4.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter describes the Service’s policy and curriculum for supervisors to develop competencies and to upgrade skills.
4.2 What is the policy?
A. New supervisors serving under a probationary period:
(1) Within the first 6 months of their appointment, must complete the Departmental Phase I requirements outlined in DOI Personnel Bulletin No. 06-04, dated 11/09/2005, and
(2) Within the first 2 years as a new supervisor, must complete the Departmental Phase II requirements.
B. All supervisors must:
(1) Develop an Individual Development Plan (see 231 FW 2 – Individual Development Plans (IDP)) that describes their supervisory training and development needs, and
(2) Demonstrate competency in all Phase I and II objectives and topics and address any developmental needs through continuous learning activities. The supervisor and their manager identify these developmental needs on the supervisor’s IDP.
4.3 What is the scope of this chapter? This chapter applies to all supervisors, whether they are on probation or not. A supervisor is a Service employee who:
A. Has the authority to hire, promote, reward, transfer, furlough, lay off, recall, suspend, discipline, and remove employees; adjust their grievances; train employees; assign and direct work; evaluate employees’ work; control access to resources needed to accomplish work; explain agency policy to employees; and create an inclusive workplace, and
B. Is designated as an “official supervisor” in the Federal Personnel Payroll System with a code of “2,” “4,” or “5” in block 43 of their Standard Form (SF)-50.
4.4 What are the authorities for this chapter?
A. Executive, Management, and Supervisory Development (5 CFR Part 412.103).
B. Employee Performance: Training (5 U.S.C., Chapter 41).
C. Probation on Initial Appointment to a Supervisory or Managerial Position (5 CFR Part 315.901).
D. Personnel Bulletin – Supervisory Development (DOI PB 06-04 (412)).
4.5 Who is responsible for supervisory development?
A. Servicing Human Resource Officers:
(1) Ensure that new supervisors and their managers are notified of the new supervisors’ probationary status,
(2) Ensure that all supervisors are aware of this chapter so they know the requirements, and
(3) Work with managers, upon request, to determine supervisory training needs.
B. Second-line Supervisors:
(1) Work with the supervisors under their authority to determine their training needs;
(2) Ensure that probationary supervisors receive the appropriate training to meet the requirements of their probationary period;
(3) Allocate sufficient resources, including funds, staff, and managerial support, to ensure all supervisors who report to them are working to address their developmental needs and training gaps identified on their IDP; and
(4) Communicate and work with the Regional Human Resources office to:
(a) Address any performance deficiencies noted during the supervisory probationary period of employees they supervise, and
(b) Certify successful completion of the probationary period.
C. All supervisors are responsible for:
(1) Meeting the requirements of this chapter,
(2) Demonstrating competency in Phase I and II performance objectives and topics identified in DOI Personnel Bulletin 06-04,
(3) Addressing any supervisory developmental needs through continuous learning activities, and
(4) Working with their supervisors to develop and follow their own IDPs.
4.6 What is a competency and what competency model does the Service use for supervisors?
A. A competency is the integration of one’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes in order to perform effectively on the job. Competencies are observable and measurable behaviors which are critical to successful individual performance and ensure organizational/mission critical results and outcomes are achieved.
B. The Service uses a Leadership Competency Development Model for supervisors that you can access on the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) Web site. This Model describes which competencies have the highest priority at different leadership levels and identifies appropriate activities to develop these competencies.
4.7 How much training do I need to complete during my probationary period?
A. You must have at least 40 hours of supervisory training during the first 6 months of your probationary period. Review the topics for Phase I supervisory training in the Appendix to DOI Personnel Bulletin 06-04.
B. There is no specific number of training hours required to complete Phase II. However, you should be competent in all Phase I and II topics within the first 2 years of your appointment as a supervisor.
(1) Work with your supervisor to determine your skill level for the Phase II objectives,
(2) Mutually agree to the best way to develop greater competency in those identified areas, and
(3) Include those developmental assignments on your IDP.
4.8 I am a new supervisor in the Service, but I have been a supervisor before. Does the probationary period apply to me? If you previously served a documented supervisory probationary period, we will not require you to serve a second probationary period. For more information about who must be on a probationary period, see 223 FW 4 – Initial Probation for Supervisors and Managers.
4.9 The Departmental Personnel Bulletin includes a list of training objectives and topics, but where do I go to get the actual training? The NCTC has identified training opportunities that meet the requirements of the Department’s policy. You can find the Supervisor Skills Development Program on the “Supervisor’s Job Aids” page under “Training Resources” on the NCTC Web site. You can find additional training resources in the catalog on the DOI LEARN Web site.