VHA Staffing

Competence to perform an observable behavior or activity at the present time. Implies a lack of discernible physical or mental barriers to performing the activity.

Tasks that provide a point of reference for crediting training, education, and experience at the superior, good, satisfactory, or barely acceptable level.

An observable, measurable pattern of skills, knowlege, abilities, behaviors, and other characteristics that an individual needs to perform work roles or occupational functions successfully.

The showing that a selection procedure measures a construct and the contstruct is important for successful job performance

The showing that the content of a selection procedure is representative of important work behaviors

The demonstration of a statistical relationship between scores on a selection procedure and measures of job performance

An organized body of information, usually of a factual or procedural nature,that, if applied, makes adequate job performance possible.

Systematic methods of measuring possession of required KSAs including TRAEX (Training and Experience), structured interview, and supervisory appraisal.

The proficient manual, verbal, or mental maniuplation of data, people, or things. The difference between skill and ability is that skills are directly observable and quantifiable.

A person or group of persons thoroughly knowledgable about the duties and responsibilities of the job

A measure of how well a selection device measures the possession of a KSA essential for successful performance on the job.

Established Title VII, whcih prohibited discrimination in employment based on race, religion, sex, national origin, or color (Applies only to private sector)

Authorized the use of any professionally developed ability test provided that the test, its administration, or action upon the results was not designed, intended, or used to discriminate.

Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures

The Uniform Guidelines specify that employment decisions must be based on job-related criteria, and it defines what constitutes the adverse impact of slection criteria on a protected class

EO 11478 (1969) - Prohibited disrimination in Federal Employment, but did not give OPM enforcement authority

EEO Act (1972) - Gave OPM enforcement authority over the public sector

CSRA (1978) - Enforcement transferred to EEOC from OPM.

Adverse impact means a substantially different rate of selection in hiring, promotion, or other employment decision that works to the disadvantage of members of a race, sex, or ethnic group.

If a selection rate for any race, sex, or ethnic group is less than 80% of the rate for the group with the highest rate, Federal enforcement agencies will generally regard the situation as evidence of adverse impact.

1. does the rating procedure measure what you want it to measure?

2. Is that you are measuring really required to perform the job?

A selection procedure can be valid and reliable, but it cannot be valid unless it is reliable.

1. Competitive Service positions are to be filled solelty based on merit and fitness for the job

2. Selections are to be made from the best qualified candidates available

3. Selecting officials will be provided with a reasonable choice from among highly qualified candidates

4. Both evaluation and selection will be free of any disrimination for any nonmerit reason.

Finding out what you need to know about a job - focus will depend on end result (Classification, develop rating schedule).

A systematic process of identifying hte essential KSAs that are the best predictors of future job success.

5 C.F.R. 300.103

KSAs tend to be more specific and narrow in scope and describe a particular task. Competency is broader in scope and may describe a particular knowledge. Compentency approaches allow for more flexibility and ability for employees to move from once job to another because they are not job specific. Further, competencies are more enduring than KSAs.

1. Identify the major duties of the position

2. Identify KSAs essential to performance of the duties of the position

3. Determine the KSAs that are measurable and that will distinguish superior candidates from those that are merely acceptable.

1. Subject Matter Expert (SME)
2. Official Position Description
3. Qualification Standard
4. Position classification standard/job grading standard
5. Position classification evaluation statement
6. Organization charts and mission statements
7. Precedent Files (Previous Analysis).

Action Verb -> Object -> Example

Example: Processes loan applications in order to determine eligibility criteria

1. Measurable
2. Essential to Satifactory Performance
3. Strong enought to stand alone; not part of a combination

Four to eight KSAs are a good workable number

1. Is the KSA/Competency one that is expected of the candidate upon arrival?
2. Can levels of competency be identified?
3. Is it so specific it can be absorbed in something more broad or so broad that it cannot be measured
4. Is there a measurement tool capable of measuring possession of the KSA/Compentancy?

1. Training and Experience Ratings
2. Structured Interviews
3. Supervisory Appraisals
4. Performance Tests
5. Written Tests
6. Assessment Centers

1. Ask Questions about the KSA/Competency
2. Is there a tool that can measure it
3. Rate the tasks based on Uniform Guidelines

A generic term referring to a number of different procedures that assign a numerical rating from 70 to 100 based on the type and amount of training and experience a candidate posesses.

Attempts to predict future job performance from past related accomplishments or achievements

1. Open Ended Format (Written responses)
2. Closed Ended Format (Yes or no answers, multiple choice)

By using a content validity model

1776 - 1829 involving Presidents from George Washington to John Quincy Adams.

Put forth under James Monroe. The unofficial merit program that mandated that selection appointments be made irrespective of political party.

Era from 1829-1883 when Federal Jobs were given exclusively to supporters of the new President.

Signed into law after President Garfield was assasinated for not appointing a political supporter after he was inaugurated. Created the federal merit system and established the Rule of three: the heads of the Departmental Service in Washington, the Postal Service, and the Customs service.

Prohibited political activity participation in politics by members of the executive branch of government.

5 USC 2301

5 USC 2302

1. Created Merit System Principles and Prohibited Personnel Policies
2. Delegated authority to take appropriate personnel actions to agencies to expedite processing.

Established the OPM Reimbursable services that allows agencies to contract with OPM to performe specific competitive and merit promotion examining and allow reimbursement of expenses to be charged to the requesting agency.

Allows the federal government to test the efficiency of the Federal HR process by allowing it to waive some laws not related to the merit system or prohibited personnel practices in order to introduce innovations and flexibilities.

5 USC 2301

5 USC 2302

1. Created Merit System Principles and Prohibited Personnel Policies
2. Delegated authority to take appropriate personnel actions to agencies to expedite processing.

Established the OPM Reimbursable services that allows agencies to contract with OPM to performe specific competitive and merit promotion examining and allow reimbursement of expenses to be charged to the requesting agency.

Allows the federal government to test the efficiency of the Federal HR process by allowing it to waive some laws not related to the merit system or prohibited personnel practices in order to introduce innovations and flexibilities.

5 USC 2301

5 USC 2302

1. Created Merit System Principles and Prohibited Personnel Policies
2. Delegated authority to take appropriate personnel actions to agencies to expedite processing.

Established the OPM Reimbursable services that allows agencies to contract with OPM to performe specific competitive and merit promotion examining and allow reimbursement of expenses to be charged to the requesting agency.

Allows the federal government to test the efficiency of the Federal HR process by allowing it to waive some laws not related to the merit system or prohibited personnel practices in order to introduce innovations and flexibilities.

Congress legislates statutes and laws, US courts make decisions, an the President issues executive orders. OPM turns these directives into policy that is published in Federal register and further codified in 5 CFR. These policies are supplemented by OPMS notice and posting system.

Public Law

Executive Order

The purpose of hte Notice and Posting system is to identify the approaches that have been taken since 1978 to creat the modern system of HR management.

1. Regulatory Changes
2. OPM Variations
3. OPM Operating Information
4. OPM Policy Information

Under the General Schedule (GS)

Under the Federal Wage System (WGS)

5 USC 3330

Whenever an appointment will be made from outside Federal Service. It must state the period during which applications will be accepted.

It allows agencies to contract with OPM to conduct exams for every series and grade, except administrative law judges.

Exams must be time limited
Exams must be administered by trained and certified OPM examiners

1. Career-Conditional
2. Career
3. Temporary
4. Term

5 USC 2102

Achieved following three years of substantially continuous service as a career-conditional employee based on statute or executive order or where the position is required by law to be filled by career appointment (e.g.ALJs)

Appointment is achieved under open competitive procedures. During the first year of employment the incumbent serves a required probationary period. After three years, employee is converted to career employee.

Time limited appointment to positions of a project nature that willl last longer than one year but not more than four years.

Work is not expected to last longer than 12 months but may be extended up to one additional year. May be filled for a maximum of 24 months in any 36 month period.

The Delegated Examining Operations Handbook at OPM's website

1. Offers career transition services to assist employees displaced by Reductions in Force (RIF)

2. Gives special selection priority to agency employees who have been identified for separation by RIF.

This list is published to give priority to RIF displaced employees. Agencies must use persons registered on this list to fill vacancies before anyone from outside the agency can be hired.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan mandates that agencies must hire RIF displaced employees from other agencies if they meet the requirements of the position offered and other qualifications.

1. 5 point Tentative Preference
2. 10 point XP
3. 10 point Compensable Disability
4. 10 point CPS Compensable Disability Special

Retired Officers without a compensable disability must have retired as an O-4 or below to qualify for Veteran's Preference points. It does not apply to offers retired from the reserves.

1. CTAP eligibles
2. RPL eligibles
3. ICTAP eligibles
4. Lost Consideration
5. CP or CPS Veterans
6. XP Preference

The rule of three states that an appointing officer may select only one of the three hightest ranked candidaates as certified in score order, and may not pass over a preference eligible to select a lower ranked nonpreference eligible on the certificate, unless authorized by the examining office.

A knowledge, skill, or ability that is essential for staifactory job performance. Only names of those candidates who meet the sepcial requirements of the job are referred.

A knowledge, skill, or ability that will significantly enhance performance on the job as identified by a proper job analysis. Those who posess a QRF are referred ahead of those tha do not.

The process of evaluating eligibles by quality categories rather than by assigning individual numeric scores. The agency assesses candidates against job related criteria and then places them into two or more pre-defined categories.

Veteran's are place atop their respective categories. For CP and CPS veterans, their names "float" to the highest ranked category.

1. when promoted, transferred, or otherwise assigned for the first time to supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Under some conditions, in the first year that an employee is given a career or career-conditional employment from another type of employment.

1. Preference eligible - None
2. Persons who have completed the service requirement for career tenure - None
3. Non-preference eligibles - 3 years.

1. Veterans Recruitment Appointment

Schedule A
2. Physically Disabled
3. Attorneys
4. Physicians

Schedule B
5. Student Educational Employment Program
6. Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP)
7. Student Trainees

Schedule C
8. Confidential or policy determining
9. Termporary Transitional

Civil Service positions that are NOT in the competitive service or the Senior Executive Service (SES). Also called unclassified civil service or unclassified service.

1. The nature of the position
2. The qualifications of the appointee

A position other than those of a confidential or policy determining character where is it not practicable to examine, such as chaplains and attorneys.

See 5 CFR 213.3102

1. Student Educational Employment Program - Temporary.

2. Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) - Permanent

Schedule C = Excepted Service

5 USC 1302
5 CFR 302.201

The evaluation may involve only a determination of eligibility or ineleigiblity, or it may include qualitative ratings of candidates.

1. Civil Service Rule VI
2. Canal Zone Merit System
3. White House Staff
4. Former Incumbency of a position brought into the competitive service.
5. Disabled Veterans
6. Peace Corps Staff
7. Overseas Employees
8. Certain Veterans who have competed under merit promotion announcements
9. Employment of Individual experts and consultants
10. 5 USC 3109
11. Schedule A

5 USC 3109 states that the highest rate of pay for a consultant will be the daily equivalent of hte annual rate of pay for Executive level IV for agencies previously authorized by law to pay experts and consultants up to grade GS-18. Othersie an agency many not pay more than the equivalent of GS-15, step 10.

Recruitment Incentive

Relocation Incentive

Rentention Incentive

1. Regulatory changes
2. OPM Variations
3. OPM Operating Information
4. OPM Policy Information

Yes. Through the DEU, agencies contract with OPM to use certified OPM examiners to conduct examinations for positions. These examiners must have their certifications renewed periodically, usually within three years.

1. Competitive Appointments
2. Excepted Appointments
3. Non-Competitive Appointments
4. Internal Placement Competitive
5. Internal Placement Non-Competitive

1. Career-Conditional
2. Career
3. Temporary
4. Term

The Classified Civil Service or Classified Service.

When that choice is limited by statute or civil service regulations.

Career Transition Assistance Plan

1. Offers career transitioning service to assist employees displaced by a Reduction in force (RIF).
2. Gives special selection priority to agency employees who have been identified for separation by RIF.

The reemployment priority list provides rehiring priority to displaced employees. They exist for each communting area. Agencies must hire from this list first when considering applicants outside of its own workforce.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan

1. 5 point TP (Tentative Preference)
2. 10 point XP
3. 10 point CP (Compensable Disability 10%-30%)
4. 10 point CPS (Compensable Disability Special, >30%)

Ex service persons separated from active duty in the military forces under honorable conditions (includes general and honorable discharges) Must have served on active duty during certain qualifying time periods or have hte campaign or expeditionary medal specified in the vet guide)

Includes veterans with present service connected disabilities or veterans receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension from the military or department of veterans affairs who do not qualify as CP or CPS; Purple heart recipients; spouses; widows/widowers, and mothers of disabled or deceased veterans.

Disabled veterans with a disability rating of at least 10 percent but less than 30 percent.

Includes disabled veterans with a disability rating of at least 30%.

A person must have retired at the rank of O-4 or below to be eligible for preference based on retirement. (*Does not apply to person retired from the reserves).

1. CTAP eligibles
2. RPL eligibles

Selective Factor

Quality Ranking Factor

Instead of using numerical values, selecting official can decide on placing candidates in categories based on certain qualifications and choosing from among the top category first. Preference eligibles automatically "float" to the top of each category for which they qualify.

The employee must have three years of "substantially continuous service."

One Year

Yes. Employees promoted, transferred, or otherwise assigned for the first time to a supervisory or managerial position shall be required to serve a probationary period, length to be determined by the agency head.

1. Effective date of appointment
2. Length of probationary period
3. Creditable prior service
4. Non-Pay Status time.

1. Preference Eligibles
2. Persons who have completed the service requirement for career tenure.

The employee must have three years of "substantially continuous service."

One Year

Yes. Employees promoted, transferred, or otherwise assigned for the first time to a supervisory or managerial position shall be required to serve a probationary period, length to be determined by the agency head.

1. Effective date of appointment
2. Length of probationary period
3. Creditable prior service
4. Non-Pay Status time.

1. Preference Eligibles
2. Persons who have completed the service requirement for career tenure.

The excepted service consists of thos ecivil service positions that are NOT in the competitive service or senior executive service (SES).

1. The Nature of the position
2. The qualification of the appointee.

In schedules A, B, and C.

Schedule A

Chaplains and Chaplain assistants, Attorneys, Law Clerk Trainees, Positions filled by mentally retarded and physically handicapped persons.

Positoins other htan those of a confidential or policy determining character for which it is not practicable to competitively examine.

Student Educational Employment Program (SEEP), Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP), Student Career Experience Program (SCEP).

All Political Appointees

Usually by excepted appointment.

No. Evaluations are discretionary and may involve only a determination of eligibility or non eligibility, or it may include qualitative ranking of candidates.

No. Agencies can rate and rank candidates using adjective categories as long as they adopt procedures to insure the consideration of preference eligibles in the order in which they would have been considered if all applicants had been assigned numerical ratings.

1. The Federal Career Internship Program (FCIP)
2. The Veterans Recruitement Appointment (VRA).

1. White House Staff
2. Disabled Veterans completing training programs
3. Experts and consultants
4. Overseas Employees

Term Appointment

1. Special work projects
2. Staffing new or existing programs of limited duration
3. Replacing

Temporary-limited appointment

1. Persons eligible for reinstatement.
2. Present and former peace corps staff that are eligible for noncompetitive appointment.
3. Veterans eligible for VRA appointment.
4. Disabled (>30%) veterans.

Yes. Agencies may use the services of a private sector firm and enter into a contract or other procurement arrangement with a temporary help service firm for the brief of intermittent use of the skills of private sector temporaries.

Agencies may solicit temporary help from private firms whe an employee is absent for a temporary period or the agency must carry out work for a temporary period and cannot be delayed in the judgement of the agency.