- Position Title
- Government Information Specialist
- Agency
- Veterans Health Administration
- Announcement Number
- CBTD-12608912-25-JM Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Wednesday, November 13, 2024 to Monday, November 25, 2024
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Do you claim Veterans’ Preference?
2.
Are you currently employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50). Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted). Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
3.
Are you a former employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs who:
• formerly occupied a career or career conditional position at the VA within the preceding two years before applying for reemployment at VA; AND,
• voluntarily departed such position, or was subject to a reduction in force, and had a satisfactory performance record while occupying such position; AND,
• since departing VA has maintained licensing requirements, related to the position, if any, and gained skills, knowledge, or other factors related to the position; AND,
• possesses at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level of the position sought?
Appointment under this authority is exempt from competitive examining procedures and Veteran's preference.
To verify your eligibility, you must provide a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 that demonstrates you meet the requirements outlined in P.L. 115-46, VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017, section 204.
• formerly occupied a career or career conditional position at the VA within the preceding two years before applying for reemployment at VA; AND,
• voluntarily departed such position, or was subject to a reduction in force, and had a satisfactory performance record while occupying such position; AND,
• since departing VA has maintained licensing requirements, related to the position, if any, and gained skills, knowledge, or other factors related to the position; AND,
• possesses at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level of the position sought?
Appointment under this authority is exempt from competitive examining procedures and Veteran's preference.
To verify your eligibility, you must provide a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 that demonstrates you meet the requirements outlined in P.L. 115-46, VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017, section 204.
4.
Are you a veteran who separated from active duty under honorable conditions AND you:
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service. You must also submit the disability letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service and the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15.
- have a rating by the Department of Veterans Affairs showing a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more; OR,
- retired from active military service with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service. You must also submit the disability letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service and the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15.
5.
Were you employed overseas as an Appropriated Fund employee AND did you:
For more information, review USAJOBS Former Overseas Employees resources.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50, and performance appraisal.
- complete 52 weeks of creditable overseas service in an appropriated fund position(s) as a family member during the time you accompanied a sponsor officially assigned to an oversea area; AND,
- receive a fully successful or better (or equivalent) performance rating: AND,
- return to the United States to resume residence less than 3 years ago?
For more information, review USAJOBS Former Overseas Employees resources.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50, and performance appraisal.
6.
1. Are you the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces? (Includes all spouses of members of the armed forces on active duty. Spouses do not have to relocate with active duty service member) To verify your eligibility, submit: (1) Copy of your marriage license. (2) Proof of service members active duty status.
-OR-
2. Are you the spouse of a service member who:
-OR-
3. Are you the spouse of a deceased service member who:
-OR-
2. Are you the spouse of a service member who:
- is retired, released, or discharged from the Armed Forces due to a service-connected injury; AND
- on the date on which the member retires, is released, or is discharged, has a disability rating of 100 percent under the standard schedule of rating disabilities in use by the Department of Veterans Affairs;
-OR-
3. Are you the spouse of a deceased service member who:
- was married to the service member on the date the service member died, while on active duty in the Armed Forces; AND
- has not remarried.
To verify your eligibility, submit: (1) a copy of your marriage license, documentation identifying marital status at the time of death and proof that you have not remarried. (2) DD-214 documenting the death of the service member while on active duty, the death certificate; or a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service, etc. specifying the service member's death while on active duty.
For more information, review USAJOBS Military Spouses resources
Note: The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA FY19), section 573(e) sunsets these statutory changes on August 12, 2023, after which time the provisions at 5 USC 3330(d) in effect prior to the date of enactment (i.e., August 12, 2018) will apply again.
7.
Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from the agency hiring for this position? If yes, confirm:
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
- you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND,
- you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
- your grade is equivalent to or below the grade level of the vacancy; AND,
- your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
8.
Have you completed at least 1 year of continuous service immediately before separation from one or more nontemporary Foreign Service appointments; AND, your separation from a Foreign Service career-type appointment occurred in the last 3 years (individuals entitled to veteran's preference do not need to meet this 3-year requirement)?
-OR-
Have you completed at least 3 years of substantially continuous service under one or more nontemporary appointments in the Foreign Service immediately before separation from an unlimited, career-type appointment in that Service?
-OR-
Are you a current or former limited non-career appointee with the Foreign Service and have at least 48 months of continuous service, a performance rating of satisfactory or better, and if a former employee, no more than a one year break in service since your qualifying appointment?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) reflecting your nontemporary status. If you are outside of the 3-year requirement but are entitled to veteran's preference, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service.
-OR-
Have you completed at least 3 years of substantially continuous service under one or more nontemporary appointments in the Foreign Service immediately before separation from an unlimited, career-type appointment in that Service?
-OR-
Are you a current or former limited non-career appointee with the Foreign Service and have at least 48 months of continuous service, a performance rating of satisfactory or better, and if a former employee, no more than a one year break in service since your qualifying appointment?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) reflecting your nontemporary status. If you are outside of the 3-year requirement but are entitled to veteran's preference, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service.
9.
Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from a position in a federal agency other than the Department of Veterans Affairs? If yes, confirm:
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
- you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND,
- you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
- you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
- your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
10.
Are you a current or former employee of a land management agency (Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; National Park Service; Fish and Wildlife Service; Bureau of Indian Affairs; or Bureau of Reclamation) who:
• was originally hired to a time-limited position under a competitive appointment; AND,
• served one or more time-limited appointments at a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of two or more years; AND,
• performed at an acceptable level of service during each period of service; AND,
• if no longer employed by the land management agency, have been separated for no more than two years, and departed that position in good standing?
To verify your eligibility, you must provide a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) and performance appraisal that demonstrates you meet the requirements outlined in the 5 U.S.C. 9602.
• was originally hired to a time-limited position under a competitive appointment; AND,
• served one or more time-limited appointments at a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of two or more years; AND,
• performed at an acceptable level of service during each period of service; AND,
• if no longer employed by the land management agency, have been separated for no more than two years, and departed that position in good standing?
To verify your eligibility, you must provide a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) and performance appraisal that demonstrates you meet the requirements outlined in the 5 U.S.C. 9602.
11.
Are you a former Peace Corps volunteer or VISTA member who has completed your service within the past twelve months?
-OR-
Are you a former Peace Corps volunteer or VISTA member who has completed your service within the past 36 months and is requesting an extension of your non-competitive eligibility due to your military service, status as a full-time student or other experience related to this position?
-OR-
Are you a current or former Peace Corps employee who has completed at least 36 months of continuous service and has been separated from the Peace Corps for less than three years?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your description of service or other proof of non-competitive eligibility. If you are a former Peace Corps volunteer or VISTA member who is requesting an extension of your non-competitive eligibility, please also provide the necessary documentation to support your request.
-OR-
Are you a former Peace Corps volunteer or VISTA member who has completed your service within the past 36 months and is requesting an extension of your non-competitive eligibility due to your military service, status as a full-time student or other experience related to this position?
-OR-
Are you a current or former Peace Corps employee who has completed at least 36 months of continuous service and has been separated from the Peace Corps for less than three years?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your description of service or other proof of non-competitive eligibility. If you are a former Peace Corps volunteer or VISTA member who is requesting an extension of your non-competitive eligibility, please also provide the necessary documentation to support your request.
12.
Are you a current Federal employee in the excepted service in an agency covered by an Interchange Agreement with at least one year of service in that position?
For more information, review Interchange Agreements with Other Merit Systems.
-OR-
Are you a current:
• Postal Career Service Employee;
• Postal Rate Commission Employee;
• Government Accountability Office (GAO) Employee; or,
• Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Employee?
For more information, review Miscellaneous Authorities Not Regulated By U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form (SF-50) reflecting your status.
For more information, review Interchange Agreements with Other Merit Systems.
-OR-
Are you a current:
• Postal Career Service Employee;
• Postal Rate Commission Employee;
• Government Accountability Office (GAO) Employee; or,
• Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Employee?
For more information, review Miscellaneous Authorities Not Regulated By U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form (SF-50) reflecting your status.
13.
Do you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability that qualifies you for Schedule A Disability appointments?
For more information, review USAJOBS Individuals with Disabilities resources.
To verify your eligibility, you must provide appropriate medical documentation, i.e., a letter signed by a licensed medical professional or licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, certifying your documented disability and eligibility under Schedule A.
For more information, review USAJOBS Individuals with Disabilities resources.
To verify your eligibility, you must provide appropriate medical documentation, i.e., a letter signed by a licensed medical professional or licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, certifying your documented disability and eligibility under Schedule A.
14.
Do you have prior Career or Career-Conditional Service with the Federal Government? If so, you may be eligible for reinstatement.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your separation Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. Your separation SF-50 (or equivalent personnel action form) must reflect:
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your separation Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. Your separation SF-50 (or equivalent personnel action form) must reflect:
- career or career-conditional (Tenure field box 24. is 1 or 2); AND,
- your status in the competitive service (Position Occupied field box 34. is 1).
- highest grade previously held (Grade or Level field box 18.)
15.
Are you currently employed as a civilian employee in the competitive service in a federal agency other than the Department of Veterans Affairs?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. Your SF-50 (or equivalent personnel action form) must reflect:
- career or career-conditional (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND,
- your status is in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1)
16.
Are you a veteran whose latest discharge was under honorable conditions spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran, AND you:
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of service which includes character of service. If applying as a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran eligible for derived preference you must provide acceptable documentation of your preference eligibility as outlined on the SF-15 form. *Note current Federal employees must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.
- served three or more years of continuous active duty service in the military (NOTE: if released shortly before completing a 3-year tour, you are considered to meet the eligibility); OR,
- are entitled to veterans' preference; OR,
- are eligible for derived preference as a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran?
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of service which includes character of service. If applying as a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran eligible for derived preference you must provide acceptable documentation of your preference eligibility as outlined on the SF-15 form. *Note current Federal employees must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.
17.
Are you an active duty service member expected to be discharged or released under honorable conditions within the next 120 days who will be eligible for Veterans' preference? You may eligible to apply through the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act based on tentative preference.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a "certification" on appropriate letterhead from your branch of service that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. Note: If selected, prior to appointment you will be required to provide your DD-214 and/or other supporting documentation to verify that you are eligible for Veterans' preference.
For more information, review USAJOBS Veterans resources.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit a "certification" on appropriate letterhead from your branch of service that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. Note: If selected, prior to appointment you will be required to provide your DD-214 and/or other supporting documentation to verify that you are eligible for Veterans' preference.
For more information, review USAJOBS Veterans resources.
Preferences
1.
Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
- Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
- Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
- Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
- Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
- Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001).
2.
If you are a current federal employee, you must attach your most recent, non-award SF-50. This SF-50 should not be more than a year old and must show your current position, grade and step. Award SF-50's typically do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted if they do not include Grade and Step.
In order to clearly demonstrate you possess the time-in-grade as required by the announcement, additional SF-50s must be attached which clearly demonstrate the minimum time-in-grade requirement.
Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
In order to clearly demonstrate you possess the time-in-grade as required by the announcement, additional SF-50s must be attached which clearly demonstrate the minimum time-in-grade requirement.
Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
- Within grade increases at the highest grade held
- Promotions with an effective date more than one year old
- SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old
In order to receive appropriate consideration, you should submit proper documentation if you are claiming eligibility for Veterans' Preference, which includes a copy of your DD-214 (member copy 4 or earlier version that shows character of service). Applicant's claiming 10-Point preference should also submit an SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference along with the required documentation listed on the form (such as verification of service-connected disability percentage).
Assessment 1
Select the appropriate answer to each of the following questions based on your current level of experience and/or education that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. When answering the questionnaire, remember that your experience subject to verification by investigation. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation of experience as proof to support your answers, or you may be required to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed ability to perform a task.
Minimum Qualifications Requirements: Select the appropriate answer to the following questions based on your current level of experience that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of a Government Information Specialist, GS-12 position.
1.
Do you have at have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service that includes; experience as a Privacy/FOIA officer working independently with little supervision, formulating policy, ensures compliance with federal and state laws and conducting thorough research of implementing regulations and policies and procedures to manage agency/organization information; providing assistance and services to the general public, staff members and communicated information to the Executive leadership, facility staff and outside stakeholders.
For each task in the following groups, choose the statement from the list below that best describes your experience and/or training.
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
2.
Implements unique policies and procedures to manage agency information, providing assistance and services to the general public and an organization, agency or facility staff members.
3.
Supports developing a local level strategy for data governance, which includes leading from the executive office and creating a unique program that includes diverse processes and specific policies which are independent of other facilities.
4.
Monitors and covers all aspects of the collection, use, dissemination, disclosure and destruction of information within an organization, agency or facility.
5.
Develops and integrates policy based processes, roles and controls that influences how data is created, collected, used, stored and destroyed throughout the organization.
6.
Adjudicates complex privacy and FOIA decisions that affect employees, customers and commercial businesses in the absence of supervision.
7.
Performs in-depth legal research that pertains to both federal and state statutes to render expertise, provide solutions and facilitate corrective action.
8.
Safeguards information while supporting accountability and transparency initiatives.
9.
Analyzes all of the interrelated issues that affect the privacy/FOIA program and plans and conducts monitoring activities which measure the overall level of operational compliance by the facility.
10.
Teaches and trains employees on general data protection procedures and detailed service specific practices for daily operations and uses technology to provide required privacy/FOIA training and supplemental education.
11.
Performs assessment of privacy-related risks associated with business activities that involve processing of personal and sensitive data.
12.
Investigates non-compliance of privacy related issues at all levels of an organization, agency or facility and outside of these entities when information is involved.
13.
Strengthens and sustains the operational life cycle of the privacy/FOIA program by developing a communication strategy that fosters awareness for both internal and external partners to improve compliance, provide training and engage the public.
14.
Ensures that organization, agency or facility correspondence for data governance is transparent, timely, accurate and complete in response to requests for information from the general-public, Congressional representatives, law enforcement, courts and commercial business.
15.
Creates a communications process and tools that are flexible, customizable and interactive to address unique compliance challenges and educational/training needs.
16.
Formulates policy, ensures compliance with federal and state laws and conducts thorough research of federal implementing regulations.
17.
Provides guidance while communicating complex information to the Executive leadership, facility staff and outside stakeholders.
18.
Educates executive leadership, managerial and front-line staff annually on FOIA with respect to their responsibilities as they relate to FOIA.
19.
Applies a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of data governance program effectiveness.
Resume Reminder - Your resume must include the following information for each job listed: Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible) Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008) Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week) Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.