# [AGENDA]{.underline} 

**Welcome** -- [Terry Young](mailto:terry.young@mail.va.gov), Moderator
OHRM -HRM P&P (202-273-9821)

1.  **HRMO Activity Report** -- [Terry
    Young](mailto:terry.young@mail.va.gov), (202-273-9821)

**[SELECTION(S) MADE:]{.underline}**

Sandra Fischer has been selected to the position of Human Resources
Manager at Palo Alto Health Care System.

**[CURRENT VACANCIES:]{.underline}**

### Muskogee, OK

Atlanta, GA

Biloxi, MS

Central Alabama Healthcare System (Montgomery)

Danville, IL *(Labor Relations)*

Durham, NC

Philadelphia, PA

2.  **Human Resources Management Programs and Policies - Items of
    Interest**

**Semi-Annual AFGE Meeting --** [John
Haltigan](mailto:john.haltigan@mail.va.gov) (202-273-4928)

John Haltigan and Tammy Lesane of the LMR staff gave a brief summary on
the AFGE semi-annual meeting that was held March 27-29.

Crystal Wiggins has forwarded to VBA HRM Officers a brief recap of the
presentation made to the union Officers and District Representatives by
Mike Walcoff, the Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Operations.
Specific questions can be addressed to Crystal or Jennifer Long. Bonnie
Kerber, VHA Labor Relations Specialist accompanied Laura Miller, the VHA
Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for her presentation. There was
considerable discussion with the union representatives concerning
possibly altering the way National Mid-Term Bargaining is conducted, but
no decisions have been made.

Per Article 44, of the AFGE Master Contract, the union has asked to
reopen the contract to address the rescission of Executrive Order 12871
and the decision by the Secretary not to require bargaining over 5 USC
7106(b) matters. AFGE has submitted a proposal currently being reviewed
by the Administrations, following which it will be sent to AFGE as a
counter. No decisions have been made at this time. It was pointed out
however, that the requirement to bargain in the permissive area will not
be reinstated.

**Recruiting and Assessing High Quality Candidates --** [Carol
Mellen](mailto:carol.mellen@mail.va.gov), (273-9754)

In a widely distributed e-mail on Tuesday, March 26^th^, Ventris Gibson
sent you a memorandum dated March 25^th^ from Kay Coles James, the
Director of OPM, on "Agency Responsibilities to Recruit and Assess High
Quality Candidates."

Among the practices which the OPM memo highlighted as unacceptable are:

-   Describing qualifications too narrowly in external vacancy
    announcements; for example, so narrowly that only applicants with
    previous experience in that agency could qualify.

-   Not including a phone number and point of contact who can provide
    applicants with the information they need.

-   Not utilizing well the process for structured interviews, or what we
    often refer to in VA as Performance Based Interviews \[or PBIs\].

So please take a look at your office's practices in light of the OPM
memo points, and take any corrective actions that may be locally needed.

On a more positive note, we recently received another memo from the OPM
Director on "Ensuring Maximum Opportunity for Veterans in Federal
Employment," in which VA and DoD are featured as employing the majority
of veterans employed by the Federal Government as a whole. We're looking
into whether the VA HR function can bring anything to the table for a
task force OPM has created on veterans' employment issues and for
sharing helpful tips with the HR community. We're having that memo and a
related one from OPM's Employment Service added to the OHRM web page.

**OPM's Central Personnel Data Files --** [Larry
Staley](mailto:larry.staley1@mail.va.gov) (202-273- )

VA has received the FY 2001 Central Personnel Data File (CPDF) Scorecard
from OPM. We continue to do well on the CPDF status files, which are
quarterly snapshots of several data elements. However, we have very low
scores in both accuracy and timeliness for the CPDF dynamics file
submissions, which are a snapshot of each action that occurs during a
month.

The scorecard showed a significant drop in accuracy rates in CPDF
dynamics files (dropped from 86% to 76%). We have found some system
problems in PAID/OLDE and in CPDF edits. Some of these have been
corrected and our error rate was back in the 70s for the first quarter
of FY 2002. We also conducted 2 P&R training courses last fall and are
working with HRD and others to develop a train-the-trainer session for
VHA sites, with a target of mid to late summer. Additional
correspondence courses in P&R are also being requested.

The scorecard shows a slight improvement for the dynamics file
timeliness rate (78% timely, which is up from 75% for FY 2000), but we
still have a long way to go to meet the OPM standard of 90% of actions
being processed in the month that they are effective. The Workforce
Information Systems Team (WIST) has reviewed statistics since the
beginning of FY 2002 and found that we were near 80% for November and
December and at 92.6% in January; however, we also were down to the low
60's for October and February. A 4-month review from October to January
revealed that only one station (583) met or exceeded the timeliness
standard for all four months. Six stations (515, 540, 521, 539, 656,
568) met the standard for 3 of the four months. So we no it isn't
impossible.  If you haven't done so already, you are also urged to
implement the guidelines provided in HRML 05-01-05, Processing and
Approval of Personnel Actions, at your facility.

Beginning in May (for April statistics), WIST will be making a report
available to

HR Officers via the VA Intranet that will show the timeliness statistics
for each station. You are cautioned in your use of the statistics,
however, because they are not a direct reflection on any one group.
There are a number of reasons that actions may be processed after the
month they are effective, e.g., P&R input delays, managers don't submit
actions timely, accompanying supporting documentation is lacking,

HR Specialists hold the actions for policy review or determination,
settlements or decisions grant retroactive restitution, the payroll
office fails to review and release actions timely, etc. The two types of
actions that appear to be late more often are new hires (accessions) and
awards, which makes this a great time to concentrate on timeliness.
Seasonal and student employment hires are usually up in the summer and
some organizations' performance rating periods end in March, which means
we will likely see a spike in the number of awards actions processed.

If you have questions about this item, feel free to call the WIST staff
on 202-273-9806.

**New System of** **HR Directives and Handbooks** -- [Ken
Quantock](mailto:ken.quantock@mail.va.gov), (202-273-7846)

On April 15^th^ the new system of HR Directives and Handbooks will be
available on the VA internet. These electronic internet versions of the
14 new Directives and Handbooks will replace MP-5. By now, facilities
should have received the CD with the new set of HR Directives and
Handbooks inaugurating the results of the nearly 5 year effort to bring
some sense to the myriad of HR Policies. In response to various emails
and phone calls about this CD, I want to emphasis that the CD was
developed to publicize the new system -- a souvenir of sorts. A limited
number were provided to field and VACO offices, but facilities should
begin relying on the internet versions. The CD and any copies you print
could soon be outdated....in fact three minor changes were made to the
directives prior to placing them on the internet..and I understand that
there are already a half dozen changes in the concurrence process that
will impact the new policies.

In a nutshell, the new system will make changes easier to make and
provide you with assurance that the online system is up-to-date.

As you know, phase one of this project ended in 1998 with the electronic
publication of the entire MP-5. The publication of the new System of HR
Directives and Handbooks represents the culmination of phase 2. I just
left a ceremony honoring those responsible for the success of this
second phase.

This has been a long process that began nearly five years ago at the
Topeka Conference. Hundreds of VA executives, managers and HR
specialists voted the overhaul of VA's HR manuals one of the top four
challenges for the future of HR in VA. It is now a reality and the new
environment that inaugurate on Monday will be accepted as a matter of
course, and will save considerable frustration, delay and mistakes from
occurring. The energy that you devoted to finding and interpreting the
right policy will be devoted to carrying out the right policy.

**New OHRM Website --** [Ken Quantock](mailto:ken.quantock@mail.va.gov),
(202-273-7846)

Also on Monday, April 15^th^, you will see a new look to the OHRM
website. This is long overdue and represents an extensive process of
reviewing, revising and updating nearly 1,800 web pages with over 14,000
links.

The original site, developed in 1997, was truly a "web" of
interconnecting folders, files, and links. The need to retool was an
easy decision to reach, assembling the manpower to do the retooling
proved more difficult since we not only needed web authors to redesign
the pages, but subject matter experts to review the accuracy of the page
content. Many of these subject matter experts were working on SOG#2 and
the ones you call for advisory assistance.

We decided to launch the new site coincidental with the inauguration of
the new system of HR Directives and Handbooks.

The good news is that the address has not changed -- it is still
<http://vaww.va.gov/ohrm> but the need to reorganize the material has
resulted in significant changes in internal links within the site. If
you have book-marked the OHRM site, you will continue to connect. If you
have book-marked a particular webpage within the site, the link will
probably not connect. This cannot be avoided.

There are direct links from the OHRM opening page to 8 subject matter
sub sites such as pay, classification, and benefits to name a few. In
addition we have created an HR Library where you will find the new HR
Directives/Handbooks. This site will continue to grow as new items are
added and old ones revised. Although a small site-directory has been
created, an extensive subject matter directory is being developed and
will be made available to you as soon as possible. You will find a few
links that are not yet activated -- they are still be developed and not
yet ready for prime time.

There has been extensive testing of the links, but we welcome your
comments and suggestions as you review the site. At the bottom of most
web pages, there is an email link to the web development section that is
responsible for managing the website.

**4/15/02 Note***: Due to server problems beyond our control, the debut
of the new OHRM website is being delayed until the problems can be
addressed. As a result, the current OHRM website http://vaww.va.gov/ohrm
has been updated to include the new System of HR Directives and
Handbooks effective April 15th. The location of these files is only
temporary until the existing site is replaced. We apologize for the
delay and any inconvenience.*

3.  **\"A little bit of this...a little bit of that...\"**.... [Terry
    Young](mailto:terry.young@mail.va.gov), (202-273-9821)

> • Electronic Human Resources Programs

\- Inquiries have arisen about VHA contracts for Personnet instead of
each Medical Center purchasing its own contract, and similar programs
such as FRC Calc, the retirement software from GRB. The HRMAG is already
working on the retirement calculator. As far as Personnet or other
products, VHA will have to survey to see if there\'s any consensus.

> • OPM Probationary Period Study -- The study is currently on hold,
> pending completion of OPM's governmentwide survey.
>
> • Last year's OPM reviews...should probably have something next month.
>
> • Employee Survey -- Ventris Gibson is to briefed at the end of the
> month and so you will be hearing about that next month as well.
>
> • Status of Student Loan Policy -- is still being revised.
> Recommendations have come back from some of the administrations and
> hopefully the final versions will be ready towards the end of next
> month.
>
> • E-Mail Distribution Lists -- These are essentially three:
>
> 1\. Terry Young's **VA HRM Officers** (VHA, VBA , NCA & VACO)
>
> 2\. Terry Kahn's **HRMO Field** (VHA HRM's only)
>
> 3\. Kent Wellman's **VHA National HRM Specialists** (self-\
> explanatory)
>
> 4\. Plus, [Khisa Lee](mailto:OHRKHLEE@VBA.VA.GOV) (for **25 VBAWIDE,**
> a restricted group)

#### • HR Officer's Conference -- Due to lack of funds, no conference is being planned at this time

> • Garry Owen

I have three reunions this year...one is my 40^th^ high school reunion.
The other two are military reunions. One of those is for Vietnam chopper
pilots, and the other involves a whole bunch of people who once wore the
Cav patch. The Cav stands for the 1^st^ Cavalry Division and they have a
very big, distinctive military patch. You'll see it a lot in Mel
Gibson's movie about the 7^th^ Cavalry Regiment, "We Were Soldiers
Once."

See, I get to wear two hats around here. One of course is my HR hat The
other is that of a veteran.

I was a grunt once...and young. The expression "grunts" was applied to
infantrymen in Vietnam. The grunts' existence was not particularly
glamorous...it was full of stress, chaos, frustration, and all sorts of
other things for which there were often no thank-you's.

As I was reading some of the e-mail information requests some days ago,
it occurred to me that that same description seems to fit the HR
community out there. Even in remote, impersonal e-mails I can grasp the
problems caused by understaffing, pressures and lack of support on some
things.

Despite everything, the grunt was the one who made so many other things
work, made accomplishments possible, and was quite often the glue that
held everything else possible. And that's another good description for
HR people.

So I just wanted you to know that I, as a veteran, appreciate all that
you have done and all that you are doing.

Thanks, and Garry Owen!

*(NOTE: "Garry Owen" is the official mantra/song/exhortation of the
7^th^ Cavalry. Derived from ancient Celtic liturgical verse, it was
adopted by General George Custer for the 7^th^ because its cadence lent
itself well to the cavalry. It has persisted to this day and is part of
the 7^th^ Cavalry's official emblem --* T.Y.*).*