During adjudication, what does an adjudicator do?

• A. Initiates the investigative process for the subject.
• B. Issues government-wide debarments.
• C. Applies suitability criteria to the subject's investigation to make a suitability determination.
• D. Grants security clearances for the subject.

Answer: (C)

During adjudication, the adjudicator applies established suitability criteria to the information gathered in the subject’s investigation and renders a formal suitability determination. This means weighing the investigation results against the guidelines, considering mitigating and aggravating factors, and deciding whether the individual is eligible for access or employment, or whether conditions or denial are appropriate. The investigator gathers the data first, and the adjudicator’s role is the decision-making step that uses those criteria to determine eligibility. Debarments are handled as separate actions, and granting a clearance is the result of the final decision process after adjudication, not the adjudicator’s initial determination.