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| TO: | Area Directors |
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| FROM: | Acting Director, Indian Health Service |
| SUBJECT: | Indian Health Service Headquarters Oversight of Area Office Misconduct or Substandard Performance Trainings |
The purpose of this Special General Memorandum (SGM) is to announce the Headquarters oversight of Misconduct or Substandard Performance Trainings developed and implemented within the Indian Health Service (IHS) Areas.
Federal employees are expected to demonstrate high standards of integrity, both on and off the job, abiding by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Standards of Conduct regulations (45 CFR Part 73) and other Federal and Departmental laws, rules and regulations. When established standards of conduct are violated, or the rules of the workplace are disregarded, corrective action is warranted to motivate employees to conform to acceptable behavioral standards and prevent prohibited and/or unsafe activities. Such corrective actions should comport with applicable agency policy, laws, and regulations and should be administered with relative consistency that will promote the efficiency of the service.
All IHS Areas must obtain Headquarters review and clearance of training materials that include information on addressing and/or preventing misconduct or substandard performance.
The IHS Areas must submit and obtain clearance of training materials (i.e., lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, outlines, etc.) from the Headquarters Office of Human Resources (OHR) that include guidance on addressing and/or preventing misconduct or substandard performance. This includes current, new, or revised trainings.
The IHS Areas must submit new and revised Misconduct or Substandard Performance training materials in draft to the Director, Division of Workforce Relations and Policy (DWRP), OHR, for review and clearance before implementing them. Current Area trainings that have already been implemented require clearance and must be submitted within six months from the date this SGM was signed.
When submitting Area training materials, a separate document must accompany the request that includes information on alignment to current HHS and IHS misconduct or substandard performance policies and the purpose, goals, and objectives for the Area training.
Upon submission, OHR/DWRP will review and return training materials that are inconsistent with current IHS and HHS misconduct or substandard performance policies for revision. Areas are required to update the training materials as requested and return to OHR/DWRP for final review and clearance.
OHR/DWRP will review the revised training materials, and, if in compliance, sign the Misconduct or Substandard Performance Training Clearance Form (see attachment) and return to the Area for implementation Area-wide. If the training materials are not in compliance, they will be sent back until all required revisions are made.
OHR/DWRP will review Area training submissions and return for revisions or with final clearance within 60 days of receipt.
OHR/DWRP will retain a copy of the final cleared Area training materials and a copy of the Misconduct or Substandard Performance Training Clearance Form for record keeping.
Effective Date: This SGM becomes effective on the date signed.
/Elizabeth A. Fowler/
Elizabeth A. Fowler
Acting Director
Indian Health Service
Attachment: Misconduct or Substandard Performance Training Clearance Form [PDF - 68 KB]
