This position serves as the Assistant Privacy/Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer and assists the Privacy/FOIA Officer with oversight for the data governance program and initiatives in the Iowa City VA Health Care System and its supporting catchment area. The position makes unique facility-level determinations about disclosures, issuance of denials, redactions, access, use and dissemination of federal agency records.

Duties

Duties Include: Supports the Privacy/FOIA Officer in developing a local level strategy for data governance, which includes leading from the executive office and ensuring a unique program that includes diverse processes and specific policies which are independent of other facilities. Makes decisions of data disclosure, conducts independent investigations, conducts compliance activities, and implements physical, technical, and administrative safeguards across the facility. Develops and executes strategic management initiatives in Privacy/FOIA program areas that establishes areas of control of information within the facility and interfaces with all business operations across service lines/departments. Assists the Privacy/FOIA Officer in strengthening and sustaining the operational life cycle of the Privacy/FOIA program in developing a communication strategy that fosters awareness for both internal and external partners to improve compliance, provide training and engage the public. Performs complex analysis of key policy inquiries that can encompass any and all information collected, used, or disclosed in the facility. Contributes to significant agency decisions, policy recommendations and executive leadership consultations based on an in-depth knowledge of government regulatory and federal and state statutory requirements, case law and Office of Inspector General (OIG), Government Accounting Office (GAO) and National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) verdicts Plans and conducts monitoring activities which measure the overall level of operational compliance by the facility. Assess gaps in policy, measure the knowledge of individual staff and facilitate improvements against changing policies, regulations and statutes that impact the Privacy and FOIA programs. Creates a communications process and tools that are flexible, customizable, and interactive to address the Iowa City VA Health Care System's unique compliance challenges and educational/training needs. Develops and integrates policy-based processes, roles and controls that influences how data is created, collected, used, stored, and destroyed throughout the organization. Classifies and addresses issues stemming from conflict of regulations and laws and differences in compliance with facility business practices. Performs assessment of privacy-related risks associated with business activities that involve processing of personal and sensitive data. Determines potential privacy risk to individuals, evaluates both new and existing controls to reduce risk and works with the Privacy/FOIA Officer to mitigate the risks within the entire organization. Participates in the planning, development and evaluation of procurement and acquisitions for goods and services for the entire organization. Assists Privacy/FOIA Officer in investigating non-compliance of privacy related issues in the organization and outside of the organization when VHA information is involved. Independently performs in-depth legal research that pertains to both federal and state statutes to render expertise, provide solutions and facilitate corrective action. Adjudicates privacy and FOIA decisions that affect employees, Veterans, patients, and commercial businesses with supervision. Ensures that agency correspondence for data governance is transparent, timely, accurate and complete in response to requests for information from the general public, Congressional representatives, law enforcement, courts, and commercial business. Performs other duties as assigned. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: 7:30am-4:00pm or 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday Telework: Ad Hoc Only Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist - Assistant Privacy/FOIA Officer/PD505430 and PD505420 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit: No The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/21/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-09: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization and that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Program Specialist. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: assisting in the control of information to include: the creation, use, disclosure, and destruction of information/data throughout an organization; responding to FOIA requests; monitoring activities which measure the overall level of operational compliance of a facility; applying qualitative and quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of data governance program effectiveness; and submitting reports to substantiate compliance with national, state, and local applicable statutes. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or, 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (Transcript Required). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education beyond (1) full year of graduate level education may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-09 level. (Transcript Required). GS-11: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization and that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Program Specialist. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: assisting in the control of information to include: the creation, use, disclosure, and destruction of information/data throughout an organization; monitoring activities which measure the overall level of operational compliance of a facility; submitting reports to substantiate compliance with national, state, and local applicable statutes; conducting compliance investigations; training employees on general data protection procedures; providing recommendations to improve compliance and minimize risk and litigation exposure to an organization; and assisting in the implementation of policies concerning privacy and data governance. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or, 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (Transcript Required). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master's degree or equivalent graduate education may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-11 level. (Transcript Required) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationsExternal AwarenessManages and Organizes InformationSecurity Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Iowa City VA Health Care System 601 Highway 6 West Iowa City, IA 52246 US
• Name: Michael Kelly
• Phone: 612-467-3398
• Email: [email protected]