Subpart D—Presidential Management Fellows Program

For purposes of this subpart:

Agency Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program Coordinator is an individual, at the appropriate agency component level, who coordinates the placement, development, and other Program-related activities of PMFs appointed in his or her agency and fulfills the criteria described in § 362.104(a)(8). The agency Pathways Programs Officer may also serve as the PMF Coordinator.

Executive Resources Board (ERB) has the same meaning as specified in § 317.501(a) of this section; in those agencies that are not required to have an ERB pursuant to that section, it means the senior agency official or officials who have been given responsibility for executive resources management and oversight by the agency head.

Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) or Fellow is an individual appointed, at the GS-9, GS-11, or GS-12 level (or equivalent under a non-GS pay and classification system such as the Federal Wage System), in the excepted service under § 213.3402(c) of this chapter.

[77 FR 28215, May 11, 2012, as amended at 89 FR 25774, Apr. 12, 2024]

(a) The Director may determine the number of Fellows who may be appointed during any given year. This determination will be based on input from the Chief Human Capital Officers Council, as well as input from agencies not represented on the Council.

(b) Thereafter, subject to the provisions and requirements of this chapter, an agency may appoint individuals selected by the Director as Fellows finalists according to its short-, medium-, and long-term senior leadership and related (senior policy, professional, technical, and equivalent) recruitment, development, and succession requirements.

(c) The Director will establish the qualification requirements for evaluating applicants for the PMF Program.

(d) An agency that hires Fellows in field locations outside the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Area may:

(1) In advance of making the appointment, discuss whether the finalist wants to do a developmental rotation to agency headquarters and, if so, make a commitment to allow and fund such a rotation, to the maximum extent practicable, in accordance with § 362.405(b) of this part; and

(2) Promote interaction among regional Fellows with the agency Federal Executive Board (FEB) and permit Fellows to attend FEB-sanctioned activities in that region.

(a) OPM will announce the opportunity to apply for the PMF Program and conduct a competition for the selection of finalists as set forth in this section.

(b) A Presidential Management Fellow is an individual who, within the previous 2 years, completed an advanced degree from a qualifying educational institution.

(c) An individual may apply for the PMF Program if:

(1) The individual has obtained an advanced degree within the 2-year period preceding the Program announcement described in paragraph (a) of this section, or

(2) The individual is still a student attending a qualifying educational institution, as defined in paragraph (2)(iii) of the definition of Qualifying educational institution in § 362.102, and he or she expects to complete a qualifying advanced degree by August 31 of the academic year in which the competition is held.

(d) An individual may apply for the PMF Program more than once as long as he or she meets the eligibility criteria. However, if an individual becomes a finalist and subsequently applies for the Program during the next open announcement, the individual will forfeit his or her status as a finalist.

(e) OPM will select Fellow finalists based on an OPM evaluation of each candidate's experience and accomplishments according to his or her application and the results of a rigorous structured assessment process.

(f) OPM will publish and provide participating agencies the Fellow finalists list for appointment consideration.

(a) Appointments. (1) An agency may make 2-year appointments to the PMF Program, pursuant to a Pathways Policy, under Schedule D of the excepted service in accordance with part 302 of this chapter.

(2) An agency must appoint a PMF using the excepted service appointing authority provided by § 213.3402(c) of this chapter.

(3) OPM will establish an eligibility period during which agencies may appoint Fellow finalists.

(b) Extension. An agency may extend a Fellow's appointment for up to 120 days to cover rare or unusual circumstances or situations. The agency's Pathways MOU must identify the criteria for approving extensions.

(c) Grade. An agency may appoint a Fellow at the GS-09, GS-11, or GS-12 level or equivalent depending on his or her qualifications.

(d) Trial period. The duration of the PMF appointment in the excepted service is a trial period.

(e) Work schedules. A PMF will generally have a full-time work schedule. A PMF may request a part-time work schedule for a limited period of up to 6 months during the PMF Program. An agency has the discretion to approve or deny a request for a part-time work schedule if the agency and PMF have determined that it would not negatively impact the PMF's ability to meet all Program requirements by the expiration of the PMF's appointment. The agency's approval of the request must include an approval of a specific time period that the agency determines to be appropriate. A PMF is not entitled to approval of a request for a part-time work schedule. An agency's Pathways Policy must specify the conditions under which a part-time work schedule may be authorized. The PMF's Pathways Participant agreement must be updated with the new work schedule information when a part-time work schedule is approved.

[77 FR 28215, May 11, 2012, as amended at 89 FR 25774, Apr. 12, 2024]

(a) Individual Development Plans. An agency must approve, within 90 days, an Individual Development Plan (IDP) for each of its PMFs that sets forth the specific developmental activities that are mutually agreed upon by each PMF and their supervisor. The PMF must develop the IDP in consultation with the Agency PMF Coordinator and/or the mentor assigned to the PMF under paragraph (b)(3) of this section, as well as the PMF's supervisor.

(b) Required developmental activities. (1) OPM will provide leadership development activities and general Program resources for each class or cohort of PMFs and will provide information on available training opportunities known to it. Agencies must provide appropriate agency-specific onboarding and employee orientation activities.

(2) The agency must provide each Fellow a minimum of 80 hours of formal interactive training per year that addresses the competencies outlined in the IDP. Mandatory annual training, such as information security and ethics training, does not count towards the 80-hour requirement.

(3) Within the first 90 days of a Fellow's appointment, the agency must assign the Fellow a mentor, who is a managerial employee outside the Fellow's chain of command.

(4) The agency must provide each PMF with at least one rotational or developmental assignment with full-time management and/or technical responsibilities consistent with the PMF's IDP. With respect to the requirement in this paragraph (b)(4):

(i) Each PMF must receive at least one developmental assignment of 4 to 6 months in duration, with management and/or technical responsibilities consistent with the PMF's IDP.

(ii) The developmental assignment may be within the PMF's organization, in another component of the agency, or in another Federal agency as permitted by the employing agency. These assignments should generally be in a different work unit led by a supervisor other than the usual supervisor of the PMF's current position.

(iii) Developmental assignments must provide challenging work experience of a caliber appropriate for a participant in the Federal Government's flagship leadership development program. Examples of appropriate developmental assignments may include projects implementing a new Executive order or major piece of legislation, agency reorganization, or cross-agency collaboration on a major administration initiative.

(5) The PMF may receive other short-term rotational assignments of 1 to 6 months in duration, at the agency's discretion. A short-term rotational assignment may take place within the PMF's organization, in another component of the agency, or in another Federal agency as permitted by the employing agency.

(6) Upon the request of OPM, the appointing agency must make Fellows available to assist in the assessment process for subsequent PMF classes. Any interactive training provided to a Fellow in connection with assisting OPM in the assessment process may be counted toward the minimum 80-hour training requirement in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(c) Promotion. An agency may promote any Fellow who meets the qualification requirements for the position. This provision does not confer entitlement to promotion.

(d) Certification of completion. (1) Upon completion of the Program, the agency's ERB must evaluate each Fellow and determine whether it can certify in writing that the Fellow met all of the requirements of the Program, including the performance and developmental expectations set forth in the individual's performance plan and IDP. The ERB may consult the Fellow's mentor in reaching its determination.

(2)(i) The ERB must notify the PMF of its decision regarding certification of successful completion.

(ii) A PMF who receives successful certification is eligible for conversion in accordance with § 362.409.

(3) ERB certifications must be forwarded to OPM.

(4)(i) If the ERB decides not to certify a Fellow, the Fellow may request reconsideration of that determination by the Director. Such reconsideration must be requested in writing, with appropriate documentation and justification, within 15 calendar days of the date of the agency's decision. The Director's decision on reconsideration is not subject to appeal.

(ii) The Fellow may continue in the Program pending the outcome of his or her request for reconsideration. The agency must continue to provide appropriate developmental activities during this period.

(iii) A PMF who is not approved for certification and whose appeal to OPM is denied is not eligible for conversion in accordance with § 362.409.

[77 FR 28215, May 11, 2012, as amended at 89 FR 25774, Apr. 12, 2024]

(a) At any time during his or her appointment in the Program, a Fellow may move to another agency covered by this part, as long as the agency meets all the requirements for participating in the PMF Program. To move from one agency to another during the Program, the Fellow must separate from the current agency. The new employing agency must appoint the Participant without a break in service.

(b) The Fellow does not begin a new Program period upon appointment by the new employing agency. Because there is no break in service, time served under the previous Program appointment will apply towards the completion of the Program with the new employing agency.

(c) An agency must notify OPM when appointing a Fellow currently appointed in another agency.

(d) If the move occurs within the first 6 months of the Fellow's appointment, the original appointing agency may request reimbursement of one-quarter of the placement fee from the new appointing agency.

(a) Withdrawal. (1) A Fellow may withdraw from the Program at any time. Such withdrawal will be treated as a resignation from the Federal service; however, any obligations established upon admission and appointment (for example, as a result of accepting a recruitment incentive under part 575 of this chapter) still apply.

(2) A Fellow who held a permanent appointment in the competitive service in an agency immediately before entering the Program, and who withdraws from the Program for reasons that are not related to misconduct, poor performance, or suitability, may, at the employing agency's discretion, be placed in a permanent competitive service position, as appropriate, in that agency. The employing agency's determination in this regard is not subject to appeal.

(3) An agency must notify OPM when a Fellow withdraws from the Program.

(b) Readmission. (1) If a Fellow withdraws from the Program for reasons that are related to misconduct, poor performance, or suitability, as determined by the agency, he or she will not be readmitted to the Program at any time.

(2) If a Fellow withdraws from the Program for reasons that are not related to misconduct, poor performance, or suitability, he or she may petition the employing original agency for readmission and reappointment to the Program. Such a petition must be in writing and include appropriate justification. The agency may approve or deny the request for readmission. An agency must submit written notification of approved readmission requests to OPM. The individual's status in the Program upon readmission and reappointment must be addressed as part of the agency's submission. The Director may overrule the agency's decision to readmit and reappoint, and the Director's decision is not subject to appeal.

(a) Termination. (1) An agency may terminate a Fellow for reasons related to misconduct, poor performance, or suitability.

(2) As a condition of employment, a Fellow's appointment expires at the end of the 2-year Program period, plus any agency-approved extension, unless the Participant is selected for noncompetitive conversion. If an agency does not convert a Fellow at the end of the Program, as provided in § 362.409 of this part, or extend the individual's initial appointment under § 362.404, the appointment expires when certification for Program completion is denied or when the Director denies the agency's request for an extension.

(3) The agency must provide written notification to OPM when a Fellow is terminated for any reason.

(b) Reduction in force. Fellows are in the excepted service Tenure Group II for purposes of § 351.502 of this chapter.

(a) A Fellow must complete the Program within the time limits prescribed in § 362.404 of this part, including any agency-approved extension. At the conclusion of that period, the Fellow may be converted, as provided in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) An agency may convert, without a break in service, an ERB-certified PMF to a competitive service term or permanent appointment in any position for which they are qualified.

(c) A PMF who is being converted to a permanent or term position at a different agency is subject to the following conditions:

(1) The employing (or losing) agency must be unable to convert the PMF to a term or permanent position in the competitive service in the current organizational unit of the employing agency or another component within the same Department or agency. These reasons for conversion at another agency may include unforeseen budgetary constraints; reorganizations; abolishment of positions; or other appropriate reasons. Such a conversion to another agency may not be due to issues related to failure to obtain certification from the agency's Executive Resources Board, misconduct, poor performance, or suitability;

(2) Conversion must occur on or before the end of the agency prescribed Program period, plus any agency-approved extension; and

(3) The position at the new agency must have a full performance level that is equivalent to or less than the position to which the PMF would have been converted at the losing agency.

[77 FR 28215, May 11, 2012, as amended at 89 FR 25775, Apr. 12, 2024]