(This came up in the training practice - we will be using the slide's contents so it should be on the website)

Originally, I wrote this down as Stephanie's slide to find but I think we tracked it down yesterday.

Upload the metrics from the excel metrics doc to this list page:

https://smeqa.usds.gov/hiring-phases/getting-started/gathering-baseline-data/

https://smeqa.usds.gov/hiring-phases/reviewing-resumes/reviewing-sme-notes/ is fairly short on content and should align more with https://smeqa.usds.gov/hiring-phases/phone-assessment-interviews/reviewing-sme-assessments/

Forthcoming SOP from Kelvin on how HR can setup their vacancy and announcement.

https://help.github.com/en/github/authenticating-to-github/removing-sensitive-data-from-a-repository

assets/js/sme-rr.js

The footer needs to include some basics and would, ideally, mention the forthcoming approval from OPM Policy and MSAC as well as link to a page pointing to the forthcoming memo(s).

Bug Report

This link https://smeqa.usds.gov/toolkit/phone-assessment-interviews/sme-recusal-email-template/ is broken on this page:
https://smeqa.usds.gov/hiring-phases/phone-assessment-interviews/scheduling/

It's the SME recusal template.

In the Certificate phase, maybe we need to add for HR to confirm the year in grade for all applicants at the same time they check preference.

replaces https://github.com/usds/SME-QA/issues/1016

We believe we need search capabilities. We're going to leverage search.gov.

• Strike the rating guide from preference adjudication
• Merge interview results key + the 2 toolkit pages on issuing a cert

Bug Report

The site should be blocked from google and other search engines until it is cleared by OMB and OPM.

What happened

We still need search.gov to be able to crawl the site.

We want to revise the home page to a do a better job of covering what is on the site.

Feature Request

How to share certificates, with suggested governance.

This update is for:

• Certificates

What is the name

Add a new section to Certificates.

What is the nature of this update?

• Inaccurate information
• Not enough information
• Missing section
• General content

Additional Context

https://github.com/usds/SME-QA/issues/887#issuecomment-540763461

• update data that is being returned from the server to be formatted as:

application = {
  applicationId: uuid,
  applicantName: String,
  applicantEmail: String,
  hrEmail: String,
 roles: [{
  roleId: uuid
  type: int,
  competencies: [{
    competencyId: uuid 
    name: String,
    definition: String,
    requiredProficiencyDefinition: String,
  }]
}]
  }
}

https://github.com/usds/SME-QA-Website/tree/master/pages/phases/reviewing-resumes should have something about tiebreaking

(we should have added these to the packet yesterday but they should be on the website as well)

We want to improve the about the process page(s).

Bug Report

What happened

When we moved the repo from labopm to usds I failed to update the release URLs.

What I expected to happen

The change log release URLs should be changed to use the github_url configuration parameter.

Move this
https://smeqa.usds.gov/hiring-phases/assessment-strategy/

to the job analysis section

We decided earlier today to add a new page for HR specific to review resumes.

OPM Legal & Policy want us to pull this site down. But then they won't be able to review it. Thus we're going to password protect it. Kind of.

• Add SME-QA funnel diagram back to the site (onto the overview page)
• Add Overview into the Hiring phase navigation

In our attempts to create a SME-QA "brand" we want a distinct icon.

We want to set up a distinct color palette for the site, using the uswds, but also starting to build an identity.

Education info from Ro to State

Forthcoming SOP from Kelvin on how HR can setup their vacancy and announcement. It may be that I contribute here too based on my document on creating a JOA per TAS.

Bug Report

Reported by Josh Chapman at OPM.

What happened

When we added some toolkit items we used URLs that didn't contain the filetype. We don't have a wrapped page for these thus that link won't work.

There are three links in this section that are broken.

@stephaniefaith's request was to:

Change "output" to "Things HR should complete" and then change bullets to boxes to indicate they need to do these things.

• Change "output"
• Change bulleted items into a checklist.

@stephaniefaith - Who is the audience for this? SMEs or HR?

OMB Needs this this week

audience: SMEs (vs HR audience where we have SOPs Kelvin is finalizing)
On the site we have a placeholder for SME Resume Review instructions:

https://smeqa.usds.gov/hiring-phases/reviewing-resumes/sme-instructions/

However, we've not written those instructions yet. This task is to write those instructions. Once they are written I can put them into the toolkit.

I did write some up for our tool, but that presumes that folks have out tool which is an unknown at the moment. Thus we may need to give some other instructions.

Excel : add what they need to pull for baseline (see below)
Agency Series Data Call.xlsx

replaces https://github.com/usds/SME-QA/issues/1019

Bug Report

• I’ve searched for any related issues and avoided creating a duplicate issue.

What happened

Breadcrumbs are using the page name from the topic URL rather than the topic title.

What I expected to happen

That breadcrumb text should use the topic title instead, with the same punctuation.

@stephaniefaith is working on this in another issue

Link to document:

Job.Analysis.Sample.for.Case.File.docx

This is a transfer of https://github.com/usds/SME-QA/issues/909

Stephanie received this clarification from OPM Policy:

Agencies hiring designers often want to make use of design portfolios in the initial assessment process of applicants for design positions. In this case, SMEs would review portfolios and disqualify applicants whose design portfolio does not match the proficiency level required before any applicant is considered qualified.

According to the DE handbook, “work sample tests” are allowed to evaluate qualifications. OPM agrees these types of assessments may include portfolios.
As with any other procedure used to make an employment decision, an assessment should be:

• Supported by a job analysis,
• Linked to one or more critical job competencies,
• Included in the vacancy announcement, and
• Based on standardized reviewing and scoring procedures.

OPM is intentionally not prescriptive on this matter beyond this guidance above since it’s ultimately up to agencies to decide how to utilize portfolios in assessments based on their job analysis outcomes.

I'd like to preserve this for posterity somewhere in the site content if at all possible. It's currently out of scope for the site to talk about alternative assessment methods. But I'm wondering if that scope changes as we move into the next phase and thought this might be an example of how we might expand the scope.

Moving issue https://github.com/usds/SME-QA/issues/629 to this repo.

We agreed there that we need a new section of the site, or just additions to the toolkits, that has shared PDs and competencies, in markdown form, and proficiency levels but with no indication of which level is required (that's the secret sauce).

Bug Report

All of the items added in #39 need to be verified against what is in the SME-QA archive repo.

• URGENT: Before Monday post the correct job analysis workshop template presentations
• URGENT: Before Monday update SME training on resume review with updated bias slides
  • archive/pilot-guides/Training-SME-Resume-Review-1role.pptx
  • archive/pilot-guides/Training-SME-Resume-Review-Multirole.pptx
• URGENT: Before Monday post the correct phone interview training template
• Verify that the other items in that pull request are the most up-to-date versions

What happened

The Job Analysis Workshop templates that Martha posted in this issue https://github.com/usds/SME-QA/issues/446 did not make it into this pull request #39 (somehow).

What I expected to happen

The job analysis template ppts had no presenter notes which tipped us off that they were amiss.

Add this text:

HR is not required to conduct a separate minimum qualifications review for this hiring process. HR’s role is to work with SMEs in setting the assessment criteria, train the SMEs on resume review and interviews, review the notes from SME resume review and interviews to make sure they are using the pre-determined criteria, and make sure anyone deemed not qualified has an associated technical reason given by the SME during the review. When the SMEs have identified the applicants that achieved an overall passing score from the interviews, HR will still not conduct a separate minimum qualification review. The entire process depended on SMEs being able to use their expertise to assess if an applicant was truly qualified before the applicant would be considered minimally qualified and eligible for veterans preference. Once the remaining applicants are found to meet the qualifications, HR will then adjudicate and apply veterans preference for the first time. HR will then issue the certificate of eligibles of the "Best Qualified" category to the HM.

Tell us about yourself

• Name: Jennifer Malcolm
• Email address: [email protected]
• Phone number: 202-208-3938
• Department: DOI
• Agency:
• Office: Office of Natural Resources Revenue

Describe your hiring situation

• Series you are trying to hire into? 0301, Innovation Specialist
• Grade level you are trying to hire for? GS-13
• Number of vacancies you have approval to hire for?

Additional Context

From Arianne Miller (Lab @OPM):

Per the suggestion about holding informational webinars before or early in the application window, our team recently held 4 webinars over the 2 weeks our positions were open. (Here’s one JOA as an example.) Those webinars covered information that was already publicly available- nothing special or secret. Content was a little about our program, but it was mostly me walking through the JOA step by step to highlight each section, the purpose of that section, and common misunderstandings about terminology and requirements.)

Roughly 90 people attended across all 4 webinars. The JOAs closed last night so the success of those efforts will be known shortly J

Below is a representative example of several notes I received after each webinar. I’ve done this with prior positions. In both the past and this current process, I’m consistently struck by how important simple human connection is for candidates. Many of them say things along the lines of “I’ve thought about this for a long time and seen other opportunities before this one, but this is the first time I’ve actually be able to talk to someone before I apply.” They comment on just how inaccessible and impersonal the “Federal Government” feels and they are grateful for the chance to interact with people from this system- even if it’s just on video in a webinar.

Sample thank you received after the webinars:
“Thank you for setting up the webinar. It really means a lot that you're taking the lead on bringing more designers in government. Your team made the application process extra accessible to the public. Regardless of my candidacy, I hope to keep in touch and learn from you…. Please know that- whatever you're doing right now, you're setting up a high bar and an "example" to show how design in government can be done.”

Not exactly sure where to put this yet because it goes into the job announcement (you need to tell folks about it) but, it's also a recruitment strategy.

Guidance from Stephanie:

• Remove GSA
• Update DOI and HHS with just the results as they’re listed on the one-pager we made

I'll also add

• Change URLs from /case-study/ to /lessons-learned/

Top level

• Add a section describing the problems that SME-QA is solving:

  • Unqualified people are making it onto cert lists
  • Entire cert lists are being untested
  • Giant resumes can't be evaluated by people
  • Etc etc.

• Add a section at the top level describing the impact that SME-QA seeks to have

Job Analysis Workshop

• Rename the section on documenting the assessment strategy so that its clearly distinguished between the section
• Add example of proficiency levels

Job Announcement

• Delete pages on writing the job announcement, focus more on the two examples we have
• Setting up the assessment in the TAS - add something back in about this

Reviewing Resumes

• Add this text in "HR Role in SME-QA"

HR is not required to conduct a separate minimum qualifications review for this hiring process. HR’s role is to work with SMEs in setting the assessment criteria, train the SMEs on resume review and interviews, review the notes from SME resume review and interviews to make sure they are using the pre-determined criteria, and make sure anyone deemed not qualified has an associated technical reason given by the SME during the review. When the SMEs have identified the applicants that achieved an overall passing score from the interviews, HR will still not conduct a separate minimum qualification review. The entire process depended on SMEs being able to use their expertise to assess if an applicant was truly qualified before the applicant would be considered minimally qualified and eligible for veterans preference. Once the remaining applicants are found to meet the qualifications, HR will then adjudicate and apply veterans preference for the first time. HR will then issue the certificate of eligibles of the "Best Qualified" category to the HM.

• Add something about personal relationships in training section

Issuing a certificate

• Strike the rating guide from preference adjudication

https://smeqa.usds.gov/hiring-phases/reviewing-resumes/training/ is an HTML file that has some markdown that isn't turning the links on that page to links.

Bug Report

This link is broken:
https://smeqa.usds.gov/toolkit/job-analysis/sample-competencies-and-interview-questions/

What happened

State Dept. claimed that "a few critical links with templates/samples not working on my end from the beta site", but there appears to be only one, the last link in the list, that is not working.