Preliminary Privacy Impact Assessment

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TITLE: HUD Integrated Human Resources and Training System (HIHRTS)

September, 2003

UPI # 025-00-01-06-01-1010-00-403-131

PCAS # 202750

Is this a new or substantially revised electronic information system? If revised, describe revisions.

HIHRTS is a revision and consolidation of the following 17 legacy systems:

  • ARFS (Automated Retirement Forms System)
  • BESS (Benefits Services System)
  • DOCS (Department Organization Code System)
  • EEOMAS (Equal Employment Opportunity Management Analysis System/Interface)
  • HATS (Human Resource Action Tracking System)
  • HVU (HUD Virtual University)
  • MSCS (Merit Staffing Control System)
  • OPTIS (Office of Personnel and Training Inquiry System)
  • PACS (Performance Accountability and Communication System)
  • PC-TARE (Personal Computer Time and Attendance Remote Entry)
  • PERIS (Personnel Information System)
  • SCATS (Security Control and Tracking System)
  • STIRS (Staff Tracking and Inquiry Reporting System)
  • TANCS (Training Announcement Nomination and Confirmation System)
  • TRAI (Training Information System)
  • XPRESS (Employee Express)
  • ECS (Emergency Contact System)

All information contained in these systems will be available from HIHRTS. Completion of all consolidations is expected by September 20, 2006.

If any question does not apply, state not applicable (N/A) for each question and explain why.

I. Describe the information to be collected (e.g., nature and source). Be sure to include any information in an identifiable form, e.g., name, address, social security number or other identifying number or code, telephone number, email address, etc).

HIHRTS will include information, such as name(s), date of birth, home address, mailing address, social security number, and home telephone. It will also have information on announced positions including the applicants' eligibility and referral status. This system may include, but is not limited to, contents of the OPF as specified in OPM's Operating Manual, "The Guide to Personnel Record Keeping." Records in this system may include-

  • Records reflecting work experience, educational level achieved, and specialized education or training obtained outside of Federal service.
  • Records reflecting Federal service and documenting work experience and specialized education received while employed. Such records contain information about past and present positions held; grades; salaries; duty station locations; and notices of all personnel actions, such as appointments, transfers, reassignments, details, promotions, demotions, reductions-in-force, resignations, separations, suspensions, Office approval of disability retirement applications, retirement, and removals.
  • Records on participation in the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and any other fringe benefit programs.
  • Records relating to an Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignment or Federal-private sector exchange program.
  • Records relating to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) concerning the starting, changing, or stopping of contributions to the TSP and may include how the individual wants the investments to be made in the various TSP Funds.
  • The employee provides information when they apply for a position at HUD or upon appointment to the Department
II. Why is the information being collected (e.g., to determine eligibility)?

HIHRTS will be repository of employee and position information, reports of personnel actions, merit staffing actions, security clearances, tracking labor and employee relations actions, and the documents and papers required in connection with these actions effected during an employee's Federal service. The information is retained by the Department to connect to the personnel/ payroll provider, the National Finance Center that will connect to the eventual electronic OPF. Therefore, the reason for collection is the some as the OPM Privacy Act System of Records.

Records in this system have various uses by the personnel offices, including screening qualifications of employees; determining status, eligibility, and employee's rights and benefits under pertinent laws and regulations governing Federal employment; computing length of service; managing workload, providing data for strategic Human Capital Planning and other information needed to provide personnel services.

III. How will the information be used (e.g., to verify existing data)?

These records and information in these records may be used--

  • To disclose information to Government training facilities (Federal, State, and local) and to non-Government training facilities (private vendors of training courses or programs, private schools, etc.) for training purposes.
  • To disclose information to education institutions on appointment of a recent graduate to a position in the Federal service, and to provide college and university officials with information about their students working in the Student Career Experiment Program, Volunteer Service, or other similar programs necessary to a student's obtaining credit for the experience gained.
  • To disclose information to officials of foreign governments for clearance before a Federal employee is assigned to that country.
  • To consider and select employees for incentive awards and other honors and to publicize those granted. This may include disclosure to other public and private organizations, including news media, which grant or publicize employee recognition.
  • To consider employees for recognition through quality-step increases, and to publicize those granted. This may include disclosure to other public and private organizations, including news media, which grant or publicize employee recognition.
  • To determine qualifications for announced positions. This may include disclosures to internal managers, supervisors, and OPM/GAO auditors.
  • To contact employees or family members in the event of a national, Departmental or personal emergency. This may include disclosure to managers/supervisors or coordinators for the emergency.

IV. Will you share the information with others (e.g., another agency for a programmatic purpose)? If yes, list the entities.

Yes, the information may be shared as follows:

  • To a Federal, State, or local agency responsible for investigating, prosecuting, enforcing, or implementing a statute, rule, regulation, or order, when the Department becomes aware of an indication of a violation or potential violation of civil or criminal law or regulation.
  • To disclose information to any source from which additional information is requested (to the extent necessary to identify the individual, inform the source of the purpose(s) of the request, and to identify the type of information requested), when necessary to obtain information relevant to a decision to hire or retain an employee, issue a security clearance, conduct a security or suitability investigation of an individual, classify jobs, let a contract, or issue a license, grant, or other benefits.
  • To disclose to a Federal agency in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of government, in response to its request, or at the initiation of the Department, information in connection with the hiring of an employee, the issuance of a security clearance, the conducting of a security or suitability investigation of an individual, the classifying of jobs, the letting of a contract, the issuance of a license, grant, or other benefits by the requesting agency, or the lawful statutory, administrative, or investigative purpose of the agency to the extent that the information is relevant and necessary to the requesting agency's decision.
  • To disclose information to the Office of Management and Budget at any stage in the legislative coordination and clearance process in connection with private relief legislation as set forth in OMB Circular No. A-19.
  • To provide information to a congressional office from the record of an individual in response to an inquiry from that congressional office made at the request of the individual.
  • To disclose information to another Federal agency, to a court, or a party in litigation before a court or in an administrative proceeding being conducted by a Federal agency, when the Government is a party to the judicial or administrative proceeding.

V. Describe what opportunities individuals have been given to decline to provide information or to consent to particular use of the information (e.g., whether individual may withhold permission for a particular use).

Privacy Act statements on forms completed by employees/applicants to apply for a position at HUD, enroll in a benefit program, etc., that will used to populate HIHRTS, advise employees/applicants that they need not provide their SSN or other identifies; however, lack of information will prevent (or delay) the processing of their action/request. Since HIHRTS is still pending implementation, no method exists for capturing restrictions that employees may place on withholding permission to release records. No system specific instructions exist for capturing requests to deny access to the information in HIHRTS.

VI. How will the information be secured (e.g., administrative and technological controls)?

Only individuals with a need to know will have access to the information in HIHRTS. Access will be further limited to specific data within HIHRTS. Routing Privacy Act training will advise users on what data can be released and what data requires the consent of the individual before it is released.

VII. How will the data be retrieved (e.g., will it be retrieved by a personal identifier such as name, social security number, address, telephone number or some other identifier that is unique to an individual)?

Since HIHRTS is not implemented, there is no way to know all of the ways in which searches may be made to retrieve data. However, the works will be retrieved by SSN and name. Therefore, it is conceivable that one or both would be required to retrieve the information. In the case of merit staffing actions, the announcement number may be required to located the information.