Memo - Updated Guidance on Assessments Issued
July 2, 2021
To: Executive Leadership Team
From: Loretta A. Pope Loretta A. Pope //signed//
Acting Deputy Associate Director for Human Capital
Subject: Updated Guidance on Assessments
Executive Order (E.O.) 13932, Modernizing and Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates, was issued June 26, 2020, requiring agencies to develop strategies for assessing candidates for Federal jobs that did not rely solely on candidate self-evaluations of their qualifications. Agencies were given 180 days from the issuance of the E.O. to develop and implement these strategies.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued interim guidance May 7, 2021, granting an extension for the implementation of the above requirements until December 31, 2021, to allow agencies additional time to develop their assessment strategies. OPM will also be conducting sessions with agencies to provide an overview of their updated guidance regarding the implementation of the remaining sections of the E.O. including a list of assessment tools.
Subsequently, May 18, 2021, the Department of the Interior (DOI) issued an update to the implementation of the E.O. and to Personnel Bulletin 20-21, Requirements for Assessment Practices During the Selection Process, that establishes parameters for certain situations when an assessment is required during this extension period. In an attempt to assist the Bureaus with implementing the new assessment requirement, last year DOI purchased USA Hire, a suite of standard assessments developed by OPM that are available for certain occupational series and grades. DOI is encouraging the continued utilization of USA Hire, when appropriate, which will allow them to evaluate how to best incorporate this assessment tool into the selection process going forward. For this reason, assessments are mandatory when the guidelines below are met.
The following outlines when the use of an assessment is mandatory and when it is optional. This information is also available in a decision tree format found in Appendix A below.
1. When a USA Hire Assessment is Available for the Advertised Series/Grade –
a. If a USA Hire standard assessment exists for the series/grade being advertised AND the criteria outlined in the DOI Assessment Practices Guide for using USA Hire (page 14) is met, then an additional assessment is required.
i. May use either the existing USA Hire standard assessment OR any other valid assessment tool, e.g., structured resume review, structured interview, writing sample, etc.
ii. Click here for the list of series/grades covered by the standard USA Hire assessments. Other types of available assessments can be found in the DOI Assessment Practices Guide.
b. Exception: If the position being filled is for a temporary or term appointment, even if a USA Hire standard assessment exists, the position is exempt from the additional assessment requirement.
c. Examples:
i. Hydrologist, GS-1315-12 – series/grade is not covered by a USA Hire assessment; therefore, an additional assessment is optional.
ii. Biological Science Technician, GS-0404-07 – permanent appointment, open to all qualified candidates, and is covered by a USA Hire assessment; therefore, USA Hire or another valid assessment tool must be used.
iii. Biological Science Technician, GS-0404-07 – term appointment, open to all qualified candidates, and is covered by USA Hire assessment but is exempt from the additional assessment requirement based on the appointment type.
2. When no USA Hire Assessment Exists for the Advertised Series/Grade –
a. If no standard USA Hire assessment exists for the advertised series/grade, an additional assessment is not required but is instead an option available to the hiring manager.
3. Effective Date – These updated requirements apply only to new recruitment packages submitted beginning July 5, 2021. For recruitment packages already received by the USGS Office of Human Resources prior to issuance of this guidance, additional assessments are optional.
As a reminder, the E.O. does not apply when advertising for an excepted service appointment such as Pathways Interns and Recent Graduates, field assistants, post docs, etc.; or when filling a position using one of the available direct hire authorities.
During this extended implementation time frame, the Office of Human Resources will continue to work with hiring managers to develop appropriate assessment strategies that are compliant with the E.O. to the fullest extent possible by the established deadline.
Additional resources and guidance on assessments can be found on the DOI Assessment and Selection website here. A copy of this internal guidance will be added to the USGS Assessment and Selection Resources webpage accessible on the Human Capital A to Z Subject Index as well as the Supervisor’s Toolkit.
Questions should be directed to your Servicing Human Resources Team.
