Tara Petersen

Ms. Tara Petersen serves as a contracting professional within the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), where she plays a pivotal role in securing the nation’s defense industrial base through the acquisition of personnel vetting and background investigation services. Her responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle management of contracts aligned with DCSA’s mission to ensure the integrity of cleared personnel and protect sensitive government systems. She specializes in procuring high-integrity, mission-critical services that support national security clearance processes, including investigative workflows, biometric authentication, and secure data handling systems. Her acquisitions are strategically aligned with modernization initiatives aimed at enhancing the speed, accuracy, and resilience of the federal background investigation infrastructure. Ms. Petersen maintains consistent, long-term partnerships with a select group of prime contractors including SWISH DATA CORPORATION, AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC, SPATHE SYSTEMS LLC, ROCKWOOD COMPANY LLC, and IDEMIA IDENTITY & SECURITY USA LLC. These vendors are selected for their proven capability in delivering secure, scalable, and compliant background investigation solutions, often integrating advanced biometric technologies and encrypted data platforms. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, rigorous compliance with federal security standards, and vendor accountability in handling classified information. Ms. Petersen’s procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on maximizing technical capability and operational readiness over socioeconomic preferences, prioritizing mission-critical performance and security compliance above all else. While small business participation is not formally incentivized through set-asides, she maintains a results-driven evaluation framework that rewards innovation, reliability, and adherence to stringent security protocols. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 561611—Investigation and Personal Background Check Services—where she acquires end-to-end personnel vetting solutions, including fingerprinting, records verification, credit and criminal history analysis, and continuous evaluation systems. Her technical domain expertise lies in secure identity verification, cybersecurity-integrated background checks, and the implementation of digital investigative platforms that meet Department of Defense and Office of the Director of National Intelligence standards.