Practice Exchange

by Ilene Gast, Associate Editor

This column highlights innovative public sector programs at the Federal, state, and local level. If you are conducting a project that would interest the ACN readers, or if you know someone who is, please let me hear from you. I can be reached by phone at (202) 305-0590, by fax at (202) 514-4200, or electronic mail at ifgast@aol.com.

Competency-based Promotional Assessments in Use at INS

By David Pollack

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) is implementing competency-based promotional assessments that will be used for two purposes: (1) for making decisions about promotion into GS-11 through GS-15 Supervisory Border Patrol Agent jobs and (2) for providing participants with “diagnostic” feedback about their strengths and weaknesses in a number of job-related competencies.

A comprehensive analysis of the Supervisory Border Patrol Agent job indicated five competency areas needed to perform the job effectively. These competencies areas include thinking skills (decision-making/reasoning), interacting with others (interpersonal skills, oral communication), personal qualities (flexibility, leadership), administrative skills (managing and organizing information, writing), and technical knowledge (knowledge of relevant criminal law). Assessments that measure these competency areas were then developed and validated by INS’ Personnel Research and Assessment Division.

The assessments include (1) a Past Achievement Record in which participants describe their optimal achievement in a number of job-related competency areas, (2) a Decision Making Situational Assessment in which applicants evaluate information that they would be expected to encounter frequently in the job, (3) a multiple-choice In-Basket Job Simulation in which individuals are required to make administrative and supervisory decisions that are part of the job, and (4) a Managerial Writing Skills Assessment that determines whether the participant has the writing skills required on the job. Each of these assessments measures critical competencies by replicating the tasks that incumbents perform on the job.

A related project is underway to develop and validate competency-based promotional assessments for the Adjudications Officer, Criminal Investigator, Deportation Officer, and Immigration Inspector occupations. The assessments developed will measure competencies that job analysis has identified as critical for effective performance in these occupations. In addition, the Personnel Research and Assessment Division has constructed a self-administered training module that can be used by participants to improve their thinking skills.

For further information about the development, validation, and implementation of promotional and diagnostic assessments, please contact Magda Colberg or David Pollack at INS' Personnel Research and Assessment Division in the Office of Human Resources and Development on (202) 305-0600.

USPS Career Hiring Undergoes Business Process Engineering

By Richard Tonowski

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is conducting a project that reconceptualizes entry-level craft hiring. By re-engineering the hiring process, the USPS expects to eliminate administrative effort, put more responsibility on applicants, and gain efficiency through centralized processing and expanded use of data processing technology.

Specifically, under the new process, the USPS would no longer maintain registers. Prospective applicants would establish their qualifications for USPS jobs before vacancies occur, and their qualifications would be held in a national data base. The qualifications process would be administered nationally using contracted examiners and facilities, which will minimize cost and disruption to other USPS processes. “Prequalified” individuals would be instructed to watch for local vacancy announcements and to apply when a desired position opened. At that time, job seekers would both submit their applications to the USPS and would receive additional information electronically, by telephone, via interactive voice response (IVR) technology. Next, the USPS would electronically generate hiring lists composed of interested, qualified candidates, initiate background checks, and schedule drug screening and interviews. All these steps would be accomplished electronically from a centralized location. Finally, highly trained interviewers would conduct in-person screening.

Significant cost reductions will result from compressing the hiring cycle time and its attendant administrative activity. In addition, the improved control over cycle time would enhance efficiency for postal operations. Secondary cost reduction would come from eliminating most work hours spent on the hiring process at the local level, including ongoing register maintenance. This cost reduction is expected to offset, by far, the cost of IVR development and centralized processing systems. For more information, contact Richard Tonowski at (202) 268-3848.