[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 9, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40628-40629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-19631]
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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Series Consolidation
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing to
simplify the Federal position classification structure by reducing the
number of occupational series from 442 to about 74.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 10, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Michael D. Clogston, Assistant
Director for Classification, Office of Personnel Management, Room 7H29,
1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415 (FAX 202-606-4891).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Terri Jurkofsky on 202-606-1721 or Raymond E. Moran on 202-606-2970, or
FAX 202-606-4891.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The General Schedule comprises 442
occupational series within 22 occupational groups (job families.) An
example of an occupational group is the GS-400, Biological Sciences
Group; within the GS-400 group, there are 34 occupational series such
as the Microbiology Series, Forestry Series, Range Technician Series,
etc. To simplify the Federal position classification structure, the NPR
recommended reducing the number of occupational series by one-half or
more.
Over the past year and a half, an ad hoc discussion group of OPM
staff, representatives of the Interagency Advisory Group executive
committee, and Federal unions met to explore issues and approaches to
series consolidation. The group generally agreed that we should
simplify the structure and that we should look at significant, not
incremental, consolidation. The discussion group considered a number of
approaches using the NPR goals, and concepts such as equity, clarity,
and utility as guiding principles.
OPM Proposal
Retain 20 of the current 22 occupational groups and merge the
series within each of the occupational groups into one of four
categories: Professional, Administrative, Technical, and Clerical. For
example, under the proposal we would merge the 34 professional and
technical series within the Biological Sciences Group into two:
Biological Sciences Professional and Biological Sciences Technical.
(There are no administrative or clerical occupations in this group.)
This reduces the number of series from 442 to about 74. It treats
occupations similarly and provides an occupational breakout that
remains familiar and understandable to Federal managers and employees.
When set up, agencies would be required to use the series structure for
official classification actions. Under the proposal, however, agencies
can retain indefinitely some or all of the 442 occupational series
designations and titles for internal use if it suits their needs.
The current occupational series codes will be provisionally
retained as ``job codes.'' Agencies will be required to report job
codes in Governmentwide data collection efforts, including submissions
to the Central Personnel Data File. The detailed information available
from these job codes is needed for workforce analysis, pay
comparability, and special rate determinations. Meanwhile, we will
explore the issue of alternate means of storing and collecting
occupational data for these purposes with staff of the various
agencies.
We are also proposing to abolish the GS-000, Miscellaneous
Occupations Group and the GS-700, Veterinary Medical Science Group. The
series currently classified in the GS-000 miscellaneous group would be
placed in one of the remaining 20 occupational groups; two of the three
GS-700 veterinary occupational series would be placed under the renamed
GS-600 Medical and Health Group and the GS-799 student trainee series
would be abolished (See Administrative Items below).
We expect to retain most of the existing functional classification
guides such as the Research Grade Evaluation Guide, the General
Schedule Supervisory Guide, and the Office Automation Guide, and to
develop new classification standards that comport with the revised
group and series structure. In the future, when OPM issues a new broad
standard, it will cancel and supersede any existing occupationally
specific standards covering the same work. For example, when we issue a
new standard in final form for the GS-400 Biological Sciences
Professional Series it will cancel and supersede all specific standards
in the GS-400 Biological Sciences Group such as the standards covering
the Forester Series, the Wildlife Biologist Series, etc.
Administrative Items
1. Several occupational group titles would result in awkward,
vague, or inappropriate group and series titles. We are proposing the
following changes:
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Current occupational group name Proposed occupational group name
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GS-100 Social Science, Psychology, GS-100 Social Science.
and Welfare.
GS-200 Personnel Management and GS-200 Human Resources Management.
Industrial Relations.
GS-300 General Administration, GS-300 Management and Office
Clerical, and Office Services. Services Support.
GS-500 Accounting and Budget....... GS-500 Financial Management.
GS-600 Medical, Hospital, Dental, GS-600 Medical and Health.
and Public Health.
GS-900 Legal and Kindred........... GS-900 Legal.
GS-1600 Equipment, Facilities, and GS-1600 Equipment and Facilities.
Services.
GS-1800 Investigations............. GS-1800 Protective Service.
GS-1900 Quality Assurance, GS-1900 Quality Assurance.
Inspection, and Grading.
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2. We are proposing to abolish the GS-000 Miscellaneous Occupations
[[Page 40629]]
Group and to place each of the 26 miscellaneous series in an
occupational group that best covers its work. The exact placement of
each series is as follows:
GS-100 Special Science Group: Community Planning, Community
Planning Technician; Outdoor Recreation Planning; Sports Specialist;
Chaplain.
GS-900 Legal Group: Foreign Law Specialist.
GS-1000 Information and Arts Group: Clothing Design; Guide.
GS-1100 Business and Industry Group: Bond Sales; Funeral Directing.
GS-1800 Protective Service Group: Correctional Institution
Administration Series; Correctional Officer; Safety and Occupational
Health Management; Safety Technician; Park Ranger; Environmental
Protection Specialist; Environmental Assistant; Fingerprint
Identification Series; Security Administration; Fire Protection and
Prevention; United States Marshal; Police; Nuclear Materials Courier
Service; Security Guard; Security Clerical and Assistance.
3. There are a few occupations and grade levels that are difficult
to categorize because of an anomaly in the current PATC identifier,
i.e., some occupations are identified as clerical up to a certain grade
and technical above the grade. We will study this issue and provide
instructions at a later date.
4. We plan to time the implementation of changes in classification
that will result from series consolidation to coincide with another
mass change (e.g., locality pay increases). This will eliminate the
need to issue a separate personnel action to effect the change in
classification. We propose that blocks 7 and 15 of the Standard Form
50, Notification of Personnel Action to be used to reflect the new
classification title and that blocks 9 and 17 be used to record the job
code. Block 45, the remarks section of personnel action form, would be
used to identify the new implementing instructions that explain how to
process the action. This approach minimizes the work required by
agencies and, at the same time, serves to notify employees of changes
in the classification of their positions as a result of series
consolidation.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
James B. King,
Director.
[FR Doc. 95-19631 Filed 8-8-95; 8:45 am]
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