[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 115 (Thursday, June 16, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35137-35140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-11843]


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PEACE CORPS


Privacy Act of 1974, Systems of Records

AGENCY: Peace Corps.

ACTION: Notice of establishment of new system of records.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 
U.S.C. 552a), the Peace Corps is establishing a new system of records, 
PC-28 entitled ``Applications for Employment.''

DATES: Please submit any comments within 40 days of publication on or 
before July 10, 2005. Unless the Peace Corps receives comments that 
would require another determination, this system becomes effective on 
July 11, 2005.

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ADDRESSES: Please submit any comments within 40 days of publication on 
or before July 10, 2005 to Director, Human Resources Management OR 
Records Management Officer Peace Corps Headquarters, 1111 20th St., 
NW., Washington, DC 20526.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 552a(e)(4) and (11) of Title 5 of 
the United States Code provides that the public be given a 30-day 
period in which to comment on the new system. The Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB), which was oversight responsibility under the Act, 
requires a 40-day period in which to review the proposed system. In 
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(r), Peace Corps has provided a report on 
this system to OMB and the Congress.
PEACE CORPS (PC-28)

System Name:
    Applications for Employment.

System Location:
    Office of Management, Human Resources Management, 1111 20th Street 
NW., Washington, DC 20526. Occasionally located on a temporary basis in 
domestic regional offices and overseas Posts. Electronic records are 
stored offsite by a contracted agent of the agency in a secure 
facility.

Categories of Individuals Covered by System:
    All applicants for employment with the Peace Corps (including 
unsuccessful applicants); all application documents and materials of 
current and former Foreign Service (FS) employees of the Peace Corps 
excluding Presidential Appointments, employees under full-time, part-
time, intermittent, temporary, and limited appointments; anyone serving 
in an advisory capacity (compensated and uncompensated) and expert 
consultants; application documents and materials of other agency 
employees on detail; student applicants for internships, student 
interns and other student summer hires, Stay-in-School student 
employees, and Cooperative Education Program participants; Persons who 
have applied to the agency for Federal employment and current and 
former Federal employees submitting applications for other positions in 
the Federal service and within Peace Corps.

Categories of record in the system:
    To the extent that an agency utilizes and automated medium in 
connection with maintenance of records in this system, the automated 
versions of these records are considered covered by this system of 
records.
    Application forms, resumes, and related correspondence. Position 
vacancy announcement information such as position title, series and 
grade level(s), office and duty location, opening and closing date of 
the announcement, and dates of referral and return of lists of 
qualified candidates; applicant personal data such as name, address, 
social security number, date of birth, sex, veterans' preference and 
federal competitive status; and applicant qualification and processing 
information such as qualifications, grade level eligibility, reason for 
ineligibility, referral status, and dates of notification.
    Related correspondence may include referral letters and memoranda 
relating to the application process; education and training related 
documentation; employment history and earnings; honors, awards or 
fellowships; military service; convictions or offenses against the law; 
names of relatives employed in the Federal service; qualification 
determinations; employment consideration; priority groupings; 
correspondence relating to the consideration of the individual for 
employment. These records may also include copies of correspondence 
(electronic and otherwise) between the applicant and the Office or 
agency and other items provided by applicants but not specifically 
requested by the agency.
    This system also includes any Peace Corps employment application 
materials established for making appointments outside a register; or 
reassignments, promotions, reinstatements, or transfers of Federal 
employees into positions at Peace Corps.
    These records also contain information on the ranking of an 
applicant, his or her placement on a list of eligible, what 
certificates/rosters applicant's names appeared on, requests for Office 
approval of or opposition to an eligible qualifications and the 
Office's decision in the matter, an office's request for approval for 
the agency to pass over an eligible and the Office's decision in the 
matter, and an agency's decision: to object/pass over an eligible when 
the agency has authority to make such decisions. Reasons for when the 
objection/pass over decision applies to a compensable preference 
eligible with 30 percent or more disability. Records may also include: 
Agency applicant file systems where the agency retains applications, 
resumes, and other related records for hard-to-fill or unique positions 
for future consideration. Records and statements related to an 
applicant's involvement in intelligence related activities.

Authority for Maintenance of System:
    The Peace Corps Act, 22 U.S.C. 2501, et. seq., including 22 U.S.C. 
2506 and 22 U.S.C. 3901 et seq. (Foreign Service Act of 1980).

Routine Uses of records maintained in the system, including categories 
of users and the purposes of such uses:
    Used to evaluate qualifications of potential candidates by the 
Director, Human Resource Management and his/her delegates, Executive 
Staff, Hiring Managers and their delegates, other supervisors and 
personnel security staff. These records also may be reviewed by staff 
with internal audit responsibilities. The records are available to 
personnel specialists who review the applicants' qualifications and 
consider them for appropriate agency vacancies. More specifically these 
records and the information in these records may be used: General 
Routine Uses A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K apply to this system.

Records May Also Be Disclosed To:
    a. In contacting persons named as references, and present or former 
supervisors, for purposes of commenting upon, rating or verifying 
information about past performance submitted as part of job 
application.
    b. To provide information to other Federal agencies, state 
governments, foreign governments and international organizations where 
employees are being considered for detail, assignment or secondment.
    c. By attorneys, union representatives or other persons designated 
by employees in writing to represent them in complaints, grievance, 
appeal, litigation cases or administrative processes;
    d. To disclose information to the Department of Labor, Department 
of Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, Department of 
Defense, or any other Federal agencies that have special civilian 
employee retirement and disability programs; or to a national, state, 
county, municipal, or other publicly recognized charitable or income 
security, administration agency (e.g., State unemployment compensation 
agencies), when necessary to adjudicate a claim under the retirement, 
insurance, unemployment or health benefits programs of the agency or an 
agency cited above, or to an agency to conduct an analytical study or 
audit of benefits being paid or to be paid under such programs.
    e. To provide an official of another Federal agency with 
information needed in the performance of official duties in

[[Page 35139]]

support of the functions for which the records were collected and 
maintained.

Policies and Practices for Storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, 
and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
    These records are electronic media and hard copy. Records are 
maintained on data storage devices, lists, forms and hard copy record 
files. Electronic records are maintained within Peace Corps on 
proprietary systems or within an automated application system on data 
storage devices. Information contained in the automated system is 
housed offsite in a secure location as government owned and retrievable 
information. All information, regardless of media, is retained to be 
available in document form.

Retrieval:
    These records may be retrieved by the names of the individuals on 
whom they are maintained or by vacancy announcement number. In the 
Personnel Office, the records are recorded by name and vacancy 
announcement number. They can also be retrieved, by any common 
identifier in the automated application. These may be by individual 
name, social security number, vacancy announcement, demographic fields, 
veteran's status, current grade, grade applied for, or any other data 
fields completed by the applicant. Records are generally retrieved by 
the name with the social security number or date birth as a secondary 
identifier when necessary.

Accessibility/Safeguards:
    All Peace Corps employees have undergone background investigations. 
Access to the Agency is controlled by security guards and admission is 
limited to those individuals possessing a valid identification card or 
individuals under proper escort. The HRM office is in a secondary 
secured area where even Peace Corps employees not within the HRM 
organization are required to have escorts. All records containing 
personal information are maintained in secured file cabinets or in 
restricted areas, access to which is limited to authorized personnel. 
Access to computerized files is password-protected and under the direct 
supervision of the system manager. The system manager and contractor 
has the capability of printing audit trails of access through the 
computer media, thereby permitting regular and ad hoc monitoring of 
system usage. Automated media is access limited to authorized personnel 
whose duties require access. Access to and use of these records are 
limited to those persons whose official duties require such access. The 
AVUE system is secured by password and through a permissions based 
system. Permission is granted by a system administrator. Remote data 
storage facilities are secured through physical and system-based 
safeguards. Electronic files are password protected and accessible only 
by authorized personnel. Data maintained electronically at Peace Corps 
is on network servers and located in a locked room with physical access 
limited to authorized personnel.

Retention and disposal:
    Applications from individuals who are selected for positions with 
the Peace Corps are placed on the permanent side of the employee's 
Official Personnel Folder. Paper applications rejected in the initial 
review because they do not meet requirements for Agency employment and 
applications which appear to meet requirements for Agency employment, 
but which are subsequently rejected, are retained for two years and 
then destroyed. Electronic media files are maintained indefinitely for 
the applicant to draw upon when seeking future opportunities. These 
files also remain available for the Agency when searching for qualified 
applicants for the variety of positions available agency-wide. Paper 
files on applicants who may be of interest at a later date are also 
retained indefinitely. In divisional or regional offices, the paper 
records may be retained for an indefinite period of time. They are then 
forwarded to HRM or discarded. Applicant records, whether electronic 
media or hard copy will be maintained until they become inactive at 
which time they will be retired or destroyed in accordance with 
published records schedules of the Peace Corps or as approved by the 
National Archives and Records Administration. Most records are retained 
for a period of 2 years. Some records are destroyed by shredding or 
burning while magnetic tapes or disks are erased.

System Manager(s) and Address:
    Director, Human Resources Management OR Records Management Officer 
Peace Corps Headquarters, 1111 20th St. NW., Washington, DC 20526.

Notification Procedures:
    Any individual who wants to know whether this system of records 
contains a record about him or her, who wants access to his or her 
record, or who wants to contest the contents of a record, should make a 
written request to the System Manager. Requests should be accepted for 
processing if they contain sufficient information to convince the 
System Manager that the requester is the subject of the records, 
including identifying information needed to locate your record and a 
brief description of the item or items of information required. 
Requesters will be required to provide adequate identification, such as 
a driver's license, employment identification card, passport, or other 
identifying documents. Requests for correction or amendment must 
identify the record to be changed and the corrective action sought. 
Complete Peace Corps Privacy Act procedures are set out in 22 CFR part 
308.

Record Access Procedures:
    Requests from individuals should be addressed as indicated in the 
Notification section above. Individuals who wish to amend records 
pertaining to themselves should also address their requests as 
described in the Notification section above.

Contesting Record procedures:
    Individuals wishing to contest or amend information maintained in 
this system should specify the information being contested, the reasons 
for contesting it, and the proposed amendment to such information. 
Individuals have the right to request that we amend a record pertaining 
to them when it is believed to be inaccurate, or lacks relevance, 
timeliness, or completeness. At the time we grant access to a record, 
we will furnish guidelines for you to request amendment to the record.
    Requests for amendments to records must be in writing and mailed or 
delivered to the FOIA/Privacy Act Officer, FOIA/Privacy Act Office, 
Peace Corps Headquarters, 1111 20th St. NW., Washington, DC 20526, who 
will coordinate the review of the request to amend the record with the 
appropriate office(s). Such requests must contain, at a minimum, 
identifying information needed to locate the record, a brief 
description of the item or items of information to be amended, and the 
reason for the requested change. The requester should submit as much 
documentation, arguments or other data as seems warranted to support 
the request for amendment. We will review all requests for amendments 
to records within 20 working days of receipt of the request and either 
make the changes or inform you of our refusal to do so and the reasons.

Record Source Categories:
    These records are normally submitted by the individuals seeking 
employment Some records could come from

[[Page 35140]]

individuals or employment agencies sponsoring the applications. 
Information in this system of records is provided by:
    (a) The individual to whom the information pertains;
    (b) Peace Corps officials;
    (c) Other sources contacted to provide additional information about 
the individual under appropriate routine uses listed above in the 
notice. System exempted from certain provisions of the Privacy Act: 
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(4), records contained within this system 
that are required by statute to be maintained and used solely for 
statistical purposes are exempted from 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3), (d), 
(e)(1), (e)(4)(G), (H) and (I), and (f). Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
552a(k)(5)), certain records contained within this system contain 
confidential source information and are exempted from 5 U.S.C. 
552a(c)(3), (d), (e)(1), (e)(4)(G), (H) and (I), and (f). Pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 552a(k)(6), records that contain testing or examination material 
the release of which may compromise testing or examination procedures 
are also exempted from 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3), (d), (e)(1), (e)(4)(G), (H) 
and (I), and (f).

    Dated: June 6, 2005.
Gilbert Smith,
Associate Director for Management.
[FR Doc. 05-11843 Filed 6-10-05; 3:21 pm]
BILLING CODE 6051-01-M