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WASHINGTON – FOCI, FCL, KMP and NISP.
How do these acronyms connect to America’s small businesses contracted to provide products or services to the federal government and to those seeking such a contract?
Dr. Ruby Crenshaw-Lawrence, chief of Small Business Programs and Industry Engagements at the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), explained why small business owners and executives must know the capabilities, requirements and resources the acronyms represent and the connection to national security.
“Make sure you are engaging with our agency,” Crenshaw-Lawrence told her audience of small business owners attending a webinar sponsored by the Northwest Louisiana APEX Accelerator program. “I encourage you to prepare for success – know your resources and what you must do to position yourself in the event you need an FCL.”
She explained that FCL is a facility clearance that requires an administrative determination of a company’s eligibility for access to classified information, adding that it requires essential key management personnel (KMP) to get personnel security clearances in connection with the FCL. These actions are required prior to performing on the classified portion of the contract.
DCSA provides training, tools, and resources that can be used by cleared companies in the National Industrial Security Program (NISP) to assist them in meeting the requirements of 32 CFR Part 117, the NISP Operating Manual (NISPOM).
Once an FCL is granted, the facility is part of the NISP and agrees to abide by its requirements. The NISP was established by a presidential executive order in 1993 to ensure that cleared U.S. defense industry safeguards the classified information in their possession while performing work on contracts, programs, bids, or research and development efforts for the U.S. government.
The DCSA Industrial Security Directorate’s ongoing oversight of cleared companies, facilities, personnel and systems in the NISP protects national security and helps build trust with government customers and established defense contractors.
Moreover, a company must be assessed for foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) as part of the FCL process.
A company is considered to be operating under FOCI whenever a foreign interest has the power – direct or indirect and whether or not exercised or exercisable – to direct or decide matters affecting the management or operations of that company in a manner which may result in unauthorized access to classified information or may adversely affect the performance of classified contracts. A company must not be under FOCI to a degree that the granting of an FCL would be inconsistent with the national interest.
“Dr. Crenshaw-Lawrence's presentation conveyed vital information for small businesses that are existing or aspiring to be active participants in America's defense industrial base,” said Dr. Gayle Flowers, Northwest Louisiana APEX Accelerator director. “The information she shared concerning the factors that determine if a business is operating under FOCI, as well as the requirements and processes involved for a business to obtain an FCL, was wonderfully thorough and underscored the critical importance of early planning and proactive compliance."
Crenshaw-Lawrence answered questions about FOCI and the FCL process after her keynote speech intended to promote a common understanding and open dialogue surrounding NISP-related topics between DCSA and industry partners.
The FCL process ensures a company is eligible for access to classified information. It involves sponsorship, document submission, DCSA review and potentially implementation of mitigation of risks to national security. The process administered by DCSA can take time, potentially several months, and requires careful attention to detail and adherence to security protocols.
Crenshaw-Lawrence also briefed the audience on DCSA’s vision and mission, telling the webinar’s small business participants that the agency is known as America’s Gatekeeper. DCSA is United States government’s largest integrated security services provider and the only purpose-built security agency. We operate on the frontlines with industry protecting America’s national security from adversarial threats.
Specifically, DCSA accomplishes its national security mission through personnel vetting, industry oversight, security training, and counterintelligence and insider threat support to secure the trustworthiness of the U.S. government’s workforce, the integrity of its cleared contractor support, and the uncompromised delivery of its technologies, services and supply chains.
The APEX Accelerators – formerly known as the Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) – was authorized by Congress in 1985 to expand the number of businesses capable of participating in government contracts. The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020 ordered the PTAP to move to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment’s Office of Small Business Programs, which began to manage and operate the PTAP with a new name – APEX Accelerators, effective in fiscal year 2023.
“The Northwest Louisiana APEX Accelerator and our peer APEX Accelerators across the country, funded by the Department of Defense, are charged with helping businesses enter and participate in the government supply chain,” said Flowers.
The APEX Accelerators program focuses on building a strong, sustainable, and resilient U.S. supply chain by assisting a wide range of businesses that pursue and perform under contracts with the DOD, other federal agencies, state and local governments and with government prime contractors.
For more information on the DCSA’s Industrial Security mission, go to: https://www.dcsa.mil/Industrial-Security/.
For more information on the DCSA Office of Small Business Programs and Industry Engagement, go to: https://www.dcsa.mil/osbpie.
DOD APEX Accelerator Program website: https://www.apexaccelerators.us
| Date Taken: | 08.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2025 15:36 |
| Story ID: | 544712 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 97 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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