OPM TO CONDUCT GOVERNMENTWIDE CLASSIFICATION STUDY

Washington, D.C.--The Office of Personnel Management has announced plans for a governmentwide review of position classification. The primary impetus for this review is the need to assess the basic state of the classification program before the widespread implementation of broad pay banding as recommended by Vice President Gore's National Performance Review.

In recent years, several federal agencies have been conducting special demonstration projects that tested broadbanding classification systems within the GS framework. The study will feature a series of classification reviews each devoted to a topic relating to reforms recommended by broadbanding system involves both the consolidation of job categories and the merging of grades or pay ranges. Most of the nonpostal civilian workforce are covered by the General Schedule (GS) classification and basic pay system.

Initial phases of the plan include a review of the classification of a representative sample of GS-12 administrative positions. GS-12 was selected because it is the lowest grade in a number of broad banding plans that have been proposed. The review will provide a sound estimate of whether agencies are generally classifying GS-12 positions accurately governmentwide. It will also help determine whether agencies that plan to band GS-12 administrative occupations with higher graded positions should conduct classification reviews before implementation.

The first study of GS-12 administrative positions will be followed by studies of other classification categories, including GS supervisory positions and occupations which show up as possible special problems during a study of a particular grade level.

All the reviews will be coordinated to achieve the overall result of facilitating the implementation of broad pay banding. The first phase of the study is expected to take six months.

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