SEARCH oversees a quality assurance program that offers voluntary performance standards for State criminal history repositories.  The goal is to encourage the quality and integrity of justice data maintained and reported by these repositories.

The program offers a comprehensive self-inspection tool that state repositories can use to assure data quality. State repository representatives, with help from officials of the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, developed the tool; it was then reviewed by the SEARCH Membership and pilot tested in several states:

The Quality Assurance Checklist can serve three main purposes:

1. To establish a baseline of repository operations, including alignment with nationally accepted requirements and best practices;
2. To identify gaps in repository operations; and
3. To train and educate existing and future staff on repository operations. 

The Civil Fingerprint Handling Cost Analysis Tool helps repositories determine the costs for noncriminal justice purpose background checks. By using this tool, repositories can:

• Better understand the monetary costs of providing background check services; and
• Provide a rationale for establishing a baseline for setting fees. 

The QA and Cost Analysis Tools are bundled together in one Microsoft Word document that can be filled out electronically:

• State Repository Quality Assurance Program Guide/Checklist and A Methodology for Determining Costs Associated with Noncriminal Justice Purpose Background Checks (Version 2, updated 2017)