FUNCTIONS

In carrying out its broad mission and objectives, the functions of the APAOC shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Provide general professional advice and recommendations:
   
   
   • Review and comment on issues referred to the APAOC by the Surgeon General, Minority Officers Liaison Council, Chief Professional Officers, Professional Advisory Committees, HHS Agencies, and/or Department Operating Divisions.
   
   
   
   • Deliberate issues, develop findings, and present recommendations to the MOLC and/or the Surgeon General.
   
   
   
2. Act as primary resource for career development:
   
   
   • Advise on Commissioned corps (CC) and Civil Service (CS) practices related to career development.
   
   
   
   • Advise on operating practices affecting the appropriate/optimum use of personnel to best meet PHS needs and the needs of the individual.
   
   
   
   • Identify both continuing and long-term intramural/extramural education needs of APA, and identify and recommend training and/or experience opportunities designed to meet these needs.
   
   
   
   • Advise on issues related to PHS promotion practices and for commissioned officers, assimilation into Regular Corps for APA officers.
   
   
   
3. Provide advice and assistance on staffing issues:
   
   
   • Assess and project the need for APA staffing levels, both CC and CS, throughout the PHS.
   
   
   
   • Provide advice on goals, objectives, and procedures designed to meet PHS staffing needs.
   
   
   
   • Provide guidance for recruitment in short-term student affiliation programs (COSTEP, summer interns, etc.).
   
   
   
   • Develop, and/or review and critique, specific PHS recruitment materials, procedures and programs.
   
   
   
   • Establish networks of current, as well as former, PHS professionals, who can assist ad, facilitate recruitment activities.
   
   
   
   • Provide guidance to formally identified PHS recruiters concerning the recruitment of qualified APA candidates to the PHS.
   
   
   
   • Assist in the development of orientation materials for newly-hired professionals and provide advice/recommendations concerning orientation programs.
   
   
   
   • Communicate and encourage appropriate use of awards/recognition systems:
     
     
     • Identify, establish, and help administer awards to APA. The awards will be either: Honor Awards to commissioned Officers, merit Awards to Civil Servants, or Special Awards to non-PHS individuals.
     
     
     
     • Maintain cognizance of existing CC and CS award programs and opportunities.
     
     
     
4. Serve as a communication link and information resource for APA:
   
   
   • Communicate to the CC and CS APA important information concerning professional and technical issues.
   
   
   
   • Encourage individual membership in, and involvement with, respective professional organizations and societies to promote open communication with non-Federal colleagues.
   
   
   
   • Ensure the distribution of minutes and/or other APAOC developed materials to all PAC Chairpersons, all CPOs, MOLC, the Surgeon General, and, to the extent possible and appropriate, to Asian pacific American CC and CS professional staff.