[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 16, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16654-16655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9307]



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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) proposed in the 
August 9, 1995 issue of the Federal Register, to simplify the Federal 
position classification structure by reducing the number of 
occupational series from 442 to about 74. After consulting with 
agencies, OPM is not taking action at this time to implement the 
proposal due, in part, to the impact on agency resources.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
John Warman 202-606-2970.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 9, 1995, at 60 FR 40628, OPM 
published a notice in the Federal Register to reduce the number of 
General Schedule occupational series through series consolidation. 
Integral to this proposal was a requirement for maintaining a separate 
job code structure. The entire 442 occupational series structure needs 
to be retained for capturing occupationally specific data for the 
Central Personnel Data File (CPDF). The CPDF is used to meet continuing 
Governmentwide data collection needs related to workforce analysis, the 
pay comparability process, and the special rates program.
    OPM analyzed the comments on the proposal and found that while most 
major agencies supported the general idea of series consolidation about 
one-half of them objected to implementing the proposal because of the 
need to

[[Page 16655]]

maintain the job code structure. They believed that this requirement 
would impose a burden that substantially detracted from the potential 
benefit of series consolidation.
    OPM discussed the proposal and comments with the Interagency 
Advisory Committee (IAG). It recommended that series consolidation not 
be implemented at this time because:
     Barriers attributed to the classification system have been 
substantially resolved because of the greater use of flexibilities 
related to job qualifications which make it much easier to reassign 
employees across occupational lines;
     Considerable resources would be required to oversee and 
implement the consolidation without commensurate benefits; and,
     Major downsizing in most agencies, and particularly within 
personnel offices, preclude expending resources on system changes which 
are not clearly cost beneficial.
    The IAG was deeply concerned that agencies simply did not have the 
resources to implement a system of this magnitude with their diminished 
staff while at the same time managing reductions and furloughs as part 
of downsizing initiatives and budget restrictions.
    OPM agrees that the IAG recommendation has merit. Consequently, we 
will take no action to implement the series consolidation initiative at 
this time. However, OPM is writing new classification standards that 
are broader and more generic than the traditional coverage which was 
confined to one occupation. These job family standards will cover 
Professional, Administrative, Clerical, and Technician lines of work in 
each job family group and will accomplish a major goal of 
classification simplification.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
James B. King,
Director.
[FR Doc. 96-9307 Filed 4-15-96; 8:45 am]
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