Agencies are required to recertify every three years. After receiving initial certification from OSC, the agency may recertify by providing OSC with verification that the supervisory training was completed (must be completed every three years for all supervisors) and that the agency continues to meet the other requirements of the program, such as issuing an annual notice to all employees about their rights and remedies under the PPPs and rights to file whistleblower disclosures.
Register: OSC encourages recertifying agencies to register with OSC as they approach the end of their certification period. To register, complete the registration form and email the form to certification@osc.gov. If you have any questions regarding the program, please email the same address or call the helpline (202) 804-7163. Once OSC receives the completed form, we will enroll you in the certification program and list your agency on OSC's website.
Updates/Approval of Materials: Changes to the law may have occurred since your initial certification. To avoid delays in recertification, it is strongly recommended that agencies contact OSC before completing recertification requirements in order to arrange for OSC to provide training and/or to ensure all materials (including internally created training documents) are up to date. Please note that if your agency elects to use forms or training materials outside of the materials provided by OSC, you must send the materials to OSC prior to dissemination to ensure the materials meet the requirements of the program.
Request Recertification: After completing the five requirements of the program, fill out the compliance form, then email the form and supporting documentation to certification@osc.gov. After OSC reviews the application and ensures completion of the five requirements, we will grant the agency a certificate of compliance indicating the agency's fulfillment of their statutory obligations under 5 U.S.C. § 2302(c), the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act, and OSC’s Reauthorization Act. Additionally, we list certified agencies on OSC's website and report federal agencies' compliance with OSC's Certification Program annually to Congress.
PPP Updates: In addition to the above requirements, OSC reminds agencies to maintain compliance with the WPEA's provision on the use of nondisclosure agreements. 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(13). The WPEA requires that all agency nondisclosure policies, forms, or agreements include an explicit statement notifying employees of certain rights and responsibilities under whistleblower protection and other laws. The notification statement required by section 2302(b)(13) should be incorporated into every non-disclosure policy, form, or agreement used by an agency. For more information on section 2302(b)(13), including the text of the statement and other agency requirements, please see OSC's March 2013 memorandum on this issue.
In 2017, the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act and OSC’s Reauthorization Act added a new prohibited personnel practice, 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(14), which prohibits employees from accessing the medical record of another employee or applicant in combination with any other PPP. For more information, please visit our Prohibited Personnel Practices page.