CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATIION OF LANGUAGE SPECIALISTS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
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
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
March 31, 1981
Content Type: 
MEMO
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP85-00024R000300270002-1.pdf160.85 KB
Body: 
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 . Approved For Release 2007/10/19: CIA-RDP85-00024R000300270002-1 Approved For Release 2007/10/19: CIA-RDP85-00024R000300270002-1 r 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 Approved For Release 2007/10/19: CIA-RDP85-00024R000300270002-1 STAT