111VA95E

Categories of individuals covered by the system:
The records include information concerning VA employees who work in acquisition, contracting, and materiel management positions, including personnel in the 1100 occupational series, contracting officers, contracting officers' technical representatives, and other employees performing acquisition, contracting, procurement, and materiel management functions.

Categories of records in the system:
The system will contain information needed for enhancing training opportunities of VA employees in the Federal acquisition and materiel management work force. Records include, but are not limited to: (1) Biographical data such as name, social security number, and educational level; (2) work-related data such as duty station, occupational series and grade, supervisor's name, and contracting officer warrant information; (3) educational qualifications such as degrees from accredited universities or colleges and business credits completed; and (4) training information such as completed acquisition core courses and total continuing education hours for the previous and current fiscal year.

Authority for maintenance of the system:
Title 38, United States Code (U.S.C.), section 501, and section 37 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 433).

Purpose(s):
The records and information will be used to enhance training opportunities of VA employees in acquisition and materiel management occupations; to ensure that employees meet training requirements; and to document the training received. The system will provide management and employees up-to-date information on employee certification levels, qualification standards, academic degrees, mandatory and other pertinent training, and contracting officer warrant status.

Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes of such uses:

1. Disclosure may be made to a Congressional office from the record of an individual in response to an inquiry from the Congressional office made at the request of that individual.
2. Disclosure may be made to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in records management inspections conducted under the authority of Title 44 U.S.C.
3. Records from this system of records may be disclosed to the Department of Justice (DOJ) or in a proceeding before a court, adjudicative body, or other administrative body before which the Agency is authorized to appear when: (1) The Agency, or any component thereof; (2) any employee of the Agency in his or her official capacity, where DOJ or the Agency has agreed to represent the employee; or (3) the United States, when the Agency determines that litigation is likely to affect the Agency or any of its components; is a party to litigation, and has an interest in such litigation, and the use of such records by DOJ or the Agency is deemed by the Agency to be relevant and necessary to the litigation, provided, however, that the disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were collected.
4. Disclosure of relevant information may be made to individuals, organizations, private or public agencies, or other entities with whom VA has a contract or agreement or where there is a subcontract to perform such services as VA may deem practicable for the purposes of laws administered by VA, in order for the contractor or subcontractor to perform the services of the contract or agreement.
5. VA may disclose on its own initiative any information in this system that is relevant to a suspected or reasonably imminent violation of law, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature and whether arising by general or program statute or by regulation, rule or order issued pursuant thereto, to a Federal, State, local, tribal, or foreign agency charged with the responsibility of investigating or prosecuting such violation, or charged with enforcing or implementing the statute, regulation, rule or order.
6. Disclosure may be made to an appeal, grievance, hearing, or complaints examiner; an equal employment opportunity investigator, arbitrator, or mediator; and an exclusive representative or other person authorized to investigate or settle a grievance, complaint, or appeal filed by an individual who is the subject of the record.
7. Disclosure may be made to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the General Accounting Office (GAO) in order for them to perform their responsibilities for evaluating Federal programs.
8. Disclosure may be made to a requesting Federal agency for that agency's use in connection with the hiring, retaining or promotion of an employee where the information is relevant and necessary for the decision.
9. Information may be disclosed to officials of labor organizations recognized under 5 U.S.C. Chapter 71, when relevant and necessary to their duties of exclusive representation concerning personnel policies, practices, and matters affecting working conditions.
10. Information may be disclosed to officials of the Merit Systems Protection Board or the Office of the Special Counsel when requested in connection with appeals, special studies of the civil service and other merit systems, review of rules and regulations, investigation of alleged or possible prohibited personnel practices, and such other functions, promulgated in 5 U.S.C. 1205 and 1206, or as may be authorized by law.
11. Information may be disclosed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission when requested in connection with investigations of alleged or possible discriminatory practices, examination of Federal affirmative employment programs, or for other functions of the Commission as authorized by law.
12. Information may be disclosed to the Federal Labor Relations Authority (including its General Counsel) when appropriate jurisdiction has been established and the information has been requested in connection with the investigation and resolution of allegations of unfair labor practices or in connection with the resolution of exceptions to arbitration awards when a question of material fact is raised; and to the Federal Service Impasses Panel in matters they are considering.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, and disposing of records in the system:

Storage:
Records are maintained on paper and electronic storage media, including magnetic tape and magnetic disk media.

Retrievability:
Records are retrieved by name, social security number or other assigned identifiers of the individuals on whom the records are maintained.

Safeguards:

1. Access to VA working and storage areas is restricted to VA employees on a ``need-to-know'' basis. Strict control measures are enforced to ensure that disclosure to these individuals is also based on this same principle. Generally, VA file areas are locked after normal duty hours and the facilities are protected from outside access by the Federal Protective Service or other security personnel.
2. Access to computer rooms at VA Central Office and health care facilities is generally limited by appropriate locking devices and restricted to authorized VA employees and vendor personnel. ADP peripheral devices are placed in secure areas (areas that are locked or have limited access) or are otherwise protected.
3. Access to the contractor's computer rooms is restricted to authorized vendor employees through electronic locking devices. Information stored in the CAMEO system may be accessed by authorized VA employees at remote locations, including VA health care facilities and VA Central Office. Access is controlled by individually unique passwords/codes that must be changed periodically by the employee or the appropriate designated personnel. The database is maintained by the contractor behind a firewall that has been certified by the National Computer Security Association.

Retention and disposal:
Paper records and electronic storage media are maintained and disposed of in accordance with records disposition authority approved by the Archivist of the United States.

System manager(s) and address:
Official responsible for policies and procedures: Chief, Acquisition Training and Career Development Division (95E), Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management (90), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420.

Notification procedure:
Individuals who wish to determine whether this system of records contains information about them should contact the System Manager at the above address. Inquiries should include the person's full name, social security number, dates of employment, date(s) of contact, and return address.

Record Access Procedure:
Individuals seeking information regarding access to and/or contesting the records in this system may write, call or visit the VA facility location where they are or were employed.

Contesting record procedures:
See Record Access Procedures above.

Record source categories:

Information in this system of records is provided:

1. By individuals on whom the record is maintained.
2. By supervisors and managers.
3. By other agency officials.
4. By accredited colleges or universities.
5. By related correspondence.
6. By other agency records.

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