Clarification from the agency

Well-qualified surplus/displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) in the local area and all current/former Federal employees that are/were in permanent competitive service positions (status candidates). VEOA eligibles and those eligible for non-competitive appointment under special hiring authority (e.g., Individuals with Disabilities, Military Spouses, former Overseas employees, VISTA/Peace Corps) and certain veterans (e.g., VRA, 30% Disabled). see link in "How to Apply"

If selected for this position, you will join a well-respected team that is responsible for the District's Victim Witness Program. Typical work assignments will include:

• Applying the Attorney General guidelines for victims and witnesses and determining program eligibility for victim and witness services.
• Coordinating travel arrangements and providing information to victims and/or witnesses on travel issues consistent with Department of Justice policies.
• Providing information to victims on schedule changes, status of defendant's pleas, results of trial and whether a defendant is incarcerated and for how long, opportunities to address the court, and post-sentencing notification.
• Preparing and presenting instructional information for victims regarding court appearances/proceedings and available counseling and treatment programs in the jurisdiction.
• Assist VW staff and other support staff with logistics of court events, as necessary, by dealing with concerns or problems of employers and creditors, preparing witnesses to testify by explaining processes and procedures and resources available to them, providing information on restitution to AUSAs, and forwarding Victim Impact Statements to U.S. Probation.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Qualifications

GS-7: To be eligible at the GS-7 level, you must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6.

Specialized experience is defined as experience tracking the status of a case at various stages; assisting attorneys with trial preparation to include making contact with victims and/or witnesses to schedule meetings, drafting letters to provide information on the progress of a case, or drafting letters to request information regarding benefits, compensation, or eligibility for victim witness services; and coordinating and tracking travel arrangements through a shared database.

GS-8: To qualify at the GS-8, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7.

Specialized experience is defined as qualifying experience determining eligibility for victim and witness services; maintaining a tickler system of cases and informing victims, witnesses, and victim witness staff of statuses; assisting victims with applications for compensation and support programs; preparing witnesses to testify by explaining processes and procedures; maintaining working files consisting of correspondence and reports relating to victim witness cases, preparing travel arrangements and preapproval documents, and preparing and processing travel vouchers for payment of expenses.

To be qualified, you must type at least 40 words per minute based on a 5 minute sample with three or fewer errors. (A typing test may later be required.)

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) -VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.

Special Employment Consideration - Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments. For further information, click on the links provided below . You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.
Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities Links:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Types-of-Appointments

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your complete application package (resume/supporting documentation, online questionnaire, and USA Hire Competency Based Assessment) will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

You will be rated on the following Competencies (see The OPM Website for definitions):
Accountability, Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork Accountability, Attention to Detail, Customer Service, Decision Making, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.