President Obama plans to issue an executive order, perhaps as early as this week, ending a federal internship program that critics say circumvents proper hiring practices.
The program has drawn fire from federal employee unions and from the government board that oversees federal hiring practices, which ruled in November that the program undermined the rights of veterans, in particular, who were seeking federal work.
According to a draft copy of the executive order, which The Washington Post obtained from a person involved with the review process, the program will be terminated in March and be replaced with a program clearly designed to provide short-term federal work opportunities for recent graduates of schools of all kinds.
Dec 27, 2010
Permanent End For FCIP
Nov 8, 2010
Is Social Security Still Hiring Under FCIP?
Nov 7, 2010
Federal Career Intern Decision
We hold that FCIP is inconsistent with the Civil Service Rules that govern placement of positions in the excepted service under 5 U.S.C. § 3302(1) -- a law relating to veterans’ preference -- because it allows an agency to invoke an appointing authority reserved for “positions . . . for which it is not practicable to hold a competitive examination” after the agency holds a competitive examination that yields highly-qualified preference-eligible candidates.
We wish to emphasize what we do not hold. Amicus NTEU [National Treasury Employees Union] asserts ... that FCIP violates the merit system principles because it allows hiring without “fair and open competition.” ... The cases before us, however, arise under the VEOA [Veterans Employment Opportunity Act]; the sole issue is whether the appellants’ rights under a statute or regulation relating to veterans’ preference have been violated. ...
In this connection, we overrule the statement in Gingery v. Department of Defense, 105 M.S.P.R. 671, ¶ 9 (2007), rev’d on other grounds, 550 F.3d 1347 (Fed. Cir. 2008), that FCIP is “a valid exception to the competitive examination requirement” because it is “authorized by an Executive Order.” ...
The Board has recognized that in unusual cases its decisions may have such a far-reaching impact on the workings of the government that the normal timeline for compliance should be extended. ... This appears to be such a case. At the same time, untold numbers of veterans are potentially being shut out of job opportunities for which they would have preference, because the agencies are filling the positions under FCIP without public notice. ... Balancing the foregoing considerations, we conclude that OPM must comply with 5 U.S.C. § 3302(1) within 120 days of the date of this decision instead of the customary 30 days.
Nov 6, 2010
MSPB Rules Against Federal Career Intern Program
The American Federation of Government Employees today applauded the Merit Systems Protection Board’s ruling that the Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) violates competitive hiring and veterans preference rules under Title 5. AFGE had filed an amicus brief in the case urging the board to strike down the FCIP.
In the Nov. 2 decision, MSPB ruled that the FCIP is inconsistent with Civil Service Rules that govern placement of positions in the excepted service because it does not require agencies to justify placing positions in the excepted service as required by statute. Under Title 5, excepted service authority should be granted only for “positions … for which it is not practicable to hold a competitive examination.” The board therefore ordered the Office of Personnel Management to comply with Title 5.
Sep 2, 2010
OIG Report On Stimulus Act Hiring
FCIP hires are controversial since there is no public listing of such positions. There have been concerns that this allows favoritism and other shenanigans. The explanation given for the heavy use of FCIP is that it is quicker to hire under FCIP and that FCIP hires have a longer period of evaluation. Somebody needs to take a hard look at federal hiring policies. At best, secretive hiring reduces the applicant pool which makes it harder to hire the best possible employees. At worst, secretive hiring can lead to scandals.
Aug 24, 2009
Social Security Loses On Federal Career Intern Program
From Government Executive.Com:
The Merit Systems Protection Board has ruled that a disabled veteran can legally challenge the government's career internship program, reversing a 2008 decision by an administrative judge.
The ruling deals another blow to the Federal Career Intern Program, created by a 2000 executive order as a special hiring authority for the government. A July decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia allowed a separate lawsuit filed by the National Treasury Employees Union against the program to move forward.
The veteran, Alvern C. Weed, said the internship program cost him a job with the Social Security Administration in 2005. Weed had applied for the job during the first round of hiring by responding to an advertisement on the federal recruiting site USAJobs.gov, and was added to a list of candidates who had preference because of their veteran status. But the supervisor in charge of filling the position ignored that list, according to the case, and instead selected two candidates who responded to a newspaper advertisement.
Jul 20, 2009
AFGE Newsletter Critical Of Social Security Management
Nepotism is alive and well at Social Security -- and Union officials believe some managers are using the Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) as a way to bring their family members and friends into the agency.I do not have a dog in the fight over FCIP. However, my gut feeling based upon only limited knowledge of the program is that Social Security management needs to think about whether extensive use of FCIP is a good idea. Council 220 goes over the top at times, but that does not mean that they are always wrong.
And there is also this information in the newsletter:
Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance Awards were given on December 24, 2006 (Christmas Eve) to the following individuals. They are considered 2007 awards:
- Linda McMahon, Deputy Commissioner for Operations $25,000
- Milt Beever, Associate Commissioner, Office of Labor- Management and Employee Relations (OLMER) $8,000]
Regional Commissioners:More award money was also given throughout 2008. Most of them were SES Performance Awards and were announced on March 14 (except where noted).
- Paul Barnes (Atlanta) $22,000
- Nancy Berryhill (Denver) $14,000
- Beatrice M. Disman (New York) $25,000
- Michael Grochowski (Kansas City) $10,000
- James F. Martin (Chicago) $12,000
- Carl L. Rabun (Seattle) $10,000
- Ramona Schuenemeyer (Dallas) $8,000
- Manuel J. Vaz (Boston) $20,000
- Laurie B. Watkins (Philadelphia) $20,000
TOTAL for both years: $489,197
- Paul Barnes $22,000
- Milt Beever $12,500
- Nancy Berryhill $17,500
- Beatrice Disman $26,150
- Michael Grochowski $13,500
- James F. Martin $12,000
- Linda McMahon $26,150
- Ramona Schuenemeyer (SES Rank Award; Sept. 30) $32,975
- Ramona Schuenemyer $21,750
- Pete Spencer (San Francisco Regional Commissioner) $26,150
- Manuel J. Vaz (SES Rank Award; Sept. 30) $59,897
- Manuel J. Vaz $23,375
- Laurie Watkins $21,250
Mar 17, 2009
Union Attacks Career Intern Program At Social Security
The National Treasury Employees Union is continuing its long-standing battle against the Federal Career Intern Program by supporting a veteran who claims the program cost him a job with the Social Security Administration.
The union has filed an amicus brief in the Merit Systems Protection Board case Alvern C. Weed v. Social Security Administration, arguing once again that FCIP illegally undermined veterans preference laws. The union claimed SSA improperly denied Weed, a disabled veteran, a chance to apply for claims and service representative positions by turning to FCIP during a second round of hiring.
"The FCIP was designed as a special-focus hiring authority to provide structured, two-year developmental internships," NTEU President Colleen Kelley stated. "Instead, we now find agencies using it as the principal, and in some cases only, means of hiring." ...
At issue in Alvern C. Weed v. Social Security Administration was SSA's failure to post a vacancy announcement during its second round of hiring. Weed had applied for the job during the first round by responding to an advertisement on the federal recruiting site USAJobs.gov, and was added to a list of candidates who had preference because of their veteran status. But the supervisor in charge of filling the position ignored that list and instead selected two candidates who responded to a newspaper advertisement.
At least the federal Office of Personnel Management has decided to protect vets with service connected disabilities.
Update: The Senior Deputy General Counsel of the National Treasury Employees Union has just been hired as the General Counsel of the Office of Personnel Management. That might lead to a change in OPM's position on the litigation.