LIBRARY OF CONGRESS MERIT SELECTION PLAN FOR SENIOR-LEVEL HIRING
January 12, 2009
(Revised February 5, 2009)
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS MERIT SELECTION PLAN FOR SENIOR-LEVEL HIRING 
I. PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY
This plan describes the objectives, policies, and procedures governing the competitive filling of non-bargaining unit Senior-Level Library vacancies through merit selection of qualified individuals.  Merit Selection refers to filling vacancies through a competitive process and includes promotions of employees accomplished through the competitive hiring process.  The plan applies to filling all Library non-bargaining unit Senior-Level positions.
II. AUTHORITY
The provisions of this plan are authorized by and consistent with LCR 2010-14: Merit Selection and Employment.  For a list of Library regulations related to the provisions of this plan, see Appendix B.
III. POLICY
It is the policy of the Library that all vacancies filled under the provisions of this plan will be filled from among the best qualified candidates available.  All selections shall be made solely on the basis of merit, fitness, and qualifications and without regard to political, religious or labor organization affiliation or non-affiliation, marital status, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, non-disqualifying physical disability, age, or other non-merit factor.  Consideration for selection shall be based on job-related competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs).
The selection policies and procedures in this plan shall be applied consistently and shall promote fairness, diversity, and integrity.  The policies and procedures used to implement this plan will be consistent with the principles of content-validity.
IV. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Merit Selection Plan are to:
a. Acquire a highly qualified workforce through the selection of best qualified candidates,
b. Ensure that all applicants for merit selection and promotion are treated equitably,
1 Although not synonymous, competencies and KSAs serve the same function in job analysis.  To avoid confusion, competencies and KSAs are referred to as competencies/KSAs throughout this Plan.
2 Content validity is the methodology used by the Library to establish the job-relatedness of the merit selection process used to fill a vacancy.  Job-relatedness is established by ensuring the competencies/KSAs and the assessment instruments used to fill a vacancy are related to the duties of the position.
3 Critical competencies/KSAs are those identified by a job analysis panel for which applicants must be assessed by the Interview Panel in a preliminary telephone interview or a full structured interview as having ''fully acceptable'' experience to be considered for selection.  Critical competencies/KSAs are generally technical in nature.
4 This includes status and nonstatus employees.  Status employees are employees with three or more years of service in a position in the Competitive Service.
5 The Library's annual budget designates a fixed number of full-time equivalent positions for organizations in the Library.  If the hiring organization has no available FTEs then the posting must be limited to that organization to avoid exceeding the staff ceiling constraint.
6 Any position description changed and classified as a result of job analysis will become the position description of record for all incumbents in that position.
7 For most positions, it is recommended that panels identify seven to ten (7-10) competencies/KSAs to assess during the selection process.
8 Includes reason(s) applicant was not selected.
c. Refer highly qualified, diverse interview pools for all vacancies, and
d. Provide incentive for employees to develop their competencies/KSAs in order to advance to maximum realization of their career potential within the framework of the jobs needed to carry out the Library's mission.
V. EXEMPTIONS
Exemptions to this Senior Level Merit Selection Plan are found in LCR 2010-14.
VI. RESPONSIBILITIES
The Librarian of Congress, the Chief Operating Officer, the Director for Human Resources, the Heads of all Service and Support Units, as well as selecting officials and all other managers are responsible and accountable for ensuring that the provisions of this plan are applied consistently and equitably, thereby demonstrating commitment to and support for merit selection principles, policies, and practices.
A. Managers/Selecting Officials are responsible for applying the principles, policies, and procedures of this plan, including the principle of equal employment opportunity, in filling vacancies and making selections.  Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
1. Anticipating staffing needs and initiating actions to allow for timely recruitment and selection in accordance with this plan;
2. Ensuring the currency and accuracy of position descriptions for all positions to be filled;
3. Serving on job analysis and interview panels;
4. Determining whether job analysis materials developed in the past 24 months for job series, job families, or individual position(s) may be used in lieu of convening a new job analysis panel;
5. Determining recruitment strategies and sources designed to target highly qualified, diverse candidates, including areas of consideration and the length of time a vacancy will be posted beyond the minimum requirement;
6. Keeping informed of and adhering to this plan; and
7. Counseling employees on ways to improve their potential for selection or promotion and assisting them in self-development activities.
B. Director for Human Resources (HRS) is responsible for administering and overseeing implementation of this plan in accordance with applicable law and Library regulations.  Specific responsibilities of the Director (and HRS staff, contractors, or Service/Support Unit staff designated by the Director) include, but are not limited to:
1. Providing leadership and support for implementation of the provisions of this plan, ensuring that all related policies and procedures are applied equitably;
2. Ensuring that managers /selecting officials are aware of the provisions of this plan by communicating the plan, providing appropriate training, and issuing instructions, procedures, or other communications required to clarify, update, and improve the plan's implementation;
3. Informing employees periodically of the requirements and objectives of this plan and any procedural changes, and advising them of where they may review or obtain a copy of this plan;
4. Establishing, maintaining, and keeping secure merit selection records necessary to answer inquiries and reconstruct personnel actions for a minimum of two years from the date of selection or cancellation of a vacancy announcement;
5. Advising job analysis and interview panel members and Selecting Officials of their duties and responsibilities and serving as a technical advisor;
6. Facilitating the work of job analysis panels and ensuring appropriate documentation of job analysis;
7. Assisting managers/selecting officials in targeted recruitment efforts, including coordinating with executive search agencies where applicable and providing recruitment information of previously successful recruitment sources for the same or a similar position;
8. Issuing and publicizing vacancy announcements;
9. Screening applicants against eligibility requirements for positions (education, licensing and/or certification where applicable; see VIII.B.2. Determining Basic Qualification Requirements);
10. Issuing interview and Final Referral List(s) to Selecting Officials;
11. Responding to questions from applicants regarding the status of their application or the requirements of this plan;
12. Ensuring that all applicants who apply under a vacancy announcement are notified of the results;
13. Reviewing selections and making official offers of employment;
14. Reviewing selection process for conformance with merit principles and Library regulations and diversity goals, as defined by the Multi-Year Affirmative Employment Program Plan and/or the Office of Opportunity, Inclusiveness & Compliance; and
15. Providing for periodic evaluations of operations under this plan.
C. Director of Office of Opportunity, Inclusiveness & Compliance (OIC) is responsible for ensuring that reliable, accurate workforce data is available to Service/Support Units for use in recruitment plans and for coordinating with HRS and Service/Support Units on diversity analysis as outlined in Section XII.
D. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) serving on job analysis and/or interview panels are responsible for:
1. Applying their subject matter expertise to perform job analysis tasks (identifying competencies/KSAs necessary to perform the job being analyzed and developing rating instruments to measure levels of proficiency in the competencies/KSAs, such as the interview guide);
2. Maintaining confidentiality of job analysis and/or interview process/proceedings and documentation; and
3. Disqualifying him or herself from serving on a Job Analysis and/or Interview Panel if, to do so, would create a conflict of interest or the appearance of such a conflict, e.g., the SME's relative is an applicant for a vacancy.
E. Job Analysis Panels are responsible for:
1. Reviewing position descriptions and determining, if needed, any minimum education, licensing, certification and/or experience qualifications (conforming to the provisions of this plan outlined in Section VIII. Recruitment and Selection Procedures);
2. Identifying the competencies/KSAs necessary to perform the duties of the job series, job family, or individual position(s) being analyzed, including the ''critical'' competencies/KSAs to be measured by the Selecting Official and/or the Interview Panel;
3. Developing validated rating instrument(s), i.e., structured interview guides, and/or other rating tools, which measure levels of proficiency in the competencies/KSAs; and
4. Ensuring the content-validity of the selection process by appropriately documenting as outlined in this plan the job-relatedness of the competencies/KSAs and rating instruments used to fill a vacancy.
F. Interview Panels are responsible for:
1. Attending required structured interview training and ensuring that the interview process is conducted according to interview training and guidelines;
2. Conducting and documenting an application review to determine whether the applicant appears to have the necessary competencies/KSAs for the position (the Selecting Official may choose to do this alone or with the assistance of the other panel members);
3. Conducting and documenting the preliminary telephone interview, if appropriate; and
4. Conducting the structured interview, scoring interviewees using the benchmark anchors, and documenting the interview process.
G.  Applicants are responsible for:
1. Submitting all required application materials for vacancies for which they have an interest and for which they qualify and ensuring that such materials are received by HRS no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement;
2. Demonstrating that they have the competencies/KSAs necessary to qualify for positions for which they desire consideration by accurately portraying their job-related knowledge, education, training and experience in all application materials and throughout the selection process;
3. Familiarizing themselves with the provisions of this plan and the procedures for applying for advertised positions; and
VII. AREA OF CONSIDERATION
A. Determining Area of Consideration.  The area of consideration refers to the boundaries (area, organization, or group of organizations), within which persons must work to be eligible for consideration for a specific vacancy.  Areas of consideration are determined by the Selecting Official for a vacancy, unless budgetary or FTE (full-time equivalent) constraints apply as outlined in VII.B., Restrictions Due to Budgetary Constraints. When considering the appropriate area of consideration, the Selecting Official shall choose an area large enough to produce an adequate number of highly qualified, diverse applicants.  Selecting Officials may choose one of the following areas of consideration:
1. Unrestricted.  (Anyone may apply. Normally, Library employment is limited to U.S. citizens.  However, non-citizens may be employed provided they meet the conditions defined in LCR 2010-7: Employment of Non-U.S. Citizens Using Appropriated and Non-Appropriated Funds.)
2. Federal employees.  (Current and former Federal employees from all three branches of government)
3. Library-wide. (Current permanent, indefinite, indefinite NTE and/or temporary Library employees)  
4. Service/Support Unit or Division-wide.  (Current permanent and indefinite employees working within a specified Service/Support Unit or Division.)
B.  Restrictions due to Budgetary/FTE Constraints.  Vacancies can only be restricted to the Service/Support Unit or Division due to budgetary and/or staff (FTE) ceiling constraints. Requests to restrict vacancies must be certified in writing by the Service/Support Unit Head through the vacancy announcement request process.
C. Concurrent Consideration.  The Selecting Official may consider applicants through noncompetitive processes while concurrently considering candidates through the merit hiring competitive process.  In accordance with Library regulations, noncompetitive processes include:  1) non-advancement placements (i.e., reassignments); 2) the Selective Placement Program; and/or 3) approved exchange programs.
VIII. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCEDURES
A. Vacancy Announcement Request Procedures
1. Identifying a Vacancy.  The Service/Support Unit determines the need to fill a vacancy in accordance with its procedures and designates a Selecting Official.
2. Accuracy of Position Description.  The Selecting Official is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the position description for the vacancy being filled.  The Selecting Official and/or position manager reviews an existing position description and updates the position description, if needed.  For new or significantly changed positions, the Selecting Official and/or position manager creates a new position description.  New or updated position descriptions must be certified for accuracy by the position supervisor or Selecting Official, reviewed and approved in accordance with the internal procedures of each Service/Support Unit, and forwarded to HRS for classification approval in accordance with the Classification Procedures outlined in LCR 2016-1.  HRS staff, contractors, and/or Service/Support Unit staff provide consultative support to Selecting Officials in creating and updating position descriptions.