One year ago, the Council on Veterans Employment approved the attached model for establishing performance goals to meet requirements of the President’s Executive Order on the Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government.The Order required the Council to establish performance goals to assess the effectiveness of the Veterans Employment Initiative.

During the past year, the initiative has been on a very positive track. In the first half of FY 2011, we experienced an increase in the number and percentage of Veterans hired – more than what was ever achieved in the previous 20 years. In fact, President Obama commended the agencies for our results at the June 30, 2011 Council meeting, but the President made it clear that he expects even more.

As we approach the end of fiscal year 2011, each agency should establish FY 2012 Veteran hiring goals based on your FY 2011 results. At this time, your goals should be based on a combination of FY 2011 (October - March) Veterans employment information released by OPM and your internal records. Your agency will have an opportunity to make adjustments to the goals based on official FY 2011 Veterans employment information released by OPM later in the fiscal year.

Please use the attached model to establish your agency’s FY 2012 goals for Total Veteran New Hires and Total Disabled Veteran New Hires and report these goals to Joseph Kennedy, Executive Director of the Council on Veterans Employment, by October 31, 2011. If you have any questions, please contact Joseph Kennedy atJoseph.Kennedy@opm.gov or (202) 606-5181.

If you need support in revising your plan or formulating new strategies to meet your goals, please contact your agency’s Veteran Employment Program Managers as well as your OPM Human Capital Officer.

cc: Council on Veterans Employment Designees

Chief Human Capital Officers Council

Human Resources Directors

Veteran Employment Program Offices