TRAINING
Sections
10.08.05 Roles and Responsibilities
10.08.07 Individual Development Plan
10.08.08 Probationary Supervisors
10.08.09 Failure to Complete a Course
10.08.10 Membership in Professional Organizations
10.08.11 Professional Credentials
10.08.12 Continued Service Agreement
10.08.01
PURPOSE
This subchapter sets forth the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) policy and procedures for the training program, following
the laws, regulations, and policies listed below.
1. 5 United States Code, Chapter 41
2. 5 CFR, Chapter 410.101
3. Guidance on Public Law 104-52
4. Executive Order 11348
5. OPM Training Policy Handbook: www.opm.gov/leader/hrd/lead/policy/flex.asp
6. Merit Systems Principles, Title 5 U.S. Code Chapter 23, 2301(b)
10.08.02
SCOPE
This subchapter applies to all NIST employees at Gaithersburg and Boulder.
10.08.03
POLICY
It is NIST policy to train and develop NIST employees for maximum achievement
of goals and objectives in accordance with applicable laws and regulations
noted above.
10.08.04
DEFINITIONS
a. Training – The process of providing for and making
available to an employee and placing or enrolling the employee in a planned,
prepared, and coordinated program, course, curriculum, subject, system,
or routine of instruction or education in scientific, professional, technical,
mechanical, trade, clerical, fiscal, administrative, or other field which
will improve individual and organizational performance and assist in achieving
the agency’s mission and performance goals.
b. Mission-Related Training – Training that supports agency goals by improving organizational performance at any appropriate level in the agency, including training that:
(1) Supports the agency’s strategic plan and performance objectives;
(2) Improves an employee’s current job performance;
(3) Allows for expansion or enhancement of an employee’s current job;
(4) Enables an employee to perform needed or potentially needed duties outside the current job at the same level of responsibility; or
(5) Meets organizational needs in response to human resource plans and
engineering, downsizing, restructuring, and/or program changes.
10.08.05
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The authority to approve training for all NIST employees is delegated
to the Operating Unit (OU) level. The OU Director may delegate the
approval authority to the Division Chief, but no lower than the Division
Chief.
Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that courses are completed
by discussing the outcome of the course with the employee, by requesting
a transcript from the employee, or by any other appropriate means.
10.08.06
CONTINUOUS LEARNING
Continuous learning is a necessary ingredient for the staff of any
organization that strives for continuous improvement and values technical,
managerial, and administrative excellence in its work. A formal policy
that addresses continuous learning provides a guideline for supervisors
and staff to plan learning activities that all staff should be participating
in for the pursuit of improving their ability to accomplish their work.
Learning can be done through the following:
(1) Courses in academic institutions;
(2) Internal and external training sessions (includes management and leadership programs, and other on-the-job training required by NIST management);
(3) Seminars and courses that help employees develop a better understanding of their fellow employees and how to conduct oneself as a Federal employee (i.e., diversity, ethics, safety);
(4) Developmental assignments; and
(5) Information training such as technical sessions of two hours or more at a professional or technical society meeting.
The NIST Deputy Director establishes a target for the average number of hours of continuous learning to be taken by the staff within each Operating Unit.
Operating Unit Directors must ensure that each employee’s performance
plan includes requirements for continuous learning to be tracked by the
supervisor. Staff (both supervisors and non-supervisors) may take
up to half of their continuous learning activities in information training.
Supervisors must take at least half of their continuous learning in leadership/management
type activities. Developmental assignments are to be considered as
fulfilling the yearly requirement for an employee.
10.08.07
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a document that identifies
an individual’s learning and development goals. The employee and
supervisor prepare it jointly. It contains training, education, work
assignments, and formal and informal activities to acquire skills and competencies
for both current job and future career growth. The IDP is at the
supervisor’s discretion.
a. Benefits – NIST must invest in the development of its human resources to meet demands of the future. Creating an IDP serves as a commitment between NIST and the employee to work towards specific goals, provides a mechanism to communicate those goals, and provides greater assurance that career development will be a success. It provides another way for supervisors to learn of the interests of the employee and for the employee to learn about current and future needs of NIST and other opportunities.
b. Responsibilities – Employees are responsible for their careers and for identifying their developmental goals and opportunities. Supervisors are responsible for assisting employees through career guidance discussions and for identifying opportunities consistent with individual and NIST objectives.
c. Process – The employee prepares for a career guidance discussion by identifying professional and career goals, skills that need further development, and knowledge and experiences that seem to be important for growth in the chosen career field. The supervisor prepares by considering the activities that may be beneficial for the employee and potential opportunities considering NIST’s current needs and future directions. The employee and the supervisor have a career guidance discussion and document the developmental goals and activities. NIST Document Number (DN) 13 is available for use. The employee and supervisor monitor and review progress on the IDP on a semi-annual basis.
Supplementary information relevant to the IDP is available by accessing
http://www-i.nist.gov/admin/pers/training/idp.htm.
10.08.08
PROBATIONARY SUPERVISORS
Probationary supervisors are required to complete the Management Survival
Skills training course prior to the one-year anniversary date of appointment.
10.08.09
FAILURE TO COMPLETE A COURSE
If an employee fails or does not complete a course, or resigns from
NIST prior to completion of a course, it is the employee’s responsibility
to inform the supervisor of such. The supervisor uses their discretion
to determine whether to request the employee to reimburse the government.
If an employee is terminated from NIST prior to completion of a course,
the employee is not obligated to reimburse the government.
10.08.10
MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
The law prohibits using appropriated funds to pay for individual employee
memberships in professional associations and societies. There are,
however, several ways for NIST to obtain the professional, scientific,
and technical information that associations provide their members.
Two examples are described below:
(1) Association membership is often included in registration fees for a conference or meeting. If NIST pays the registration fees, the employee’s membership in the association is considered an incidental by-product of meeting attendance.
(2) NIST may purchase an organizational membership in an association
or society. NIST may also purchase a membership for a specific position,
such as the position of Medical Director. The incumbent in that position
uses membership to improve the conduct, supervision, or management of his
or her function.
10.08.11
PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
The Defense Authorization Act for FY 2002, codified in 5 U.S.C. 5757,
allows agencies to use appropriated funds or funds otherwise available
to the agency to pay expenses for employees to obtain professional credentials,
including expenses for professional accreditation.
This authority allows NIST the flexibility to pay for licenses and credentials
that relate to the mission, goals, and objectives of the agency.
Use of this authority must be applied consistent with merit system principles.
Paying for credentials is at the discretion of the approving official.
10.08.12
CONTINUED SERVICE AGREEMENT
An employee selected for a training course (over 80 hours) must agree
in writing within their OU and prior to the training assignment, that they
will continue in the service of NIST after the end of the training period
for a time at least equal to three times the length of the training period.
If the employee departs NIST before the agreed upon amount of service
has occurred, the agency has the right to require repayment for the amount
of time not served. The approving official may waive in whole or
in part a right of recovery if it is shown that the recovery would be against
equity and good conscience or against the public interest.
10.08.13
ACADEMIC DEGREES
The law (Title 5, United States Code, Chapter 41, 4107(a) and (b))
does not authorize the approval of training for an academic degree unless
it is necessary to assist in the recruitment or retention of employees
in occupations in which the government has or anticipates a shortage of
qualified personnel, especially in occupations involving critical skills.
The law does not authorize the approval of training for the purpose of
an academic degree to qualify for an appointment to a particular position
for which the degree is a basic requirement.
10.08.14
APPROVAL CRITERIA
Training may be approved when it meets the definition of training or
mission-related training in Section 10.08.04 above and when it is in accordance
with Merit System Principles listed below:
(1) Recruit qualified individuals from all segments of society and select and advance employees on the basis of merit after fair and open competition;
(2) Treat employees and applicants fairly and equitably, without regard to political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or handicapping condition;
(3) Provide equal pay for equal work and reward excellent performance;
(4) Maintain high standards of integrity, conduct, and concern for the public interest;
(5) Manage high standards of integrity, conduct, and concern for the public interest;
(6) Manage employees efficiently and effectively;
(7) Retain or separate employees on the basis of their performance;
(8) Educate and train employees when it will result in better organizational or individual performance;
(9) Protect employees from improper political influence; and
(10) Protect employees against reprisal for the lawful disclosure of information in “whistle blower” situations (i.e., protect people who report things such as illegal and/or wasteful activities).
Training can be approved using the following mechanisms, government bankcard, SF-182, Request, Authorization, Agreement and Certification and the DN-11, Request for Training Memo. Forms are available on the Administration Online Forms Page, http://www-i.nist.gov/admforms_online.htm, and E-Approval, http://bizflow.nist.gov/. The DN-11 is used for all internal training and when training is put on the government bankcard. The SF-182 is used when a vendor will not accept the government bankcard or the dollar amount exceeds the amount authorized for the government bankcard.
Supplementary information relevant to training is available by accessing
http://www-i.nist.gov/lmd/training/traininghome.htm.
10.08.15
DATA COLLECTION
Each Operating Unit (OU) is responsible for maintaining data for all
mandatory training and probationary supervisory training. This data
should be entered into the continuous learning database.