Online Pre-Employment Examination (OPE)

August 2, 2021 REVENUE MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 25-2021 SUBJECT : Online Pre-Employment Examination (OPE) TO : All Revenue Officials and Employees Concerned I. BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges both for people and society across the world. The pandemic has caused restricted mobility and interpersonal contact in order to prevent further transmission of the virus. In the Philippines, many industries have been affected and recruitment process is no exception. Its impact on recruitment process across the country cannot be ignored. The Civil Service Commission (CSC) issued Memorandum Circular No. 14, s. 2020 Subject: Interim Guidelines on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions for the Period of State of Calamity Due to COVID-19 Pandemic and it states that, "2. Recruitment and Selection Process Agencies shall adopt internal guidelines that will allow for online recruitment and selection processes such as online competency assessment, video conferencing for interviews and HRMPSB deliberations." As part of the recruitment efforts of the Bureau to ensure that all recruitment, selection and placement processes (RSP) are all in accordance to the CSC rules and regulations wherein merit and fitness are the basis for selection for hiring a qualified candidate, the Bureau has been conducting paper-and-pen pre-employment examination nationwide. In March 2021, the OPE has been introduced as an alternative to the paper-and-pen pre-employment examination to cater Revenue Regions that require air or sea travel and/or considered as Interzonal Travel by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF). CAIHTE The OPE has been adopted to ensure that the limitations and negative impacts brought about by the pandemic will not hinder the recruitment process of the Bureau. Likewise, the OPE is being done to meet the Resource Management Group's Key Performance Indicator under its priority program to expedite the recruitment process in the Bureau. The Bureau would like to continuously provide job opportunities especially to those who have lost their jobs during the pandemic while ensuring everyone's safety and well-being. Despite the challenges brought about by these extremely difficult circumstances, the BIR chose to thrive and develop innovative solution. Apart from this, the OPE has become an integral part of the Bureau's Recruitment, Selection and Placement System under the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) Project, which is in line with the BIR Digitalization (DX) Program for Enhancing Administration and Support Services of BIR. II. OBJECTIVES This Order is issued to: 1. Prescribe policies, guidelines and procedures that will ensure effective and efficient OPE administration process while maintaining integrity and in compliance with the existing CSC rules and regulations. 2. Adopt an objective and competency-based screening method with regards to the conduct of OPE as alternative examination of the paper and pen test in selecting candidates to fill-up the vacant positions in Revenue Regions with restrictions in air or sea travel and/or considered as Interzonal Travel by the IATF. 3. To identify the roles and responsibilities of involved personnel in the National Office and Revenue Regions. 4. Ensure adherence to the equal employment opportunity policy on recruitment and selection of employees where there shall be no discrimination on account of age, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, civil status, religion, disability, ethnicity or political affiliations. III. SCOPE The policies, guidelines and procedures shall cover the OPE of all career positions in the first and second level in Revenue Regions that require air or sea travel and/or considered as Interzonal Travel by the IATF. IV. POLICIES 1. The provisions regarding strategic recruitment and selection process shall be based on the policies, guidelines and procedures stipulated in the CSC Memorandum Circular No. 24, series 2017 re: 2017 Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions (ORAOHRA) and RMO 68-2016 re: Delegation of Authority for Recruitment in the Regional Offices and Amendment to Revenue Memorandum Order No. 36-2013 dated September 6, 2013 re: Strategic Recruitment and Selection Process. This Order shall be observed with regard to the conduct of Pre-Employment Examination in Revenue Regions that requires air or sea travel. 2. The OPE shall be the alternative examination of the paper-and-pen pre-employment exam to cater the applicants of Revenue Regions that requires air or sea travel or considered as Interzonal Travel by the IATF. However, the OPE may be conducted upon request of Revenue Regions. 3. For Revenue Regions that could not meet the conditions required for the conduct of the OPE, their applicants may take the paper-and-pen test to be accommodated on a coordinated schedule with the Career Management Section (CMS), Personnel Division (PD) in the National Office. Applicant/s must submit a letter signifying their willingness to travel at their own risk, upon compliance of quarantine protocols and/or obtained of travel pass and/or medical certificate issued within a week before the exam. 4. The total number of at least fifteen (15) but not exceeding to seventy-five (75) applicants per conduct of the OPE by the CMS, PD on a per Revenue Region basis. However, the total number of applicants per conduct may be adjusted depending on the recent IATF guidelines on the allowed number of people in mass gathering. Only in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) or Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) shall be allowed to conduct the OPE. 5. Only endorsed applicants by the Regional Office to the CMS, PD shall be allowed to take the exam during the scheduled date. 6. The applicant has not taken the OPE nor the paper-and-pen test for the last six (6) months preceding the date of exam. 7. If an applicant passed the pre-employment examination for Officer position and then took either the paper-and-pen or OPE for Administrative Assistant or Administrative Aide position, whichever is the most recent exam must take precedence. 8. The Human Resource Management Section (HRMS), Administrative and Human Resource Management Division (AHRMD) and the CMS, PD must have a dry run at least a day before the actual conduct of OPE which shall be through a video-conferencing application, preferably via Zoom. This is to ensure the smooth conduct of the OPE. aDSIHc 9. An OPE Orientation shall be facilitated by the CMS, PD prior to the OPE thru video-conferencing application. The orientation shall discuss, among others, the following: a. Brief background of the BIR structure and compensation and benefits b. Recruitment and Selection Process c. OPE policies d. Rules in taking the OPE 10. The validity of the OPE test results and interview of the applicants shall be retained for five (5) years from the date the test is administered or from the date of any personnel action relating to the testing, whichever is later, except in case of reorganization or any other similar event. 11. Testing, interview and line-up process shall not exceed ten (10) working days from the date of the OPE. 12. The Forced-Rank List (FRL) of OPE applicant shall be separated from those who took the paper-and-pen test. V. GENERAL GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES 1. The Regional Director shall submit a letter addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, Resource Management Group (RMG), Attention: Assistant Commissioner, Human Resource Development Service (HRDS) requesting for a conduct of the OPE in their respective regions, indicating the following: a. Total number of vacancies per position b. Total number of examinees per position c. Preferred date/s for the OPE 2. The HRMS, AHRMD of the Revenue Regions shall submit to the CMS, PD the List of Qualified Applicants (Annex "A") for core positions such as Attorneys, Revenue Officer I Assessment and Revenue Officer I Non-Assessment. Other entry-level positions may be given chance to take the OPE depending on the number of vacancies of such positions indicated in the request letter as approved by the Deputy Commissioner, RMG. 3. During the dry-run, the following concerns must be discussed: a. The conduciveness of the examination venue set-up. b. The accessibility and place of installation of the Internet Protocol (IP) wide-angled camera. c. Test-run of the equipment ( i.e. , sound and audiovisual devices) for the pre-employment orientation. d. Sensitivity of proctoring service. e. Number of subtest per positions. 4. The applicant must sign in the attendance sheet at the exam venue. The email address and other information must be checked for any correction. 5. The applicants shall not be allowed to bring their bags and all other things, especially their cellphone and other gadgets, inside the testing room. The Revenue Region shall provide a certain place where the applicants can safely leave their belongings. 6. The applicants can only visit the washroom after each subtest. VI. FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1. The Human Resources Management Section, Administrative and Human Resource Management Division (HRMS, AHRMD) shall: a. Call-up applicants regarding the exam date and venue a week before the schedule by letter and/or email (Annex "B"); b. Submit to CMS, PD the soft copy of the Regional Template (Annex "C") of the applicants at least one (1) week before the schedule with complete information based on the result of screening of received documents; c. Provide the venue and the following equipment prior to the conduct of the OPE: Testing room/venue that can accommodate the total number of applicant, considering the social distance measure in the area based on their level of community quarantine. The venue must be conducive for testing, well-lit and properly ventilated, and must have nearby clean comfort rooms to be used by the applicant. cSEDTC Laptops and/or desktops with web cameras equal to the total number of applicants who will take the exam (1 computer per examinee), preferably running Windows 7 or higher operating system and with web browser such as Google Chrome. The web camera must have a resolution of at least 720fps. Stable internet connection with a speed of at least 10mbps or higher depending on the number of applicants who will take the exam. Two (2) IP wide angled-cameras that are installed in the front area that will capture all the examinees and at the back that captures the laptop/desktop monitor screen. An IP camera is a type of camera that can be accessed or viewed online for live supervision and documentation of the CMS, PD. The details and specification of the IP camera and applications/software needed for access must be submitted to the CNS, PD five (5) days prior to the date of the OPE. Other materials for the examination proper: - Attendance Sheets (Annex "D") - Registration table - Bond paper (for applicants' computation) - Projector and Sound System (for orientation video); and d. Ensure that all the exam access links of the subtests required to the applied position of the applicants are received by them on the day of the exam. Likewise, the HRMS, AHRMD in coordination with CMS, PD must ensure that the applicants were able to answer all the tests required to their applied position. 2. The Career Management Section, Personnel Division (CMS, PD) shall: a. Verify the names in the list of qualified applicant submitted by the HRMS, AHRMD if they are eligible to take the OPE based on CMS Database; b. Generate final list of examinees and forward softcopy of Attendance Sheets to AHRMD; c. Seek the approval from Security Management Division (SMD) for the IP camera application/software. The application/software shall be downloaded to the BIR laptop for monitoring of the examinees during the OPE; d. Send the exam access links to the primary email address of the applicant on the day of the exam; e. Coordinate to the service provider/contractor of the OPE should there be a problem prior and during the exam proper; f. Generate the Employment Test Results (ETR) of the applicants; g. Send the exam result to the applicants via email notifying them if they passed (Annex "E") or failed (Annex "F"); and h. The following must be submitted to the AHRMD: 1. Summary List (Annex "G") 2. ETR (Annex "H") VII. REPEALING CLAUSE All revenue issuances or pertinent portions thereof inconsistent herewith are hereby modified, amended, superseded or repealed accordingly. VIII. EFFECTIVITY This Order shall take effect immediately. (SGD.) CAESAR R. DULAY Commissioner of Internal Revenue ANNEX A List of Qualified Applicants ANNEX B Department of Finance BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE Good day! We are pleased to inform you that you are scheduled to take the BIR Online Pre-Employment Examination, details of which are provided below: AaCTcI EXAMINATION SLIP DATE OF EXAM : March 3, 2021 PLACE OF EXAM : EXAMINATION PROPER : TIME ACTIVITY 7:45:00 AM-8:00 AM REGISTRATION SEATING ARRANGEMENT 8:00 AM-1:00 PM PRE-EMPLOYMENT EXAMINATION ORIENTATION EXAMINATION PROPER THINGS TO BRING: Pen/s Face Mask, Face Shield, Alcohol 1 valid ID & original CSC Certificate of Eligibility/PRC ID/IBP ID Lacking documents (if applicable) Disinterested applicants will be given ONE (1) week ONLY to pull out their documents before disposal. ATTIRE : Business Casual (avoid wearing slippers or sandals) IMPORTANT NOTES : 1. Please arrive at the venue 30 minutes before the scheduled time. LATE COMERS are not allowed to take the examination. 2. A copy of the minimum Health Protocols and Guidelines is attached in this email. Please be guided accordingly. Kindly confirm your attendance by replying in this email with your complete name. For clarifications and other inquiries, you may call the Career Management Section of this office at telephone number (02) 8925-20-39 or the Administrative and Human Resource Management Section of RR12, Bacolod City at telephone number (034) 446-39-27. *Subject to change without prior notice depending on the quarantine protocols and/or weather conditions. ANNEX C ANNEX D Attendance Sheet ANNEX E Jessica Jane A. Ramirez From : Jessica Jane A. Ramirez <[emailprotected]> Sent : Friday, July 23, 2021 2:45 PM Subject : Online Pre-employment Examination Result (3 March 2021) Dear Sir/Madam: We would like to inform you that you have SUCCESSFULLY PASSED the Bureau of Internal Revenue's Online Pre-employment Examination conducted on March 3, 2021. RR12-Bacolod City, Administrative and Human Resource Management Division will communicate/email your interview schedule. Thank you. Regards, Career Management Section Personnel Division Bureau of Internal Revenue-National Office [emailprotected] ANNEX F Jessica Jane A. Ramirez From : Jessica Jane A. Ramirez <[emailprotected]> Sent : Wednesday, July 28, 2021 9:00 AM Subject : Online Pre-employment Examination Result (3 March 2021) Dear Sir/Madam: We regret to inform you that the result of your pre-employment exam on March 3, 2021 is below the standard acceptable for recruitment. In view of the above, your application cannot be given favorable consideration. SDHTEC We appreciate the interest that you have shown in our organization and we wish you well in finding the position you desire in other offices. You may wish to take chances by taking again after six (6) months from previous exam by re-submitting documents as you desire to join the BIR. Regards, Career Management Section Personnel Division Bureau of Internal Revenue-National Office [emailprotected] ANNEX G Summary List ANNEX H Online Pre-Employment Test Result