[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60396-60398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20848]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Privacy Act of 1974: New System of Records

AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

ACTION: Notice of a new system of records.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: OPM proposes to add a new system of records to its inventory 
of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), 
as amended. This action is necessary to meet the requirements of the 
Privacy Act to publish in the Federal Register notice of the existence 
and character of records maintained by the agency (5 U.S.C. 
552a(e)(4)).

DATES: The new system will be effective without further notice on 
December 3, 2007, unless we receive comments that result in a contrary 
determination.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the Office of Personnel Management, 
ATTN: Sydney Smith-Heimbrock, Deputy Associate Director, Center for 
Human Capital Implementation and Assessment, Office of Personnel 
Management, 1900 E Streets, NW., Washington, DC 20415.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela Graham Humes, 202-606-2430.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Competency Assessment Tool is a 
web-based instrument for assessing current proficiency levels for 
mission critical occupations such as leadership and human resource 
management. It allows individuals to conduct a competency self 
assessment and supervisors to assess the competencies of their 
employees and of the position to determine competency strengths and 
areas for improvement.
    The tool advances agencies' human capital management efforts in 
accordance with the Human Capital Assessment and Accountability 
Framework. The tool supports efforts in succession management, 
competency gap closure, competency development, and recruitment and 
retention. The tool contains competency models, a proficiency scale, a 
self and supervisor assessment, suggested proficiency levels for 
determining gaps, and agency-level access to reports and data.
    The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends that the tool 
will have minimal effect on the privacy of individuals. Individual data 
from the tool is only available to agency designated points of contact 
for the tools. Additionally, oversight entities (e.g., Government 
Accountability Office) may request to review such data. The major 
reports of the tool provide aggregate data, not individual data. If 
requested, OPM may disclose aggregate level data from the tool via a 
governmentwide report. The tool was developed with minimizing the risk 
of unauthorized access to the system of records as an objective. To 
ensure the risk is minimized, the tool is hosted on a secure server and 
offers agency-designated access passwords.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Linda M. Springer,
Director.
Office of Personnel Management (OPM)/CENTRAL-X

SYSTEM NAME:
    Federal Competency Assessment Tool.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    Associate Director, Division for Human Capital Leadership and Merit 
System Accountability, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20415-0001. Records pertaining to voluntary 
assessments of designated occupations such as leadership and human 
resources management are located on a contractor server. Records 
pertaining to pre-determined competencies (e.g., leadership, human 
resources management, or performance management) may be forwarded to 
designated agencies.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Current Federal employees who have voluntarily registered and 
completed the Federal Competency Assessment Tool.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    This system comprises voluntary self-assessments of competencies 
against a proficiency scale. The assessments are tied to user accounts, 
that contain (a) registration information that includes demographic 
data to help determine participation; (b) self assessment information; 
and (c) an assessment by the supervisor.
    The registration information includes the following mandatory 
information:
    a. Registered users' e-mail address
    b. User determined password
    c. First name
    d. Last name
    e. Department/Agency to which the participant belongs
    f. Pay plan
    g. Grade
    h. Occupational group/family
    i. Occupational Specialty, if applicable
    j. Work role, if applicable (e.g., executive, manager, supervisor, 
team lead)
    The registration information also includes the following optional 
information:
    (1) Work address
    (2) City

[[Page 60397]]

    (3) State
    (4) Zip code
    (5) Country
    (6) Work telephone
    (7) Education level
    (8) Estimated years until retirement
    (9) Time in occupation
    Self assessment information includes the employee's determination 
of his/her proficiency level against a set of competencies using a 
proficiency scale. The assessment by the supervisor includes the 
supervisor's determination of a requesting employee's proficiency level 
and the desired proficiency level of the position using the same set of 
competencies and proficiency scale.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING WITH ANY 
REVISIONS OR AMENDMENTS:
    5 U.S.C. 1103, 1402, and 4117.
    Executive Orders 9830 and 13197.

PURPOSE:
    The Federal Competency Assessment Tool is a web-based instrument 
for assessing the proficiency levels of Federal employees in key 
competencies. The tools allow an individual to conduct a competency 
self assessment and supervisors to assess the competencies of their 
employees to determine competency strengths and areas for improvement. 
Agencies can use the results of the assessments to support their 
competency gap analyses, succession management, and development 
efforts.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    These records and information in these records may be used:
    1. To disclose pertinent information to the appropriate Federal, 
State, or local agency responsible for investigating, prosecuting, 
enforcing, or implementing a statute, rule, regulation, or order when 
OPM becomes aware of an indication of a violation or potential 
violation of a civil or criminal law or regulation.
    2. To disclose information to a congressional office from the 
record of an individual in response to an inquiry from the 
congressional office made at the request of that individual.
    3. To disclose information to another Federal agency or a party in 
litigation before a court or in an administrative proceeding being 
conducted by a Federal agency, when the Government is a party to the 
judicial or administrative proceeding, and such information is deemed 
by OPM to be arguable, relevant and necessary to the litigation.
    4. By the National Archives and Records Administration in records 
management and inspections.
    5. To provide an official of another Federal agency information 
needed in the performance of official duties related to reconciling or 
reconstructing data files, compiling description statistics, and making 
analytical studies to support the function for which the records were 
collected and maintained.
    6. By OPM, in the production of summary descriptive statistics and 
analytical studies in support of the function for which the records are 
collected and maintained, or for related work force studies. While 
published statistics and studies do not contain individual identifiers, 
in some instances, the selection of elements of data included in the 
study may be structured in such a way as to make the data individually 
identifiable by inference.
    7. To disclose information to the Department of Justice or in a 
proceeding before a court, adjudicative body, or other administrative 
body before which OPM is authorized to appear, when:
    a. OPM, or any component thereof; or
    b. Any employee of OPM in his or her official capacity; or
    c. Any employee of OPM in his or her individual capacity where the 
Department of Justice or OPM has agreed to represent the employee; or
    d. The United States, when OPM determines that litigation is likely 
to affect OPM or any of its components, is a party to litigation or has 
an interest in such litigation, and the use of such records by the 
Department of Justice or OPM is deemed by OPM to be arguable relevant 
and necessary to the litigation.
    8. To disclose information to officials of the Merit Systems 
Protection Board or the Office of the Special Counsel, when requested 
in connection with appeals, special studies of the civil service and 
other merit systems, review of OPM rules and regulations, 
investigations of alleged or possible prohibited personnel practices, 
and such other functions as promulgated in 5 U.S.C. 1205 and 1206, or 
as may be authorized by law.
    9. To disclose information to the Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission when requested in connection with investigations into 
alleged or possible discrimination practices in the Federal sector, 
examination of Federal affirmative employment programs, compliance by 
Federal agencies with the Uniform Guidelines of Employee Selection 
Procedures, or other functions vested in the Commission.
    10. To disclose information to the Federal Labor Relations 
Authority or its General Counsel when requested in connection with 
investigations of allegations of unfair labor practices of matters 
before the Federal Service Impasses Panel.
    11. To disclose information to the Office of Management and Budget 
at any stage of the legislative coordination and clearance process in 
connection with private relief legislation as set forth in OMB circular 
No. A-19.
    12. To provide an official of another Federal agency information 
needed in the performance of official duties related to succession 
planning, workforce analysis, gap closure, competency development, 
recruitment and retention.
    13. To disclose to a requesting Federal agency, information in 
connection with the hiring, retention, separation, or retirement of an 
employee; the issuance of a security clearance; the reporting of an 
investigation of an employee; the letting of a contract; the 
classification of a job; or the issuance of a license, grant, or other 
benefit by the requesting agency, to the extent that OPM determines 
that the information is relevant and necessary to the requesting 
party's decision on the matter.
    14. To provide individual users the ability to view self entered 
data on individual competency proficiency levels.
    15. To provide reports to agencies on aggregate level data of 
proficiency levels in identified competencies across the Government.
    16. To provide agency specific raw data reports to agencies on 
individual level data related to proficiency levels in identified 
competencies.
    17. To disclose aggregate level data from the Federal Competency 
Assessment Tools via a governmentwide report.
    18. To disclose information to contractors, grantees, or volunteers 
performing or working on a contract, service, grant, cooperative 
agreement, or job for the Federal government.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES OF STORING, RETRIEVING, SAFEGUARDING, RETAINING 
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
    These records are maintained in a relational database management 
system hosted on a contractor's Internet server, accessed via a 
password-restricted system. Duplicate records also exist on magnetic 
tape back ups.

RETRIEVABILITY:
    Designated points of contact from the U.S. Office of Personnel 
Management and participating agencies can retrieve reports that 
aggregate the results of

[[Page 60398]]

individual and supervisor assessments, without specifically identifying 
individuals. Agencies can request raw data reports that will contain 
the identity of individuals. An employee can retrieve individual 
reports (which contain a record of how the individuals assessed 
themselves, along with how the supervisor assessed the position). All 
reports are accessed via the Internet through a password-restricted 
system.

SAFEGUARDS:
    These electronic records are maintained in controlled access areas. 
Identification cards are verified to ensure that only authorized 
personnel are present. Electronic records are protected by restricted 
access procedures, including the use of passwords and sign-on protocols 
which are periodically changed. Only employees whose official duties 
require access are allowed to view, administer, and control these 
records.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
    Completed verifications are archived to a storage disk nightly and 
retained on a server for five years. When records are purged from the 
server, the records are transferred to a CD or other electronic media. 
Records in electronic media are electronically erased. CD or other 
electronic media are maintained for five years.

SYSTEM MANAGER AND ADDRESS:
    Deputy Associate Director, Center for Human Capital Implementation 
and Assessment, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20415-0001.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
    Individuals wishing to inquire if this system contains information 
about them should contact the system manager or designee. Individuals 
must furnish the following information for their records to be located 
and identified:
    a. Name
    b. Name and address of office in which currently and/or formerly 
employed in the Federal service.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURE:
    Individuals wishing to request access to their records in this 
system should contact their agency point of contact or the system 
manager. Individuals must furnish the following information for their 
records to be located and identified:
    a. Name
    b. Name and address of office in which currently and/or formerly 
employed in the Federal service.
    Individuals requesting access must also follow OPM's Privacy Act 
regulations on verification of identity and access to records (5 CFR 
part 297).

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURE:
    Individuals wishing to request amendment of their records in this 
system should contact the agency point of contact or system manager. 
Individuals must furnish the following information for their records to 
be located and identified:
    a. Name
    b. Name and address of office in which currently and/or formerly 
employed in the Federal service.
    Individuals requesting amendment of their records must also follow 
OPM's Privacy Act regulations regarding verification of identity and 
amendment of records (5 CFR part 297).

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    The information in this system is obtained from:
    a. The individual to whom the information pertains.
    b. The supervisor of the individual to whom the information 
pertains, upon that individual's request.

 [FR Doc. E7-20848 Filed 10-23-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-43-P