3 FAM 2900 CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE FOR SURPLUS AND DISPLACED EMPLOYEES
3 FAM 2910
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE GENERAL PROVISIONS
(CT:PER-1133; 06-06-2023)
(Office of Origin: GTM/CSTM)
3 FAM 2911 AUTHORITY
(CT:PER-517; 02-10-2005)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
a. 5 CFR Part 330, Subpart F
b. 22 U.S.C. 2651a
3 FAM 2912 PURPOSE
(CT:PER-871; 08-28-2017)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
This chapter serves as the Department’s Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) as required by 5 CFR 330.601. The CTAP establishes the policies and procedures that the Department will follow in providing career transition assistance and services to displaced and surplus employees.
1. This chapter covers the following information:
2. Career transition assistance and services available to all eligible displaced and surplus employees (See 3 FAM 2920);
3. Special selection priority for eligible, well-qualified surplus and/or displaced Department of State Civil Service employees who apply for vacancies within the Department (See 3 FAM 2930); and
4. Operation of the Reemployment Priority List, which provides rehiring priority to former competitive service Civil Service employees separated through “Reduction in Force” (RIF) procedures or for former employees who are fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. (See 3 FAM 2940)
3 FAM 2913 POLICY
(CT:PER-517; 02-10-2005)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
a. Should downsizing or restructuring be necessary, the Department is committed to their accomplishment with minimum disruption possible to employees and operations.
b. The Department will assist displaced and surplus employees in taking charge of their careers and with the job search process.
3 FAM 2914 DEFINITIONS
(CT:PER-871; 08-28-2017)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
a. For purposes of 3 FAM 2900, the definitions that follow are provided for ease in reading this chapter. Since changes do occur, the definitions contained in 5 CFR 330.602 should apply over those provided in this section.
Agency: An Executive Department, a government corporation, and an independent establishment as cited in 5 U.S.C. 105. For the purposes of this program, the term “agency” includes all components of an organization, including its Office of Inspector General.
Displaced Employee:
A current career or career conditional competitive service employee in tenure group 1 or 2, at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below, who has received a specific reduction in force (RIF) separation notice or notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside of the local commuting area.
A current Executive Branch agency employee in the excepted service, serving on an appointment without time limit, at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below, who has been given noncompetitive appointment eligibility and selection priority by statute for positions in the competitive service, and who is in receipt of a reduction in force (RIF) separation notice or notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment outside the local commuting area.
Eligible employee: A surplus or displaced employee who meets the conditions set forth in 5 CFR 330.602.
Local commuting area: The geographic area that usually constitutes one area for employment purposes as determined by the agency. It includes any population center (or two or more neighboring ones) and the surrounding localities in which people live and can reasonably be expected to travel back and forth daily to their usual employment.
Reorganization: The planned elimination or redistribution of work functions within an agency, normally announced in writing.
Special selection priority: Except as provided by 5 CFR 330.609, surplus and/or displaced employees eligible under 5 CFR 330 must be selected over any other candidate for vacancies in the local commuting area for which they apply and are found well-qualified.
Suitability: Determinations based on an individual’s character or conduct that may impact the efficiency of the service by jeopardizing an agency’s accomplishment of its duties or responsibilities, or by interfering with or preventing effective service in the competitive, excepted or SES position applied for or employed in, and determinations that there is a statutory or regulatory bar to employment.
Surplus employee:
A current agency employee serving under an appointment in the competitive service, in tenure group 1 or 2 at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below, who has received a certification of expected separation or other official certification issued by the agency indicating that the position is surplus. For example: A notice of position abolishment, or a notice stating that the employee is eligible for discontinued service retirement; or
A current Executive Branch agency employee serving on an excepted service appointment without time limit, at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below; who has been issued a certificate of expected separation or other official agency certification, indicating that his or her position is surplus. For example: A notice of position abolishment or a notice stating that the employee is eligible for discontinued service retirement, and who has been conferred noncompetitive appointment eligibility, and special selection priority by statute for positions in the competitive service; and, at an agency’s discretion, a current Executive Branch employee serving on a Schedule A or B excepted appointment without time limit, at grade levels GS-15 or equivalent and below, and who is in receipt of a certificate of expected separation or other official agency certification indicating that his or her job is surplus. For example:
A notice of position abolishment, or
An official notice stating that the employee is eligible for discontinued service retirement; or
An employee who has received a RIF notice of separation, or
A notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment outside of the local commuting area.
Note: Such employee may only exercise special selection priority for permanent excepted service positions within the agency’s local commuting area, provided the position to which appointed has the same appointing authority, i.e., Schedule A or B, as the position from which being separated.
Vacancy: A competitive service position which the agency is filling for a total of 121 days or more, including all extensions, regardless of whether the agency issues a specific vacancy announcement.
Well-qualified employee: An eligible employee who possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities, which clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. A well-qualified employee will not necessarily meet the agency’s definition of “highly or best qualified,” when evaluated against other candidates who apply for a particular vacancy, but must satisfy the following criteria, as determined and consistently applied by the agency:
Meets the basic qualification standards and eligibility requirements for the position, including any medical qualifications, suitability, and minimum educational and experience requirements; and
Satisfies one of the following qualifications requirements:
Meets all selective factors, where applicable. Meets appropriate quality rating factor levels as determined by the agency. Selective and quality ranking factors cannot be so restrictive that they run counter to the goal of placing displaced employees. In the absence of selective and quality ranking factors, selecting officials will document the job-related reason(s) the eligible employee is or is not considered to be well qualified; or
Is rated by the agency to be above minimally qualified in accordance with the agency’s specific rating and ranking process. Generally, this means that the individual may or may not meet the agency’s test for “highly qualified”, but would in fact, exceed the minimum qualifications for the position.
Is physically qualified, with reasonable accommodation where appropriate, to perform the essential duties of the position;
Meets any special qualifying condition(s) that OPM has approved for the position; and
Is able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry.
b. The following definitions are also applicable to the “career transition assistance plan”:
Tenure Group 1: Employees in the competitive service who are serving under career appointments who have completed the initial appointment probationary period. Employees in the excepted service who have completed an initial trial period and those who appointments carry no specific time limitation or restriction, such as indefinite or conditional.
Tenure Group 2: Employees in the competitive service who are serving under career conditional appointments and career employees serving an initial appointment probationary period. Employees in the excepted service who are serving a trial period, or whose tenure is equivalent to career conditional tenure in the competitive service.
Priority Placement Program (PPP): A Department program which enables certain employees to receive priority consideration, not special selection priority, for positions within the Department when a set of specific circumstances occur, which is outlined in the memorandum of understanding with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE, Local 1534) signed on January 21, 1996.
3 FAM 2915 RESPONSIBILITIES
3 FAM 2915.1 Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Global Talent (M/DGTM)
(CT:PER-991; 05-18-2020)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
The Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Global Talent has overall responsibility for managing all aspects of the Department’s Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) for displaced and surplus employees. The Director General or his/her designee will also determine whether the employee loses eligibility for special selection priority for future vacancies within the Department.
3 FAM 2915.2 Managers and Supervisors
(CT:PER-991; 05-18-2020)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
Managers and Supervisors in affected organizations must:
(1) Familiarize themselves with the career transition process;
(2) Ensure that funding is available to enable the Office of Civil Service Global Talent Management’s Career Development Division (GTM/CSTM/CD) and the Foreign Service Institute’s Career Transition Center (FSI/CTC) to provide or procure the necessary career transition assistance and services;
(3) Participate in the planning of specific career transition and support services customized to employees’ and/or bureaus’ situations;
(4) Ensure that displaced and surplus employees are encouraged and allowed to fully participate in the career transition services offered including granting excused absences;
(5) Provide communication and support to displaced and surplus employees as they go through the career transition process; and
(6) Provide support to the remaining employees by sharing information, communicating work expectations, priorities, and goals and identifying opportunities for training or retraining.
3 FAM 2915.3 Employees
(CT:PER-517; 02-10-2005)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
Employees should:
a. Accept individual responsibility for their careers and for the success of their transition into another job.
b. Empower themselves with job search tools and information provided by the Career Development Resource Center and Career Transition Center, or other appropriate sources, and the contacts they will need to make a successful job transition.
3 FAM 2915.4 Office of Civil Service Global Talent Management (GTM/CSTM)
(CT:PER-991; 05-18-2020)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
a. The Office of Civil Service Global Talent Management (GTM/CSTM) has primary responsibility for administering the Department’s Career Transition Assistance Plan. In doing so, GTM/CSTM ensures compliance with OPM regulations and Department regulations, policies, and procedures in the recruitment, selection, and placement of employees eligible for special selection priority and reemployment priority.
b. GTM/CSTM coordinates with other GTM offices in providing guidance and technical assistance to Bureaus/Offices and employees concerning a variety of career transition related topics (e.g., special selection priority rules and procedures, severance pay, retirement, career counseling, employment options, and unemployment.
c. GTM/CSTM collaborates with Bureau Executive Offices in defining the training and retraining needs of impacted employees and developing guidelines and procedures as bureaus are restructured.
d. GTM/CSTM’s Career Development Division and FSI’s Career Transition Center share primary responsibility for providing career transition services to all displaced and surplus Department employees.
3 FAM 2915.5 Employee Consultation Service (ECS) (M/DGTM/MED)
(CT:PER-1133; 06-06-2023)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
The Employee Consultation Service (ECS) in the Bureau of Medical Services (M/DGHR/MED) has primary responsibility for providing confidential life planning counseling to all displaced and surplus employees. This responsibility includes counseling pertaining to life transitions, emotional repercussions of downsizing on employees, job stress, anxiety, financial, and family concerns.
3 FAM 2915.6 Foreign Service Institute (M/FSI)
(CT:PER-991; 05-18-2020)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
a. FSI’s Career Transition Center (CTC) shares primary responsibility for providing career transition assistance to all displaced and surplus Department employees with the GTM/CSTM Career Development Division (GTM/CSTM/CD).
b. FSI/CTC collaborates with GTM/CSTM/CD to develop and/or provide career transition assistance training for managers, supervisors, human resource personnel, union representatives, and eligible employees.
c. FSI in consultation with GTM/CSTM’s Career Development Division, will coordinate and establish procedures for training/retraining options and identifying sources for displaced and surplus employees.
3 FAM 2916 RECORDS AND REPORTS
(CT:PER-517; 02-10-2005)
(State Only)
(Applies to Civil Service Employees Only)
Department Offices must maintain all data/records that are associated with the Career Transition Assistance Plan, services, and outcomes pertaining to the career transition assistance and services provided to displaced and surplus employees for reporting purposes. Data/records must be maintained for a period of one year after the effective date of reduction in force or separation.
3 FAM 2917 THROUGH 2919 UNASSIGNED