their clearance requests, has been closer to its target level and exceeded a reduced target level in 2022-2023.

Follow-up checks

UKSV is also failing to meet targets for providing follow-up checks on DV clearances. These take place between the initial clearance and a full renewal, which is due seven years later. The checks aim to capture any change in circumstances that may impact on clearance.

For its part, UKSV aims to complete 85% of scheduled aftercare checks within 95 days, but has failed to meet that target since the beginning of 2018.

Customer demand for vetting outstripped forecast demand during 2021-2022, with CTC and SC requests 60% higher than expected and DV requests a magnitude of 57% higher. UKSV was under-resourced to meet this increased demand, with 877 employees in November 2022 against an estimated need of 1,145. The Cabinet Office has approved a total headcount of 832 from March this year onwards, bolstered by 163 additional temporary members of staff.

UKSV’s stabilisation plan helped it to increase the number of clearances being processed in 2022-2023. The plan focused on prioritising new DV clearances over renewing existing DV clearances, boosting short-term capacity, seeking to improve productivity and automating and enhancing existing IT systems. Taken together, these measures have helped UKSV to escalate the number of DV clearances completed by 49% between April and November 2022 when compared with the same period in 2021-2022. Similarly, UKSV has increased completions of CTC/SC clearances by 12% over the same period.

Alongside trying to stabilise performance in the short term, UKSV has continued attempts to reform vetting services. To improve performance in the longer term, it launched the Vetting Reform Programme in 2019 and pledged to modernise key IT infrastructure, although it’s not anticipated that the full reforms will be achieved before 2024-2025.

The Cabinet Office’s initial efforts to modernise IT infrastructure ran almost 50% overbudget, resulting in £2.5 million being ‘written off’. UKSV is still using the IT system that it wanted to abandon in 2018 due to the latter’s lack of capacity, slowness and the need for many manual workarounds.

Insufficient specialist staff

Insufficient specialist staff continues to be a major obstacle to reform. UKSV has consistently struggled to recruit in this area. It relies heavily on contractors despite turning towards a largely in-house approach after the previous failed attempt to reform the IT system. Current modelling shows a shortfall of 68 FTEs for digital roles.

The NAO report recommends the need for modernisation of the national security vetting process, urging the Cabinet Office to quickly implement an agreed vision for vetting transformation. It highlights the need for clear and transparent performance metrics that accurately measure whether clearances are being processed in a timely manner.

Additionally, the report emphasises the need to ensure there’s sufficient resilience within UKSV to react to new events that could drive increased demand for security vetting.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, observed: “Our investigation finds that unacceptable delays continue to hamper security vetting, which is of vital importance to the effective functioning of Government and, in particular, national security work. UKSV must build on initiatives from its stabilisation plan to ensure that it’s on a sustainable path to meet the increasing demand for vetting. It’s also essential that the Cabinet Office sets a clear pathway for meaningful reform, including recruiting and retaining talent to implement and manage sustainable improvements.”