January 26, 2012
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Justification for the Use of the Social Security Number (SSN)
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Enterprise Workforce System (NEWS) is an NGA system that collects, uses, maintains, and disseminates employee information to facilitate a variety of NGA’s mission-related duties, including activities related to administrative matters, account creation, operations support, access controls, workforce security, training records, expertise, competency management, polygraph information, drug, vision and medical test results, Federal reporting requirements, and international counterterrorism. NGA Enterprise Workforce System data, which includes personally identifiable information (PII), is necessary for NGA to effectively and efficiently conduct its mission on multiple levels by using PII provided by employees, military personnel and contractors upon entry of employment. This includes the SSNs.
While the NEWS system collects the SSN, it is only being used out of operational necessity for time and attendance in the Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS). It is not collected or used for any other purpose.
The SSN collection is supported by the following documentation:
B0303-06 “NGA Enterprise Workforce System (NEWS) System of Record (75 FR 3899)
Privacy Impact Assessment (www.nga.mil)
As stated above, NGA is only using the SSN for the purposes of inputting employee data into the DFAS system. When DFAS no longer requires the SSN, NEWS will no longer collect or use the SSNs that are currently in the system. Currently, as an agency-wide practice, NGA uses the employee ID number or identifier other than the SSN where practically possible (e.g., badge information, security clearance, etc.). Wherever possible, NGA only collects the last 4 digits of the SSN rather than the entire number. That procedure was codified in NGA Instruction 1401.1 “Elimination of Unnecessary Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Social Security Numbers (SSN)” at the request of the Director of NGA, revised and republished on 15 June 2011.
James
L. Kwolek
Deputy Chief Information Officer
(Acting)
Senior Component Official for Privacy
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | thayerld |
| Last Modified By | thayerld |
| File Modified | 2012-01-26 |
| File Created | 2012-01-26 |