Privacy Impact Assessment - Career Connector
Career Connector System Overview:
Career Connector is a Treasury automated recruitment system for both internal and external announcements. It streamlines the process and reduces paperwork. External recruitment allows non-Treasury applicants to apply for Treasury positions online through use of the online résumé builder and questionnaire/assessment. Internal recruitment provides more focused job information to applicants to encourage self-screening.
System of Records Number(s):
Treasury/IRS 36.006 Recruiting, Examining and Placement Records
Treasury/IRS 34.037 IRS Audit Trail and Security Records System
OPM/Govt-7 Applicant Race, Sex, National Origin, and Disability Status Records
Data in the System
1. Describe the information (data elements and fields) available in the system in the following categories:
A. Taxpayer
B. Employee
C. Audit Trail Information (including employee log-in info)
D. Other (Describe)
A. None
B. None
C. The system will provide audit trails and logs that will provide the capability to identify and monitor the actions of the data base administrator and other administrative actions within the system. Administrative actions conducted within the system will be captured within system and application audit logs.
D. The data collected through CarCon will consist of job applicant personal data, job vacancy data, and assessment results. The system will collect information about job applicants to determine if they meet minimum qualifications and eligibility requirements for specific job listings. Information collected in Career Connector includes:
1. Applicant Personal Data
-First Name
-Middle Name
-Last Name
-SSN
-Home Address
-Telephone Numbers
-Email Address
-Secret Question (for password)
-Secret Question Answer
-Applicant Provided Password
-Citizenship
-Military Service
-Veteran Status
-Lowest grade for which applying
-Resume (plain text field to paste a resume, max 16,000 characters)
1a. Applicant Personal Data (Optional)
-Age
-Race
-National Origin
-Professional certifications
2. Job Vacancy Data:
-Announcement Number
-Vacancy Description
-Open Period
-Series/Grade Level
-Salary
-Promotion Potential
-Hiring Agency
-Duty Locations
-Skills
-Point of Contact
-Additional Information (Summary of Requirements)
3. Assessment Data Results
-Vacancy Filtering Options
-Vacancy Number
-Vacancy Description
-Applicant Name
-Grade Criteria
-Duty Location
-Vacancy Questions
D.1 Career Connector provides a complete reporting package comprised of a series of standard reports and tools that allow the database to be queried by an HR Specialists, as well as generate reports based on information and responses to questions provided by applicants. A utility module allows an HR user to create vacancy announcement templates, email templates and certificate templates.
Please note: The SSN data are required in order to positively identify the applicants applying for IRS positions. To uniquely identify each applicant, only the Human Resource staff uses the SSN. This information is only available to those directly involved in the recruitment cycle or in data administration.
If applicant chooses to answer “Race and National Origin (RNO) questions, the data are collected on a cumulative basis and are not associated with any individual.
2. Describe the information (data elements and fields) available in the system in the following categories:
A. Taxpayer
B. Employee
C. Audit Trail Information (including employee log-in info)
D. Other (Describe)
E. Other Federal Agencies
F. Other third party sources
A. IRS job vacancy information from human resource managers and hiring managers will be entered into the system manually by HR analysts.
B. None
C. None
D. Career Connector is indirectly connected to HR Connect, the Treasury online personnel management system, via the internet to a secure HR Connect provided border server. HR Connect provides managers, supervisors, staff and personnel specialists with desktop access to personal and payroll data. Job vacancy information is pushed from HR Connect to Career Connector. Data on applicants that match job requirements are pulled from Career Connector to HR Connect.
E. None
F. Job applicants
The data collected from applicants includes:
Name, social security number, home address, telephone numbers, email address, secret question (for password), secret question answer, applicant-provided password, citizenship information, military service information, veteran status, lowest grade for which applying, resume (in plain text field to paste a resume), notification preference. Optional information the applicant may provide includes Age, race, national origin data, professional certifications.
Race and national origin data are collected on a cumulative basis and are not associated with any individual. Applicants see the following statement when RNO data is requested:
“Please read this message before proceeding: We request that you furnish demographic information under the Authority of 42 U.S.C. & 2000e-16, which require that Federal employment practices be free from discrimination and provide equal employment opportunities for all. Solicitation of this information is in accordance with Department of Commerce Directive 15, "Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting." This information is requested to help us determine if our recruitment efforts are reaching all segments of the country, as required by Federal law. It will be used for planning and monitoring equal employment opportunity programs. You are the only one who can provide this important information. It is not available from any other source. Furnishing this information is totally voluntary.
If you choose to provide this information, your responses will be treated in a highly confidential manner. The information will be encrypted within Career Connector and stored as statistical data separate from the other registration information that you provide. Your demographic information will be tallied with other applicants for statistical evaluation in a manner that cannot be associated with you. The responses you provide will not be considered in the processing of your application. They will not be released to the public or to any individual or panel associated with rating, ranking, or selection. None of this information will be placed in a personnel file or database.
You may provide all, some, or none of the requested information. Your choice will have no effect on you, your application, or your consideration for employment.”
3. Is each data item required for the business purpose of the system? Explain.
Yes. The information provided by applicants and maintained in Career Connector is both relevant and necessary to support the hiring of capable and qualified candidates for posted job vacancies within the IRS. Only data needed to evaluate applicant qualifications and contact the applicant, process the data, and to provide required statistical and administrative information is collected and maintained.
4. How will each data item be verified for accuracy, timeliness, and completeness?
The data in the system are considered accurate, complete, and current.
The data in the system will be collected from first-party sources - either from the job applicant directly or from IRS sources. Applicants self-certify their data.
The system application code requires that specific fields be completed and that specific fields be completed in the proper format prior to accepting the data on the entire page and allowing the applicant to continue to the next data entry screen.
Vacancy listings are active using a start and end date. Job vacancy support data (job numbers, salary scales, job codes, etc.) are static data, but can be edited, corrected, or updated by a user with appropriate permissions when the data changes. To ensure that the data are most current, each applicant has the ability to update their personal information and responses to questions until the closing of a vacancy announcement. Applicants are responsible for the accuracy of the information that they provide. After initial registration applicants can update their data at any time to ensure that it is current up to the closing of the announcement.
5. Is there another source for the data? Explain how that source is or is not used.
Career Connector is indirectly connected to HR Connect, the Treasury online personnel management system, via the internet to a secure HR Connect provided border server. Data is exchanged between the two systems via secure FTP. Job vacancy information is pushed from HR Connect to Career Connector. Applicants can search through vacancy information and apply for jobs. Data on applicants that match job requirements are pulled from Career Connector to HR Connect to be used in the hiring process.
6. Generally, how will data be retrieved by the user?
Individual applicants retrieve their own information using a unique identifier, which is the applicant's Social Security Number (SSN). The SSN is required when an application is submitted to identify the individual. Applicants’ personal information, including the SSN, is transmitted through a secure connection. Career Connector HR employees can retrieve information using predetermined reports. Ad hoc query capabilities are restricted to system and database administrators.
7. Is the data retrievable by a personal identifier such as name, SSN, or other unique identifier?
Yes. Applicant data is retrievable by the applicant’s SSN, which is used as a unique identifier by the system. The SSN data are required in order to positively identify the applicants for IRS positions. To uniquely identify each applicant, only the HR staff uses the SSN. This information is available only to those directly involved in the recruitment cycle or in data administration.
8. How are data elements documented?
Data elements are documented in the data flow diagrams. These diagrams visually illustrate the vacancy posting; application; and the rating and ranking, issuing certificate and selecting correspondence processes.
Access to the Data
9. Who will have access to the data in the system (Users, Managers, System Administrators, Developers, Others)?
Access to Career Connector is limited to the following high-level user categories:
Career Connector HR administrators – Access is limited to the Vacancy Module and User Manager utility, and Data Administration Module for the purposes of adding and maintaining vacancy notices, authorizing new user accounts, and assigning data/group privileges. HR personnel and hiring managers will have access to job application data submitted by applicants and to system-developed assessment results. System personnel are responsible for troubleshooting the system, as needed. System Operations (for backup and archive activities) – Access is limited to the server functions needed to support system operations. (Contractors and IRS Personnel), Job Applicants – Access is limited to the publicly accessible application processes to enter application data and search for job vacancies and to their specific personal data. System and Database Administrators – Access is limited to the application and database functions need to maintain appropriate application operations.
Career Connector is indirectly interconnected with HR Connect, a Treasury personnel management system, via the HR Connect border server. HR Connect users fall into three major categories. These categories are distinguished from each other by the level of access they have to HR Connect functionality and data. The three types of users can be broken down into (1) HR Specialists, (2) Managers, and (3) Employees. For maintenance and support there are System Administrators and Database Administrators. These individuals have a separate and distinct entry point into HR Connect from the “users”. The System Administrators deal with issues relating to UNIX and the associated support software and configurations and system back up and recovery. The Database Administrators deal with the support of Oracle and the HR Connect tables and associated structures.
10. How is access to the data by a user determined and by whom? What controls are in place to prevent the misuse of data by those having access?
Access to data and functions within the system is granted based on job function and is authorized by appropriate IRS management. Applicant access to data is controlled within the technical features of the system. The system has a permission-based architecture and access is limited to those who have been approved to support the system. Users are provided access permissions through group assignment within the system. The system effectively restricts users to the level of data and functionality to which they have been granted the required authorization.
Career Connector provides a User Manager utility that allows the system administrator(s) to add, modify, and delete users and change their permissions in the Career Connector system. Inside the user manager utility, system
administrators have the ability to review, distribute, and revoke privileges from users. The User Manager utility also allows for the creation of groups of users who share the same permissions. Assigning a user to a group gives that user all the same rights that have been assigned to that group. If a user is assigned to multiple groups, the group with most permission will prevail over those with less permission. Thus, assigning individual users to particular groups should be done judiciously while employing the doctrine of least privilege. Career Connector identifies, authenticates, and authorizes users and controls appropriate user permissions to perform specific actions. The login module will enforce access control, establish user sessions, validate the session at each new request, and authorize users based on the user group to which they belong. The login component is a predecessor to all other components of the Career Connector Web Application as no other components will be accessible without first completing login and establishing a user session. Career Connector components are restricted and accessed based on a user’s group and role permissions. Approved system and database administrators who maintain the system can access system support applications and databases.
Treasury is responsible for all contractor access to the system. All contract employees with access to the data have an undergone a background investigation and only access data on an as needed basis.
HR Connect is operated by Treasury and is controlled by a number of Public laws (PL235-100), OMB circulars (A130), and Treasury directives (TD P 85-01 and TD P 71-10). All HR Connect systems are controlled by these requirements and therefore have a set of required documentation and procedures that must be completed prior to allowing access by a specific individual to HR Connect. Access will not be granted until the completion of four specific forms/questionnaires and a full background investigation. To make a determination as to whether a potential or existing HR Connect user will be granted access, the HR Connect Program Office (HRCPO) must rely on other Treasury bureaus and organizations whose primary mission is to conduct a background investigation of any individual seeking system access to HR Connect. Access will not be granted until the completion of four specific forms/questionnaires and a full background investigation. To make a determination as to whether a potential or existing HR Connect user will be granted access, the HR Connect Program Office (HRCPO) must rely on Treasury bureaus and organizations whose primary mission is to conduct a background investigation of any individual seeking system access to HR Connect. Further details on the process of gaining access and access controls can be found in the HR Connect SSP and the Career Connector SSP.
11. Do other IRS systems provide, receive, or share data in the system? If YES, list the system(s) and describe which data is shared.
No. However, the system relies on a hosted DNS server, individual applicant workstations and Internet Service Providers, and IRS HR employee workstations connecting to the system through the Internet using a secure connection. The DNS only supports email and domain name recognition. The applicant workstations will send and receive job vacancy information and personal information about the specific applicant using the workstation. The IRS HR employee workstations are used to update job vacancy information and retrieve job applications submitted and system generated assessment results information. The IRS will provide hosting for the DNS.
12. Have the IRS systems described in Item 10 received an approved Security Certification and Privacy Impact Assessment?
HR Connect is a Treasury owned system. A PIA was completed on this system by Treasury.
13. Will other agencies provide, receive, or share data in any form with this system?
Yes. Career Connector is indirectly connected to HR Connect, the Treasury online personnel management system, via the internet to a secure HR Connect provided border server. HR Connect provides managers, supervisors, staff and personnel specialists with desktop access to personal and payroll data. The SBU data maintained by HR Connect includes personnel, position, salary and benefits, and personnel administration information.
14. Who is responsible for protecting the privacy rights of the taxpayer and employees affected by this interface?
IRS Chief Human Capital Officer will protect privacy rights of internal and external applicants. Career Connector does not collect taxpayer data.
15. Who is responsible for assuring that the data is used properly and how will the system ensure that agencies only get the information they are entitled to under IRC 6103?
Career Connector will be used to support the IRS. However, Career Connector is a Treasury enterprise system that is used by other Department offices and bureaus to post vacancy announcements and rate, rank, and refer applicants for employment consideration. Once registered in Career Connector, applicants may choose to apply for positions with any Treasury office or bureau vacancies that are posted in the system. This PIA applies only to the IRS. It is the responsibility of each Department office and bureau to comply with privacy act and other safeguard and disclosure guidelines before Career Connector implementation. Job applicant data may be provided to other Federal agencies or organizations if the IRS is legally obligated to do so. Example agencies or organizations include the Government Accounting Office (GAO) or TIGTA.
Administrative Controls of Data
16. What is the retention period of the system? What are the procedures for eliminating the data at the end of the retention period?
Records are maintained in accordance with Records Disposition Handbooks, IRM 1.15.59.1 through IRM 1.15.59.32. The electronic records will be governed by the same guidelines as paper records (36 CFR, Chapter XII, Subchapter B, Records Management). Audit logs are maintained and backed up on a daily basis from both the application perspective and database. Live data is maintained on servers for at least four months while tape backups are maintained for 60 days. Records will be deleted in accordance with Records Disposition Handbooks, IRM 1.15.59.1 through IRM 1.15.598.32. The electronic records will follow the same disposition standards for federal records as established by the National Archives and Records Administration.
17. Will this system use technology in a new way?
No. The system uses the Internet to accept applications and is a managed and hosted through an Application Server Provider. This technology is not new or unique to the IRS.
18. Will this system be used to identify or locate individuals or groups? If so, describe the business purpose for this capability.
Yes. The system provides the capability to locate and contact job applicants using the applicant-provided telephone number, surface mail address and email address. This capability facilitates the application process by enabling the system or IRS staff to contact applicants with regard to their application for employment. As with all application information, this information is provided voluntarily.
19. Will this system provide the capability to monitor individuals or groups? If yes, describe the business purpose for this capability and the controls established to prevent unauthorized monitoring.
No. The system does not provide the capability to monitor individuals or groups.
20. Can use of the system allow IRS to treat taxpayers, employees, or others, differently?
No. Career Connector provides no processing that allows IRS to treat individuals in an unequal or unfair manner.
Career Connector supports external and internal IRS applicants equally, requiring all to access the system through the same Internet site. The system will ensure that treatment of job applicants is equitable. Applicants may apply for specific job vacancies based on Federal hiring guidelines set within the system. Each applicant is provided access to the same information through the Internet and follows the same application base on specific-position criteria. Career Connector applies the same automated assessment results calculation process to every applicant for a particular vacancy announcement.
21. Does the system ensure "due process" by allowing affected parties to respond to any negative determination, prior to final action?
The system automates previously manual processes. Applicants retain due process rights as set forth in 5 CFR, Sub-chapter B, Civil Service Regulations.
22. If the system is web-based, does it use persistent cookies or other tracking devices to identify web visitors?
No. The system does not use persistent tracking technology.
23. If the system is operated in more than one site, how consistent is the use of the system and data that are maintained at all sites?
All administrative tasks for the Career Connector system are conducted at the Monster Government Solutions (MGS) facility in McLean, VA. Tasks include performing routine maintenance of the system and system operations. No Career Connector related hardware is stored at this location.
All hardware is maintained at the Equinix IBX facility in Ashburn, VA. The MGS server resides at this facility in locked cages. Only individuals with access rights can enter the facility and gain access to the cage.
All data is consistent since servers and data reside at Equinix and remote maintenance is conducted on the data at this facility.
Attributes of the Data
24. Will the system derive new or create previously unavailable data about an individual through aggregation from the information collected? No.
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