[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 9, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40628-40629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-19631]



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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Series Consolidation

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing to 
simplify the Federal position classification structure by reducing the 
number of occupational series from 442 to about 74.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before October 10, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Michael D. Clogston, Assistant 
Director for Classification, Office of Personnel Management, Room 7H29, 
1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415 (FAX 202-606-4891).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Terri Jurkofsky on 202-606-1721 or Raymond E. Moran on 202-606-2970, or 
FAX 202-606-4891.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The General Schedule comprises 442 
occupational series within 22 occupational groups (job families.) An 
example of an occupational group is the GS-400, Biological Sciences 
Group; within the GS-400 group, there are 34 occupational series such 
as the Microbiology Series, Forestry Series, Range Technician Series, 
etc. To simplify the Federal position classification structure, the NPR 
recommended reducing the number of occupational series by one-half or 
more.
    Over the past year and a half, an ad hoc discussion group of OPM 
staff, representatives of the Interagency Advisory Group executive 
committee, and Federal unions met to explore issues and approaches to 
series consolidation. The group generally agreed that we should 
simplify the structure and that we should look at significant, not 
incremental, consolidation. The discussion group considered a number of 
approaches using the NPR goals, and concepts such as equity, clarity, 
and utility as guiding principles.

OPM Proposal

    Retain 20 of the current 22 occupational groups and merge the 
series within each of the occupational groups into one of four 
categories: Professional, Administrative, Technical, and Clerical. For 
example, under the proposal we would merge the 34 professional and 
technical series within the Biological Sciences Group into two: 
Biological Sciences Professional and Biological Sciences Technical. 
(There are no administrative or clerical occupations in this group.)
    This reduces the number of series from 442 to about 74. It treats 
occupations similarly and provides an occupational breakout that 
remains familiar and understandable to Federal managers and employees. 
When set up, agencies would be required to use the series structure for 
official classification actions. Under the proposal, however, agencies 
can retain indefinitely some or all of the 442 occupational series 
designations and titles for internal use if it suits their needs.
    The current occupational series codes will be provisionally 
retained as ``job codes.'' Agencies will be required to report job 
codes in Governmentwide data collection efforts, including submissions 
to the Central Personnel Data File. The detailed information available 
from these job codes is needed for workforce analysis, pay 
comparability, and special rate determinations. Meanwhile, we will 
explore the issue of alternate means of storing and collecting 
occupational data for these purposes with staff of the various 
agencies.
    We are also proposing to abolish the GS-000, Miscellaneous 
Occupations Group and the GS-700, Veterinary Medical Science Group. The 
series currently classified in the GS-000 miscellaneous group would be 
placed in one of the remaining 20 occupational groups; two of the three 
GS-700 veterinary occupational series would be placed under the renamed 
GS-600 Medical and Health Group and the GS-799 student trainee series 
would be abolished (See Administrative Items below).
    We expect to retain most of the existing functional classification 
guides such as the Research Grade Evaluation Guide, the General 
Schedule Supervisory Guide, and the Office Automation Guide, and to 
develop new classification standards that comport with the revised 
group and series structure. In the future, when OPM issues a new broad 
standard, it will cancel and supersede any existing occupationally 
specific standards covering the same work. For example, when we issue a 
new standard in final form for the GS-400 Biological Sciences 
Professional Series it will cancel and supersede all specific standards 
in the GS-400 Biological Sciences Group such as the standards covering 
the Forester Series, the Wildlife Biologist Series, etc.
Administrative Items

    1. Several occupational group titles would result in awkward, 
vague, or inappropriate group and series titles. We are proposing the 
following changes:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Current occupational group name      Proposed occupational group name 
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GS-100 Social Science, Psychology,   GS-100 Social Science.             
 and Welfare.                                                           
GS-200 Personnel Management and      GS-200 Human Resources Management. 
 Industrial Relations.                                                  
GS-300 General Administration,       GS-300 Management and Office       
 Clerical, and Office Services.       Services Support.                 
GS-500 Accounting and Budget.......  GS-500 Financial Management.       
GS-600 Medical, Hospital, Dental,    GS-600 Medical and Health.         
 and Public Health.                                                     
GS-900 Legal and Kindred...........  GS-900 Legal.                      
GS-1600 Equipment, Facilities, and   GS-1600 Equipment and Facilities.  
 Services.                                                              
GS-1800 Investigations.............  GS-1800 Protective Service.        
GS-1900 Quality Assurance,           GS-1900 Quality Assurance.         
 Inspection, and Grading.                                               
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. We are proposing to abolish the GS-000 Miscellaneous Occupations 


[[Page 40629]]
Group and to place each of the 26 miscellaneous series in an 
occupational group that best covers its work. The exact placement of 
each series is as follows:
    GS-100 Special Science Group: Community Planning, Community 
Planning Technician; Outdoor Recreation Planning; Sports Specialist; 
Chaplain.
    GS-900 Legal Group: Foreign Law Specialist.
    GS-1000 Information and Arts Group: Clothing Design; Guide.
    GS-1100 Business and Industry Group: Bond Sales; Funeral Directing.
    GS-1800 Protective Service Group: Correctional Institution 
Administration Series; Correctional Officer; Safety and Occupational 
Health Management; Safety Technician; Park Ranger; Environmental 
Protection Specialist; Environmental Assistant; Fingerprint 
Identification Series; Security Administration; Fire Protection and 
Prevention; United States Marshal; Police; Nuclear Materials Courier 
Service; Security Guard; Security Clerical and Assistance.
    3. There are a few occupations and grade levels that are difficult 
to categorize because of an anomaly in the current PATC identifier, 
i.e., some occupations are identified as clerical up to a certain grade 
and technical above the grade. We will study this issue and provide 
instructions at a later date.
    4. We plan to time the implementation of changes in classification 
that will result from series consolidation to coincide with another 
mass change (e.g., locality pay increases). This will eliminate the 
need to issue a separate personnel action to effect the change in 
classification. We propose that blocks 7 and 15 of the Standard Form 
50, Notification of Personnel Action to be used to reflect the new 
classification title and that blocks 9 and 17 be used to record the job 
code. Block 45, the remarks section of personnel action form, would be 
used to identify the new implementing instructions that explain how to 
process the action. This approach minimizes the work required by 
agencies and, at the same time, serves to notify employees of changes 
in the classification of their positions as a result of series 
consolidation.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
James B. King,
Director.
[FR Doc. 95-19631 Filed 8-8-95; 8:45 am]
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