The Administrative Arrangements Order of 3 August 2023 transferred responsibility for protective security policy, including the Protective Security Policy Framework, to the Department of Home Affairs from the Attorney-General’s Department. These Machinery of Government (MOG) changes commenced on 4 August 2023.

Personnel security

The policies under this outcome outline how to screen and vet personnel and contractors to assess their eligibility and suitability. They also cover how to assess the ongoing suitability of entity personnel to access government resources and how to manage personnel separation.

The 3 core requirements in these policies, and the accompanying supporting requirements, set out what entities must do to achieve the personnel security outcome.

Outcome

Each entity ensures its employees and contractors are suitable to access Australian Government resources, and meet an appropriate standard of integrity and honesty.

Core requirement

Each entity must ensure the eligibility and suitability of its personnel who have access to Australian Government resources (people, information and assets).

Entities must use the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) to conduct vetting, or where authorised, conduct security vetting in a manner consistent with the Personnel Security Vetting Standards.

Key topics

  • Pre-employment screening
  • Security Clearances
  • Personnel security vetting standards
  • Personnel security adjudicative guidelines
  • Procedural fairness
  • Digital footprint checks framework

Read Policy 12: Eligibility and suitability of personnel

Core requirement

Each entity must assess and manage the ongoing suitability of its personnel and share relevant information of security concern, where appropriate.

Key topics

  • Assessing and managing ongoing suitability
  • Ongoing assessment of security cleared personnel
  • Information sharing

Policy 13: Ongoing assessment of personnel

Core requirement

Each entity must ensure that separating personnel:

  1. have their access to Australian Government resources withdrawn
  2. are informed of any ongoing security obligations.

Key topics

  • Sharing information in the entity and with external stakeholders
  • Ongoing obligations and security debriefs
  • Withdrawal of access to Australian Government resources
  • Risk assessments
  • Security clearance actions
  • Extended leave

Read Policy 14: Separating personnel