November 5, 2021 

PERSONNEL BULLETIN 21-08 

SUBJECT: Direct Hire Authority for Resource Assistant Internship Program 

1. Purpose. This Personnel Bulletin establishes and implements the Direct Hiring Authority for 

Resource Assistant Internship Programs (DHA) outlined in the John D. Dingell, Jr. 

Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act within the Department of the Interior (DOI). 

Although this authority allows for great flexibility in hiring, bureaus must still ensure 

compliance with human resources law and regulations not excluded by this law. This Bulletin 

accounts for updates from Public Law 116-9, which expands use of the DHA to all bureaus 

and offices within DOI. This Bulletin supersedes PB 12-15. 

2. Scope. This Personnel Bulletin applies to all bureaus and equivalent offices of the 

Department.

3. Authority. Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012; PL 112 -74; H. R. 2055 Division E 

Title I, § 121; John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act; Pub. L. 

116–9, title IX, § 9003(d)(2), Mar. 12, 2019, 133 Stat. 834; 16 U.S. Code § 1725a.

4. Definitions.

a. Former Resource Assistant - as defined in the Public Land Corps Act of 1993, a 

former resource assistant is a candidate who:

i. Completed a rigorous undergraduate or graduate summer internship with the 

Secretary (Interior); as so defined; 16 U.S. Code § 1722

ii. Successfully fulfilled the requirements of that internship program; and

iii. Subsequently earned an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited

institution of higher learning. 

Internship programs may be established in any one or more of the following career 

fields necessary to the effective management of public lands and resources:

• Park/Refuge/Monument management and administration

• Natural resources management

• Environmental policy and management 

• Environmental/civil engineering/urban planning 

• Historic and/or cultural resources management

• Business management and administration

• Public policy/administration and management 

• Tourism and hospitality services
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• Resource Protection

By virtue of its inclusion in the legislation, the National Park Service Business Plan 

Internship program is an approved internship program for use of this authority. 

Additional programs may be established as needed.

b. Rigorous Resource Assistant Internship - A rigorous internship program must meet 

the following criteria: (a) Have a clearly defined deliverable or work product with clear 

expectations and outcomes. (Experience -based internships, such as job shadowing, are 

not sufficient); (b) Include a minimum of 11 weeks of full-time work; (c) Focus on 

critical thinking and real -world problem solving; (d) provide presentations on findings 

to key decision makers; and (e) address certification of high performance in the 

internship from the internship supervisor. In addition, a qualifying internship should 

include some (or all) of the following elements:

• Intense and rigorous projects - focus skills and reveal the work qualities of 

candidates

• Structured projects - have clear paths to success for candidates and obvious 

assessment opportunities for managers

• High degree of autonomy - create space to develop or apply personal 

responsibility

• Defined deliverable - rewards productivity and provides for a clear goal

• Demanding schedule - develops project management skills

• Exposure to multiple stakeholders (internal and /or external) - provides an 

opportunity to demonstrate communication skills and the skills to navigate 

organizational hierarchies

Characteristics of interns necessary for success in the Federal Government include the 

following:

• Demonstrated leadership skills, and experience and strategic thinking abilities

• Presentation and oral data collection skills

• Self - starter /can work independently

• Flexible /resourceful

• Ability to adapt new skills and ideas to the public sector

The Direct Hire Intern program works through a designated partner organization, which 

is tasked with recruiting and managing candidates. Participating nonprofit organizations 

shall contribute to the expenses of providing and supporting the resource assistants, 

through private sources of funding, at a level equal to 25 percent of the total costs of 

each participant in the Resource Assistant program who has been recruited and placed 

through that organization. Interns hired through a partner organization will not be 

Federal Government employees, but if hired non-competitively after the successful 

completion of their internship will be hired into career conditional appointments as a 

Federal Government employee.
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5. Delegated Authority. This direct-hire authority is re-delegated from the Secretary of the 

Interior to Bureau Directors and equivalent office directors. The appointment of eligible, 

former resource assistant interns to a competitive service position may be re-delegated to 

bureau Chiefs of Human Resources, through intervening levels of management or directly, 

without power of further re-delegation.

6. Policy.

a. Bureau Responsibilities. Bureaus must comply with Human Resources laws and 

regulations not excluded by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and 

Recreation Act. Appointments will be made in accordance with Merit Systems 

Principles.

Bureau HR Offices must establish written procedures and maintaining oversight of this 

authority within their bureaus; ensuring appointments are made within the guidelines of 

this personnel bulletin and in compliance with human resources law and regulations; 

and that appointments are appropriately documented and maintained.

Bureau must validate that each resource assistant internship meets the definition of a 

rigorous internship program, defined in Section 4, above. Validation must include, 

obtaining documentation of service from the internship that must include number of 

weeks served, a description of the duties and responsibilities in each resource assistant 

internship position held, and a verification of information signed by the non-profit 

organization's intern supervisor and DOI or Bureau responsible official.

b. Implementation. Under the delegated authority, Bureaus may appoint a candidate 

directly, without competitive examination or competing with career and careerconditional employees under merit staffing procedures to any position and grade level 

for which the candidate meets Office of Personnel Management (OPM) qualification 

standards. Direct-hire authority permits hiring without regard to Veteran’s preference. 

Consideration will be provided to individuals who have earned an undergraduate or 

graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning which represents 

underserved communities, as defined by Executive Order 13985 - Advancing Racial 

Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, 

dated January 25, 2021.

i. Appointment. Appointments under this authority may be made without regard 

to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. Chapter 33, Subchapter I, other than Sections 3303 

(Recommendations of Senators or Representatives) and 3328 (Selective Service 

registration) of that title, a former resource assistant intern of a John D. Dingell, 

Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act who:

1. Successfully completed an internship that meets the definitions outlined in 

Section 4, above;

2. Meet OPM qualification standards and any other qualification requirement; 

and
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3. Earn an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited institution of 

higher education.

Appointments are subject to DOI’s Reemployment Priority and Special Selection 

Priority Lists, Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), and Interagency Career 

Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provisions.

Appointees are subject to a probationary period consistent with other competitive 

service appointments.

This authority cannot be used after the end of the two -year period beginning on the 

date the candidate completed his or her undergraduate and graduate degree. This 2 -

year timeframe cannot be extended.

c. Crediting Time Served. A candidate may use time satisfactorily served in the resource 

assistant intern program to count toward meeting qualifications requirements for 

Federal employment. The candidate who uses time served to meet job qualifications 

requirements needs to clearly state the duties performed while working in the resources 

assistant internship in their application(s) for Federal employment, so that they may be 

afforded credit at the appropriate grade. Although time served in an internship is 

creditable experience for qualification purposes, it is not creditable for purposes of 

computations for retirement, time in grade, leave or thrift saving plan. Time served 

does not count towards probationary period or career tenure.

d. Appointing Authority. The following must be used when processing personnel 

actions under this direct-hire authority:

Nature of Action Code: 101 Career-Conditional Appointment

Legal Authority Code: ZLM-P.L. 116-9 (Table 9-B of the Guide to 

Processing Personnel Actions)

e. Oversight and Review Requirements. Human Resource offices must maintain 

appropriate case files of any individuals hired under this authority. The case file must 

include: the selectee's resume, a classified position description for the position into 

which the selectee was appointed, and documentation that establishes that the 

internship program completed by the selectee meets the requirements of an internship 

described in this bulletin. Case files will be maintained for three years after initial 

appointment. Appointments are subject to review, under DOI’s Human Capital 

Accountability and Program Evaluation and Bureau accountability programs.

Bureau policy leads may reach out to the DOI, Office of Human Capital at 

DOI_Office_of_Human_Resources@ios.doi.gov with any questions.
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____________________________________

Jennifer A. Ackerman

Director, Office of Human Capital

Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer