Federal Daily - January 14, 2009

OPM Pilot Tests Alternative SES Selection Methods

An Office of Personnel Management (OPM) pilot project that tested alternative methods for selecting members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) won praise from recruits for its streamlined application process, OPM said Jan. 12. The pilot ran at eight federal agencies from June 1 to Nov. 14, according to a memo from OPM acting Director Michael Hager. OPM tested two alternative hiring evaluation tools: the accomplishment record method and the resume-based method. The accomplishment record method differs from the approach used currently by most agencies because it does not ask the applicant to focus on the five broad Executive Core Qualifications, but rather on a select few of the 28 executive competencies underlying them. This permits candidates to submit a more streamlined application. With the resume-based option, applicants needed only to submit a standard resume. OPM said this option was designed for seasoned executives whose general qualifications could be discerned from just a resume. Overall, 34 vacancies were advertised under the accomplishment record option, while the resume-based method was used for 27. The candidate assessment methods used under both pilot options drew heavily on structured interviews of well-qualified candidates, shifting some of the hiring burden from SES applicants to agency staff, OPM said. Applicants applauded the alternative methods, although agency staff found the process somewhat cumbersome, according to OPM. However, there was evidence that the initial staff objections diminished as staffers became more practiced in the processes. OPM plans to develop an improved version of the pilot methods and provide training within the next few months to agencies wishing to use them, Hager said. To see more, go to: www.chcoc.gov/Transmittals/TransmittalDetails.aspx?
TransmittalId=1953.

:: Back to Top ::

IG Says Marshals Misused as Chauffeurs

A lawyer for the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) requisitioned government cars and armed USMS deputies to drive himself and broadcasters to major sporting events like the World Series and the Super Bowl, said an internal Department of Justice (DOJ) report. The report, by DOJ Inspector General (IG) Glenn Fine, was highly critical of the lawyer, Joseph Band, who worked in the agency’s Washington Office of General Counsel, where he advised federal employees on matters of ethics. The IG initiated the investigation after receiving an anonymous complaint that Band—a part-time sports statistician for a television network—had used public resources to transport himself and the broadcasters to two World Series games in Boston in 2007. Investigators found that in at least three cities—Boston, Tampa and Phoenix—U.S. Marshals granted Band’s request for vehicles and drivers, even though it should have been clear that he was not at the games on official business, said the report, released Jan. 9. The IG referred the matter to the U.S. Attorneys Offices in Boston and in the Eastern District of Virginia, which declined to prosecute. The report did not recommend discipline of the marshals. Band has since retired, according to published accounts. “We believe that the instances discussed demonstrate that Band committed ethical violations in requesting and receiving USMS resources for personal business,” the report said. “Moreover, we believe that the U.S. Marshals who provided USMS resources to assist Band violated USMS ethical rules.” To see more, go to: www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/USMS/e0900/final.pdf.

:: Back to Top ::

PCES Getting Older, Not Staying Longer, GAO says.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) pool of senior managers in its Postal Career Executive Service (PCES) is getting older upon appointment, serving less time and retiring at an older age, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released Jan. 12. GAO looked at age and tenure differences in the PCES from Fiscal Year (FY) 2000 and FY 2007. The PCES has shrunk, from 959 employees during 2000 to just 867 in 2007, a 9.6 percent decrease. PCES employees during 2000 were, on average, nearly 44 years old when they first entered the PCES, while those who were on board during 2007 were, on average, about 1 year older at their original appointment. The average tenure in the PCES dropped from about 8.2 years in 2000 to about 6.4 years in 2007. Those leaving the PCES were also older, from 54.5 years old in 2000 to about 55.6 years old in 2007, the report said. Retirement made up about 74.5 percent of the 47 PCES separations tracked by GAO. The average age, at retirement, increased from about 55.9 years in 2000 to about 56.6 years in 2007—an increase of about 0.7 years. To see more, go to: www.gao.gov/new.items/d09255r.pdf.

:: Back to Top ::