OFPP details how to bring retired acquisition workers back

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy has set up a way for agencies to relieve some of the acquisition workforce burden—hiring retired federal workers.Under the General Services Administration’s Modernization Act signed into law in October 2006, agencies received the ability to hire retired workers to fill critical acquisition vacancies. OFPP’s new policy, which administrator Paul Denett sent to chief acquisition officers earlier this week, details how this process works.Denett said agencies must submit a plan to implement the policy by Oct. 4 to OFPP and the Office of Personnel Management for approval.“The new legislation allows agencies to hire an individual receiving an annuity from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund without discontinuing such annuity to fill an acquisition-related position under certain circumstances,” Denett wrote in the memo. “Taking the necessary steps to use this new authority is an important part of our solution to meeting the government’s acquisition staffing needs.”The law lets agencies hire retired workers as:Agencies also must submit an annual report on the use of this provision every November starting in 2008.