[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 162 (Thursday, August 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51498-51500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18258]


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

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Employee Services, Strategic Workforce Planning, Office of 
Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice of a new system of records.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Office of 
Personnel Management (OPM) proposes to establish a new OPM system of 
records titled ``Federal Competency Assessment Records.'' This system 
of records contains information that OPM collects, maintains, and uses 
in the operation of competency assessment tools, including the OPM 
Competency Exploration for Development and Readiness (CEDAR) tool. 
These records are collected and used for training and development 
purposes but are not to be used for employee performance ratings or for 
hiring and promotion decisions. This system of records will be included 
in the OPM's inventory of record systems.

DATES: Please submit comments on or before September 21, 2020. This new 
system is effective upon publication in the Federal Register, with the 
exception of the routine uses, which are effective September 24, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by one of the following 
methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    All submissions received must include the agency name and docket 
number for this Federal Register document. The general policy for 
comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make 
these submissions available for public viewing on the internet at 
http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, 
including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions, please contact: 
Kelly Cowdery, Forecasting and Methods, Strategic Workforce Planning, 
Employee Services, Office of Personnel Management at [email protected] or 
202-606-1000. For privacy questions, please contact Kellie Cosgrove 
Riley, Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Personnel Management at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 
5 U.S.C. 552a, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposes to 
establish a new system of records titled ``OPM/Central-22 Federal 
Competency Assessment Records.'' This system of records is being 
established in order to develop and make available to Federal agencies 
various competency assessment tools, in part, to meet the mandates of 
the Program Management Improvement Accountability Act (PMIAA). The 
PMIAA requires that OPM conduct a competency assessment of program 
managers and project managers throughout the Federal government to 
identify competency gaps.
    Competency assessment-related tools assist agencies in addressing 
functions of the Human Capital Framework (HCF) (5 CFR part 250(b)), and 
in addition to fulfilling legislative requirements of the PMIAA. The 
competency exploration and assessment tools were built with the intent 
of being used government-wide for many different occupations, in 
addition to meeting the program manager and project manager assessment 
requirements of the PMIAA. These tools are generally created and 
disseminated in an online format with proper security applications in 
place for the safety of Federal workforce data.
    The use of the records in this system of records supports agencies 
in assessing current Federal staffing, skills, and competencies in 
order to focus on priority training and development areas. Such 
records, will help agencies to professionalize the critical workforce 
on an increasing basis, encouraging the application of education, 
training, and experience to inform critical thinking and expert 
analysis that will support decision-making and overcome challenges to 
program implementation and execution. The analysis from competency 
assessment tools will help to develop Federal employees via a career 
path that provides experience and mentorship opportunities designed to 
teach these skillsets.
    In addition, the HCF (5 CFR part 250(b)) requires agencies to 
execute several functions related to workforce analysis and planning; 
talent management; and skill gap closure, including using the OPM-
designated method to identify gaps. Furthermore, Chief Human Capital 
Officers are responsible for workforce assessment, strategy, and 
development and are entitled to data and information supporting such 
efforts. Tools and applications that assess competency strengths and 
gaps will enable the human capital management processes used to 
cultivate and administer the workforce. It will also help agencies 
remain current with research and best practices, allow for proactive 
responses to change, and maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of 
Human Resource service delivery.
    OPM also has a statutory responsibility under 5 U.S.C. 1103(c) to 
guide, enable, and assess agency strategic human capital management 
processes to find best practices for assessing the management of human 
capital by federal agencies. The records in this system of records are 
necessary to administer competency assessment and exploration tools to 
enable individual and organizational strategies to address skill gaps 
and support employee development.

SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
    Federal Competency Assessment Records, OPM/Central-22.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
    Unclassified.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    Records are maintained by Strategic Workforce Planning, Employee 
Services, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street NW, Washington, 
DC 20415.

[[Page 51499]]

SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
    Manager, Forecasting and Methods, Strategic Workforce Planning, 
Employee Services, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street 
NW, Washington, DC 20415, [email protected].

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    5 CFR part 250, subpart B, establishes the Human Capital Framework 
(HCF), in fulfillment of OPM's responsibilities under 5 U.S.C. 1103(c) 
and 5 U.S.C. 1402.

PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
    The purpose of the system is to determine competency levels to 
better understand employee proficiency strengths and gaps; to identify 
targeted training and development opportunities in order to upskill and 
reskill employees; to determine employees' competency strengths and 
areas for improvement, so that necessary training and development 
opportunities can be identified, and skills gaps can ultimately be 
closed. In addition, the system is intended to provide agencies with 
aggregated results of their assessments to support their competency gap 
analyses, which contribute important information for personnel 
training, and development efforts. However, the records in this system 
of records are not intended to be used, and may not be used, for 
employee performance ratings or hiring and promotion decisions.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Federal employees.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
a. First and last name
b. Email address
c. Agency
d. Agency subcomponent
e. Organizational/Work component names (up to four levels of work unit 
information may be obtained)
f. Country
g. Duty location
h. Occupational classification or series
i. Locality pay area
j. Pay plan
k. Grade level
l. Supervisory status
m. Supervisor name
n. Professional field
o. Selected competencies
p. Supervisor proficiency level responses
q. Employee proficiency level responses
r. Calculated differences in proficiency level responses

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    Records are obtained from the supervisors and employees who 
complete competency assessments and surveys.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 
552a(b) of the Privacy Act, all or a portion of the records or 
information contained in this system may be disclosed outside OPM as a 
routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:
    a. To the Department of Justice, including Offices of the U.S. 
Attorneys; another Federal agency conducting litigation or in 
proceedings before any court, adjudicative, or administrative body; 
another party in litigation before a court, adjudicative, or 
administrative body; or to a court, adjudicative, or administrative 
body. Such disclosure is permitted only when it is relevant or 
necessary to the litigation or proceeding and one of the following is a 
party to the litigation or has an interest in such litigation:
    (1) OPM, or any component thereof;
    (2) Any employee or former employee of OPM in his or her official 
capacity;
    (3) Any employee or former employee of OPM in his or her individual 
capacity where the Department of Justice or OPM has agreed to represent 
the employee;
    (4) The United States, a Federal agency, or another party in 
litigation before a court, adjudicative, or administrative body, upon 
the OPM General Counsel's approval, pursuant to 5 CFR part 295 or 
otherwise.
    b. To the appropriate Federal, State, or local agency responsible 
for investigating, prosecuting, enforcing, or implementing a statute, 
rule, regulation, or order, when a record, either on its face or in 
conjunction with other information, indicates or is relevant to a 
violation or potential violation of civil or criminal law or 
regulation.
    c. To a member of Congress from the record of an individual in 
response to an inquiry made at the request of the individual to whom 
the record pertains.
    d. To the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for 
records management inspections being conducted under the authority of 
44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
    e. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when (1) OPM 
suspects or has confirmed that there has been a breach of the system of 
records; (2) OPM has determined that as a result of the suspected or 
confirmed breach there is a risk of harm to individuals, OPM (including 
its information systems, programs, and operations), the Federal 
Government, or national security; and (3) the disclosure made to such 
agencies, entities, and persons is reasonably necessary to assist in 
connection with OPM's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed 
breach or to prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm.
    f. To another Federal agency or Federal entity, when OPM determines 
that information from this system of records is reasonably necessary to 
assist the recipient agency or entity in (1) responding to a suspected 
or confirmed breach or (2) preventing, minimizing, or remedying the 
risk of harm to individuals, the recipient agency or entity (including 
its information systems, programs, and operations), the Federal 
Government, or national security, resulting from a suspected or 
confirmed breach.
    g. To contractors, grantees, experts, consultants, or volunteers 
performing or working on a contract, service, grant, cooperative 
agreement, or other assignment for OPM when OPM determines that it is 
necessary to accomplish an agency function related to this system of 
records. Individuals provided information under this routine use are 
subject to the same Privacy Act requirements and limitations on 
disclosure as are applicable to OPM employees.
    h. To Federal supervisors of employees who have provided self-
entered data on individual competency proficiency levels; however, only 
information about the employees they supervise can be accessed and only 
in order to analyze their employees' information in comparison to the 
individual targeted and current proficiency levels as entered by the 
supervisor.
    i. To Federal agencies whose personnel have provided information 
related to competency assessments so that agencies may conduct analyses 
and identify competency strengths and gaps, appropriately de-identified 
individual and aggregate level data about their agency's employees.

PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
    The records in this system of records are stored electronically on 
OPM's production database servers, hosted at an OPM data center in 
Macon, GA. Access to these servers are restricted to authorized 
government personnel.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
    Records may be retrieved by the Federal employee's name along with 
their agency name and government email address, the employee's direct 
supervisor's name, email address, or

[[Page 51500]]

other personal identifier contained in this system of records. The 
records can be retrieved by a small number of personnel in the 
Strategic Workforce Planning office by means of secure login to the 
application; individual Federal employees and supervisors can also 
retrieve the stored records by means of a secure login in order to view 
their own or their employees' records.
    Records can be retrieved in aggregate form by other authorized OPM 
personnel or specially assigned administrators in participating Federal 
agencies by means of a secure login.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
    The records in this system of records are subject to General 
Records Schedule 2.6, Item 010, and will be retained for three years 
unless a business use is identified that requires a longer retention.

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
    Records in this system are protected from unauthorized access and 
misuse through various administrative, technical and physical security 
measures. OPM security measures are in compliance with the Federal 
Information Security Modernization Act (Pub. L. 113-283), associated 
OMB policies, and applicable standards and guidance from the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    Supervisors and employees who complete an assessment using the 
competency tool will have access to the information they submitted via 
their own secure login to the application.
    In addition, individuals seeking notification of and access to 
their records in this system of records may submit a request in writing 
to the Office of Personnel Management, Freedom of Information Act 
Office, 1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415. Individuals must 
furnish the following information for their records to be located:
    1. Full name.
    2. Employing agency.
    3. Government email address used.
    4. Supervisor's name.
    5. Signature.
    6. The reason why the individual believes this system contains 
information about him/her.
    7. The address to which the information should be sent.
    Individuals requesting access must also comply with OPM's Privacy 
Act regulations regarding verification of identity and access to 
records (5 CFR 297).

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    Users can contact the System Manager (listed above) to make 
changes.
    Individuals may also request that records about them be amended by 
writing to the Office of Personnel Management, Freedom of Information 
Act Office, 1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415 and furnish the 
following information for their records to be located:
    1. Full name.
    2. Employing agency.
    3. Government email address used.
    3. Supervisor's name.
    4. Signature.
    5. Precise identification of the information requested to be 
amended.
    Individuals requesting amendment must also follow OPM's Privacy Act 
regulations regarding verification of identity and amendment to records 
(5 CFR 297).

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
    See ``Record Access Procedure.''

EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
    None.

HISTORY:
    None.

    Office of Personnel Management.
Alexys Stanley,
Regulatory Affairs Analyst.
[FR Doc. 2020-18258 Filed 8-19-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-46-P