Goddard Opportunities Bulletin Board System

• Supervisor identifies an assignment or special opportunity and posts an Announcement for informal Competitive Selection. Assignments range from brief jobs of a few hours to full time details lasting up to 1 year.
• Supervisor identifies the target audiences/recipients and forwards the announcement to the assigned Directorate point of contact for review and approval.
• Supervisors should notify manager and the GOBBS POC of targeted organization(s).
• Opportunities are posted in the system.
• Target organization or specified groups receives an email announcing the opportunity.
• Interested applicants review GOBBS announcements and applies on-line (supervisor’s approval is encouraged since, if selected, some opportunities, e.g., details, require supervisor’s approval).
• Volunteer applications are sent directly to supervisor/opportunity sponsor.
• Sponsor reviews applications, and either selects the volunteer or schedules informal interviews with applicants before selecting the volunteer. The selecting official must first consult with the selectee's supervisor to negotiate final approval and start dates for the assignment.
• Volunteer and their supervisor and all applicants are notified of selection via an email notice. The selection is posted on GOBBS and the announcement is closed.

• All employees have access to read and apply on-line
• Promotes Diversity -- Increased diversity in selections for high profile projects
• Broadens opportunities available to employees
• Broadens and increases pool of talented candidates
• Expands opportunities to individuals who have less visibility
• Enhances opportunities for career development (specialized experience, visibility)
• Gives potential promotion candidates “dry run” at assuming more responsibility
• Win-win for the volunteer and the manager
• Choice is motivation
• Participants obtain new knowledge­return to organization invigorated and challenged
• More job satisfaction
• Managers get snap shots of employees not already known
• Managers get to experience employees performance on project
• Short term assignments benefit both managers and employees
• Minimum paperwork

• Managers willing to post opportunities / Management Buy In
• Managers willing to release employees for temporary assignments
• Fear employees won’t want to return to their organization
• GOBBS process may delay project getting started, e.g. current practice is to use informal networks for a recommendation

• Assignments that lead to great visibility within the organization.
• Assignments that often lead to awards and other forms of recognition.
• Assignments associated with career enhancements.

• Identify the assignment that would be considered a “high profile” or “plum” assignment or where outside assistance would be of benefit to an employee and the organization
• Determine the skills needed to complete the requirement
• Identify the targeted audience with the identified skills
• Fill out a GOBBS advertisement
• Submit GOBBS advertisement to the assigned Directorate rep for posting
• Interview where needed, and/or and make a selection from applicants
• Enter selected person’s name in the system
• Provide for direction and oversight to Selectee for successful completion.
• Provide summary comments to Selectee’s performance plan, if appropriate.

• Notify supervisor when offered an assignment
• Must uphold their commitment to the opportunity

• Question: How do you determine which opportunities should be posted?
  Answer: Any assignment that is meaningful and needs another set of hands and diverse ideas, one time-short time projects.


• Question: Does this create a problem for the home organization?
  Answer: Notification and agreement is gained first from the targeted organization prior to the advertisement, if appropriate. Supervisors must approve before volunteer can begin assignment.


• Question: What benefit other than the exposure does the employee get out of these assignments?
  Answer: New skills, visibility, perspectives, choice of involvement, motivation.


• Question: How often can an employee apply and participate?
  Answer: No limit identified.


• Question: I have a project in HR requiring the skills of a data systems analyst. What happens if support types (secretaries) apply who have skills making charts, however, there is no evidence of analytical skills. If I don't select anyone, what happens then?
  Answer: Manager's identify skills needed. If someone doesn't have that skill, they are not selected.


• Question: Our employees may expect/demand promotions, should there be an agreement? What would it entail?
  Answer: All HR rules and regulations apply. Therefore, if this is not a merit promotion action, there is no promotion. This is an opportunity to participate in a short term, one time assignment where new skills and knowledge can be gained and added to a person's resume.


• Question: What paperwork is involved if a detail is involved (performance plans, description of work, etc)?
  Answer: The Sponsor Manager may be asked to provide a performance summary as input to the individual's performance appraisal. A form 52 "Request for Personnel Action" may be required if the detail to another organization exceeds 30 days.


• Question: Who does the employee's work in home organization?
  Answer: Unless the opportunity requires full time support, employees are expected to manage their workload. If the opportunity requires a full time commitment, the employee must work with the supervisor to find a creative replacement - cross training by someone in the organization, sharing of duties and responsibilities, etc.