Program
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Purpose
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Structure
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Program
Benefits for Interns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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How
to Get Nominated for the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Who
to Contact for More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Elements
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Position
Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Rotations
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Individual
Development Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Training
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Career
Development Group Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Agency
Specific Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Agency
PMI Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Agency
PMI Supervisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Mentors
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Program
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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The Presidential
Management Fellows (PMF) Program was established on August 25, 1977 by Executive
Order 12008 (E.O. 12008), and was reconstituted May 24, 1982 by E.O. 12364.
The PMF Program is designed to attract high caliber graduates with Master's
and Doctors degrees to pursue careers with the Federal Government. The Office
of Personnel Management (OPM) administers the program. Following a competitive
screening process, PMF's are selected and referred to agencies for interviews,
hiring, and placement in regional or headquarters offices. The PMF Program
is designed to provide the Federal Government with a pool of well qualified
and well-trained future supervisors, managers, and executives by recruiting
individuals with Master's and Doctor's degrees and providing them with a concentrated,
varied, and accelerated training experience, both inside and outside their sponsoring
agency. Interns
are hired at the GS-9 level with Excepted Service appointment status for
the beginning of their two-year internship. Following satisfactory completion
of the first year, they are eligible for promotion to the GS-11 level.
After the second year, they are eligible for conversion to career or career-conditional
status at the GS-11 or GS-12 level, depending on their total length of
service, and the career potential of their position.
HOW
TO GET NOMINATED FOR THE PROGRAM
Graduate students
interested in entering the PMF Program should contact the appropriate dean or
other official at their college or university to request nomination. This should
be done in early August/September the student plans to graduate.
WHO
TO CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION
Students interested
in working for USDA may contact the Departmental PMI Program Manager in Washington,
D.C. at (202) 720-6104. Students and school officials may also contact the OPM,
PMI Office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at (215) 861-3066. Also, information
on the PMF Program may be obtained from OPM's PMI Home Page on the Internet
at: www.pmi.opm.gov. Students attending
the 1890 Land Grant Institutions, Tuskegee University, Texas A and M University
at Kingsville, California State University at Fresno, Miami-Dade Community College,
University of New Mexico at Alburquerque, and the Michigan State University
may also contact the USDA Liaison Officer at their school for further information.
The Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 213.3102 (ii), and 315.708 contain
guidelines for agencies to follow in administering the PMI Program. Five
major Program elements are summarized below and include:
PMF Supervisors
normally place PMF's in positions which allow for professional growth, and which
offer potential for advancement following completion of the program. PMF's are
likewise normally placed in positions with the flexibility to incorporate rotations
and other professional developmental activities. Job rotations
(details) are an integral part of the PMF Program. The PMF Program requires
that each intern gain a working familiarity with at least three of the following
five management areas: The development
of the Individual Development Plans (IDP) is an important part of the 2-year
internship. The IDP process helps to make the internship a positive experience
for both the agency and the intern. Each PMF is required to develop an IDP with
assistance from his or her supervisor. The IDP must contain specific descriptions
of assignments and learning objectives, and incorporate other elements of the
program such as rotations, career development group participation, and training
events. An IDP should be considered a vital and flexible planning document to
be reviewed periodically and revised as appropriate. In addition
to the knowledge, skills, and experience, and other types of training interns
will gain in the agency, OPM sponsors a career development component, which
includes two residential seminars:
Beginning with
the 1997 Class, agencies were required to provide 80 hours of formal training
each year of the internship. However, OPM's orientation training will count
for 24 hours of formal training for the first year, and the graduation program
will count for 16 hours in the second year. Agencies will, therefore, have to
provide the additional 56 hours of formal training in the first year and the
64 hours of formal training in the second year. PMF supervisors
and PMI's can explore various training
options such as those listed on the Office of Human Resources Management's
Internet site to meet the training requirements for the program.
Career
Development Group Meetings
A final
important element of an intern's career development is participation in
career development group activities. The general objectives of career development
groups are:
Specific implementation
of the PMF Program will vary from agency to agency. The guidelines in the CFR,
Parts 213.3102 (ii), and 315.708 discussed previously are based upon OPM's interpretation
of the intent of the founding E.O. 12008, and of E.O. 12364. These guidelines
should be incorporated within the structure of the individual agency program
whenever possible. Your agency PMI Coordinator will be able to provide you with
information on specific requirements. Agency PMF Coordinators
are vital to the success of the program. Agency PMI Coordinators normally will
be on staff with the agency operating human resources office or with the human
resources office that services your agency. Agency PMI Coordinators perform
the following important functions: Your agency's
PMF Coordinator is ________________________________, and can be
reached
by calling _________________________________.
PMF Supervisors
provide important instruction, guidance, and feedback to the intern. The success
of an intern and of the PMF Program is due in large measure to the kind of interaction
a PMF has with his or her supervisor. PMF Supervisors are encouraged to meet
with the agency PMF Coordinator to discuss and clarify their role. Such conversations
could include these topics: Mentors
provide invaluable resource information, assist interns to work effectively
within the agency and the Federal government, and are an invaluable part
of an intern's career development. The mentoring relationship is a major
contributor to the development of a valuable agency employee and future
Federal manager. Interns and agencies are encouraged to develop and support
mentoring relationships early in the program.
Written materials
are available from your agency PMF Coordinator. Materials may include:
o
Executive Order 12364, dated May 24, 1982
o
Sample IDP's
o
CFR, Parts 213.3102 (ii), and 315.708
o PMF
Information Brochures
Taken together,
these elements enable the Federal Government, the agency, and the intern
to reap great benefits not available through other recruitment and training
programs.
Rotations
to a variety of offices within the intern's agency, or within USDA provide
excellent opportunities for training in the five mentioned management areas.
Rotations may also occur within another Federal agency, congressional offices,
or state or local governments; however, rotations within USDA are preferred.
Both the home agency and the intern benefit from the valuable experience
and contacts made during rotational assignments.
Fees for
the OPM training are included in the yearly payments agencies provide to
OPM. The only additional expense would be for travel expenses that may
be necessary. Interns should include the residential training with other
training in their IDP's. Interns should take advantage of the two OPM offerings.
USDA agencies
are strongly encouraged to support PMFs' participation in career develop group
activities, and to draw on the interagency contacts developed by the intern
as a result of his or her involvement.
In addition, PMF
Coordinators are available to meet with agency PMF Supervisors to:
Agency PMF Coordinators
may also attend periodic meetings sponsored by OPM.
Mentors