EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT AND
TRAINING

The Commission plans, promotes, and carries out Government-wide programs to encourage the development and training of Federal career emplovees, and gives technical assistance to Federal trainers and managers on training matters. Through a nationwide network of training centers, executive seminar centers, and the Federal Executive Institute, a broad range of courses is offered in executive development, general and personnel management, communications and office skills, automatic data processing, management sciences, financial management, labor-management relations, equal employment opportunity, and legal education. The Commission also prescribes standards for agencies to follow in training and developing their employees.

INCENTIVE AWARDS

The Commission provides policy, guidance, and assistance to Federal agencies in the administration of the Government-wide Incentive Award Program. Through this program, which provides cash and honor awards, employees are encouraged to contribute to improvements in Government operations or services through their suggestions, inventions, and superior performance.

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Other Commission programs directly support the manager's personnel management responsibilities. They include the Government-wide job classification system; the administration of Government pay systems; development and operation of information systems to support and improve Federal personnel management decisionmaking; independent evaluation of agency personnel management practices and establishment of standards for agency personnel management systems; and the provi

sion of technical guidance to agencies and information to agencies, unions, and the public on Federal labormanagement relations.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

A number of activities which directly affect the well being of the employee and indirectly enhance his effectiveness are also managed by the Commission. They include health benefits, life insurance, occupational health, retirement, a system for appealing adverse personnel actions, and both protection from, and prevention of, prohibited political activity.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PERSONNEL

PROGRAMS

Intergovernmental personnel programs are aimed at improving personnel management in State, local, and Indian tribal governments. Grantsin-aid are available to these governments on a matching fund basis for personnel management improvement, training, and government-service fellowships. Personnel mobility assignments can be made between Federal Government and State, local, or Indian tribal governments, or colleges and universities, for up to 2 years for work of benefit to the participating parties. Assignments can be used to solve mutual problems, get new programs operating, design new systems, and meet temporary needs for high quality help. Operational services are available to State, local, and Indian tribal governments, including the referral of names from lists of eligible job applicants, joint recruiting and examining, and intergovernmental training. Personnel management technical assistance in the form of information and consultative services is also provided to State, local, and Indian tribal governments, upon request. In addition, the Commission administers the Federal Merit Standards which apply to certain grant-aided State and local programs.

Sources of Information

EMPLOYMENT

Federal employment information is provided through a network of Federal Job Information Centers located in major metropolitan areas. Toll-free telephone service is available. To obtain the appropriate telephone number, check the white pages under U.S. Government, Civil Service Commission, or call the WATS operator: 800555-1212.

CONTRACTS

Contact the Chief, Procurement and Operating Facilities Section, Office Services Division, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, D.C. 20415, or the Administrative Officer of the appropriate regional office.

FILMS

Several career guidance films and other audiovisual materials are available from the Commission. These materials are grouped in four categories: (1) recruiting, orientation, and improved service to the public; (2) upward mobility and equal employment opportunity; (3) the troubled employee-films touching on personal problems such as alcohol and drug abuse that adversely affect employees' work; and (4) labor relations. Detailed information from the Commission's Listing of Audiovisual Materials is available from the Office of Public Affairs or any of the Commission's regional or area offices.

PUBLICATIONS

A great many publications are issued by the Commission and are addressed to a variety of audiences, ranging from applicants for employment to the heads of Federal agencies. Publications of broad general interest include CSC Today and CSC Organization, which can be obtained from the Office of Public Affairs of the Commission. The

Annual Report of the Civil Service Commission and the Civil Service Journal, a quarterly magazine for Federal managers, are available through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

Publications dealing with various aspects of the Commission's work are available from offices and bureaus in the Commission. Examples are: Intergovernmental Personnel Notes, Executive Manpower in the Federal Service, Achievements 1954-1974, and Introduction to the Federal Incentive Awards Program. A complete listing of publications available to the public can be found in the Index to Civil Service Commission Information, available from the Office of Public Affairs.

Information regarding Federal personnel management publications, particularly those that are part of the Federal Personnel Manual system of publications, is available from the Issuance System Manager in the Commission's Bureau of Policies and Standards.

A wide variety of personnel management publications of interest to State and local government officials is available from the Personnel Management Information Service of the Commission's Bureau of Intergovernmental Personnel Programs, Washington, D.C. 20415.

POLITICAL ACTIVITY

Lawyers in the Office of the General Counsel are available to speak before public interest groups on political activity matters (Hatch Act). The Office also makes available for distribution various publications on the subject.

LIBRARY

The Commission Library contains a comprehensive collection of materials on personnel management and the Federal civil service. Its bibliographic

preceding months dealing with the international information activities of the Government.

Reorganization Plan 8 made the Director of the Agency responsible directly to the President and transferred to the new Agency overseas information responsibilities previously lodged in the Department of State and the Mutual Security Agency. The Plan provided that the Agency continue to receive foreign policy guidance from the Department of State. The Educational and Cultural Exchange Program remained in the Department, but for operating convenience it was agreed that the Agency would administer the program overseas.

Purpose and Functions

OVERSEAS INFORMATION

The United States Information Agency seeks to promote a better understanding of the United States in other countries.

The basic legislative authority for USIA and its predecessor organizations is the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, as amended (62 Stat. 6; 22 U.S.C. 1431). It provides for the dissemination abroad of information about the United States, its people, culture, and policies.

Among the means used to accomplish this purpose are radio broadcasting, motion pictures, television, exhibits, personal contact, lectures and seminars, information centers, libraries, Englishlanguage instructions, press placement, magazines and other publications, book translation and distribution, and providing facilitative assistance to foreign press and television journalists covering public affairs and developments in the United States. USIA officers abroad also carry out the overseas functions of the Department of State's educational and cultural exchange programs.

ADVISORY

Another aspect of the Agency's mission is to advise the President, his representatives abroad, and the various departments and agencies on the impli cations of foreign opinion for present and contemplated United States policies, programs, and official statements.

The Agency's advice on substantive matters having foreign opinion impli cations takes several forms: communication of comments and ideas by the Director or his Deputies to the White House or heads of departments and agencies concerned with foreign affairs; participation by USIA area offi

cers in the work of the National Security Council Interdepartmental Groups for the various geographic regions; close liaison by USIA area and policy officers with the Departments of State and Defense, and other departments and agencies; assignment of USIA career officers in advisory positions at State, Defense, and Commerce; and dissemination of regular reports of foreign media reaction to actions and policies of the United States to concerned Washington agencies.

Abroad, the Agency is known as the U.S. Information Service (USIS), and there are 188 USIS posts in 113 countries. The head of the U.S. Information Service, the Public Affairs Officer, provides the Ambassadors and members of the country teams with professional expertise on matters pertaining to public opinion.

OPERATIONS

Agency operations are organized along both geographical and functional (media service) lines. The structure of USIA is shown in the organization chart on page 643.

Geographic Area Direction. The five geographic area offices are the principal Agency contacts with its overseas posts. They participate in the development of information policies