DATE: March 18, 2014 TO: Office of Personnel Management Director Katherine Archuleta FROM: Jeremy Furrer, PMF

Class of 2011 Lauren Hansen, 2013 PMF Finalist Jennifer Mills, 2013 PMF Finalist RE: Presidential Management Fellowship Program - Class of 2013 Policy Recommendations DEFINING THE PROBLEM Just 34% of the 2013 Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) Finalists have successfully been appointed to positions at Federal Agencies. Although Agencies are slowly recovering from budgetary uncertainties and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has offered an additional job fair with the possibility of another during the remaining month of eligibility, there is so little time remaining to ensure that a sufficient number of 2013 Finalists obtain placement. A number of circumstances occurred in 2013 that led to the low number of appointed Finalists. The Annual Spring Job Fair, where a significant number of PMFs are normally hired, was drastically hindered by the sequestration, which took place only two months prior. Further, the 16 day government shutdowns in October, as well as the implementation of hiring freezes, furloughs, and overall reductions in force, have notably contributed to the unique hardships faced by this Class of Finalists. The additional job fair originally offered by OPM on March 3, 2014 was postponed because of weather conditions, preventing some Finalists from attending the rescheduled job fair because of limited time and finances. Lastly, while the job fair hosted by OPM on March 10th provided some additional opportunities for Finalists, Agencies who attended will have limited time to extend offers before the April 8th deadline. The PMF Program has a long legacy of attracting talented men and women to a career in public service and producing strong leaders in our Federal Government. It is now likely that OPM and the Federal Government will lose the talent of one of the most competitive and diverse PMF Classes in years. Not only will Federal Agencies miss the opportunity to benefit from the skills, abilities, knowledge, and leadership potential of this Class, but OPM will have spent an entire year facilitating a program where only 1/3 of Finalists were placed. While it is understood that an appointment is not guaranteed, there has been a dramatic decline in appointment rates over the last few years, with appointments falling from 69% in 2010 to 47% in 2012. This year has shown an even larger decrease, with only 34% of the Class being appointed thus far. Such declines will have foreseeable negative consequences for the Program in general. These consequences may include a lack of interest in the Program among recent graduates, a lack of Agency participation, or possibly even a reduction in funding for the Program. A primary concern of both OPM and 2013 Finalists is the negative effect an extension would have on the 2014 Class. It the overarching objective of this memorandum to offer equitable solutions that would maximize the benefits while minimizing any potential harm to both Classes. Overall, the extremely low placement rate sets a precedent for future Classes, whereby it is deemed acceptable to have a much lower placement rate. This precedent ultimately harms both Classes. Implementing reforms now, starting with the 2013 Class, would ultimately serve to benefit the 2014 Class and future Classes as well. It is in the opinion of many 2013 Finalists and PMF Alumni that immediate action by Director Katherine Archuleta is needed in order to both assist the PMF Finalists of 2013 and to avoid harming the PMF Finalists of 2014. Herein is a compilation of possible policy choices developed through communications with 2013 Finalists and PMF Alumni. Each option attempts to take into consideration the impact on both Classes and alleviate any potentially negative effects. These policy recommendations are respectfully submitted for Director Archuletas consideration. 1

POLICY OPTION #1: Eligibility Extension until 50% Appointment Summary Grant the 2013 PMF Finalists an eligibility extension up until they have reached a 50% appointment rate. Establish the same 50% appointment rate for all future PMF Classes, including the Class of 2014. Though the additional job fair will potentially provide 115 positions for the 2013 Finalists, the timing may result in an inability for Agencies to complete the application process before the April 8, 2014 deadline. Giving 2013 Finalists and Agencies sufficient time will be essential in achieving the 50% appointment rate. Further, the impact of the March 10th job fair may be felt by the incoming 2014 Finalists, since approximately 115 positions will now be unavailable to them as a result. This option ensures that the 2014 Class will not be detrimentally affected since the same standard will be applied to both Classes. Policy Action Steps 1. The 2013 PMF Finalists will be granted an extension until they reach a 50% appointment rate. 2. The 2014 PMF Finalists and future Classes will be guaranteed a 50% appointment rate. 3. OPM will take action to work with Agencies already participating in the PMF Program to make more positions available for 2013 and 2014 PMF Finalists. This action includes outreach to offices outside of the District of Columbia who may be unfamiliar with the Program. 4. OPM will actively reach out to previously participating Agencies to renew interest in the Program. Beneficial Impacts An advantage to this policy is it presents the possibilities for long term solutions. It creates and communicates a healthy expectation surrounding the implementation of the PMF Program. It will require the OPM PMF Team to evaluate and adjust its processes in order to address specific circumstances faced by Finalists from year to year. This policy will benefit the 2014 Finalists and future Classes since it provides fair treatment between Classes regardless of the circumstances. It is likely that future Classes will experience similarly unique hardships based on their year of eligibility. For example, the 2014 Class will still be contending with Agencies recovering from budgetary uncertainties. The 50% appointment rate would require the OPM PMF Team to track the success over the period of eligibility and to make adjustments accordingly, including the organization of additional job fairs, trainings, and additional outreach to Agencies. It is extremely important that OPM is successful each and every year in appointing as many PMFs as possible. One of the stated purposes of the PMF Program is to form the foundations of the future leadership of the Federal Government. Ultimately, the more Finalists who are appointed, the more potential there is for tomorrow's leaders to find opportunities that will allow them to share their talents and abilities for years to come. Establishing a 50% appointment rate will enable more of these young leaders to embark on a career in public service.

Negative Impacts One of the most significant disadvantages of this policy would be the additional administrative burden placed on the OPM PMF Team. First, the policy necessitates that the OPM PMF Team manage the 2013 PMF Class and the 2014 PMF Class simultaneously for an unknown period of time. In addition, it is likely that the OPM PMF Team will need to recruit new Federal Agencies and create greater Agency awareness of the PMF Program, especially in offices outside of the District of Columbia. The PMF OPM Team will need to organize these additional outreach efforts in order to increase the number of positions; in doing so, they will be able to accommodate the remaining 2013 Finalists, as well as the incoming 2014 Class. As with each of these recommended policy changes, as well as the additional job fairs being held for the 2013 Class, this policy will have an effect on the 2014 Finalists. For a period of time, the 2014 Class will not only be competing with their own Class, but also with the remaining 2013 Finalists. This will surely take PMF positions away from the 2014 Class, which, absent of this policy, would be offered to only the 2014 Finalists.

POLICY OPTION #2: The Remaining 2013 Finalists will be Combined with the 2014 PMF Class Summary Permit the remaining Finalists from the Class of 2013 to be combined with the future Finalists from the Class of 2014, excluding Finalists for the new STEM track. This policy would allow 2013 Finalists additional time to find placement given the exceptional circumstances this Class has faced, while also considering the future potential of the 2014 Class. This option would be limited only to the Class of 2013. Policy Action Steps 1. The remaining Finalists from the 2013 Class will be combined with the Finalists from the 2014 Class. 2. OPM will take action to work with Agencies already participating in the PMF Program to make more positions available for 2013 and 2014 PMF Finalists. This action includes outreach to offices outside of the District of Columbia who may be unfamiliar with the Program. 3. OPM will actively reach out to previously participating Agencies to renew interest in the Program. 4. OPM will work to facilitate more meaningful contact between participating Agencies and Finalists through additional job fairs. Beneficial Impacts Rather than Finalists from the Class of 2013 having a status separate from that of Finalists from the Class of 2014, all Finalists would be merged into a single Class. All Finalists would have access to the same job fairs, as well as the TAS system. Therefore limiting the administrative burden placed on the PMF Team. In addition, this option gives more flexibility to Agencies that are currently interested in hiring Finalists from the Class of 2013, but who may be limited by the April 8, 2014 deadline. Given the time restraints that both Agencies and Finalists are facing, it is likely that Agencies may simply elect to wait and hire 3

Finalists from the 2014 Class rather than rushing through the hiring process to meet an administrative deadline. Combining Finalists from the Class of 2013 with Finalists from the Class of 2014 would solve this issue by giving Agencies more time to undertake the hiring process. Negative Impacts One possible disadvantage of this policy option is the effect that it will have on the Class of 2014. Combining the 2013 Finalists with the 2014 Finalists would mean more competition for placement. In addition, the residual effects of the sequestration and the government shutdown will impact the total number of positions available over the coming year. This reality could ultimately lead to even more Finalists competing for a scarce number of jobs.

POLICY OPTION #3: Extend the Deadline for 2013 PMF Finalists by Three Months Summary Extend the deadline by three months, to July 8, 2014. An extension would provide additional time for Finalists to find positions within the Federal Government. A three month extension would also give OPM the time it needs to schedule and organize job fairs that are necessary to increase placement rates. Policy Action Steps 1. Extend the deadline for 2013 PMF Finalists to July 8, 2014. 2. Provide the additional PMF job fair for 2013 Finalists in April 2014. 3. Provide a job fair in June 2014 for both 2013 and 2014 Finalists. 4. Provide an additional job fair for only 2014 Finalists once the July 8, 2014 deadline passes for the 2013 Finalists. 5. Between April 8, 2014 and July 8, 2014, OPM will hold multiple webinars aimed at aiding both 2013 and 2014 Finalists in resume development, professional marketing strategies, interview skills, and other competencies necessary to find Federal jobs. Beneficial Impacts Extending the deadline by just three months would give 2013 Finalists sufficient time to take advantage of recent efforts taken by OPM. With just weeks left until the April 8, 2014 deadline, there is concern that there is not sufficient enough time for Finalists to find positions. By allowing three additional months, both Finalists and Agencies will have more flexibility and time to undertake the lengthy hiring process. In addition, 2013 Finalists will not be excluded from consideration due to time constraints. Negative Impacts This policy option will place a burden on the OPM PMF Team to administer the PMF Program for two Classes simultaneously. Because the Classes will not be combined, they will need to be tracked separately and at the end of the three months, 2013 Finalists will then need to be removed from the TAS system. OPM will generally experience additional administrative burdens in order to effectively implement this policy option.