P2214 (650)

Memorandum

To:       All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:     Dick Martin, Incident Commander, Operation Opportunity
    
Subject:  Placement Assistance Procedures

This memorandum should receive the widest possible distribution.

As you know from the Deputy Director's memorandum of June 14, 1994, we
have begun a renewed effort in placement assistance which we are calling
Operation Opportunity.  This effort will assist the National Park Service
in meeting its FTE reduction goals in central offices, and allow parks to
fill critical positions which became vacant because of the recent buyouts. 
It will also allow parks which have other than buyout vacancies to fill
positions from central office placements.    

Approximately 170 FTE are currently being held in the Washington Office as
a result of the buyouts which occurred in parks.  These FTE can be
reclaimed by placing a central office employee into a park "buyout"
vacancy.  For each central office employee relocating to a park, funding
and FTE would be transferred to that park.  For each person transferring
out of a central office to a park, one central office FTE would be
abolished.  Central office is defined as the Washington Office, regional
offices and service centers.

In addition to filling vacancies created by the buyout, parks are
encouraged to use the Operation Opportunity placement list for positions
for which they already have dollars and FTE.

We recognize that, for the short term, this process may limit the mobility
of those presently within parks.  However, it will result in long term
benefits by providing opportunities for all employees and by allocating a
higher percentage of qualified employees and financial resources to park
areas.        

THE PROCESS WILL WORK AS FOLLOWS:

1. A park has a permanent vacancy which it desires to fill.

2. The park identifies whether the position is a buyout FTE or is one
for which the park already has FTE and funds.

3. The park submits this request using Attachment One to the Operation
Opportunity Incident Management Team (IMTeam) via cc:mail address
"WASO Operation Opportunity 1" or via telefax to 202-273-2446.  To
discuss the vacancy with a member of the IMTeam, call 202-219-9233.

4. The IMTeam receives the vacancy announcement, includes the vacancy
on the list of park positions to be filled, and distributes the list
and vacancy announcements to all central office employees on the
placement list via cc:mail.  The IMTeam will distribute the list and
vacancy announcements every Monday. 

5. To apply for a position, central office employees on the placement
list must notify the IMTeam via cc:mail if they are interested in
that position and must also mail a SF-171 or resume directly to the
park.  The IMTeam must receive notice of employee interest no later
than close of business (local time) each Wednesday of the same week
that the vacancy announcement was issued. "Interest" is defined as:
if offered the position, the employee would accept.

6. The IMTeam then compiles a list of interested central office
employees for each vacancy and sends this list to the selecting
official each Friday.

7. The selecting official makes a preliminary selection within two
weeks after receiving the vacancy list and notifies the IMTeam.  For
Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent positions, the selecting
official is the Regional Director.

8. The Incident Commander approves the selection for all park positions
except for Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents which are
cleared by the Deputy Director.

FOR BUYOUT POSITIONS IN PARKS:

9A. The FTE and salary for the selected employee are restored to the
park. 

FOR OTHER PARK VACANCIES:

9B. Funding will be provided to the park to cover the differential
between the selected employee's current salary and the vacant
position salary.

GROUND RULES WHICH APPLY TO THIS PROCESS:

A. The IMTeam assumes that when a park identifies a position to be
filled through this process that the park has cleared whatever
restrictions their region has placed on filling positions.

B. The selecting official and the servicing personnel office will
determine each applicant's qualifications for a specific job.

C. The selection process is based on a brokering concept where
consensus will be sought between the employee and the park.

D. Multiple moves may be arranged as long as there is agreement among
all affected units and all affected employees AND as long as there
is an ultimate FTE net loss from a central office.

E. Pay retention will apply if the interested central office employee
is willing to accept a lower grade.  Pay retention continues
indefinitely and is covered by funds restored by the Washington
Office.  

F. Locality and/or special pay provisions are not transferrable.

G. Central office employees interested in a park position may apply for
inclusion on the placement list at any time.  This application
should follow the instructions in Attachment Two.

H. The placement process will consider workforce diversity and under-
representation as a critical element and one of the selection
factors.

I. All applicants should have a current SF-171 or resume ready to mail
to the selecting official.

J. Parks may identify vacancies at any time.

K. Each central office employee on the existing placement list needs to
provide the IMTeam his/her primary and backup cc:mail address.  This
should be done by sending the information to cc:mail address "WASO
Operation Opportunity 1".  The backup address is necessary so that,
in the event the employee is absent from his/her office, someone can
retrieve and send the vacancy information to the employee.

L. Because Operation Opportunity is in the best interests of the
government and the national program of streamlining, central office
applicants may use the following in the preparation and transmittal
of their applications:

     government envelopes and paper;
     government postage, including the use of overnight mail;
     use of government equipment such as computers, telefaxes,      
      copy machines.

We understand that the situation facing the National Park Service today is
causing trepidation.  Therefore, this program is being implemented in
order to avoid the highly disruptive processes that we have all heard
about occurring in other Federal agencies. Please be assured that this
process balances the requirements of the Service and the needs and
aspirations of employees.  This process is a great opportunity for our
employees to gain broader park experiences.  

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                                                    Attachment One

                           OPERATION OPPORTUNITY
                   Information for Parks with Vacancies

HOW CAN A PARK FILL A VACANCY THROUGH THE OPERATION OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM?

Refer to the Deputy Director's memorandum of June 14, 1994 [P2214(650)]
and to the Incident Commander's Placement Assistance Procedures Memorandum
of June 21, 1994 [P2214(650)] for details and ground rules.  This is a
four step process.

STEP 1.  You need to register your vacancy with the Operation Opportunity
placement program.  You can register a vacancy at any time, provided that
it complies with your region's procedures for filling vacancies.  Just
electronically complete the Operation Opportunity Vacancy Form (this form
is in Word Perfect 5.1 format and is attached to this cc:mail message as
file "VACANCY.FRM."), attach it to a cc:mail message, and send it to
"WASO-Operation Opportunity 1."  Be sure to complete all of the
information blocks on the form. 

You must complete the Operation Opportunity Vacancy Form, even if you had
already submitted your vacancy to the earlier placement system.  This will
give central office employees more information so that they can decide
whether or not they are interested in your vacancy.

STEP 2.  Your vacancy will be announced.  Interested central office
employees will respond to the announcements by (1) sending a message to
the Operation Opportunity IMTeam and (2) sending a copy of their SF-171 or
resume to the selecting official in your park.

After the announcement has closed, a list of Interested Applicants will be
forwarded to you along with information about dual career placement
potentials, diversity improvement opportunities, and other special
considerations.

STEP 3.  The selecting official makes a tentative selection for the
vacancy within two weeks of receiving the Interested Applicant List.  That
official then notifies the Operation Opportunity IMTeam of the decision
along with information on special considerations.

STEP 4.  The Operation Opportunity Incident Commander (or Deputy Director
for Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent positions) will make the
approval decision and notify the selecting official.  If the placement is
approved, the park will be notified of the restoration of FTE and funding
(funding starts in FY 1995).  The park will then be able to offer the job
and begin Permanent Change of Station move arrangements, following normal
local procedures.

WHAT IF WE ENCOUNTER ANY PROBLEMS?

Just contact the Operation Opportunity Incident Management Team at
202-219- 9233.

       [See WP file "VACANCY.FRM," attached to this cc:mail message, for
        the actual form.]

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                                                     Attachment Two

                         OPERATION OPPORTUNITY

          Information for Employees of the Washington Office,
                 Regional Offices, and Service Centers

HOW CAN I BE PLACED INTO A VACANCY IN A PARK?

Placement involves a two step process:

STEP 1.  You need to be signed up for the Operation Opportunity placement
program.  You can sign up at any time.  To sign up, just fill out the
Placement Survey Form (this form is in Word Perfect 5.1 format and is
attached to this cc:mail message as file "PLACEMNT.FRM."),and forward it
to Operation Opportunity (cc:mail WASO-Operation Opportunity 1 or fax
202-273-2446).

If you have already submitted a Placement Survey Form, then you are
already signed up.  The only other thing you need to do is send in your
primary cc:mail address, a secondary cc:mail address (someone who can read
your messages if you temporarily don't have access to your cc:mail), and
your duty station.  You can send this update via cc:mail to WASO-Operation
Opportunity 1.

STEP 2.  When you see a Vacancy Announcement listing a position in which
you are interested, you take two actions at the same time.

ACTION 1.  Send a cc:mail message to WASO-Operation Opportunity 1
with the following message:

"I, (insert name), am interested in Vacancy number (insert    
number), (insert title of position), (insert series and grade),    
at (insert name of park).  Please send my name to the selecting
official for consideration.  My primary cc:mail address is (insert
cc:mail address); my secondary cc:mail address is (insert cc:mail
address)."  You may add any pertinent information about the need for
dual career placement consideration, etc. 

ACTION 2.  Send a copy of your SF-171 or resume to the selecting
official at that park.  Be sure that the 171/resume will reach the
selecting official by the closing date of the announcement.  Attach
a copy of your cc:mail response (Action 1 above) as a cover sheet to
the 171/resume.  Be sure to include the vacancy number and title on
your SF-171/resume.  Do NOT send the 171/resume to the Operation
Opportunity IMTeam.

HOW WILL I KNOW IF I HAVE BEEN SELECTED?

Immediately after the closing date the Operation Opportunity IMTeam will
forward a list of Interested Applicants to the selecting official.  After
the selection has been approved, you will be notified of the results by
the normal personnel procedures.

Questions?  Call the Operation Opportunity IMTeam at 202-219-9233.

       [See WP file "PLACEMNT.FRM," attached to this cc:mail message, for
        the actual form used for Step 1.]