TITLE 6100 - PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
5/90 R-1 SUPPLEMENT 323
6130.4 - Responsibility.
Recruitment Planning.
1. Region 1 Work Force Trainee Program. Forests are expected to satisfy their own
needs for GS-9 employees in the forestry, engineering, and range conservation occupations and
the specialities within each. This can be accomplished by hiring at the GS-9 level from internal
and external Forest Service sources or through the use of trainee programs. Decisions on
employ- ment approaches to use should consider that Affirmative Action and Equal Employment
Opportunity objectives can frequently only be accomplished at the trainee level. Forests shall
also participate in the development of trainees in the less populous series to help meet Regional
needs.
Since the professional trainee program is Regional in scope, the entire Regional Management
Team has a substantial interest in the program. Selecting officials are strongly encouraged to
consult with other members of the team; such as, Forest Supervisors with appropriate functional
Staff Directors, the Regional Recruitment Officer, the Federal Women's Program Manager; and
so forth, prior to employing any professional trainee. Other management team members may be
aware of potential applicants who have the desired skills, and may be of assistance in evaluating
potential candidates, and so forth.
After a determination of professional trainee needs has been made, it will be the responsibility of
assigned units to take appropriate action to employ assigned trainees. All options of employment
should be considered to assure that every proper approach is explored to meet affirmative action
goals and objectives; such as, cooperative education agreement, regular Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) registers, internal employees, upward mobility, and so forth.
Appointing units will attempt to assure that all professional trainees meet the long-range skill
needs of the Region.
2. Trainee Development.
Preparation of Plan. A comprehensive, well-rounded training plan based on the Region 1
work force trainee model will be developed for each trainee.
3. Other Forest Programs. Forests should implement similar work force programs to
determine technician and clerical trainee needs, as well as, those administrative and professional
positions applicable to their unit, but not covered by the Regional program. This is an essential
step if meaningful recruitment plans are to be developed to meet a variety of management needs;
such as, affirmative action.
6131 - EXTERNAL RECRUITMENT
6131.03 - Policy
1. Cooperative Education. The following is the Region 1 Cooperative Education
Program. Cooperative education, defined by Executive Order 12015 dated October 26, 1977, as
a "Career-Related Work Study Program" is a unique plan of education which integrates
classroom study with planned and supervised experience in various learning situations.
There are four cooperative education programs--graduate, baccalaureate, non baccalaureate, and
high school. Requirements for each program are different, but all have the following basic
objectives:
1. Support Agency Affirmative Action programs.
2. Provide the Agency an opportunity to expose students to the work environment and
Federal career opportunities.
3. Provide the Agency an opportunity to evaluate student performance and potential for
career service jobs.
4. Build a better understanding among students and educators of the Agency's mission.
5. Bring about a stronger relationship between the educational needs and employment
needs of the Agency.
Regional Program--Graduate and Baccalaureate. The following describes Region 1's policy and
processes for filling positions under the graduate and baccalaureate program. Office of
Personnel Management guidelines are contained in Federal Personnel Manual, Chapter 308,
Subchapter 2.
1. Forests having primary liaison responsibility for those schools within their geographic
jurisdictional area. Negotiated working agreements are optional, however, many schools require
such agreements. A model agreement is provided for Forest use (Exhibit 2). Forests wishing to
recruit and fill positions with students from schools outside their designated area will coordinate
activities with the primary Forest contact.
2. Region 1 will use the Cooperative Education Program as a principal part of its system
for recruitment of professional and administrative trainees. Cooperative education is one of
many staffing alternatives to be considered when filling continuing positions. Other alternatives
include OPM certificate of candidates, conversions, transfers, reinstatements, appointment of
eligible Peace Corps, and ACTION Volunteers, etc. However, Region 1's policy is that the
Cooperative Education Program will be the primary staffing alternative to fill professional
trainee positions.
3. Emphasize recruiting the best candidates available to meet the Region's long-range
skill needs, and at the same time, be responsive to equal employment opportunity goals. To
accomplish this, the Regional Office, Personnel Management, Affirmative Action/Employment
Group is responsible for developing and implementing a Region-wide program to assist the
Forests in their efforts to employ students under the program. Field personnel will be the
principal group making the college campus contacts. Campus visits will be coordinated by the
Regional Personnel Office.
Operating Procedures. Forests will submit annually, cooperative education trainee needs for the
current fiscal year. An SF-52, Request for Personnel Action, will accompany the request and be
the basis for the Regional Office coordinator to prepare a Regional Cooperative Education
Recruitment Plan for graduate and baccalaureate students.
Recruitment Process. After determining Regional needs and identifying recruiting sources, the
Regional Office will prepare recruiting bulletins for distribution by the appropriate university
cooperative education coordinator.
Outreach activities (specific contacts with community groups, minority and women
organizations, university advisors and students, and so forth) will be conducted either prior to or
during the recruiting period identified on the recruiting bulletin. The activities will be
coordinated by the Regional Office recruitment coordinator, but will be conducted by the
responsible Unit and/or team having recruiting responsibility in that geographical area of
consideration (see Exhibit 1).
All Units shall identify potential candidates, including those students in the temporary
summer/seasonal employment ranks and insure a copy of the recruiting bulletin is brought to
their attention.
After the recruiting bulletin closes, the university will screen applicants for basic qualifications,
certify student's eligibility, and if requested by the Forest Service, schedule individual student
interviews.
Evaluation and Selection Process. All applications will be retained in the Regional Office
Personnel Affirmative Action/Employment Group. Upon completion of recruiting activities,
applicants will be evaluated by the Regional Office staff specialists and/or Regional Office
Staffing representative, and Personnel Management will issue names to employing units for
selection.
Training. Each student's work experiences must be carefully planned to supplement and/or
complement the academic study to prepare student for a professional position. The training
continues from the time the student enters the program until such time as student completes
satisfactorily the academic work leading to a degree and is promoted or reassigned to the target
position or separated.
Students shall be assigned to a supervisor who has demonstrated the ability to conduct training in
a highly satisfactory manner. The supervisor will be responsible for initial briefing, training
plan, work assignments, performance appraisals, academic counseling, and guidance concerning
desirable changes in course curriculum to meet OPM Handbook X-118 qualification
requirements and the Region's longe-range skill needs; liaison with faculty advisor, and
recommendation of retention or release.
Within 30 days of appointment, an individual training plan will be developed for each student.
The Regional work force training program guide will be the model for developing the training
plan.
Trial Period and Performance Appraisal. Cooperative students must have performance standards
and elements developed annually using forms AD-434A and AD-434B. Students will be rated at
the end of each fiscal year.
If the student will not be available for the normal end-of-the fiscal year review, student should be
rated at the end of work period.
Those students expected to complete two work periods in a fiscal year should be given an
equivalent to a mid-year review at the end of the first work period followed by a normal year-end
rating.
Each appraisal must contain a recommendation for continued program participation. If the rater
recommends releasing the student from the program, supporting documents or report of reason
must accompany the appraisal.
If the student is under a Schedule B appointment, the final appraisal must include a
recommendation regarding conversion.
Employment After Graduation. Students appointed under Schedule B are eligible for
noncompetitive conversion to a career or career-conditional appointment to the target position
when they meet the requirements for a degree; providing all other eligibility requirements have
been satisfied. The conversion must take place within 120 days of graduation. During this
period, the student must be either in a leave-with-out-pay or in a work status until converted or
separated.
In those instances where a Unit cannot place the student into the target position, efforts will be
made to place the student on another Forest in the Region. If the Region is unable to place the
student, efforts will be made to reassign the student to another Region. Regional Office
Personnel Affirmative Action/Employment Group is available to assist Units in this placement
activity.
If a student has a critical need to be placed elsewhere, efforts will be made to accommodate the
request.
2. Recruitment Program. The recruitment program includes the identification and
definition of which Regional organizational units have responsibilities for carrying out
recruitment activities for respective occupations and grade levels in the various geographic areas
that recruitment will take place. Recruitment activities will be aimed at meeting Regional needs,
rather than exclusively designated Forest needs.
a. Objectives. The objectives of the Region 1 Recruitment Program and related activities
are:
(1) To provide a systematic approach to assure recruitment activities are consistent
throughout the Region; and
(2) To provide a coordinated, systematic method of identifying and attracting candidates
meeting the skill needs of the organization and, also be responsive to equal employment program
objectives and affirmative action goals.
Forests are responsible for all recruiting activities within and immediately adjacent to their
Forest boundary. Activities should attract candidates for all occupations and employment
programs (technical, clerical, temporary, and so forth) with the exception of professional and
administrative occupations which, with the responsible unit, will be coordinated by the Regional
Recruitment Coordinator.
Forests are also the primary contact for conducting recruitment activities with special recruitment
sources outside Forest boundary; such as, Indian Reservations, colleges and universities as
identified in Exhibit 1. The primary Forest may request support of team members from other
units.
b. Responsibilities. Forest recruitment responsibilities include identifying specific
recruitment sources, establishing contact with key individuals, maintaining contact with those
sources, and developing and implementing a recruitment schedule which insures:
(1) Timely recruitment which is responsive to employment programs (for example,
summer or temporary, student employment, cooperative education, OPM).
(2) Onsite recruitment activities and maintenance of continuing and effective
relationships.
(3) Participation in high school and college career days and job fairs.
(4) Presentations to professional societies, women's and minority organizations.
(5) Involvement of Special Emphasis Coordinators and resource specialists.
(6) Accomplishment.
Forests are not restricted from recruiting in areas outside their designated area. However, it is
essential they identify the area they wish to work in and coordinate all activities through the
primary Forest contact.
The Regional Office will serve as primary contact with recruitment sources outside Regional
boundaries, except as identified in Exhibit 1. Assistance will be provided by Forest and
Regional Office Specialists.
Emphasize recruitment from those sources offering the best opportunity to meet Regional
recruitment objectives. In determining the public to be contacted, consider the productivity of
the source to assure equal employment opportunity.
Exhibit 1
RESPONSIBLE UNITS/SOURCES
Primary
Responsibility
Source
Team Members
Beaverhead NF
Western Montana College
Key contacts within
geographical area
Helena NF
Bitterroot NF
Key contacts within
geographical area
Lolo NF
Clearwater NF
Washington State University
(R-6 Coordination)
University of Idaho
Key contacts within
geographical area
Idaho Panhandle
NF's
Nezperce NF
Custer NF
Miles City Community College
Rocky Mountain College
Dawson Community College
Eastern Montana College
Northern Montana College
N. Dakota State University
University of N. Dakota
Fort Berthold Indian Reservation;
Fort Berthold Community College
Standing Rock Indian Reservation
Crow Indian Reservation;
Little Bighorn Community College
N. Cheyenne Indian Reservation;
Dull Knife Community College
Federal Executive Board
Billings American Indian Alliance
Key contacts within
geographical area
Beaverhead NF/
Gallatin NF/
Helena NF
Deerlodge NF
North American Indian Alliance
Anaconda Indian Alliance
Montana College of Mineral
Science and Technology
Butte Vo-Tech
Key contacts within
geographical area
Helena NF
Flathead NF
Salish Kootenai Community College
Flathead Valley Community College
Flathead Indian Reservationn
Kicking Horse Job Corps Center
Key contacts within
geographical area
Kootenai NF/
Lolo NF
Gallatin NF
Montana State University
Key contacts within
geographical area
Beaverhead NF
Helena NF
Helena Indian Alliance
Montana United Indian Alliance
Montana Native American Talent
Bank
Carroll College
Helena Vo-Tech
Key contacts within
geographical area
Deerlodge NF
Idaho Panhandle
NF's
Kinman University
Spokane and Spokane Falls
Community College (R-6 Coord.)
Gonzaga University (R-6 Coord.)
Eastern Washington State
University (R-6 Coord.)
Spokane Indian Reservation
Colville Indian Reservation
Whitworth College
Ft. Wright College
N. Idaho College
Kootenai of North Idaho Indian
Reservation
Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation
Key contacts within
geographical area
Nezperce NF/
Clearwater
NF/
Kootenai NF
Kootenai NF
Hi-Line Indian Alliance
Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
Fort Peck Indian Reservation
Fort Peck Community College
Key contacts within
geographical area
Lewis and
Clark NF/
Deerlodge
NF
Lewis and Clark
NF
Landless Indian Organizations
College of Great Falls
N. Montana College
Great Falls Vo-Tech
Rocky Boy Indian Reservation
Blackfeet Indian Reservation
Blackfeet Community College
Key contacts within
geographical area
Deerlodge
NF/
Flathead NF/
Kootenai NF
Lolo NF
University of Montana
Missoula Vo-Tech
Key contacts within
geographical area
Flathead NF/
Bitterroot NF
Nezperce NF
Nezperce Indian Reservation
Lewis and Clark State College
Key contacts within
geographical area
Clearwater
NF/
Idaho
Panhandle NF's
Regional Office
Recruitment sources outside
Regional boundary (except
those identified above)
Designated
Forests or Regional
Office Units
See Directives to view hard copy of:
Exhibit 2 - Cooperative Education Program Working Agreement
6132 - INTERNAL PLACEMENT AND MOBILITY
6132.03 - Policy
1. Placement of Spouses. Husband and wife employment is a way of life in todays work
force. This employment situation will be handled with empathy and sensitivity by Forest Service
Managers.
Employees shall make management aware of the employment needs of their spouses when
submitting voluntary applications and/or applying to vacancies.
In conjunction with a job offer, management will provide employee an assessment of spouse
placement opportunities in both the Federal and private sectors.
Management will provide adequate time for employee to decide to accept or reject the job offer
when spouse placement is involved.
If offer is accepted without immediate spouse placement, employment assistance will continue to
be provided. All final decisions where spouse placement is involved will be made by the line
manager with employment authority.