Functional Statements > Federal Student Aid

B. Office of Principal Deputy to the Chief Operating Officer:
B4. Management Services Directorate

The Management Services (MS) Directorate is responsible for Federal Student Aid activities related to human resources programs and operations, facilities operations, physical and personal security, emergency management, and training and development. To accomplish this mission, Management Services is divided into the following areas:

• Human Capital Group
• Facilities, Security, and Emergency Management Services Group
• Strategic Operational Alignment and Performance Group
• Resources and Administrative Management Liaison Group

Human Capital Group

The Human Capital Group is responsible for the full spectrum of human resources operational functions and programs, as well as human capital planning, governance, and risk. It also provides workforce management services including the development of FSA human resource policies and the provision of advice and assistance to the FSA employees in human resources policy matters. As appropriate, such services shall be provided in coordination with the Department's Office of Human Resources, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and/or the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Additionally, the Human Capital Group oversees operational and mission support business unit embedded human resources staff. To accomplish this mission, the Human Capital Group is divided into the following five Divisions:

• Human Capital Operations Division
• Human Capital Position Management and Classification Division
• Workforce Development Division
• Human Capital Information Systems Division
• Human Capital Policy and Planning Division
• Workforce Relations Division

Human Capital Operations Division (HCOD)

The HCOD serves as the FSA technical experts for a full range of staffing and recruitment matters as informed by recruitment and retention strategies and mission-driven hiring plans. These include all staffing and placement, as well as requests for personnel action processing. These responsibilities also include appointments to the competitive service through the application of FSA's delegated examining authority and noncompetitive appointments to the excepted service.

The Human Capital Position Management and Classification Division (HCPMCD)

The HCPMCD serves as the FSA technical experts for a full range of classification, position management, and organizational design matters. The HCPMCD’s responsibilities include facilitating the development of and approving position descriptions and classification of general schedule position descriptions and ensuring position classifications are consistent with agency-wide mission requirements and organizational structures.

Workforce Development Division (WDD)

The Workforce Development Division has primary responsibility for building a highly competent workforce and advancing organizational performance by providing training, development, and other services to produce the highest performance of people and teams in FSA. The WDD has responsibilities for leadership and organizational development. The WDD completes, competency assessment and develops, designs, and delivers, training curriculum. The Director's office manages the overall activities and, along with the two Divisions serves as a resource to FSA's operational and mission support business units and provides advisory services necessary to help them diagnose and resolve issues affecting individual and organizational performance. Identification and communication of competencies necessary to accomplish FSA's current and future work and the acquisition, design, and delivery of training to close competency gaps are key responsibilities. The WDD has two distinct functions:

• Management and Leadership Development
• Employee Development

Management and Leadership Development

The Management and Leadership Development Division (MLDD) supports the immediate office of the Management Services Directorate in the development of the Federal Student Aid Human Capital Plan, human capital strategies, and organization-wide initiatives that support implementation of the Plan, especially with respect to ensuring that FSA has current leaders with strong skills and a "deep bench" of potential leaders. The division is responsible for providing information, training design and delivery, mentoring, coaching, and other services needed to ensure that current and high potential supervisors receive the training and development opportunities they need to be successful. The MLDD also identifies best practices in human capital management and implements workforce improvement strategies. Additionally, the division provides support to FSA operational and mission support business units as functional and leadership “skills gaps” are identified. The division is also responsible for performing other organization-wide initiatives and special projects, such as administration and follow-up to employee surveys along with the development and delivery of diversity training and awareness programs.

Employee Development

The Employee Development Division (EDD) is responsible for assisting employees in accessing training, as well as assisting in obtaining the training throughout their careers with FSA. The EDD ensures that new employees receive orientation and serves as a resource for employees on issues related to their development needs and goals. The EDD provides or arranges for the delivery of classes to help employees meet the mission of FSA. The EDD handles the communications, logistics, and record keeping related to employee training and development.

Human Capital Information Systems Division (HCISD)

The HCISD provides the full range of support for the development, testing, implementation, and administration of human resource information and administration systems for processing and reporting human resources and pay data to satisfy Department and FSA human capital information requirements, including position accounting, accession data, employee and pay records system, and payroll accounting. Additionally, the HCISD coordinates with entities within FSA, the Department, and the Interior Business Center (IBC) for approval and implementation of human capital data releases.

The Human Capital Policy and Planning Division (HCPPD)

The HCPPD interprets human capital polices from OPM, the Department, and/or other oversight bodies and develops FSA supplements where appropriate. The HCPPD develops recruitment and retention strategies, while collaborating with FSA operational and mission support business units to develop mission-driven hiring plans. The HCPPD conducts the FSA manpower modeling and workforce planning programs, develops and analyzes workforce surveys, and collaborates with the Finance Directorate to develop authorized staffing targets, and facilitates the design, clearance, and approval of FSA organizational changes informed by modeling and workforce planning processes. Additionally, the HCPPD will develop strategic and operational human capital metrics and serve as liaison to the Strategic Operational Alignment and Performance Group. The HCPPD also serves as FSA’s office with primary responsibility to respond to reviews and audits of FSA’s human capital functions conducted by the Department and OPM.

Workforce Relations Division (WRD)

The Workforce Relations Division is responsible for providing the full range of support for employee relations, labor relations, and human resources work-life programs. Employee relations responsibilities include disciplinary and adverse actions, performance management, reasonable accommodation, appraisal and award program issues, administrative grievances and appeals, and the Drug-Free Workforce Program. The WRD also provides labor relations advice and assistance, conducts negotiations with labor organizations, represents FSA in proceedings before arbitrators or the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and addresses labor relations issues with OPM and other agencies. In the area of work-life programs, the WRD provides FSA employees with information, referral, and support services on matters such as childcare, elder care, annual and sick leave programs, leave bank/leave transfer, flexiplace/telework program implementation, and reasonable accommodation. Additionally, the WRD serves as a liaison to the Department regarding benefits, retirement, workers compensation, etc.

Facilities, Security, and Emergency Management Services Group

The Facilities, Security, and Emergency Management Services (FSEMS) Group is responsible for planning, managing, and directing FSA's safety, security, and emergency management programs in coordination with the Department's Office of Finance and Operations (OFO). The FSEMS Group serves as a liaison to the Department in support of the following functional areas:

Facilities and Logistics Management Division

The Facilities and Logistics Management Division monitors and manages the utilization of physical space occupied by FSA. This includes providing day-to-day services and support for maintenance, renovation, reconfigurations, regional training facilities, Learning Center scheduling and facilitation, garage management, employee transportation, and space planning /management services. The Facilities and Logistics Management Division also collaborates and coordinates efforts with the OFO and the General Services Administration to address needs and issues related to FSA staff located in the regional offices.

Physical Security and Emergency Management Division

The Physical Security and Emergency Management Division serves as the lead for FSA in coordination and liaison with the OFO Security Services, Federal Protective Service, and other Federal agencies on implementation of Federal physical security directives. The Physical Security and Emergency Management Division serves as a liaison with respect to the safety and physical security of the space occupied by FSA for all FSA staff and visitors including: coordination of the contract guard force, coordination of security response to all building emergencies, development and maintenance of the FSA Occupant Emergency Plan, and providing technical assistance regarding security issues such as external building and internal workplace threats, suspicious objects, medical emergencies, and natural disasters. The Physical Security and Emergency Management Division provides leadership on and coordinates all tenant security matters in the Union Center Plaza (UCP) building including the issuance, management, and control of badge and cardkey systems to control access to FSA occupied space for security purposes. In coordination with OFO and FSA Technology Directorate, the Physical Security and Emergency Management Division designs, plans, and implements programs that respond to a wide variety of disasters and other emergencies, critical situation management, safety, and personnel security. The Physical Security and Emergency Management Division participates in the development of FSA's Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP), coordinates FSA's emergency response program, and supports FSA's mission under the Federal Response Plan, which provides delivery of Federal assistance when major disasters or emergencies develop.

Strategic Operational Alignment and Performance Group

The Strategic Operational Alignment & Performance Group (SOAP) aims to institutionalize a managed performance improvement process to enhance the execution of management services using a variety of models for Services, People Management, Acquisition, Development, and Project Management through assessment, evaluation, tracking, auditing, organizational case studies, and reporting.

Business Process Reengineering Division

The Business Process Reengineering Division serves as a consultant to Management Services Directorate customers in evaluating, planning, and implementing improvements based on best practices in business processes and practices. The Business Process Reengineering Division is responsible for improving overall quality, reducing costs, increasing productivity, and improving process cycle time to result in significant process improvement, customer satisfaction, and service excellence.

Integrated Data Analytics Division

The Integrated Data Analytics Division provides consultative services across the Management Services Directorate in strategic planning and analysis, requirement identification, risk analysis, evaluation, assessment and improvement of programs and management systems by applying a wide range of qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques. The Integrated Data Analytics Division uses the resulting metrics to optimize business processes to increase the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Management Services Directorate.

Resources & Administration Management Liaison Group

Federal Student Aid's Resources and Administration Management Liaison Group is part of the Management Services Directorate and serves as liaison on FSA and Departmental administrative initiatives. Work is executed in the areas of financial management, information and data management, and operational support services. This group takes lead for connecting and collaborating with FSA Risk management and FSA governance working groups for all Management Services Directorate functions. Staff members develop and implement internal administrative policies and procedures, provide advice on issues of concern, and perform special assignments as directed.