Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) is May 3^rd through May 9^th, 2020. The Office of Resolution Management, Diversity & Inclusion (ORMDI) will lead VA’s celebration of your dedicated service to our nation’s Veterans. During these challenging times, we thank you for all you do. While VA will follow White House, Center for Disease Control (CDC), and VA Senior Leadership guidance concerning COVID-19 and practice “social distancing,” ORMDI has identified exciting ways to keep us all connected.

Watch ORMDI Deputy Assistant Secretary Harvey Johnson in the PSRW welcome video:   PSRW Message 

Enjoy this year’s PSRW 2020 activities!  Please visit VA Insider to view announcements, employee spotlights, and other PSRW-related information. Additionally, join the celebration, and visit the PSRW 2020 Celebration Hub to view photos of your colleagues and read their accomplishments. To participate in this year’s photo challenge, send your photos to PSRWPhotos@va.gov, along with an image release waiver. You can begin sending photos now.

You matter, and we celebrate you! Be safe, be well, and continue to be your best self!

The oft-cited quote by Lawrence Peters' oft-cited quote "If you don't know where you're going, you will end up somewhere else," is frequently used to spur people on to plan their future careers.  There really is no time like to present to work on your future. You might find the following courses in TMS helpful in getting you started on the planning process or giving you a boost to figure out where you want to go in your future career,and how to get there.

Developing a Plan to Further Your Career:  NFED 4501139

The whole notion of what a career is has changed. You are now responsible for making your own career choices, and it's not always clear which way offers the straightest path toward your goal. This course guides you through the process of taking inventory of your values, interests, skills, and needs. Then, based on these findings, you can determine your strengths. This course also provides tips on how to deal with any weaknesses that are holding you back. You will also learn how to develop and implement your action plan to further your career.

Getting Your Career on the Right Track:  NFED 4501140

Exploring your career options is an important part of staying on the right track. If you know where you want to go, you can take the steps to reach your goals. This course discusses the options available when you're trying to get your career on the right track. You'll discover how to make successful in-house job changes, as well as how to make lateral moves in the same company. You'll find out about approaches for creating and implementing an effective promotion plan, and learn the best ways to ask for assignments that will move your career forward. You'll also discover ways you can successfully move on to a different employer if you've exhausted all your options at your current place of work.

Developing Your Career-Challenge Exercise:  NFED 1368380

Career development requires foresight and proactive management. This Challenge explores methods of planning and executing an effective career development path.

Comp Time

The ORMDI Timekeeping and Travel office has received many questions regarding comp time. Some of the most common frequently asked questions are: 

Does it have to be approved prior to working? Yes, the request is routed through your supervisory chain for the DAS’s decision. Managers should submit requests not later than 5 working days from the requested dates.

Have you earned comp time and wonder when it’ll be visible to use in VATAS? Once the manager has verified the work by signing VA Form 1098, your timekeeper will submit the approved request in VATAS. The posting should appear in your VATAS account by the Financial Service Center within 2 pay periods.

For questions or assistance, please contact Annette Monroe in the Office Management Team or send an e-mail to: ORMTimekeeping&Travel@va.gov.

Change of Timekeeping and Travel Coordinators

In an effort to get to know our customers better, our Timekeeping and Travel Coordinators have changed.

Don Knight supports: DAS, ADAS, ED&T, Business Operations, Management Services, and VBA EEO Liaisons and Western Region;  Amanda Rodriguez supports: Eastern Region & ODI

Are You Looking for a Challenge?

WHAT IS A COR? The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) is a crucial link between the Contracting Officer (CO) and the contractor.  In effect, CORs are the eyes and ears of the Contracting Officer, ensuring that the work the Contracting Officer authorizes is properly performed.  In order to understand the roles and responsibilities, CORs must know the acquisition process,  associated terminology, and be aware of ethical considerations.

Are you interested in Training? COR Level 1 requires 8 CLPs (TMS Training);  COR Level 2 requires 40 CLPS (FAITAS Training).  For more information, visit VA's Acquisition Academy website:  COR Training

We’re Looking for a Few Good Program/Project Managers!

WHAT IS A PROGRAM/PROJECT MANAGER?  To improve service to America’s Veterans, the VA needs to gain efficiencies, reduce redundancies, and foster innovation in all areas of care, benefits, and services. Program and project managers are vital to identify and implement the strategic objectives to improve Veteran’s services by writing appropriate requirements, establishing performance standards, and prudently acquiring goods and services. The VAAA Program Management (PM) School provides professional development courses for project and program managers that foster the skills to effectively lead Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), oversee budgeting and governance processes, satisfy agency missions, and achieve expected outcomes. For additional information, click on this link.  Become a Program/Project Manager

ORMDI Contracting Cell Can Help - We provide guidance to COR’s/PM’s and on occasion serve as the COR on Contracts across ORMDI. If you are interested in exploring PM or COR training, we ask that you reach out to the ORM Contracting Cell POC’s Jahaira Thompson (jahaira.thompson@va.gov) or Martha Young (martha.young08@va.gov).

ORMDI Budget Team!

The Silent Professionals  This month’s shout out goes to Sheila Flowers and her ORMDI team: Janis, Kevin, Jeana, Yolanda, Jahmarreh and Kamau, for their support to our veterans and to you as our customers. Sheila and her team are responsible for managing ORMDI’s combined budget of $61M. They touch each one of us ensuring ORMDI has funding to pay our salaries, funds for our EEO programs and contracts, the new Microsoft E2 system, training, travel, leases/rents at our facilities, supplies and much, much more. Thank you for your continued support to our veterans and employees!