NIH, in collaboration with HHS, is implementing an E-Gov initiative to provide you with easier and faster access to your Official Personnel Folder (OPF). Your personnel file is owned by the Office of Personnel Management and is accessible to you and to NIH human resources staff. The OPF is a file containing records that cover an individual's entire federal employment history (but does not include contractors or fellows).

HHS is converting each employee's OPF from a paper file to an electronic file or electronic OPF (eOPF). eOPF is an automated solution, developed by Integic Corp., to manage the HHS OPF process. The eOPF allows each employee access to his or her OPF forms and information through a secure Internet connection. It is expected that the system will debut during the summer of 2005. Hard copy OPFs will continue to be maintained until a decision is made by OPM regarding their disposition.

Benefits of having your OPF converted to electronic format include:

• Access at any time (24 hours a day). You won't have to request your file and wait several days for it to become available for review in the office of your HR team.
  
  
• You can monitor your own records, which ensures greater accuracy and integrity.
  
  
• Email notification to you each time a document is added to your eOPF.
  
  
• Pre-defined access roles to prevent unauthorized access to your folder, resulting in greater security and protection of your privacy. There is no change in policy regarding who has the authority to access your OPF.
  
  
• Reduced cost associated with storage, maintenance and retrieval of records.
  
  
• eOPFs are more secure than paper, have a longer "shelf life" and provide easy backup and recovery capability. Incremental eOPF data backups are taken on a daily basis and full system backups are performed weekly. The database is highly secure with state-of-the-art firewall protection.
  
  
• Elimination of the potential loss of your OPF during filing and routing.

Employee information sessions will be held during the implementation period. The first two will be held on Thursday, June 16, from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Both are located in Masur Auditorium, Bldg. 10. If you are unable to attend one of these sessions, watch for future email notifications regarding dates, times and locations for more sessions.

You should also watch your email for information on accessing the eOPF system. This information will be sent to employees prior to implementation.

Visit the NIH eOPF web site at http://hr.od.nih.gov/HRSystems/eOPF/default.htm or the HHS eOPF web site at http://intranet.hhs.gov/eopf/ for more information and resources.

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