Training Plan Reporting Requirement

6. Training Reporting Requirements

Introduction

This topic contains information about

• Training Plan Reporting Requirement
• Training Compliance Reporting Requirement
• Prorating Training Availability Time for OAR NTC
• Example of Documentation for Extended Excused Absence
• Calculating Prorated Items

Change Date

March 11, 2025

2.6. a. Training Plan Reporting Requirement

OAR requires DROCs to submit a training plan for each target audience within 45 calendar days of the beginning of the FY. This 45-day timeframe requirement does not preclude DROCs from beginning training in October, at the beginning of the FY. Training Managers will upload training plans to the OAR Training SharePoint site for Training Managers.

Training plans should remain flexible throughout the year. OAR encourages DROCs to adjust the training plans as needed to address changes in policy, procedures, and error trends.

Training plans include station-selected training as determined by DROCs, based on analysis of local quality reviews, OAR Quality Assurance Reviews, national quality trends, and requirements for a particular position. Station-selected training is identified in the VBA Learning Catalog and will count toward meeting the requirements for OAR NTC.

DROCs may use the recommended competency-based training plans published on the Compensation Service Training webpage as guidance tools.

2.6. b. Training Compliance Reporting Requirement

All DROCs must upload quarterly training compliance reports to the OAR Training SharePoint site for Training Managers. The reports will demonstrate reasonable progress towards the yearly training requirement.

Training Managers must submit compliance reports for members of each primary cohort. Compliance reports for primary cohorts show progress towards completing mandatory and station-selected training requirements.

The reports are due no later than seven business days following the end of each quarter (December, March, June, and September). The format for these reports will be based on readily available TMS reports uploaded to and analyzed within the OAR NTC Reporting Application. Training Manager-related guidance, the OAR NTC Progress Report Job Aid, and help documents pertaining to the execution of these requirements are available within the Training Center of Excellence.

Training Managers can access the NTC Reporting Application based on the DROC's location:

• Northeast District: https://vba-tpi.vbatraining.org/NTCProgressReportNE/
• Southeast District: https://vba-tpi.vbatraining.org/NTCProgressReportSE/
• Continental District: https://vba-tpi.vbatraining.org/NTCProgressReportCONT/
• Pacific District: https://vba-tpi.vbatraining.org/NTCProgressReportPAC/

2.6.c. Prorating Training Availability Time for OAR NTC

OAR allows DROCs to prorate training availability time for OAR NTC training requirements in the following circumstances:

• Employees who assist as VIP instructors: OAR NTC requirements may be prorated for details lasting more than 30 business days. However, VIP instructors will complete all items associated with the OAR and Compensation Service mandated training items.
• Employees becoming eligible for OAR NTC training after the first month of the FY will be prorated for the remaining months of the FY. Example: An employee completes entry level training and is assigned to the TMS primary cohort in January. The time available for training is reduced to nine months.
• Employees on extended periods of excused absence to include:
• Consecutive active duty or active duty for training absence for 30 consecutive days or more
• Accumulative active duty or active duty for training absence for 30 days or more
• Consecutive leave for 30 days or more including approved leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• Accumulative sick leave or FMLA for 30 days or more; single days of sick leave that are not excused by a physician will not count as time applied for prorated hours

For extended excused absences, the Training Manager must maintain proper documentation of the absence(s) for the current and previous FYs for compliance purposes. A memorandum from the employee’s immediate supervisor will suffice as proper documentation and must include the name of the employee, period of time, and number of days that have been approved as extended periods of leave.

The Training Manager must store the memorandum for the current and previous FYs, keep the documentation confidential, and only present it to the DROC or RO Director’s Office for compliance purposes.

Finally, the Training Manager must place the employee on ‘extended leave / military leave’ in TMS Profile Maintenance for periods of extended excused absences along with a note in Profile Maintenance showing the expected return date. Training Managers must also work with DROC management to add a WIT RO Note indicating: “Extended Absence from [date] to [date].”

2.6.d. Example of Documentation for Extended Excused Absence

Memorandum

From: (Employee’s Immediate Supervisor’s Name)

To: (DROC Name) Training Manager

Subject: (Employee Name) Approved Extended Leave

The above-mentioned employee has been authorized extended absence as follows:

• March 1 to April 1, 2025: Extended approved sick leave 31 days
• June 1 to July 1, 2025: Extended approved military leave 30 days

Signed by (Immediate Supervisor)

Note: OAR does not require a wet signature.

2.6. e. Calculating Prorated Items

Calculation of prorated items:

• Proration will only apply to station-selected training items.
• Mandated items typically represent changes in processes or procedures, and therefore must be completed by everyone.

Applying proration

• Follow the guidance in the OAR NTC Progress Report Job Aid located within the Training Center of Excellence to apply proration to the quarterly reports.
• The OAR NTC Reporting Application automatically calculates proration.

Note: Training Managers may manually edit FY mandated training due dates for employees who have completed entry-level training or who have onboarded and been added to OAR NTC primary cohorts on August 1st or after.