GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SPECIALIST

This position is located in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Passport Services Directorate, Office of Records Management, Records Review and Release Division (CA/PPT/RM/RRR). This position serves as a Government Information Specialist with responsibility for determining the release or denial of passport information requested under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act (PA). This is a position in a career ladder with a target grade level of GS 13.

Major duties

• Reviews and evaluates a range of requests for the release of documents or information related to passport adjudication to make the following determinations.
• Identifies and refers requests to appropriate organizations within PPT to provide the requested documents or information for use in responses.
• Evaluates and determines the propriety of releasing the requested information in light of the relative gravity of the law enforcement issues involved and the pertinent legal and statutory requirements of FOIA and the Privacy Act .
• Provides assistance regarding the types of information in passport files that is legally accessible to law enforcement entities as well as the application of special law enforcement record exclusions.
• Receives assignments of increasing scope and complexity that serve to prepare the incumbent to perform at the full performance level.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. [If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application. NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. Applicants applying for the GS-11 grade level must meet one of the following requirements: A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service that provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience in evaluating problems, drawing conclusions, and presenting recommendations for information disclosure requests. Experience in analyzing and researching issues of requests for the release of records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to determine the appropriate disposition. Experience in evaluating problems, preparing clear, concise written conclusions on complex FOIA issues. OR B. Have 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. from an accredited college or university. OR C. Have a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience (as described above), that is equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%. Note: All applicants WILL be required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for this position. Applicants applying for the GS-12 grade level must meet one of the following requirements: Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service that provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience in analyzing complex requests for the release of records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to determine the appropriate disposition. Experience in evaluating problems, preparing clear, concise written conclusions on complex FOIA issues. Experience in establishing internal controls for safeguarding improper access and disclosure of information. Experience in collaborating with law enforcement and various levels of government officials to serve as liaison to these external customers to clarify and resolve. issues There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements. When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience (for example, 6 months equals 50%) and the percentage of graduate study (for example, 9 graduate hours for a GS-07 equals 50% where 18 graduate hours constitute a full time year) must total at least 100%. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.