Which benefit is facilitated by the five-tier FIS model?

• A. Reciprocity in background investigations
• B. Duplication of investigations
• C. Increased processing time
• D. Higher costs

Answer: (A)

The five-tier FIS model is built to standardize and coordinate background investigations across agencies so they can be shared and reused. This creates reciprocity in background investigations: once an investigation is completed at a given tier, other agencies can rely on that same record if it meets their requirements, instead of starting a new inquiry from scratch. This shared framework relies on consistent scope, adjudication criteria, and data standards, plus proper safeguards, so investigations move smoothly between programs. As a result, duplication of efforts is minimized, and the process becomes faster and less costly overall. The other options describe outcomes that the model specifically reduces or avoids.