Privacy

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Approximately 90 percent of all federal background investigations are provided by OPM¿s Federal Investigative Services (FIS) division. In fiscal year 2009, FIS conducted over 2 million investigations of varying types, making the organization a major steward of personal information on U.S. citizens. This report: (1) describes how OPM uses personally identifiable information (PII) in conducting background investigations; and (2) assesses the extent to which OPM's privacy policies and procedures for protecting PII related to investigations meet statutory requirements and align with widely accepted privacy practices. The report compared OPM and FIS policies and procedures with key privacy laws and widely accepted practices. Illustrations.