(a) The Secretary establishes standards and procedures for developing and implementing performance improvement plans.

(1) The Secretary will develop and implement a performance improvement plan for a center when that center fails to meet the expected levels of performance described in §686.1050.

(i) The Secretary will consider a center to have failed to meet the expected level of performance if the center:

(A) Is ranked among the lowest 10 percent of Job Corps centers for the most recent preceding program year according to the rankings calculated under §686.1060; and

(B) The center fails to achieve an average of 90 percent of the expected level of performance for all of the primary indicators.

(ii) For any program year that precedes the implementation of the establishment of the expected levels of performance under §686.1050 and the application of the primary indicators of performance for Job Corps centers identified in §686.1010, the Secretary will consider a center to have failed to meet the expected levels of performance if the center:

(A) Is ranked among the lowest 10 percent of Job Corps centers for the most recent preceding program year according to the rankings calculated under §686.1060; and

(B) The center's composite OMS score for the program year is 88 percent or less of the year's OMS national average.

(2) The Secretary also may develop and implement additional performance improvement plans, which will require improvements for a Job Corps center that fails to meet criteria established by the Secretary other than the expected levels of performance.

(b) A performance improvement plan will require action be taken to correct identified performance issues within 1 year of the implementation of the plan, and it will identify criteria that must be met for the center to complete the performance improvement plan.

(1) The center operator must implement the actions outlined in the performance improvement plan.

(2) If the center fails to take the steps outlined in the performance improvement plan or fails to meet the criteria established to complete the performance improvement plan after 1 year, the center will be considered to have failed to improve performance under a performance improvement plan detailed in paragraph (a) of this section.

(i) Such a center will remain on a performance improvement plan and the Secretary will take action as described in paragraph (c) of this section.

(ii) If a Civilian Conservation Center fails to meet expected levels of performance relating to the primary indicators of performance specified in §686.1010, or fails to improve performance under a performance improvement plan detailed in paragraph (a) of this section after 3 program years, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, must select an entity to operate the Civilian Conservation Center on a competitive basis, in accordance with the requirements of §686.310.

(c) Under a performance improvement plan, the Secretary may take the following actions, as necessary:

(1) Providing technical assistance to the center;

(2) Changing the management staff of a center;

(3) Changing the career technical training offered at the center;

(4) Replacing the operator of the center;

(5) Reducing the capacity of the center;

(6) Relocating the center; or

(7) Closing the center in accordance with the criteria established under §686.200(b).