HUMAN RESOURCE TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10M02287R000200160001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 31, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Administration
Deputy Director for Intelligence
Deputy Director for Operations
Deputy Director for Science and Technology
Chairman, E Career Service
FROM: Royal E. Elmendorf
Director of Personnel
SUBJECT: Human Resource Task Force Recommendations
REFERENCE: Memorandum for D/OP from ExDIR, dtd 24 Aug 88, Same Subject
1. The Executive Director has approved our proposal to put into place a
more flexible and responsive system for position classification and management
(Attachment). The key aspects of this proposal that warrant your immediate
attention are the simplification and decentralization of position
classification, and the distribution of grade points to the directorates.
2. It is anticipated that the revised system will be implemented
methodically over a period of at least 15 months. Decentralization, which
requires 5E generic benchmark descriptions be written for virtually all
occupations in the Agency, will begin on 1 October with one or two occupations
per directorate. Generic benchmarks already have been developed and
coordinated for Project Management Engineer, Attorney, Intelligence Analyst,
.Operations Officer, and Finance Officer. Managers will have authority to
classify positions up to the established grade level for each of the generic
benchmarks. In addition, benchmarks for Intelligence Assistant, Personnel
Officer, Intelligence Officer-Foreign Media, and Reports and Requirements
Officer are now under development or being coordinated with directorate
personnel officers and occupation focal points. Once these benchmarks are
finalized, managers will be authorized to classify positions in these
occupations. The Planning and Component Support Division (PCSD) will work
with you and your staff to draft and coordinate new generic position
descriptions and provide guidance on the interpretation of those benchmarks
already developed.
WT
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SUBJECT: Human Resource Task Force Recommendations
3. Grade points for FY 1989 and those remaining from FY 1988 will be
distributed to the directorates at the beginning of the new fiscal year. The
distribution scenario is to be discussed at a Comptroller's meeting later this
month, and you will be provided background material on point usage, as well as
a breakdown of remaining FY 1988 points, prior to that meeting.
5. Undoubtedly, there will be some growing pains with the new system as
managers adjust to their roles in this area. However, the phased nature of
the implementation should give managers time to adjust to the new system. In
this regard, the Executive Director has asked for quarterly progress reviews
by the Executive Committee, the first of which will be held in March 1989.
Any questio s and operations of the new system can be
directed to Chief, Organizational Development Branch, on
Royal E. Elmendorf
Attachment:
As stated
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FROM: Human Resource Modernization and
Compensation Task Force
SUBJECT: Agency Position Classification System
1. ACTION REQUESTED: That you approve the recommendations contained in
paragraph 3.
2. BACKGROUND: Tne system now used by the Agency for position
classification is essentially the same as that used by most federal agencies.
Each General Schedule position is classified using nine evaluation factors to
determine the appropriate grade and title for the position. The process is,
time consuming and must be repeated each time a position is established,
transferred, upgraded, downgraded or retitled. The nine factors used by the
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) do not fit our needs very well, and they
are followed more in the breach than the observance. More often than not, the
process results in serious disagreement between managers who do not fully
understand the system, and position classifiers who are responsible for
implementation. Even more questionable is that it is the Office of Personnel
and not management which distributes promotion headroom or grade points, and
it does so basically on a first-come first-serve basis.
To overcome these deficiencies, the Office of Personnel has developed a
new p ss designed to improve, expedite, and cring more direct line
management involvement to our position classification process. This process,
which we have reviewed and support, includes the following significant changes:
a. Distribution of grade points in line with the allocation of new
positions and SIS ceiling for use at Deputy Directors' discretion.
b. Development of generic position classification standards or
benchmarks at the full performance level, the senior expert level, and the
manager level in a written style that permits easy use by Agency
managers. The Office of Personnel, in conjunction with Agency managers,
has tested this process by developing benchmatks for one occupation in ?
each Career Service: Operations Officer in the Directorate of Operations,
Analyst in the Directorate of Intelligence, Budget and Finance Officer in
the Directorate of Administration, Project Management Engineer in the
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SUBJECT: Agency Position Classification System
Directorate of Science and Technology, and Attorney in the E Career
Service. In developing these benchmarks we have used an Agency-unique
five factor position classification system rather than the OPM nine factor
system. As a result of our work on these five occupations, totalling
almost 5,000 positions, we are encouraged that the feasibility and utility
of this approach has been established.
c. Decentralize position classification authority to operating
officials as soon as classification standards are developed for an
occupation. Average grade constraints will continue to assure necessary
central control. New employees are generally hired below the full
performance level in an occupation where they are expected to reach a full
performance level after appropriate training and experience. Accordingly,
the practice of classifying positions below the full performance grade
level is deemed unnecessary and would be discontinued.
The Office of Personnel would continue to work with components on a
consultative basis, maintaining the currency of occupational standards,'"
and would retain responsibility for random audits to ensure the system is
administered equitably and that the general principle of equal pay for
equal work is followed.
d. While the three features above will foster efficiency and economy
in our position classification program by giving Agency managers direct
accountability for their positions, grade points, and job classification
actions, more can and should be done. Therefore, it is recommended that
the Office of Personnel continue to develop a payroll budget control
system that eventually will give operating officials the tools they need
to manage their personal services budget. When one prototype has been
completed, we recommend it be provided to operating officials to use
experimentally, in tandem with existing controls, to refine the model
prior to proceeding with further development and possible Agency-wide
implementation. We also recommend that one or two components be selected
as test beds and manage their personal services budgets using this tool.
3. RECOMMENDATIONS:
a. Grade points be distributed by the EXCCM to each Deputy Director
and controlled at the Directorate-level.
APPROVED
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SUBJECT:' Agency Position Classification System
b. Simplify and decentralize the Agency position classification
system by adopting generic position classification standards for each
occupation only at the full performance, senior/expert,,and manager
levels. Once these standards or benchmarks have been developed, allow
operating officials to create, upgrade, downgrade, move, and retitle
positions so long as the component. remains within the approved average
grade and ceiling.
APPROVED ( 4 DISAPPROVED ( )
c. Employ the Agency-unique five factor position classification
standards rather than the OPM nine factor position classification
standards.
APPROVED ( /f DISAPPROVED
d. Under the direction of the Office of Personnel, continue to
develop a budget control system to replace average grade constraints, and
identify one or two components to use the tool on a test bed basis as
their principal mechanism to control positions and payroll.
APPROVED ( /
Human Resource Modernization
and Compensation Task Force
STAT
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U U
24 August 1988
MEMORANDUM FOR:, Director of Personnel
FROM: Executive Director
SUBJECT: Human Resource Task Force Recommendations
1. The four specific Human Resource Task Force recommendations designed
to bring about more flexible job classification assignments are approved.
2. One caveat: Let's be sure that our managers' enthusiasm to take
advantage of this new flexibility doesn't get ahead of Personnel's ability to
inform component managers not only of their opportunities under the new
arrangements, but of their responsibilities. Please work with each of the
Deputy Directors to identify one or two specific occupations per directorate
for implementation of the revised approach over the next 15 months.
Implementation can be extended to other occupations when you and I and the
Deputy Directors are assured that all of us understand all the implications of
the new approach.
3. I would also like you to make arrangements for an Executive Committee
,review of progress to date during March 1989.
James H. Ta or
Attachment:
Human Resource Task Force Memorandum
of 31 May 1988
cc: DDA
DDI
DDO
DDS&T
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