2011 Partner-supported Youth Employment Data Collection
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, DC 20240
December 28, 2010
In Reply Refer To:
1114 (172) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 01/05/2011
Instruction Memorandum No. 2011-037
Expires: 09/30/2012
To: All State Directors
Attn: State Youth Leads
From: Director, Office of National Landscape Conservation System and Community Partnerships
Subject 2011 Partner-supported Youth Employment Data Collection
DD: 01/10/2011
DD: 04/11/2011
DD: 07/11/2011
DD: 10/14/2011
Purpose: The purpose of this Instruction Memorandum (IM) is to provide guidance on collecting Bureau of Land Management (BLM) partner-supported youth employment data for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011.
Background: Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has pledged that the Department of the Interior (DOI) will create the “Next Generation of Conservation Leaders. As part of the Secretary’s Youth in the Great Outdoors Initiative, the DOI has committed to:
- Employing thousands of youth to protect and restore our environment and revitalize our communities;
- Educating millions of youth about our lands, waters, wildlife, culture, and heritage; and
- Engaging youth from all backgrounds and all walks of life.
Policy/Action: For FY 2011, the DOI will again be establishing Bureau-specific goals for increasing youth employment. Because youth employment is a high-priority goal for the Secretary, DOI will be required to report youth employment numbers to the Office of Management and Budget on a quarterly basis. State Youth Leads are requested to file quarterly reports on partner-supported youth hires by filling in the attached spreadsheet and posting it on the Youth Sharepoint site. The first report is due on January 10, 2011, with subsequent reports due according to the schedule below.
Partner-supported youth hires should meet the following criteria:
- Youth are between the ages of 15-25.
- Youth are employed for a minimum of 80 hours of paid compensation. The 80 hours can be cumulative over the FY. Compensation can come in the form of a stipend or a wage. Longer terms of employment are encouraged because they provide a more meaningful experience for the youth participant, allowing more time for mentoring the youth, providing them with employable skills, and instilling valuable stewardship and conservation ethics. Note that BLM funds do not have to be used either directly or indirectly to provide compensation to youth hired through partner organizations.
- Youth job opportunities are provided through agreements or other arrangements with partner organizations, such as service and conservation corps, other government agencies, community-based environmental and heritage organizations, and educational institutions, using the authority provided by the Public Land Corps Act of 1993, the Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970, or other authorities.
Quarterly reports filed by State Youth Leads should not include any youth who are on the Federal payroll. This includes youth hired though non-competitive hiring authorities, such as those offered by the Student Educational Employment Programs (SEEP), Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program, and other intern programs, as well as seasonal employees, such as firefighting crew members. As in FY 2010, DOI will run queries in the Federal Personnel Payroll System (FPPS) to generate the number of newly hired youth on the Federal payroll. In an effort to promote better understanding and consistency throughout the bureau, the Washington Office Human Capital Management Directorate (WO-700) will be preparing additional guidance on Nature of Action codes in FPPS that will be counted using the Department’s criteria.
Reporting Requirements: State Youth Leads are requested to fill in the attached spreadsheet with information on “Partner-Supported Youth Employment.” It is suggested that information be collected by coordinating with Field Offices and with Grants Management Officers in the State. Note that the spreadsheet also includes a “Definitions” page, which provides details on the information requested in each of the spreadsheet cells.
Completed spreadsheets should be posted on the Youth Initiative Sharepoint site by January 10, 2011. Updated reports should be completed and posted by April 11, 2011; July 11, 2011; with a final year-end report due by October 14, 2011. The “FY 2011 Youth Employment Tracking” folder can be found on:
http://teamspace/sites-wo/wo170nlc/youth_initiatives/state_youth_leads/default.aspx
Timeframe: Effective immediately.
Budget Impact: Minimal.
Manual/Handbook Section Affected: None.
Coordination: This IM was coordinated by WO-170 and WO-700.
Contact: If you have any questions concerning the content of this IM, please contact Mary Tisdale, Chief, Division of Education, Interpretation, and Partnerships (Mary_Tisdale@blm.gov; 202-912-7450), or Betsy Wooster, National Youth Programs Coordinator (Elizabeth_Wooster@blm.gov; 202-912-7454).
Signed by: Authenticated by:
Robert B. Towne Robert M. Williams
Acting Director, National Landscape Conservation Division of IRM Governance,WO-560
System and Community Partnerships
1 Attachment