(a) General authority. (1) OPM may issue lists of qualified applicants or competitive service certificates for use by one or more agencies under delegated examining procedures.

(2) Agencies may conduct technical assessments and certify applicants on lists of qualified applicants or make selections from certificates issued under this section in accordance with applicable law and regulation.

(b) Definitions. The following terms apply to this section:

OPM-led pooled hiring action means a hiring approach under which OPM will:

(1) Centrally recruit and provide agencies with lists of applicants who meet minimum requirements and qualifications for hiring agencies to conduct the technical assessment, certification, and selection processes; or

(2) Centrally recruit, screen applicants for minimum requirements and qualifications, conduct the technical assessment and certification processes, and provide agencies with ready-made certificates of qualified applicants to make selections. OPM at its discretion may provide agencies with lists of applicants eligible under 5 CFR part 330, subpart F, subpart G, or both.

Participating agency means an agency that receives a list of qualified applicants or a competitive service certificate from OPM under this section for a given OPM-led pooled hiring action.

(c) Lists of qualified applicants. (1) OPM may recruit applicants, determine minimum qualifications, and provide lists of qualified applicants to agencies.

(i) OPM will provide agencies with a list of eligible applicants with Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) eligibility who must be selected before other applicants from the OPM-generated certificate in accordance with 5 CFR part 330, subpart G.

(2) Participating agencies are responsible for conducting technical assessments and issuing certificates in accordance with this part and part 337 of this chapter.

(3) Agencies must satisfy all applicable requirements relating to Reemployment Priority List (RPL), Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), and ICTAP before making selections.

(4) An agency may apply the three-consideration rule under § 332.405 to a certificate issued under § 332.402 and must notify OPM when doing so. The three-consideration rule does not apply to a certificate issued under § 337.303 of this chapter. OPM will notify all participating agencies when an applicant has been removed from further consideration under the three-consideration rule. An agency may, but is not required to, consider any applicant who received three bona fide considerations from another agency in accordance with § 332.405 and identified as such by OPM.

(5) An agency which passes over a preference eligible must notify OPM when the pass-over is sustained. OPM will notify all participating agencies when a pass-over request has been sustained, and the veteran is removed from further consideration. An agency may, but is not required to, consider any applicant notified that he or she was being passed over by another agency in accordance with § 332.406, the Delegated Examining Operations Handbook, and identified as such by OPM.

(d) OPM-created certificates for pooled hiring. (1) OPM may issue one or more competitive certificates for a hiring instance under delegated examining procedures.

(2) An agency using an OPM-generated certificate may not reassess applicants for purposes of rating or ranking.

(3) OPM may establish a policy for the timeframe within which an agency using a certificate may make a selection, and any extensions to this timeframe.

(4) OPM will provide agencies with a list of ICTAP-eligible applicants who must be selected before other applicants from the OPM-generated certificate in accordance with 5 CFR part 330, subpart G.

(5) Each agency using the certificate must clear RPL and CTAP before making a selection from the certificate in accordance with 5 CFR part 330, subparts B and F.

(6) An agency may apply the three-consideration rule under § 332.405 to a certificate issued under § 332.402 and must notify OPM when doing so. The three-consideration rule does not apply to a certificate issued under § 337.303 of this chapter. OPM will notify all participating agencies when an applicant has been removed from further consideration under the three-consideration rule. A participating agency may, but is not required to, consider any applicant who received three bona fide considerations from another agency in accordance with § 332.405 and identified as such by OPM.

(7) An agency which passes over a preference eligible must notify OPM when the pass over is sustained. OPM will notify all participating agencies when a pass over request has been sustained, and the veteran is removed from further consideration. An agency may, but is not required to, consider any applicant notified that he or she was being passed over by another agency in accordance with § 332.406, the Delegated Examining Operations Handbook, and identified as such by OPM.