GovernmentExecutive.com

The Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday published the final version of a rule allowing civilian agencies to bypass standard civil service rules when hiring for hard-to-fill acquisition jobs.

The rule is unchanged from a draft version issued in August 2005 that prompted 10 public comments. It does not apply to the Pentagon, which has separate hiring flexibilities for acquisition workers.

As of the close of the second quarter of fiscal 2006 on March 31, non-Defense agencies had used the direct hiring authority granted in the interim rule to fill five acquisition-related positions, an OPM spokesman said. That is the most recent data available, he said.

Agencies will be required to submit a report on their use of the rule, which implements a section of the 2003 Services Acquisition Reform Act, to OPM by Dec. 31. The personnel agency will send Congress a report on the authority's success at "attracting employees with unusually high qualifications to the acquisition workforce," the Federal Register announcement of the final rule stated.

OPM also could make recommendations on whether the authority should be extended beyond its Sept. 30, 2007, expiration date.

One comment on the draft rule expressed concern that agencies will use the authority to ignore job candidates eligible for veterans' preference. But the final rule noted that direct hiring authority can be applied for positions where there is a severe shortage of candidates, regardless of veterans' preference.

Another comment asked how people could find out about vacancies posted under the new authority. Agencies still need to announce openings on USAJOBS.gov, the final rule stated.

Bolstering the ranks of acquisition employees is a significant challenge for officials governmentwide as they prepare for an anticipated retirement wave. Statistics published in July by the General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Institute indicated that retirement eligibility within the contracting workforce will nearly quadruple in the next decade, with 57 percent eligible to retire by 2015, compared to 15 percent in fiscal 2005.

COMMENTS

• I am a series 1105 purchasing agent with several AA degrees and a BS degree, DAWIA level 1 certification, and 4 years of experience. Yet when I apply for 1102 jobs with the government I am informed that I am not qualified. I suppose when they see I am a veteran they deep six my application. They need to stop whining about the shortage of qualified applicants; they are available in droves already. GovExec.com reader Posted September 18, 2006 7:35 AM
• Remember who controls Congress -- Bush's own party. He has waged war on the federal civilian employee since he got into office. The GOP controlled Congress has been nothing but a rubber stamp for this CEO-mind set that you can run government like a business, with all the requisite perks going to those at the top. Don't expect Congress to help us. With great legislation like NSPS, they've already shown how much they care. GovExec.com reader Posted September 14, 2006 10:00 AM
• Agencies will love this directive, since it will allow them to bypass veterans’ preference laws. This is what Springer has been after ever since she became director of OPM. It won't be long until another directive will come out for other positions that will allow agencies to ignore vets laws. She and Bush are doing all they can to eradicate the preference laws before the Iraq war ends. The same dirty tricks were used after the Vietnam War. Where are our vets organizations on this, and why aren't our congressmen speaking out? Charlie Posted September 13, 2006 9:29 PM