CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATIION OF LANGUAGE SPECIALISTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85-00024R000300270002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2007
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 31, 1981
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2007/10/19: CIA-RDP85-00024R000300270002-1
31 March 1-331
OPPPM 81-1633)
Z ?eJPXN'DU.M1 FOR: Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
FROM: Harry E. Fitzwater
Director of Personnel
Policy, Planning, and Management
SUBJECT: Classification and. Compensation of Language Specialists
1. Action Requested: This memorandum contains a recommendation for your
approval in paragraph 4..
2. Backgro.md:-
a. The Language Incentive Program (LIP), when established in October
1979, included a requirement for an annual effectiveness review. The first annual
review was accomplished by the National. Academy of Public Administration (WA)
in July 1930. Along with other recommendations and findings discussed at
an Executive Committee meeting on 24 November 1580 was the N\PA reco endatibn
that language specialists not benefit from the LIP by receiving awards for
fluency in the language or mutually jntelligible languages for which they were
hired. Following the Executive Committee meeting the Deputy Director of Central
Intelligence charged me with establishing a Tas Force to review and report
on the identification, classification, compensation, and career opportunities
of language specialists by 1 April 1981.
b. The Task Force, which included membership from the four Directorates'.
has completed its charge. The. report is attached for your review.
3. Staff Position:
a. I agree with the Task Force position on employment categories
constituting "language-specialists" and the comments on career opportunities.
I do not agree with the _position that language specialists continue participating
in the LIP for the language or mutually intelligible language for which they were
hired and, therefore, support the NAPA recommendation. The 'National Foreign
Assessment Center's representative to the Task Force also does not support
continued participation. of language specialists in the LIP.
THIS DOM.IE.NNT' 'MY BE DOWNGRADED TO
ADMINISTRATIVE INN RNAL. USE ONLY
h11Fi : SEPARATED FRONI CLASSIFIED
ATFACE #1ENT .
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b. I recognize the need for language specialists and their value
in accomplishing the Agency's mission but believe it is inappropriate to reward
financially language specialists further for using the skills for which they
were hired. There are other specialists within the Agency (such as computer
progr m ers) engineers, economists, chemists, etc.) who were hired specifically
for their acquired skills and they do not receive financial reward in addition
to their salary for using their skills. By continuing to reward language
specialists additionally through the LIP for the skill for which they were
hired and paid, a precedent can be set for every other specialist who might
'wa'nt additional monetary recognition.
C. Discontinuing the awards to language specialists will impact
unfavorably on the morale of the 286 language specialists presently receiving
..the award (LIP awards range from $800 to $1500 annually for Level IV proficiency
?andthe difficulty of the language). To mitigate this impact 'chile acknowledging
the inappropriateness of an earlier decision to grant wwards, I suggest a one-
time pay adjustment for language specialists presently receiving LIP awards
.I suggest this pay adjustment rather than a separate salary scale or position
Urades.. A survey of other Federal agencies indicated that language specialists
o
positions at CIA are normally one grade higher than elsewhere in the Government.
this pay adjustment will be equal to a one-step increase (e.g., a GS-i1, step 4
.would have his or her pay adjusted to that of a GS-11, step S, an increase of
$750 per year). This will dampen the morale probl-mn by ser v inn as a signal
to language specialists of the. value of their service to the Agency, grant them
.:increAsed salary benefits over the long-term, and increase their base salary
for retiremei?t computations and insurance benefits. The one-time cost of the
pay adjustmenttwill be approximately $240,000 in comparison to the $372,000 it
will cost annually to continue rewarding language specialists through the LIP.
Unfortunately, there are presently 10 language specialists who are at the top
seep Of their General Schedule (GS) grade range and who, therefore, may not be
able to receive this pay adjustment.
d. The pay authorities of the DCI are not tied to the General Schedule
.(GS) since CIA is exempt. Thus, the Agency can make this type* of pay adjustmrteroro
4. Recdiemendation: Because of the differing opinions, it is recormende .
that this rep art e returned to the Executive Cor ittee for consideration before
you make a final: decision whether to continue or discontinue'the LIP for language
specialists.
H Y E. rater
Attachment
APPROVED:
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
DI S_- PPROVED :
DATE :
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
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STAT