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A new report highlights the continuing problems contractors face in applying for security cleared roles, and suggests how the process could be improved.

SC contract recruitment a 'closed shop'

For many years, the world of security cleared contract roles has been seen by many in the industry as a closed shop. In other words, contractors who have not previously held security clearance (or where the required level of clearance has lapsed), are denied the opportunity to apply for security cleared roles. We highlighted the current state of play in our popular guide to security clearance for contractors.

A Prime Ministerial Statement in July 2010 set out the new national security vetting policy framework. As well as making the process more transparent, the new Government guidance clearly states that individuals should not be expected to hold an existing security clearance to apply for a sensitive post, except in exceptional circumstances.

However, despite this, and several previous efforts by the Government to discourage discrimination in recruitment against non-cleared individuals, the problem still persists.

Report highlights failures in recruitment market

A recent report from the University of Buckingham Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies and PCG, highlights this market failure, and describes a non-competitive market that leaves many top workers blocked from the roles they deserve in favour of those already with security clearance. The report concludes that this is a barrier to recruitment in contravention of guidelines which attach clearance to roles not people.

The report observed that the Cabinet Office guidelines are being flouted in order to speed up the recruitment process for Government and agencies.

The PCG believes abuse and corner cutting to get workers in fast should be monitored closely to ensure both agencies do not advertise in the wrong way and that the security vetting system can cope with the demands of vetting Government staff.

"National Security system isn't working"

Professor Anthony Glees, the report's author, says:

"There have been a number of recent high profile security clearance failures and so it's clear that the National Security system isn't working - the wrong people are let in, the right people excluded - checks are not being made and we have no consistency. With PCG we have highlighted abuses in one sector that show the system either cannot cope or is not being implemented properly which if you apply across the whole process is a threat to our National Security."

Qualified contractors caught in Catch 22 situation

John Brazier, MD of PCG, commented:

"Security Clearance should not only keep the wrong people out but get the right people in and we are not seeing this basic premise functioning currently. This is a catch 22 for some of the UK's most qualified contractors who cannot get a post without clearance or get clearance without a post!

"We need to know the vetting system is effective and can cope with the flexible staff that take on Government roles. If it truly can then these abuses are completely avoidable. The fair and proper system currently in place is obviously not being respected because the rules around it are not being enforced - this is a vicious cycle that can only be addressed through establishing an independent forum to monitor the actions of agencies, clients and contractors themselves."