TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Topics | Sections |
|---|---|
| OVERVIEW | 3.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? 3.2 What is the objective of this chapter? 3.3 What is the scope of this chapter? 3.4 What are the authorities for this chapter? 3.5 What is the Service’s policy on creating and filling communications positions? |
| RESPONSIBILITIES OF HIRING MANAGERS | 3.6 What documentation must hiring managers provide to obtain approval to create a new communications position or to fill an existing communications position? 3.7 What is the process to obtain approval to create a new communications position or to fill an existing communications position? |
OVERVIEW
3.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter describes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) policy and procedures for creating new communications positions and obtaining approval to fill existing communications positions.
3.2 What is the objective of this chapter? Our objective is for hiring managers and servicing Human Resources staff to understand their obligation to seek Headquarters, and in some cases Department of the Interior (Department), approval for qualifying communications positions.
3.3 What is the scope of this chapter?
A. The approval process described in this chapter applies when:
(1) Creating a new permanent or temporary communications position (regardless of grade level); or
(2) Permanently filling an existing communications position, including through appointment, transfer, or reassignment.
B. This chapter applies to all positions in the following Office of Personnel Management (OPM) classification series:
(1) 1035 Public Affairs series;
(2) 0301 Administrative/Managerial series, if the duties of the position entail liaising with Congress or congressional staff; and
(3) Any position in any professional or administrative series whose major duties or primary responsibilities include functions akin to a public affairs officer, public affairs specialist, public information officer, media spokesperson, congressional affairs specialist, congressional affairs liaison, or similar position. This includes positions in the Office of Communications as well as in administrative and resource management programs at Headquarters (including the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC)), in the Regions, and at field stations.
C. If you have a question about whether this chapter applies to a new position or existing vacancy, contact the Office of Communications Assistant Director or Deputy Assistant Director.
3.4 What are the authorities for this chapter?
A. Director’s Memorandum, “Approval for Communications and Outreach Positions,” October 23, 2019.
B. Standards for Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (5 CFR 2635.702(b)) and 5 CFR 2635.807(b)).
C. 470 Departmental Manual 1, Public Communications – General Policies and Procedures.
3.5 What is the Service’s policy on creating and filling communications positions? Communications are integral to the work of the Service and to fulfilling the Service’s mission. To best allocate limited resources, as well as ensure effective communications, the Service must ensure that communications efforts are well coordinated. As a result:
A. All hiring managers must obtain approval from the Assistant Director – Office of Communications, and in some cases the Department of the Interior, via a signed concurrence memorandum for those communications positions described in section 3.3.
B. For Headquarters, including NCTC, the supervising Directorate member must meet with the Assistant Director – Office of Communications to discuss and obtain consent for any communications or outreach position prior to beginning the process for hiring.
C. Hiring managers must develop separate concurrence memorandums for each position.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF HIRING MANAGERS
3.6 What documentation must hiring managers provide to obtain approval to create a new communications position or to fill an existing communications position?
A. When creating a new communications position, hiring managers should draft a concurrence memorandum addressed to the Assistant Director – Office of Communications (for positions with a full performance level of GS-14 or higher, see section 3.6C).
(1) The concurrence memorandum must be:
(a) On Service letterhead and signed by the supervising Directorate member, and
(b) A PDF document set up for electronic signature by the Assistant Director – Office of Communications. See Exhibit 1.
(2) The concurrence memorandum must include or be accompanied by a:
(a) Justification that establishes the need for the position and explains why the work cannot be performed by existing positions,
(b) Position description that has been classified and approved by the appropriate Human Resources staff, and
(c) Relevant organization chart(s) showing where the position will be located and to whom the person filling the position will report.
B. When filling a newly created or an existing communications position, hiring managers should draft a concurrence memorandum addressed to the Assistant Director – Office of Communications.
(1) The concurrence memorandum must be:
(a) On Service letterhead and signed by the supervising Directorate member, and
(b) A PDF document set up for electronic signature by the Assistant Director – Office of Communications. See Exhibit 2.
(2) The concurrence memorandum must include or be accompanied by:
(a) A justification for the candidate selected that describes the qualities and experience that led to the hiring manager making the selection, and
(b) The selected candidate’s resume.
C. If the new communications position or existing communications position is in the 1035 series and has a full performance level of GS-14 or higher, then the concurrence memorandum must be addressed to the Communications Director, Office of Communications, Department of the Interior (DOI OCO); through the Assistant Director – Office of Communications; from the supervising Directorate member. See Exhibit 3.
D. Human Resources staff must communicate the requirements of this chapter to hiring managers.
E. The Assistant Director – Office of Communications must review all concurrence memorandums in a timely fashion and, when appropriate, coordinate with DOI OCO to obtain concurrence.
3.7 What is the process to obtain approval to create a new communications position or to fill an existing communications position?
A. The hiring manager, or appropriate administrative staff, must create a review package in the Service’s Data Tracking System (DTS) sensitive database that contains the documentation described in section 3.6 and route it through their supervising Directorate member to the Assistant Director – Office of Communications. Timing considerations include:
(1) In Headquarters and for NCTC, the supervising Directorate member must meet with the Assistant Director – Office of Communications to discuss the position(s) before the DTS package is prepared.
(2) In Regional and field offices, the hiring manager should coordinate with their Assistant Regional Director – Office of Communications during the concurrence memorandum process prior to submitting a review package to the Assistant Director – Office of Communications.
B. The Assistant Director – Office of Communications will review and approve or decline to approve the concurrence memorandum package.
(1) If there are issues with the package or the Assistant Director – Office of Communications does not concur with the action, they will contact the supervising Directorate member to resolve the issue. If the Assistant Director – Office of Communications and the supervising Directorate member cannot come to an agreement on a concurrence request, they will elevate the issue to the Service’s Deputy Director for Program Management and Policy for resolution.
(2) If DOI OCO review is required, the Assistant Director – Office of Communications will obtain their concurrence.
(3) Following concurrence, the Assistant Director – Office of Communications will route the approved concurrence memorandum to the hiring manager, or appropriate administrative staff, through DTS.
(4) The hiring manager or a program designee must upload the approved concurrence memorandum to the mySupport case file.