Narrative: Standards describing the nature of the work and level of responsibility for each grade covered by the standard. This requires the user to look at work as a whole and select the most appropriate overall grade.
Narrative factor: Standards describing covered work in terms of individual factors essential to determining the difficulty of assigned work. This requires the user to select the proper sub-element for each factor in order to determine the overall grade. Narrative factor standards include: Finanacial Management Series, GS-505 and Fire Protection and Prevention Series, GS-081.
Point Factor: Standards describing work in terms of individual evaluation factors, which are assigned points for different levels. This requires the user to select the proper level for each factor, add up the total points assigned, and refer to a point-grade conversion table to determine the overall grade. Currently, most point factor standards are in Factor Evaluation System (FES) format.
Job Family: Standards describing covered work in terms of either modified narrative with extracts of grade level definitions from the law, or narrative factors/point factors. This requires the user to select either the most appropriate grade level as a whole; or select the proper level for each factor, add the total points, and refer to a grade conversion table to determine the overall grade. A job family standard covers all work of the same kind (e.g., two-grade interval) in a group (e.g. GS-1300 Professional Physical Science Work).
For further information, visit the OPM Classification web site.
RELATED TOPICS: Classification Standards
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Revised: 11/18/98
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