SUPERGRADE AUTHORIZATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75B00380R000500130004-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2001
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: November 16, 1973
• Content Type: REPORT

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Calendar No. 498 o ,
93D CONGRESS
1st Session
SUPERGRADE AUTHORIZATION
NOVEMBER 16, 1973.-Ordered to be printed
REPORT 1 e
No. 93-524
5)-S?i8
Mr. MCGEE, from the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service,
submitted the following
REPORT
The Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, to which was re-
ferred the bill (S. 2548) to amend title 5, United States Code, to
provide for additional positions in grades GS-16, GS-17, and GS-18,
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amend-
ment and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
This bill would increase the number of "quota" supergrade posi-
tions-those which may be allocated by the Civil Service Commission
to the Departments and agencies-from 2,754 to 2,994, authorizing 240
Since 1969, quota supergrade positions have been authorized by the
Congress as follows :
Amount of
increase
Total
1969---------------------------------------------------------------------------
150
2,727
1970---------------------------------------------------------------------------
7
2,734
1971---------------------------------------------------------------------------
20
2,754
In 1972, the Civil Service Commission did not request an increase in
the number of super-rade spaces because S. 1682, the bill to establish a
Federal Executive gervice, was under consideration in the Congress.
S. 1682, which would have given the Civil Service Commission the
authority to allow the agencies to appoint executives in the supergrade
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pay range and to establish a total number of such executives, passed
the Senate Tune 23, but failed in the House.
The Civil Service Commission states that, when the IT.S. Postal
Service supeiceded the Post Office Department in 1971, 89 supergrade
positions were released and made. available for reassignment to other
agencies. Moreover, the Commission says the President's freeze on
hiring and promotions in 1972 allowed Commission to "recapture" 260
spaces.
Nevertheless, the Civil. Service Commission states that it has re-
c?eived from the agencies requests for some 900 additional. positions.
The Commission screened these requested and arrived at 240 as the
increase needed to effectuate newanducpanded agency programs.
In view of the time lapse since the last substantial supergrade in-
crease authorization, the Committee approves the Commission's re-
luest by favorably reporting S. 2548 and accepts the Commission's
assurance that these positions are genuinely needed to meet the objec-
tives of the executive branch.
The bill as introduced authorizes a new quota supergrade total of
2.995, authorizing an additional 241 positions. The 2,995 figure. a
typographical error, should read "2,99-1", as requested by the Commis-
sion, to provide for 240 additional positions. The Committee has
amended the bill to substitute the correct figure.
Following are:
A letter from the Civil Service Commission requesting the legisla-
tion be introduced and containing :
Need for additional grades.
Section Analysis.
Statement of Purpose and Justification.
A letter from the Office of Management and Budget supporting the
hill.
Hon. SPIRO T. AGNEW,
President of M e b"enate,
lVashington, D.C.
U.S. CIVIL SERVICE Cor1MIISSroN,
IV ssluington, D.C., July 17,1973.
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: The Civil Service Commission is submitting
with this letter for the consideration of the Congress a draft bill to
amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for 240 additional posi-
tions in grades GS-16, 17, and 18. Et iclosed with the draft bill is a
section analysis and a statement of purpose and justification.
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The number of positions in grades GS-16, 17, and 18 subject to the
quota restrictions of title 5, U.S.C., has remained substantially con-
stant since, 1969 when 150 spaces were added, except for nominal in-
creases of seven spaces in 1970 and 20 in 1971. The present limitation on
the number of supergrade positions is 2,754, hardly enough, we feel,
to meet the substantial new demands on Federal agencies to adminis-
ter significant new programs with the high level leadership they
require.
Following the President's "freeze" on hiring and promotions in De-
cember 1972, we intensified our efforts to assure that agencies were
making the best possible use of the supergrade authorizations assigned
to them by relating their requests for additional positions to specific
budget and program justifications. The increase of 240 positions pro-
posed in this legislation was arrived at after a careful and stringent
review of these Government-wide requests which initially totalled over
800. It is considered a conservative, minimal figure in light of the
program requirements highlighted in the Administration's proposed
Fiscal Year 1974 Budget.
We deferred requesting an increase in the number of supergrade
spaces last year because the Federal Executive Service proposal was
then under consideration in the Congress. However, it was not enacted.
This submission will assist us in meeting the increasingly urgent de-
mands by agencies that relief be granted to meet their most pressing
management needs. Therefore, we do not feel it is fair or equitable to
Federal agencies to delay this request any longer.
The Office of Management and Budget advises that enactment of this
legislative proposal would be consistent with the Administration's
objectives.
A similar letter is being sent to the President of the Senate.
By direction of the Commission :
Sincerely yours,
ROBERT E. HAMPTON, Chairman.
Enclosures.
I. NEED FOR ADDITIONAL GRADES GS-16, 17 AND 18 POSITIONS
TIIE PROBLEM
The number of supergrade positions available to the Civil Service
Commission for general distribution in the executive branch is limited
by law to 2,754.
The last significant increase in this quota (150 spaces) was in 1969
(PL 91-187).
PL 91-206 added seven spaces in 1970.
PL 91-656 added twenty spaces in 1971.
Additional supergrade spaces are needed now to meet demands
created by new legislative programs and high Administration
priorities.
F .IL. 524
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Or to loot: ahead toward planning for future needs.
We have been able to avoid requesting additional supergrades until
loin' :
WVe have continuously encouraged agencies to improve their man-
agement of supergrade resources-
By avoiding "special assistants" and deputies wherever possible;
fly managing snpergrade spaces on an agency-wide rather than a
parochial basis,
By utilizing; fexibilities in staffing below the supergrade level.
The transition of the U.S. Postal Service from the Executive Branch
in 1971 released some 89 positions, which we have used since that time
to meet urgent requests.
When it appeared likely last year that the proposed Federal Exec-
utive. Service would become law, we deliberately refrained from in-
creasing the quota shortly before changing to a new system.
Regardless of whether the FES is ultimately enacted, however,
these additional supergrade positions are needed now.
The President's freeze on hiring and promotions in late 1972 enabled
its to cancel all supergrade positions vacated during a three-month
period. and to redistribute the supergrade space authorizations where
needed most.
To accomplish this redistribution systematically, we related each
agency's request fo--- supergrades to the expansion or contraction of its
programs as reflected in the Administration's budget.
Some 260 spaces were made available through this process, even
though there was no increase in the quota itself.
The legitimate supergrade requirements expressed by agencies far
exceed our ability to meet then under the present quota limitations.
Despite the stringent criteria we prescribed (e.g. programs of sig-
nificant national impact as reflected in the Administration's budget),
we received almost 900 requests !
We reviewed these requests very carefully, and screened out over
200.
however, there remained almost 400 in excess of the resources
available.
Further screening eliminated another 1.50+, leaving 240 as the mini-
rmnn increase considered necessary to carry forward effectively at this
time.
SECrroN Ae1Ar.YSis
Section 5108 of title 5, United States Code, restricts the number of
positions which it majority of the Civil Service Commissioners may
establish. and from time to time revise, in grades GS-10. 17. and 18
to a m,.crcrirmun?. of ~1.75A. This is in addition to other specifically men-
tioned occupational and agency authorizations.
This proposed amendment to the first section of the bill would in-
crease the overall number of quota positions administered by the Civil
Service Commission from 2,754 to 2,994.
S.R. 524
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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND JUSTIFICATION OF ADP.:\FT BILI, TO IN-
CREASE TIIE NUMBER OF POSITIONS iN GRADES GS-16, 17, AND 18
This legislation would amend title 5, United States Code, to author-
ize 240 new administrative policy and program positions in grades
GS-16,17, and 18 of the General Schedule, commonly known as super-
grades. These new positions would be allocated to the Civil Service
Commission for distribution under regular Commission procedures to
Federal agencies which have an immediate need for supergrade
personnel.
Since Public Law 91-187 was enacted December 30, 1969, author-
izing 150 additional positions for allocation by the Civil Service Com-
mission, only 27 new positions have been added to the total (seven by
PL 91-206; 20 by PL 91-656). These 27 positions were intended for
the use of the Environmental Protection Agency and the National
Credit Union Association. (PL 91-187 responded only to the rock-
bottom needs of the new Administration ; it did not attempt to resolve
longstanding classification inequities or staff up any but the most
fundamentally urgent new program missions.)
During the approximately four years since the last significant in-
crease in the supergrade quota, we have received numerous requests
from agencies for additional supergrade authorizations. Even though
many of these positions would likely have merited supergrade classi-
fication, and may have been serving in new program areas not en-
visioned in 1969, we have been unable to honor such requests for lack
of quota authorizations. Many such additional requests have been fore-
stalled simply by agencies' foreknowledge that quota spaces would be
unavailable.
Heretofore, a combination of factors enabled its to avoid proposing
legislation to increase the supergrade quota. First,, we feel our con-
tinuous encouragement of agencies toward more effective executive
manpower management has had some good effect, even though it could
not increase the total number of positions available. Our letter of
October 13, 1972, to heads of departments and agencies, copy attached,
typifies our efforts to obtain greater flexibility to establish executive
positions where they are needed most.
The transition of the U.S. Postal Service from the Executive Branch
to its present status in 1971 released some 89 positions, which we have
utilized since that time to meet the most urgent priority needs. More-
over, when it appeared that Congressional approval of the proposed
Federal Executive Service was likely, we deliberately refrained from
encouraging an increase in the quota shortly before changing to a new
system. The failure to date of the FFS to become law only underscores
the urgency of the need for some relief at the earliest possible time.
The President's "freeze" on hiring and promotions in late 1972 af-
forded us a further initiative to restructure the distribution of super-
grade authorizations systematically, and also to obtain a realistic as-
sessment of agency requirements in light of program developments
since 1969. Thus, our letter of December 11, 1972, cancelled and "re-
captured" all supergrade positions vacant as of that date and vacated
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subsequently during the period of the freeze. Some 260 spaces were
made ava_lable through this pproces..,.
Our letter of February 15,"1973, copy attached, requested agencies to
submit their current unmet supergrade requirements for our consider-
ation in redistributing the 260 newly available resources. Despite the
stringent criteria we prescribed, we received almost 900 requests!
When we aplied the afore mentiotiecl criteria to these requests, and
also deleted proposed upgraclings within the supergrade range which
do not recuire new spaces, we were able to eliminate over 200. How-
ever, some 650 remained.
Even when our current supply of 260 spaces is allocated, 390 re-
quests would remain unmet. When we reviewed the new programs con-
ceived since 1969, and the significant expansion of others, it became
clear that an increase in the supergrade quota was long overdue.
We are recommending only 240 additional authorizations, rather
than the full 390. We expect that, some requested positions would be
found not to meet supergrade criteria upon detailed review. Also, the
large number of retirements as of June 30, 1973, should enable agencies
to reprogrraru some spaces to meet more urgent needs. We estimate that
about 150 requirements would be accommodated or obviated through
these processes.
We -nurst, emphasize that Ave reviewed each agency's submission very
carefully. Our proposal covers only the staffing needs of programs
enacted or imminent. It, does not attempt long-range projections or
speculations. We have concluded that a minimum of 240 additional
spaces are essential to carry forward the Government's business effec-
tively at this time.
Attachments.
EXECUTIVE OFFTC,E OF THE PR-?SIN?NT,
OFFIOE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET.
Lieu. GALE W. 11CGEE IVashi.ngton, D.C. November 13, 1973.
.
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