This Directive was Canceled June 23, 1999.

U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

NOTICE

1. PURPOSE. To announce the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA'S) tenure policy on geographic mobility of key officials.

2. BACKGROUND

   1. In December 1979 a Personnel Management task force was convened to study a number of issues, including the mobility of key officials. The Task Force addressed four concerns related to geographic mobility:

      (1) Should the FHWA established a tenure policy for managers?

      (2) If so, who should be covered?

      (3) What should the tenure period be?

      (4) What elements should be considered in the operation of changes in geographic assignments?

   2. The Task Force solicited comments from Staff Office Directors, Associate Administrators, and Regional Administrators. The comments provided the basis for the Task Force's recommendation to the Administrator that the FHWA should set forth, for guidance, a general philosophy or point of view supporting the concept of geographic mobility, but that it not be so inflexible as to foreclose the FHWA management options or to impose undue hardships on individual employees.

   3. Both the mission accomplishment of the FHWA and the career development of the FHWA's key officials will continue to be enhanced through the geographic mobility of these officials. The FHWA will be more effective incarrying out its mission when its key officials possess a wide range of managerial and executive skills and a combination of field and Washington Headquarters experience. The geographic mobility of key officials is likely to provide opportunities for them to demonstrate their potential, broaden their experience, and progress to more complex and responsible positions.

3. POLICY. The Federal Highway Administration advocates and fully supports the concept and practice of geographic mobility for key officials.

4. COVERAGE. For the purposes of this policy, Associate Administrators, Staff Office Directors, Regional Administrators, Deputy Regional Administrators, Division Administrators and all Senior Executive Service (SES) members are key officials.

5. IMPLEMENTATION

   1. Key officials will be considered for reassignment within a five- to eight-year period of tenure in a specific position. This will allow management the flexibility to direct reassignments necessary to mission accomplishment and key officials the opportunity to seek the fulfillment of their career development goals.

   2. In addition to fulfilling FHWA program needs, elements to be considered in implementing this policy should include career development needs of key officials; choice of reassignment by key officials, to the extent practicable; personal and family circumstances; and any economic hardships associated with lateral reassignments.

RATING KEY OFFICIALS. A key official's performance will be evaluated by higher authority to determine any special need to reassign the official for the enhancement of the employee's career or the accomplishment of FHWA program objectives. This assessment will be added to the annual performance evaluation process, and transmitted to the Director, Office of Personnel and Training, who will summarize the information for the Federal Highway Administrator. This information will be utilized when considering reassignments of key officials or the filling of key management positions.

/s/
John S Hassell, Jr

Federal Highway Administrator

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This Directive was Canceled June 23, 1999.

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