UPDATED: 1/15/2009
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Introduction
Application
Nomination
Assessment
Agency Placement
Introduction:
The PMF Program attracts to Federal service outstanding men and women from a
variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in,
and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public
policies and programs. The PMF Program, administered by the U.S. Office
of Personnel Management (OPM), is the Federal Government’s cornerstone
succession planning program to help agencies meet their critical need for
leadership continuity.
Since 1977, the PMF Program has helped Federal agencies meet their workforce and
succession planning needs by attracting outstanding master’s, law, and
doctoral-level students to Federal service. Executive Order
13318, modernized the
Presidential Management Intern (PMI) Program, in keeping with the emphasis on
the strategic management of the Federal Government's human capital. With
this Executive Order, the name was changed to the Presidential Management
Fellows (PMF) Program to better reflect its high standards, rigor, and
prestige. Students can use this two-year fellowship as a stepping stone
to highly visible and respected leadership positions in the Federal Government.
This rigorous two-year paid fellowship includes:
- Formal classroom training of 160 hours,
- Mandatory four to six month developmental assignment,
- Optional rotations of one to six months in duration,
- Challenging work assignments,
- Potential for accelerated promotions, and
- Opportunities to network with other future leaders.
More than 80 Federal agencies currently partner with the PMF Program Office to
hire Fellows annually. Fellows engage in solving domestic and
international issues including, but not limited to:
- Public Administration,
- Foreign Policy,
- Technology,
- Science,
- Criminal Justice,
- Health, and
- Financial Management.
Once a finalist is appointed as a Presidential Management Fellow, the OPM
regulations outline the requirements for successful completion of the two year
fellowship. To successfully complete the PMF Program and convert to a
permanent Federal position, during the two-year fellowship, a Fellow must
receive:
- An agency-approved Individual Development Plan (IDP);
- A minimum of 80 hours of formal classroom training each year of the fellowship,
for a total of 160 hours;
- At lease one developmental assignment of four to six months in duration;
- A performance plan and annual review; and,
- A certification of successful completion of the program by the appointing
agency’s Executive Resources Board (ERB), or equivalent, at the end of the
fellowship.
The PMF selection process consists of four parts:
- Application
- Nomination
- Assessment and Finalist Selection
- Agency Placement as a Fellow
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Application:
The PMF Program solicits students annually. Deadlines are listed in the
"How to Apply" section, under "Timelines"; but may be subject to change.
Eligible applicants apply to the PMF Program via a vacancy announcement on
USAJOBS (www.USAJOBS.gov) or via a link
on the “PMF Application”
webpage once activated. Eligible applicants will be required to link a resume
and complete a qualifications questionnaire during the application process.
Applicants claiming veterans’ preference will also need to provide supporting
documentation.
Eligibility
Students who will meet all graduate degree requirements, including any thesis
or dissertation if so required by the applicant's college or university,
between September 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009, are eligible to apply in the
Fall of 2008, for the PMF Class of 2009.
Graduate students from all academic disciplines who expect to complete an
advanced degree (master's, law, or doctoral-level degree) from a qualifying
college or university during the current academic year are eligible to be
nominated by their schools if they demonstrate the following:
- breadth and quality of accomplishments,
- capacity for leadership, and
- a commitment to excellence in the leadership and management of public policies
and programs.
A qualifying college or university is an academic institution that meets the
requirements as stated in the "General Policies and Instructions" section of
OPM's "Operating Manual: Qualification Standards for General Schedule
Positions", under "Educational and Training Provisions or Requirements".
The Operating Manual is available on OPM's website at
www.opm.gov/qualifications. Generally, the institution must be
accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Education or must have acquired "pre-accreditation" or "candidate
for accreditation status" that is recognized by the Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Education.
Applicants who have previously applied to the PMF Program must contact the PMF
Program Office at PMFApplication@opm.gov
to determine eligibility. Generally, applicants are permitted to apply
and participate in the PMF nomination and selection process only once per
graduate degree.
Education Completed Outside of the United States
Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to
that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. educational programs to be
acceptable for Federal employment. Most foreign education is not
accredited by an accrediting body that is recognized by the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education. A few medical schools are accredited under
country standards that have been determined to be "comparable" to U.S.
standards by the U.S. Department of Education's National Committee on Foreign
Medical Education and Accreditation.
Applicants from foreign schools will be asked to submit all necessary documents
to a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpreting foreign
educational credentials, commonly called a credential evaluation service.
To be acceptable, the foreign credential evaluation must include/describe:
- the type of education received by the applicant,
- the level of education in relation to the U.S. education system, and
- a statement that its comparability recommendations follow the general guidelines of
the U.S. National Council for the Evaluation of Foreign Educational
Credentials.
The documentation also must list:
- the content of the applicant's educational program earned abroad and the
standards obtained,
- he status of the awarding foreign school's recognition and legitimacy in its
home country's education system, and
- any other information of interest, such as:
- what the evaluation service did to obtain this information,
- the qualifications of the evaluator, and
- any indications as to other problems such as forgery.
This documentation is only required from applicants who are eligible to apply to
the PMF Program and are nominated by their college or university and then only in
certain cases where the institution is not formally recognized by the U.S.
Department of Education. The PMF Program Office will review all such
applicants and contact them if documentation is required.
For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the
U.S. Department of Education's website at: www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
.
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Letters of Recommendation and/or Transcripts
Applicants should not submit these documents to the PMF Program Office.
The PMF Program does not consider letters of recommendation or transcripts as
part of its application and assessment processes. However, if ultimately
selected as a finalist, some participating Federal Agencies may request a
transcript to ensure fulfillment of graduate degree requirements and education
qualifications.
Citizenship
Opportunities for Federal employment for non-United States citizens through the
Presidential Management Fellows Program are extremely limited. By
law, Federal agencies are prohibited from hiring anyone who is not a U.S.
citizen for positions in the continental United States. There are
certain exemptions to this restriction. A non-citizen may be eligible for
employment if the individual is:
(1) permitted by a Federal agency's appropriation act or
agency-specific statutes covering the hiring of non-citizens, and
(2) eligible to work under U.S. immigration laws. PMFs must possess
U.S. citizenship by the conclusion of the two-year fellowship.
Non-U.S. citizen applicants who meet the eligibility requirements and wish to
apply to the PMF Program must contact the PMF Program Office, via an email to
PMFApplication@opm.gov,
requesting a temporary 9-digit number to use
for the Social Security Number field used during the application and nomination
process. Please remember this number throughout the Program as it will be
used to uniquely identify you.
If a non-U.S. citizen Fellow obtains U.S. citizenship and obtains a
permanent Social Security Number, please contact the PMF Program Office to
update our records.
If a non-U.S. citizen is appointed as a PMF by a Federal Agency and
does not possess full U.S. citizenship by the conclusion of the
two-year PMF fellowship, by law, the non-U.S. citizen Fellow cannot be
converted to permanent career or career-conditional employment, or be retained by
the employing agency. The PMF Program Office will not grant extensions or
deferrals to a PMF's fellowship to meet citizenship requirements for
conversion. For information on U.S. immigration laws and U.S.
citizenship, go to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's website at
www.dhs.gov.
Veterans’ Preference
To be entitled to preference, a veteran must meet the eligibility requirements
in section 2108 of title 5, United States Code. For more information on
types of veterans’ preference and their application in Federal employment refer
to OPM’s Vet Guide at
www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp.
If claiming veterans’ preference during the application process, applicants
should follow the instructions provided in the vacancy announcement for
submitting supporting documentation. Applicants will be able to use
“Application Manager” to upload or fax supporting documents and track the
progress of their application. Application Manager is a system used
during the application process. The instructions are repeated below for
applicants to reference after the closing of the vacancy announcement.
Applicants claiming veterans’ preference must fax in documentation and must use
the required fax cover sheet. This cover page ensures the documents can be
quickly matched with the rest of the application. The fax cover sheet
below is an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to
view the fax cover sheet. Select the following link to download the free
reader: www.adobe.com.
The applicant’s Social Security Number, full name, address and phone number, and
number of pages should be written accurately and neatly on the fax cover
sheet. This customized fax cover sheet is pre-populated with the Vacancy
Identification Number (VIN) used when applying to the PMF Program. It is
used to match the application and Social Security Number to our records.
If the information is inaccurate or incomplete the applicant may not receive
the appropriate veterans' preference. The fax number to submit veterans'
preference documents to is: 1-478-757-3144 (long-distance phone charges may
apply). The deadline for submitting supporting documentation is the
same as the nomination deadline (see "Timelines" section below for the nomination
deadline). Download the fax cover sheet by
selecting the button below:
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Notice to Native Americans of Federally Recognized Tribes
Indian preference applies to positions within the Bureau of Indian Affairs of
the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. Eligible applicants who are
members of a Federally recognized tribe, and who are interested in pursuing
employment with these organizations when PMF positions are available, are
required to submit a completed Form BIA 4432 (Verification of Indian Preference
for Employment in Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service Only), to
the PMF Program Office. If eligible, please ensure your documentation is
received by our office no later than the nomination deadline (see "Timelines"
section below for the nomination deadline). The lists
of PMF finalists have preference categories clearly identified that are
viewable by registered agency users on the PMF website. Claims for Indian
preference are sent directly to the PMF Program Office; whereas, claims for
veterans’ preference are to be submitted in accordance with the instructions
provided above and in the vacancy announcement. Send your Indian
preference claim documentation to:
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Presidential Management Fellows Program
ATTN: PMF Application
1900 E Street, NW, Room 1425
Washington, DC 20415
Fax Number: 202-606-3040
Email: PMFApplication@opm.gov
The Form BIA 4432 is available under the "Forms" section of this website, and is
available in both the Microsoft Word (.doc) and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file
formats. The PMF Program Office will retain the Form BIA 4432 and will
only provide it to agencies who request it for verification.
How to Apply
All applicants must use USAJOBS to create and link an online resume as part of
the application process. Applicants who are either not nominated or
ultimately not selected as finalists will be able to use their USAJOBS resume
to easily apply to other Federal job opportunities. Use of the USAJOBS
resume will also ensure a consistent resume format for all applicants.
Applicants should not mark their resume “confidential” when building their
online resume and linking it to the vacancy announcement; this will hide all
contact information and agencies will not be able to reach them for
interviewing, questions, and/or appointment offers.
During the application process, applicants will be required to link their online
resume, complete an online qualifications questionnaire, print the PMF
Nomination Form (OPM Form 1300) for the nomination process, and submit
supporting documentation for any claims to veterans’ preference. Follow
the instructions provided in the vacancy announcement on how to assemble and
submit your application.
NOTE: The PMF Program Office receives thousands of applications
annually. A large number of applicants have waited until the last
day and have been very close to the 11:59:59 p.m. (Eastern Time)
deadline. To prevent delays and technical difficulties, applicants are
encouraged to apply early.
Contact Information
To ensure timely delivery of future correspondence, should an applicant’s
contact information change, it is their responsibility to update and maintain
current phone numbers, mailing address, and most importantly their personal
email address. All Program communications are conducted via email.
Maintaining a current and accessible email address is critical. Changes
to name and email address after submitting the application and
up to selection as a finalist must be submitted to the PMF Program
Office by sending an email to
PMFApplication@opm.gov.
Withdrawals
In situations where an applicant is called into active military service, incurs a
serious illness or medical condition preventing further participation, or finds
out he/she will meet graduate degree requirements
after August 31, 2009, and wishes to withdraw in efforts to reapply the following year, a
request for withdrawal must be sent via email to
PMFApplication@opm.gov prior to
completing his/her scheduled assessment and approved by the PMF Program Office. If
approved, the applicant would be eligible to reapply based on the same degree.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The Federal Government is an equal opportunity employer. Hiring and
advancement in the Federal Government are based on qualifications and
performance, regardless of your race, color, marital status, religion, sex,
age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or political
affiliation. Reasonable accommodations are provided to applicants with
disabilities. If an applicant needs a reasonable accommodation for any
part of the application process, he/she should notify us by sending an email to
PMFApplication@opm.gov.
In regards to the assessment process, accommodations may include changes in the
presentation format, response format, assessment setting, timing, or
scheduling. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will
be made on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should be prepared to provide
supporting documentation, if applicable. Applicants will have the ability
to indicate “yes” or “no” during the application process to indicate a need for
reasonable accommodation for the assessment process. If the applicant
answers “yes” and is found eligible to be scheduled for an assessment, a staff
member will be in contact.
Timelines (all deadlines are 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, and subject to
change)
|
DATE: |
DESCRIPTION: |
|
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 |
- Application for the PMF Class of 2009 opens via
a vacancy announcement (Vacancy Identification Number: AN200699) on
USAJOBS or as a link under the “How to Apply\PMF
Application” section of this website
- First day Nomination Officials may fax
nominations |
|
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 |
- Application for the PMF Class of 2009 closes |
|
Friday, October 31, 2008 |
- Deadline for Nomination Officials to fax
nominations
- Deadline for applicants to submit supporting
documentation for any claims for veterans’ preference and/or Indian preference |
|
Late November 2008 |
- Applicants officially notified of eligibility
and nomination status
- Nominees notified of assessment
date/time/location |
|
January/February 2009 |
- Assessments conducted nationwide |
|
Late February/Early March 2009 |
- Nominees notified of finalist status |
|
Late March 2009 |
- PMF Class of 2009 Finalists’ Job Fair
(Washington, DC, metro area) |
Need Help?
Applicants encountering a problem or who have a question specifically about the PMF
application process should send an email to
PMFApplication@opm.gov; include name, school, phone number, email
address, and detailed description of problem/question. Do not call the
PMF Program Office directly. The PMF application process is conducted by
a different OPM office.
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Nomination:
In addition to submitting an application, applicants must be nominated by their
school's Dean, Chairperson, or Academic Program Director, otherwise known as
the Nomination Official, of their graduate program to be considered for the PMF
Program. To find out who a school's Nominating Official is, contact the Dean's
Office or Career Services Office; the PMF Program Office does not maintain a
list of Nomination Officials. Applicants must provide the personalized
PMF Nomination Form that is printed out during the application process to the
appropriate Nomination Official.
Schools will determine which students are qualified for the PMF Program.
Schools will evaluate students, through a competitive process, on the
following:
- Breadth and quality of accomplishments,
- Capacity for leadership, and
- A commitment to excellence in the leadership and management of public policies
and programs.
Based on these competencies, schools will determine which students to nominate
to the PMF Program.
Assessment and Finalist Selection:
All applicants nominated by their schools and found eligible for the PMF Program
are invited to participate in an assessment process sponsored by OPM during
January and February following the application period to determine which
nominees will be selected as PMF finalists. Invited nominees will be
required to make travel arrangements and attend one of the scheduled
assessments, at their expense. This process emphasizes objective
evaluation standards to choose the most qualified applicants for the finalist
pool.
There are three components in the PMF assessment battery:
- Life Experiences
- Critical Thinking Skills
- Writing Fundamentals
For more information on the assessment and practice questions, please see the Assessment
Preparation Guide for Nominees under the “How to Apply” section on this
website.
Agency Placement as a Fellow:
Finalists in the PMF Program may be appointed following:
- official announcement of their selection as finalists,
- completion of all graduate degree requirements (not necessary to have
graduated), including successful completion of any thesis or dissertation from
a qualifying college or university, and
- completion of background investigation (if required by the hiring agency).
Upon appointment to an agency, the finalists’ status changes to Presidential
Management Fellow (PMF; Fellow).
PMF appointments must be made within twelve months of the official announcement
of an applicant’s selection as a finalist. For example, finalists for the
Class of 2008 were selected on April 1, 2008; they have until April 1, 2009, to
be appointed as a Fellow.
Federal agencies appoint Fellows to an excepted service position under a
Schedule A hiring authority. Agencies may make initial appointments
of Fellows at the GS-9, GS-11, or GS-12 level (or their equivalents), depending
on the candidate's qualifications. (See additional information under
“Promotions” below.) Salary at most agencies is based on the current
General Schedule. Some geographic locations include additional locality
adjustments of the base salary. Salaries can be viewed at the following
OPM link:
www.opm.gov/Federal_Salaries_Wages. Agencies with their own pay
systems must provide salaries equivalent to that provided within the General
Schedule, at the GS-9, GS-11, or GS-12 level.
Generally, the initial appointment will be made at the minimum rate (i.e., Step
1) of the grade to which the Fellow is appointed. Fellows with prior
Federal Government service may be placed at a higher step within the grade
consistent with the maximum payable rate rules. When appropriate,
agencies may appoint Fellows at a higher step within the grade based on
superior qualifications of the candidate or a special need of the agency; this
is determined by individual appointing agencies.
In meeting the superior qualifications criteria, the Fellow's skills,
competencies, experience, education, and/or accomplishments must be relevant to
the requirements of the position to be filled. These qualities must be
significantly higher than that needed to be minimally qualified for the
position and/or be of a more specialized quality compared to other candidates.
A Fellow also may meet the special needs criteria by meeting agency
workforce needs, as documented in the agency's strategic human capital plan.
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Information for Finalists
The following next steps are for those nominees officially selected as
finalists:
- Finalists must keep their personal contact information current at all
times. Any changes to such information can be submitted via the
“Information Worksheet” under the “Forms\Finalists” section on this website
(accessible by finalists and Fellows only). In the finalist notification
email, instructions will be provided on how to obtain initial User ID and
Password to use this online form. All communications from the PMF Program
Office are conducted via email. It is critical finalists maintain a
current and accessible personal email address.
- Finalists are invited to the PMF Job Fair, held in Washington, DC, to meet with
Federal Agency representatives. When nominees are officially notified of
their selection as finalists, they should immediately RSVP and make travel
plans to attend the PMF Job Fair. Details about the PMF Job Fair and how
to RSVP can be found under the “Fellows\Job
Fair Information for Finalists” section of this website (once activated
for the incoming class of finalists). Participation at the PMF Job Fair
is not mandatory; however, over half of the PMF appointments result from this
event.
- Finalists who need to submit updated resumes must follow the instructions found
in this overview.
- All PMF appointments will require some level of a background
investigation. Some agencies require a national security background
investigation, which can be a lengthy process. All finalists are highly
encouraged to view the background investigation forms found under the
“Forms\Finalists” section on this website and start researching the requested
data; the most common forms are the SF 85 and SF 86.
- Once OPM posts finalists’ resumes to the PMF website, agencies may immediately
contact finalists they are interested in (e.g., to conduct phone
interviews, to schedule interviews with hiring officials at the Job Fair, to
request sample writings, etc.) prior to the PMF Job Fair. Traditionally
finalists are notified of their selection as a finalist first, and then the
PMF Program Office announces availability
of finalists to Federal agencies a few business days later. This gives
finalists time to submit changes to their contact information and/or update
their resumes.
- Finalists can search for available PMF appointments via the “Projected
Positions System (PPS)”. The PPS is strictly for current finalists and
can be found under the “Fellows\Job
Search” section of this website. Postings to the PPS change
throughout the year. A large number of postings typically appear around
the time of the PMF Job Fair and later in the fall when the fiscal year starts
and agencies have new funding. Agencies are not required to utilize the
PPS. Finalists are encouraged to contact the agencies for which they wish
further consideration. A list of current Agency PMF Coordinators can be
found under the “Agencies”
section of this website.
- Finalists should review the topics found under the “Fellows” section on this
website, which highlight: posted memos, Job Fair information, list of
Agency PMF Coordinators, list of finalists, responsibilities of the PMF,
training and development, and the Presidential Management Alumni Group (PMAG).
Updating Online Resumes for PMF Class of 2009 Finalists
The following instructions must be used to update your online resume if you are
ultimately selected as a PMF Class of 2009 finalist.
The "customized" fax cover sheet (below) for the PMF Class of 2009 finalists
must be used to transmit your updated resume. You will not be able to use
USAJOBS to make changes to the resume stored in the PMF database. To
submit changes to your PMF resume:
- Download the cover sheet (available as an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file) and
print. This customized sheet identifies the Vacancy Identification Number
(VIN) you used to apply to the PMF Class of 2009 (which is AN200699 for the PMF
Class of 2009 application season) and is used to match the VIN with your name
and Social Security Number.
- Fill out the remaining information on the cover sheet.
- Print your updated resume. NOTE: You are encouraged to update
your resume from USAJOBS, print, and fax. Using your USAJOBS resume will
ensure a consistent resume format for all applicants.
- Using the fax cover sheet, fax your resume to 1-478-757-3144 (long-distance
phone charges may apply). This is an automated system that will associate
the fax to your record.
- Due to the volume of transmissions, updated resumes can take a few business
days before synchronizing with your record. You can confirm receipt via
the “Application Manager” feature described above. Finalists may also want
to email revised resumes to interested agencies and/or bring copies to the annual
PMF Job Fair.
- Class of 2009 finalists may submit revisions up to a few business days prior to
February 28, 2010. This is the date that all current finalists' data is
deactivated to prepare the website and database for the upcoming class.
Updating Online Resumes for PMF Class of 2008 Finalists
Finalists and Fellows from the PMF Class of 2008 (not the Class of 2009) must
follow the same procedures as above, but use the customized “Fax Cover Sheet
for 2008 Finalists” available via the button below. The Vacancy
Identification Number (VIN) that should be pre-populated specifically for the
PMF Class of 2008 is: AN141224. Finalists from the PMF Class of
2008 have until April 1, 2009, to obtain a PMF appointment.
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Appointment Extensions
Agencies have 12 months from the date finalists are announced to appoint
Fellows. The PMF Program Office may approve a written agency request
to appoint a Fellow after that deadline, so long as the request is submitted no
later than 30 days prior to the end of the 12-month period. Requests
typically come from the Agency PMF Coordinator via an email to the PMF Program
Office. Appointment occur most often for agencies with lengthy
background investigations. If the extended finalist comes onboard as a
PMF beyond the original 12-month period, he/she will most likely be
re-designated as part of the next PMF class to complete the Program with that
cohort of finalists. If the extension is approved by the PMF Program
Office, the extension is only valid for that agency and for the time period
granted. If, for whatever reason, the extension is rescinded by the
requesting agency and the 12 month deadline has been reached, that extended
finalist will lose further consideration.
Deferrals
Under certain circumstances, the PMF Program Office may approve a written
request from a finalist (e.g., email to the PMF Program Office) to defer
participation to a future class. Requests for deferrals are granted on a
very limited basis, generally only for two reasons:
- serious illness or medical condition of the finalist or an immediate family
member, or
- military service.
If requested and approved for a deferral, the finalist will have to wait until
next year’s announcement of finalists to be eligible to participate. The
PMF Program Office will not grant deferrals based on fellowships, grants or
other educational or employment opportunities.
Fellowship Extensions
Appointments are made for an initial period of two years; however, the OPM
Director, or the Director's designee, may approve an extension of a Fellow's
appointment for up to 1 additional year upon written request by the chair of
the agency's Executive Resources Board (ERB) or equivalent. Agencies may
extend, without prior OPM approval, a Fellow's appointment for up to an initial
120 days. Inquiries for fellowship extensions should be directed to the
Fellow’s Agency PMF Coordinator.
Promotions
During the appointment, a Fellow may be promoted up to the GS-13 level (or its
equivalent) based on the agency's established policies and criteria for the
promotion of Fellows, the requirements of the position, and the qualifications
and performance of the Fellow. Agencies must have promotion policies in
place to promote PMFs in this Program. Be sure to ask the agency you are
interested in what promotion policies they have in place. Because this is
agency-specific, Fellows should contact their Agency PMF Coordinator for any
questions.
Finalists with Adjudicated Veterans’ Preference
The lists of PMF finalists have preference categories clearly identified that
are viewable by registered agency users on the PMF website. Additionally,
the list of finalists on the public PMF website will indicate “yes” for those
finalists whose veterans’ preference claim was favorably adjudicated.
If a finalist is a veteran and he/she expresses an interest in working for an
agency, that agency must apply the provisions of section 302 of title 5, Code
of Federal Regulations, when selecting and appointing candidates. For
purposes of the PMF Program, "expresses an interest" means that he/she has
initiated contact with the agency in person or by other direct communication
and asked for consideration for appointment to a specific position.
This contact can include dropping off a resume at the
PMF Job Fair, sending a letter by mail/email to the agency asking for
consideration or delivering it in person at any agency office that is
considering PMF appointments for a specific position. This does not mean
an agency must contact each veteran on the list of finalists before offering a
job to a non-veteran. OPM strongly encourages finalists to contact the
agencies for which they wish further consideration.
Agencies who hire Fellows usually send hiring officials from their various
agency components to the PMF Job Fair, where finalists may initiate contact and
interview. Each applicant pool is individual. The applicant pool
consists of those candidates the agency contacts or who contact the agency
about a specific position. Because hiring officials from various agency
components hire Fellows, applicant pools for a specific position may remain
individual down to the lowest organizational level, or even down to the
position level.
The only way a veteran finalist may be removed from consideration for a position
for which he or she has expressed an interest or for which the agency contacted
the veteran finalist is if the appointing agency can demonstrate that the
veteran finalist does not qualify for an agency’s specific PMF vacancy that
clearly describes the requirements needed for this specific position.
Once a job offer is extended (for example, the finalist has accepted an offer
and an Entry on Duty (EOD) start date has been established), that specific
applicant pool is closed. Veteran finalists who request consideration
after a job offer is extended and accepted will become part of a new applicant
pool that will be established if/when a new position becomes available.
If the agency selects a non-veteran finalist over a preference eligible veteran
finalist it contacted or who expressed interest in a specific position, then
the agency must prepare a written justification as to why the veteran finalist
did not meet the criteria for the position. Decisions must be
qualifications driven and based on the specific requirements detailed in the
position advertisement. The written justification accomplishes two
objectives:
- Veteran finalists are entitled, upon request, to obtain a copy of the reasons
they were passed over in favor of a lesser preference or non-veteran finalist.
The written justification is intended to satisfy that obligation and thus
should be written with the expectation that the veteran finalist who was passed
over may request to review it.
- Additionally, if OPM officials audit agency PMF processes, the written
justification serves as documentation that veteran finalists who were part of
the agency applicant pool received proper consideration.
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Attorneys
Federal agencies may hire finalists through the PMF Program to fill positions
involving policy and legislative program development. It is extremely
unlikely that an agency will have finalists working on trial and litigation
matters during their fellowship. Finalists seeking appointments as an
attorney in the Federal Government may wish to look for such opportunities
outside of the PMF Program through USAJOBS at www.USAJOBS.gov. Most
attorney positions are typically outside the PMF Program's hiring authority,
and if appointed as an attorney, the finalist may no longer be considered a PMF
and will be withdrawn from the Program.
Student Loans
Federal agencies are authorized to repay student loans under the Federal
Student Loan Repayment Program, as provided for in part 537 of title 5, Code of
Federal Regulations. The amount paid by the agency is subject to the
following maximum limits: (1) $10,000 per employee per calendar year, and
(2) a total of $60,000 per employee. Finalists accepting appointments as
Fellows are eligible to receive student loan repayments; however, these
programs are agency-specific.
Before repaying any student loans, the agency must establish a student loan
repayment plan, which is to include the designation of officials with authority
to review and approve repayment benefits, situations when the loan repayment
authority may be used and criteria that must be met, procedures for making loan
payments, a system for selecting employees to receive repayment benefits that
ensures fair and equitable treatment, requirements for service agreements, and
documentation and recordkeeping requirements.
For complete details, visit
www.opm.gov/oca/PAY/StudentLoan (Federal Student Loan Repayment
Program). Again, this is agency-specific. Finalists should
ask the hiring agency if it participates in this program when interviewing for
appointments.
Career Development
Training and development have always been considered a fundamental part of the
PMF Program. Agencies are responsible for ensuring Fellows receive at
least 80 hours of formal classroom training each year of their
fellowship. For each Fellow, the appointing agency will provide a minimum
of 80 hours per year of formal classroom training that addresses the core
competencies required of the occupation or functional discipline in which the
Fellow will most likely be placed upon completion of the PMF Program and
conversion to a full-time, permanent position.
Hiring agencies also are to provide Fellows with at least one 4 to 6 month
developmental assignment (outside their immediate office) in the occupation or
functional discipline in which the Fellow will most likely be placed, with
full-time management and/or technical responsibilities consistent with the
Fellow's Individual Development Plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A list of Frequently Asked Questions
can be found under the “How to Apply” section of this website.
