1. Priority Placement Program (PPP): Working Smarter
CHRA
CIVILIAN HUMAN RESOURCES AGENCY
Priority Placement Program (PPP): Working Smarter
May 2011

2. AGENDA PPP Responsibilities Increase in Job Offer Withdrawals
PPP/BRAC Challenges
Experience Gaps
Registration Issues
Importance of Strategic Recruitment Discussion
Working PPP Matches
Relaxing the Well-Qualified Determination
New Job Offer Procedure
Timeliness
References
Questions

3. PPP RESPONSIBILITIES
PPP Manual, Chapter 1, E. Paragraph 12 under Responsibilities:
Human resources officers are responsible for: administering the PPP at their
activities; counseling employees on program provisions; providing timely and proper
registration of eligible employees; ensuring proper clearance of all actions subject to the
program; proper reporting of placement actions; and informing commanders and key
managers on program requirements. They are also responsible for ensuring that involved
members of the HRO staff are thoroughly trained in the policies and procedures of the PPP.
The DoD PPP Training Course shall be the primary training medium, and this may be
supplemented by in-house training.
As a CPAC Staffing Specialist, you are ultimately administering PPP on behalf of your Regional Director/CPAC Director who is entrusted with this responsibility.
PPP is to be taken seriously!

4. Increase in Job Offer Withdrawals
PPP issues related to requests to approve job offer withdrawals:
Increased number of PPP registrants due to BRAC
Inexperienced Staffers
Lack of information gathered in the Strategic Recruitment Discussion
Contact with proper SME (i.e. Selecting Official)
Improper PPP registration
Lack of up-front discussion with Selecting Officials
Internal Review Processes/Internal Operating Procedures

5. Unilateral Withdrawal of Job Offer Prohibition
Unilateral withdrawal of offers is prohibited by PPP program policy and is cause for a program review. Only a CARE Program Coordinator can authorize withdrawal of an offer.
An increase in requests for CARE approval to withdraw job offers can result in a review of Army PPP Program procedures.

6. PPP/BRAC Challenges
BRAC-related PPP registrations
PPP cell structured to handle qualifications determinations for BRAC organizations
Day-to-day CPAC work not associated with BRAC continues.
Overall increase in workload for the CPACs servicing BRAC organizations.
High attrition rates (i.e. retirements and resignations due to BRAC).
Increase in recruitment workload.

7. Experience Gaps New HR Specialists/Techs
Shortage of Experienced Staffers
Proper PPP/ ASARS Training to:
Determine Qualification of Employees
Register Employees in ASARS
Identify proper “option codes” (Chapter 10 of the PPP Operations Manual and on ASARS website) when submitting PPP requisition in ASARS
CHRA Guidance Updates
Confrontational discussion with SMEs

8. Registration Issues Registrants: - Embellishment of Resumes
- Over-Inflated Resumes
- Falsification of Resumes
CPAC:
- Timely Registration
- Incorrect or missing option codes
- Counseling

9. Strategic Recruitment Discussion
Determine if there is a PPP exception.
Conduct clear, upfront discussions regarding exact skills set and experience necessary to meet the well-qualified criteria.
***THIS IS CRITICAL FOR GENERIC POSITION DESCRIPTIONS FOR DEMO, ETC. ***
Use proper option codes in the PPP requisition and document SRD with all information.
Determinations on well-qualifying criteria should be made at the SRD and not after PPP has been requisitioned.
Identify proper SMEs for the specific vacancy in the SRD.

10. Questionable Actions
Reclassifying or changing positions (i.e. upgrading, downgrading, adding or deleting options codes, changing positions from temp to perm and back again) when PPP registrants are available should be evaluated for authenticity. .

11. Working PPP Matches Gaining Activity:
Participates in joint qualification determinations with registering activity.
Provides all job requirements discussed in the SRD to the registering activity.
Solicits a SME if position is technical in nature and HR professional is unable to make a well-qualified determination.
Be careful when initiating contact with registering activity if it is unclear if a job offer should be made. Remember the three “C’s”: Contact Constitutes Commitment.

12. Working PPP Matches
Review separation dates annotated on ASARS resume, not working matches timely could result in:
Registration period expiring
Loss of eligibility for pay retention if a break in service occurs
Provide Selecting Official with sanitized resumes (within Priority Group 1, 2, or 3) to review/prioritize order within each group to be worked.
Contact with SO/SME:
Inform Selecting Official/SME of a well-qualified PPP match prior to an offer being extended.
Insure that all supporting information has been well-documented to defend the well-qualified determination.
Management does not concur or non-concur, but identifies concerns only.
The final decision is between losing/gaining, NO exceptions!

13. Relaxing the Well-Qualified Determination
If manager has prioritized registrants, and registering activity determines the registrant is not well-qualified, a job offer can still be authorized if in the opinion of the gaining activity, in consultation with the manager, the registrant could succeed in the job.
CARE is encouraging use of this flexibility

14. Qualification Disputes
Qualifications are jointly determined by gaining and registering activities. Disagreement between the two on registrant qualifications need to be immediately sent to the PPP Regional Coordinator (see PPP Operations Manual, Chapter 4 for resolving qualifications disputes).

15. NEW JOB OFFER PROCEDURE
Prior to Making a PPP Job Offer:
- Second level review by senior specialist, team leader, or supervisor required.
- At the very least, obtain a peer review

16. UPON PLACEMENT THROUGH PPP
Any action perceived as retaliation against a PPP registrant constitutes a serious violation of PPP policy and will be dealt with accordingly.
Management always reserves the right to take appropriate action if the registrant does not perform satisfactorily in the new position.

17. Timeliness Delays in Requisitioning or Making offers.
If no PPP exception applies, action needs to be taken as soon as the RPA is received or once recruitment has begun in anticipation of the RPA.
Overdue Resume Report Actions.
Submit report actions promptly after resumes are worked. Multiple instances of delinquent report actions could indicate efforts to avoid making job offers or carelessness in administration. .

18. Documentation PPP Manual Chapter 1, G. Basic Requirements:
Sufficient documentation to provide a clear audit trail showing all appropriate requirements were met will be maintained for 2 years after completion of the action.
A written SOP assigning program responsibilities specifying how PPP will be administered covering:
Releasing activity procedures
Gaining activity procedures
Self-audit procedures

19. SUMMARY
PPP Training:
- Essential that HR Specialist/Technicians working with PPP understand all policies and procedures applicable to the program.
Responsibilities
Upfront Discussions with Management
Timeliness
Avoid having to initiate job offer withdrawals
- Request a second level review

20. Regional Staffing Proponents
Europe
Carol Burton
Far East
Myra Van Alstine
North Central
Aaron Loy
Northeast
Sherry Norton
South Central
Patti Gibson
Southwest
Debbie Forrester
West
Suzanne Flaiban
Questions on PPP that cannot be answered in your CPAC should be elevated through your team leader/branch chief/CPAC Director to your regional Staffing Proponent.

21. References DoD PPP Operations Manual.
DoD PPP Assessment Guide, CPMS, July 2005.
CHRA Guidance: “Utilizing PPP Flexibilities, November 2010.

22. Questions