Directions For Accessing Posted Outreach Notices and Vacancy Announcements, USFS

Access Lotus Notes

Click the “Databases” icon. This is the seventh icon down on the left hand side menu.

Click the binoculars icon, “Find a Database”

Type “Outreach” into the field, Click “Search”

Choose “Forest Service Outreach Notices”, you may also bookmark this database by right clicking on “Forest Service Outreach Notices” and selecting “Create Bookmark from Link”

After you bookmark this database you will be able to select the “Favorite Bookmarks” icon from the left hand menu of Lotus Notes. This is the sixth icon down on the left side. You can select “Forest Services Outreach Notices” from your favorites.

You can search outreaches and vacancy announcements by series, grade, unit, State, etc.

Best Approach:

Finally, choose “My Interest Profile” from the FS Outreach left side menu. The Interest Profile allows you to locate Outreach Notices that meet the criteria you designate in the Interest Profile. You will be notified of the relevant Notice via a newsletter which will be mailed to you. This newsletter will contain document links to the Outreach notices that meet your criteria.


Questions and Answers:

Question: The information on the "About the FS Outreach Notice Database" states that outreach notices should not be a duplicate of an advertised vacancy announcement available on USAJobs. Since the National Office is currently using open, continuous vacancy announcements to fill positions, is the advertising of the same continuous vacancy announcement in the FS Outreach Notice Database an opportunity for the National Office to select from Agency or CCC employees before accepting a certificate of eligible applicants from the open, continuous certificate of eligible applicants?

Answer: No, the intent of the outreach is for managers to determine where their applicant pool is. For example, if the full performance level of the position is a GS-11 and the response from the outreach indicates that the majority of the applicant pool will be at the GS-9, then the manager has the option of advertising the position as a GS-9/11. Or if there are not sufficient internal applicants, the mgr can decide to go DEMO (outside of Fed Govt). If an applicant is interested in the position, it is the responsibility of the applicant to respond to the outreach. The are ways a mgr can make a selection outside of the application process is if it is a reassignment, reinstatement, down grade or promotion due to an accretion of duties.