What is the goal of the Transformation assignment initiative?
The goal of the Transformation assignment initiative is to develop an efficient management process to identify the right officer for daily and emergency missions. The right officer for the position will be assigned in a timely manner by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Operating divisions (OPDIVs), and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
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What is the officer assignment program?
The officer assignment program is a comprehensive system of tools, policies and processes that will facilitate matching supply (officers) with demand (billets) or vice versa. As an organization, the Corps needs to develop an effective force management process that allows us to efficiently match the manpower supply and demand to address the dual responsibilities of the Corps.
- To provide qualified officers to HHS and other Federal agencies, as well as other organizations/entities, to improve and advance critical and long standing public health missions.
- To provide the Nation with a cadre of qualified public health professionals who are ready to respond to urgent public health and medical emergencies.
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What are the major building blocks of the Transformation assignment system process?
- Career assignment managers (CAMs)—Dedicated specialists who provide career development guidance. CAMS facilitate assignment matching and provide support to officers and applicants.
- Direct Access—A Web-based IT tool that supports human resource management developed by the U.S. Coast Guard using a COTS (commercial off the shelf) product (PeopleSoft). Direct Access will capture billet and officer profile data to enable the assignment matching process.
- Special Matching Boards (SMB)—The SMB serves as a resource to identify a suitable match for an officer and billet when regular assignment mechanisms have been unproductive. Additional roles for the SMB include continuation of sizing efforts and providing a venue to improve communication between Corps and OPDIV personnel departments to increase collaboration, identify issues and opportunities of common interest and streamline the assignment process. The SMB will be chaired by a CAM and consist of the CAMs, Corps Agency Liaisons, and an OPDIV Human Resources (HR) representative.
- Corps Awareness Plan for Supervisors (CAPS)—The effectiveness of the assignment process is dependent on increased awareness of the Corps and promotion of its benefits and its officers to HHS supervisors and hiring officials. In addition, supervisors must be made aware of the additional responsibilities of each officer, such as readiness. Clarity in articulating the balance of officers’ time and effort is essential to the success of officers in meeting OPDIV and Corps demands and expectations.
- Awareness of demand—Establishment of processes that facilitate situational awareness of current and future demand for Corps officers.
- Corps advantage—A process where HHS hiring officials can fill a vacancy with a Corps officer more easily.
- Hardship, hard-to-fill, isolated locations (3H) preference—A suite of incentives to facilitate the assignment of officers to and from hardship, hard-to fill, isolated locations (3H) and the Health and Medical Response (HAMR) billets. Included in these incentives are assignment incentive pay, training, priority career counseling and priority assignment matching.
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How will the assignment system affect my daily activities in my current position?
Unless you are a hiring official, the assignment process will not impact your daily activities. Hiring officials will have new tools to identify suitable officers for potential vacancies. All officers will have access to a more efficient process when searching for a new position.
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Will billets have term lengths or limits?
Yes—Every billet will be associated with a specific term limit or tour of duty length. The tour length for each billet will be set by the hiring official as part of the assignment process. In general, tour lengths will be based on a variety of criteria including OPDIV need, 3H status, loan or scholarship repayment commitments, and seniority. Typically, entry level billets will have shorter tour lengths.
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Will I have to move when my tour length is completed?
No—The intent of the officer assignment system and the subsequent identification of billet tour length is NOT to force relocation, but rather to assist officers in guiding their career development, while allowing agencies and the Corps to manage fulfillment of missions.
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Will I have to use the new assignment tools and processes when seeking a reassignment?
No—The intention of the new assignment tools and processes are to facilitate the matching and placement of officers with billets, but it will not be mandatory. Initially officers can elect to use these tools and processes to assist with identification of suitable positions. If an officer elects to work directly with a hiring official, he/she may do so.
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