2.2 Scope. The guidelines in this chapter apply to all positions, including GS/GM-l4 and above, that require Departmental or Service clearance before personnel actions for those positions may be effected.

2.3 Policy. The Service's policy requires submission to the Washington Office of any personnel action required by regulation to be approved by the Department and any proposed action at GS/GM-14 or above for approval by the Director.

2.4 Objectives.

A. To enable Assistant Directors and Regional Directors to fulfill their responsibilities in the appointment, promotion, reassignment, detail, or other actions pertaining to key positions or high-grade positions (generally, GS/GM-14 or above).

B. To comply with Departmental clearance requirements.

C. To improve the career development efforts of the Service.

D. To ensure consistent classification and staffing of critical positions throughout the Service.

2.5 Responsibility.

A. Assistant and Regional Directors are responsible for obtaining appropriate clearances from the Washington Office in accordance with all prescribed regulations and guidelines.

B. The Chief, Division of Personnel Management (DPM),and Regional Personnel Officers are responsible for ensuring that procedures are established and documentation is maintained or provided for covered personnel actions under their delegated authority as outlined in 2.8 below.

2.6 Departmental Clearance Requirements. 242 DM 2.1 delegates general personnel management authority to the Director subject to Departmental clearance procedures found in 370 DM 311. 370 DM 311 lists the positions/programs that require approval by the Department through and with the concurrence of the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. Of particular concern to the Service are those positions designated as key positions (370 DM 311,1.5). Prior Departmental approval is also required for personnel actions pertaining to employees engaged in selected program management areas. Regardless of grade level, all appointment or change actions involving Service or Regional equal employment opportunity officer positions, personnel officer positions, or public information officer and related positions must be submitted for Departmental clearance. 470 DM 1 lists additional approval requirements for other related public information positions. These include information specialists and others classified to the information series as well as publication and visual media personnel engaged in activities related to public information.

2.7 Service Clearance Requirements. 4 AM 4.1 or 033 FW 6 delegates general personnel management authority to the Chief, Division of Personnel Management, and Regional Directors up to and including GS/GM-13. In addition to those positions requiring Departmental clearance as outlined in 2.6 above, personnel actions for positions at GS/GM-14 and above not covered by 370 DM 311 require prior approval from the Director. This requirement includes positions that are filled at lower grades when the target grade is identified at GS/GM-14 and above (e.g., a position filled at GS/GM-13 with promotion potential to GS/GM-14).

2.8 Procedures. Personnel actions requiring approval by either the Department (under 370 DM 311) or the Director (under 2.7 above) must be submitted to the Director (Attention: DPM). All submissions will include the original Request for Personnel Action (SF-52) signed by the appropriate supervisory officials and approved by the appropriate Assistant or Regional Director.

A. Classification Actions will Include the Following:

(1) A position description written in the Factor Evaluation System (FES) format with a properly certified Optional Form 8 that is not more than three years old. If a position is supervisory in nature, the position description will include a supervisory duty statement that includes all supervisory factors credited under the applicable supervisory grading guide. When a promotion is recommended as a result of increased responsibility in the established position, the lower graded position description of record must accompany the request;

(2) A comprehensive evaluation statement that effectively addresses all classification factors, including any pertinent background and audit information. The evaluation statement will clearly and thoroughly express the rationale for crediting each grading factor with representative examples that demonstrate why credit is warranted (e.g., for "Significant Managerial Aspects"). This document will also address any issues or circumstances that may be precedent-setting or may impact on consistency with other comparable organizations. The statement will be signed and dated by the assigned classifier;

(3) An accurate and properly approved organization chart that reflects reporting relationships and authorized subordinate positions by title, series, and grade. The chart will clearly denote the proposed position;

(4) For accretion of duties actions, a justification delineating the circumstances as prescribed in the Service Merit Staffing Program (223 FW 6);

(5) For reorganization requests that relate to a newly proposed structure, a copy of the approved reorganization;

(6) Any other documentation that may be prescribed by the Department or Service.

B. Staffing or Recruitment Actions will Include the Following:

(1) An Application for Federal Employment (SF-171), and a copy of the Merit Staffing Certificate or Office of Personnel Management Certificate for proposed new appointments;

(2) For vacant positions, a Job Analysis that effectively gathers, analyzes, and documents information about the position and identifies the critical work elements and the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the position;

(3) A Crediting Plan for rating and ranking qualified applicants that consists of the selective placement and quality ranking factors, based on the Job Analysis, with three quality level descriptions or benchmarks for each factor;

(4) Recruitment Plan, including outreach, as well as any other documentation that may be prescribed by the Department or the Service.

2.9 Upon obtaining the appropriate approval on GS/GM-14 and above from either the Department or the Director, the Division of Personnel Management will notify the appropriate Servicing Personnel Office of the effective date and process the action.

For other positions/actions at GS/GM-13 and below requiring advance approval (e.g., public information, equal employment opportunity officer, or personnel officer positions), the Division of Personnel Management will notify the appropriate Servicing Personnel Office when approval has been secured so that actions may be processed locally.