The Office of Personnel Management has issued an interim
regulation granting federal agencies — excluding the
Department of Defense — direct-hire authority for federal
acquisition positions covered under title 41 of the United
States Code when there is a “severe shortage of
well-qualified candidates.”
“The interim regulation that I have signed is needed to
assist federal agencies in hiring individuals for positions
that have been difficult to fill,” said OPM director Linda
M. Springer.
Agencies are instructed to use the criteria prescribed in
Title 5 of the Code Of Federal Regulations to determine if
there is a shortage — and must comply with all laws and
regulations pertaining to public notice requirements,
including displaced employee procedures, according to OPM.
The authority expires September 30, 2007. The regulation
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a050804c.html.