GENERAL POLICIES AND INSTRUCTIONS
Part A. and B.
A. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This Manual contains the policies, instructions, and standards
used to help determine the qualifications of applicants for
Federal employment. The qualification requirements in this Manual
are used when filling General Schedule (GS) positions at grades
GS-1 through GS-15. The requirements must be met by all
individuals appointed to General Schedule positions in the
competitive service. The qualification requirements in this
Manual, other than testing, may be used for excepted service
positions under Schedule B and also used for Veterans'
Readjustment Appointment (VRA) applicants.
Unless otherwise specified, the same policies, instructions
and standards apply to both initial appointments and inservice
placement actions.
B. RESPONSIBILITIES
1. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
OPM is responsible for developing and issuing minimum
qualification standards, policies, and instructions. OPM is also
responsible for approving qualification standards for particular
positions when no standard in this Manual is appropriate for
filling an agency's position(s).
2. Agencies
Federal executive branch agencies are responsible for
applying the appropriate standards in individual personnel
actions and when examining for positions under a delegated
examining authority. Information provided in OPM qualification
standards generally is not sufficiently specific to be used
directly in examining for positions or quoted in vacancy
announcements. Therefore, agencies must include in their
vacancy announcements the general or specialized experience
or education required for their positions. It is not adequate
to state, "See Qualification Standards Operating Manual for
General Schedule Positions for experience requirements."
(See p.II-5, E.3.(c)
on describing experience in vacancy announcements.)
Agencies are also responsible for developing selective
factors, when needed, to supplement the standards in this
Manual.
Agencies are responsible for establishing medical standards
without OPM approval for occupations for which they are the
predominant employer, i.e., have 50 percent or more of the
positions in the occupation.
(See p.II-20, E.9.(b).)
Agencies can also modify qualification requirements for
certain inservice placement actions.
(See p.II-19, E.8.(c).)
When agencies define or modify particular requirements,
they are responsible for supporting their decisions. Agencies
can also waive or modify qualification requirements when
assigning employees in reductions in force or in lieu of
reductions in force. (See OPM guidance on reduction-in-force
procedures.)
In those rare instances where qualification standards
supplemented by selective factors will not meet agencies'
needs, agencies are responsible for proposing new standards
for OPM's approval.
(See p.II-23, Subsection G.)
When filling Schedule B positions, an agency's standards
can include more restrictive requirements, e.g., qualifying
experience, but they cannot be lower than or substantially
different from the OPM standards. Agencies are responsible for
justifying, based on the work of the Schedule B positions
involved, any qualification requirements used in addition to
those in OPM qualification standards.
Agency appointing officials are responsible for verifying
employees' qualifications prior to appointment or assignment.
|