U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

December 9, 1999

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

FROM:	JANICE R. LACHANCE DIRECTOR
SUBJECT:	Individual Learning Accounts Pilot Projects

In January 1999, President Clinton issued Executive Order No. 13111, "Using Technology to Improve Training Opportunities for Federal Government Employees," which established the Federal Training Technology Task Force and appointed me as the Chair. The Task Force is charged with promoting the use of technology as a means of improving training opportunities for Federal employees.

One of the group's first tasks was to develop recommendations for establishing, within funds allocated for employee training, individual learning accounts (ILAs) for each Federal employee to use for training related to his or her job.

In order to evaluate the feasibility and practicality of learning accounts for the Federal workforce, the Presidential Task Force on Training Technology recommended to the President that agencies pilot individual learning account projects. By developing some test environments, the Task Force will be able to assess the value added by ILAs as a tool to help us more effectively train the Federal workforce and provide expanded access to learning and education through technology-based programs.

We are pleased to inform you that the President has endorsed our recommendations and directed OPM to develop guidance for agencies to use in developing and evaluating ILA pilot projects.

In accordance with the Presidents wishes, we invite your agency, including your field and regional offices, to participate in a pilot individual learning account project and assist the Task Force in evaluating the effectiveness of ILAs for Federal workers. The attached guidance defines ILAs and suggests various approaches to implementing them, but agencies are not confined to these approaches. Agencies, within the parameters provided in the guidance, should structure pilots to best meet their organizational needs.

Heads of Departments and Agencies

We encourage you to join us in this opportunity to further evaluate this promising and innovative tool for developing the Federal workforce. Please let me know if you will participate or not by January 14, 2000.

In addition, please send agency pilot plans to my attention at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Room 5305, 1900 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20415-2100, by January 14, 2000 . If you have questions or need additional information, contact Judith Lombard, 202-606-6500 or jmlombar@opm.gov.

Attachment:  Individual Learning Accounts Guidance for Implementing Pilot Projects