How to Hire 

Using the 

Schedule A 

Appointing 

Authority

The ABCs of 

SCHEDULE A

For the Disability Program Manager

and/or Selective Placement Coordinator
INTRODUCTION

As the Disability Program Manager (DPM) or Selective 

Placement Coordinator (SPC) for your agency, you are on 

the front lines of the battle to improve hiring opportunities 

for individuals with disabilities. And it is a battle!! When it 

comes to hiring, accommodating, and/or advancing people 

with disabilities, you are likely the go-to person for Human 

Resources (HR) personnel, as well as for hiring mangers. 

You are no stranger to the barriers faced by people with 

disabilities trying to get hired or attempting to advance in 

the federal government. You are also probably familiar with 

the attitudinal biases of hiring managers. So what can you 

do to further the goals of your program?

Become a well-informed advocate of Schedule A! The 

Schedule A hiring authority is one of the best weapons 

in your arsenal. It addresses one of the most common 

complaints about the federal hiring process – that it takes 

too long – while furthering the need to hire and advance 

more individuals with disabilities. As noted by the Merit 

Systems Protection Board in its report entitled Reforming 

Federal Hiring -- Beyond Faster and Cheaper (September 

2006), it takes an average of 102 days to complete all of 

the steps in the competitive hiring process, from making 

the request, to making the appointment. Federal hiring 

managers do not delight in the prospect of spending three 

months or more trying to fill a position. Moreover, talented 

potential employees are lost because they do not want to 

wait (or cannot afford to wait) months for a hiring decision. 

Schedule A is an excellent alternative to the frustrating and 

bloated traditional hiring process. Further, it is a way for you 

to be part of the solution!

Using the Schedule A appointing authority, found at 5 CFR 

§ 213.3102(u), qualified candidates who meet the Office 

of Personnel Management’s (OPM) guidelines can be hired 

non-competitively – 

v without the typical recruitment headaches;

v without posting and publicizing the position; and

v without going through the certificate process.

How? By following the Easy How To Steps detailed in the 

next section.
EASY HOW TO STEPS

Importantly, as a SPC/DPM, you should 

routinely encourage hiring managers to 

approach you before they approach HR when 

they have a position that needs to be filled. 

Typically, the first step in this process will be 

contact from a manager with a job opening. 

You will want to gain a very clear understanding of what competencies the ideal 

candidate should possess. Work with the 

manager to carefully consider the essential 

functions of the position in question. 

On occasion, this first step may be in the 

form of contact directly from an applicant, or 

from HR, on behalf of an applicant, instead 

of from a hiring official. Where this occurs, 

you should:

a. Review the resume of the applicant, and 

assess his or her knowledge, skills and 

abilities. 

b. Where there is a specific opening that the 

applicant is inquiring about, you should 

evaluate whether the applicant is qualified 

for that position. This will require you to 

have a firm understanding of the needs/

expectations of the job (if you are not 

sure, find out!), as it is critical that you do 

not refer candidates who are not qualified 

for the job. Doing so will undermine your 

credibility and the program’s credibility. 

Moreover, it will discourage managers from 

ever considering a Schedule A applicant 

again.

1

EASY HOW TO STEPS
EASY HOW TO STEPS

c. Where the applicant is not applying for a 

specific job, but his or her qualifications 

nonetheless match those needed for one or 

more of your agency’s major occupations, you 

should keep their resume on file for future 

use. By building up a “resume bank” of 

Schedule A applicants with the knowledge, 

skills and abilities to successfully perform 

in your agency’s major occupations, you will 

always be ready to quickly provide a (possibly 

desperate) hiring manager with qualified 

potential candidates.

Once you have a clear understanding of the 

job from the hiring manager, you will need to 

review the resumes in your “resume bank” for 

potential candidates. Provide the manager (or 

HR professional) with the resumes of those 

applicants who have the requisite qualifications 

to meet the needs of the job. The number of 

candidates the manager is presented with will 

vary greatly, depending on the level of specialty 

required by the job, as well as the depth of your 

“resume bank.”

The hiring official can now review the resumes and 

references of all applicants, conduct interviews, 

etc., and then make a selection. Resume 

and reference reviews should be thorough to 

accurately assess job readiness. As a SPC/DPM, 

you might consider assisting the hiring official 

with this task. 

Once the selection decision is made, the hiring 

manager should relay her decision to you. At 

this point, you should:

3

4

2
EASY HOW TO STEPS

____________________________________________

1 Proof of a disability(ies) is required for appointments 

under 5 CFR § 213.3102(u). Proof of disability is the term 

used to define any number of documents which attest to the 

fact that the candidate does indeed have a disability. The 

documentation can take many acceptable forms, so agencies 

should be flexible. Agencies may accept as proof of disability 

simple documentation from a licensed medical professional 

(e.g., a physician or other medical professional duly certified by 

a State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory, to practice 

medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., 

State or private); or any Federal agency, State agency, or an 

agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that 

issues or provides disability benefits. Documentation need 

only certify that the applicant has a disability which is longterm and/or permanent in nature.

a. Relay the decision to the appropriate 

persons within HR who extend offers 

of employment on behalf of the agency. 

After an appointment type is determined 

(permanent, temporary, or time-limited), 

a conditional offer of employment should 

be extended to the candidate. Agencies

should make clear that the offer is 

contingent upon receipt of Schedule 

A qualifying documentation from the 

candidate, i.e., proof of disability.1 Often, 

you, as the SPC/DPM, will have already 

collected this documentation, so as to 

speed the process along. If so, you should 

quickly turn it over to the appropriate 

personnel in HR. Importantly, the hiring 

manager should not be involved in the 

disability documentation process, as 

medical documentation must be kept 

strictly confidential.

b. Begin the interactive process with the 

candidate. Once an offer has been extended, 

you should contact the candidate 
EASY HOW TO STEPS

and inquire as to whether a reasonable 

accommodation will be necessary (follow 

your agency’s approved policy for handling 

reasonable accommodation requests). For 

some agencies, this interactive process 

will be done in conjunction with the 

Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator 

(RAC). Regardless of whether the request is 

handled through you or the RAC, verify that 

the accommodation is in place for the new 

employee’s first day on the job. 

Once the offer has been accepted, a start date 

may be established to bring the candidate 

on board. In situations where it becomes 

apparent that the accommodation needed will 

not be in place on the new employee’s first 

day, the start date may need to be delayed. 

For this reason, communication between the 

hiring manager, the servicing HR professional, 

and you is of utmost importance.

That’s it!

Seem easy? It is! As noted above, a skilled SPC/DPM 

will keep a cadre of Schedule A eligible candidates on 

stand-by (this can take the form of a “resume bank” or 

“Schedule A Registry,” and should include people with 

the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities needed to 

succeed in the major occupations of the agency), so 

that you can assist busy hiring managers to very quickly 

fill job openings. No more three, six, or nine month 

waits!!

The Federal Government – Opportunities for All!
HELPFUL TIPS

HELPFUL TIPS

There are limited resources available for the SPC/DPM. It may be 

difficult to know where to start, what to do, and/or how to help, 

particularly for people new to the position. Don’t be discouraged! 

You have the opportunity to develope new practices that may serve 

as a positive example for the rest of the government. The following 

tips are offered as a supplement to the Resources section of this 

quick-reference guide.

v Network, network, network! You are not alone, so get out and 

talk with other SPCs and DPMs! Another SPC/DPM may have 

a solution to the problem you are currently grappling with – 

so get out there! Participation in the annual Perspectives 

on the Employment of Persons with Disabilities Conference

is a great way to do so. Further information can be found at 

https://register.grad.usda.gov/Conferences/Perspectives/.

v If you do not have an HR background, take steps to familiarize 

yourself with staffing and placement regulations/guidelines. The 

USDA Graduate School offers many HR classes at a reasonable 

cost.

v Reach out to managers, but do so with the understanding that 

most may not have ever managed someone with a disability. Meet 

with managers one-on-one and encourage them to communicate 

their concerns openly, in a judgment-free environment.

v A good SPC/DPM should not preach laws, rules and regulations – 

this is likely to create new barriers where none previously existed, 

or reinforce old ones. Instead, explain to managers why hiring 

people with disabilities makes good business sense ... and let 

managers know that you are there to help, even after the person 

comes onboard.

v Don’t know why hiring people with disabilities makes good 

business sense? Do some research and find out! Several 

academic institutions have published papers on this topic. 

A great place to start is: 

http://www.earnworks.com/employers/businesscase/index.asp.

v Remember, whether your position description says so or not, 

part of your job is recruiting! Use a variety of resources to 

build your “resume bank,” including, but not limited to, all 

local colleges and universities, local Vocational Rehabilitation 

service providers, the Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network 

(EARN), the Department of Labor’s Workforce Recruitment 

Program (WRP), the Department of Defense’s Wounded Warriors 

program, counterparts at other agencies, etc.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. What is Schedule A?

A. Schedule A is an appointing authority, or hiring 

authority. It is an Excepted Service appointment for 

persons with disabilities. The regulations guiding 

the Excepted Service -- Appointment of Persons 

with Disabilities and Career and Career-Conditional 

Appointment are found in the Code of Federal 

Regulations (CFR). The citation is 5 CFR 

§ 213.3102(u).

Q. Why should agencies consider using this hiring 

authority?

A. Agencies should use this hiring authority for a number 

of good reasons:

• Individuals with disabilities are an untapped 

source of excellent applicants; 

• No public notice is required. In fact, many of the 

usual HR-related stumbling blocks are avoided, 

which could result in significantly reducing the 

time necessary to hire a well-qualified candidate;

• Doing so can support an agency’s Career Patterns 

initiative. Technological advances and growing 

emphasis on tele-work may dovetail with the needs 

of many applicants with disabilities; and

• Agencies don’t have to clear ‘surplus employee’ 

lists prior to using Schedule A.

Q. What about accommodations? Aren’t they expensive 

and a hassle?

A. No! More often than not, providing accommodations 

is simple and usually free! Moreover, you are not alone 

in trying to work through accommodation requests. 

Your agency may have a person who serves as the 

Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator (RAC), to 
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

help with accommodation needs. There are also several 

resources outside of your agency which can help, some 

of which are listed herein – just check our Resources 

page!

And remember, just as we all need assistance at some 

point in the work place, accommodations may be needed 

by an individual with a disability. We want all employees 

to be at their best at work, and accommodations play a 

role in reaching that goal. Providing accommodations, 

however, does not have to be a difficult, expensive or 

time consuming process. 

Q. Is this appointment to a permanent position?

A. It can be. Agencies may self-determine what type of 

placement to make, based on the needs of the position, 

as well as the qualification level of the candidate. 

Under the Schedule A appointing authority, a hiring 

agency may make a temporary appointment, a timelimited appointment when the duties of the position 

do not require it to be filled on a permanent basis, 

or a permanent appointment. Agencies are strongly 

encouraged to make permanent appointments unless 

there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.

Q. What about a probationary period?

A. Depending on the type of appointment, probationary 

periods typically last up to two years. Schedule A 

candidates should be held to the same performance 

standards as all other employees. Once the employee’s 

accommodation needs, if any, have been met, then 

you should expect no more or less from a Schedule A 

employee than you would from any other employee. 

Once the probationary period has been successfully 

completed, employees should be converted to permanent 

competitive status.
RESOURCES

RECRUITMENT / HIRING

EARN – The Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN) is a 

free service that connects employers looking for quality employees with 

skilled job candidates. EARN provides recruiting services, as well as 

employer success stories. Moreover, if you need to make the business 

case for hiring people with disabilities, EARN can provide you with the 

information you need! Further information can be found at 

http://earnworks.com/. 

WRP – The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) is a recruitment 

and referral program that connects federal sector employers nationwide 

with highly motivated postsecondary students and recent graduates 

with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace 

through summer or permanent jobs. Students represent all majors, and 

range from college freshmen to graduate students and law students. 

A searchable database is available through the WRP website. WRP is 

ready to help you fill your summer or permanent hiring needs! Further 

information can be found at http://wrp.gov. 

For Veterans with Disabilities – There are numerous organizations and 

agencies that exist to assist veterans with disabilities find and maintain 

employment. The following is a sample of useful resources to keep 

handy: 

v The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Veterans Employment & 

Training Service http://www.dol.gov/vets/welcome.html

v Hire Heroes http://www.hireheroesusa.org/

v Wounded Warriors Project http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org

Advocacy Groups – There are several different advocacy groups that also 

serve as excellent resources for recruiting and hiring individuals with 

disabilities. The following is a sampling of those resources:

v American Association of People with Disabilities 

http://www.aapd-dc.org/

v National Council on Independent Living http://www.ncil.org/

v Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation 

http://www.rehabnetwork.org/

v Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Government http://dhhig.org/

v American Council of the Blind http://www.acb.org/
RESOURCES

Federal Resources – There are numerous federal programs designed to 

meet the needs of people with disabilities in finding employment. The 

following is a non-exhaustive list of programs/resources:

v The Office of Personnel Management’s “Disability Site” 

http://www.opm.gov/disability/

v DOL’s Office of Disability Employment Policy 

http://www.dol.gov/odep/

v Also check out the federal government’s one-stop web site for 

people with disabilities, their families, employers, veterans and 

service members, workforce professionals and many others. 

www.DisabilityInfo.gov

ACCOMMODATIONS

CAP – Within the federal government there is a wonderful program 

housed within the Department of Defense. The Computer/Electronic 

Accommodations Program (CAP) provides assistive technology and 

services to people with disabilities throughout the federal government 

FREE OF CHARGE! That means you can tap this resource for help in 

accommodating an employee with a disability. CAP will do the needs 

assessment, buy the needed technology, train the employee on how to 

use it, and follow up with updates. All you have to do is ask! (Note: 

Before contacting CAP directly, check with the RAC, as they may already 

have a relationship with CAP.) Further information can be found at 

http://www.tricare.mil/cap/. 

JAN – The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) represents the most 

comprehensive resource for job accommodations available, and is 

a terrific and easy-to-use resource. This free consulting service is 

designed to increase the employability of people with disabilities. JAN 

provides individualized worksite accommodation solutions, as well as 

information on job accommodations and related subjects for employers 

and people with disabilities. Additional information can be found at 

http://www.jan.wvu.edu/. 
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

1-800-669-4000 / TTY 1-800-669-6820

www.eeoc.gov

Rev. 2/08