TALKING POINTS FOR BRIEFING ON NEW ODB INITIATIVES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP10M02287R000200160005-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: June 14, 1988
• Content Type: MISC

Ir
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Talking Points for Briefing on New ODB Initiatives
Implementation Strategy
A. The Office of Personnel has proposed three major initiatives in
the personnel management arena:
1. Decentralizing the distribution of grade points to the
Directorate-level.
2. Decentralizing position classification responsibility.
3. Simplification of the Factor Evaluation System.
II. Redistribution of Grade Points
A. How It Works Now
1. Points generated through the budget process. Comptroller
determines what increase in Agency average grade is required to
cover r.ew positions, upcoming programs etc. increase is accroved
byOMu3.
2. Office of Personnel is tasked wit-_h distributing these points
as required:
a. Through the old survey process
b. Ad hoc requests for upgrades from the Directorates.
c. To establish new positions above the average grade.
B. Problems with the Current System
1. Points are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
2. Directorate and Office management have little or no say in point
distribution.
3. As offices often come directly to OP for points, Directorate
priorities are not always represented.
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1. Points generated in the same manner as they are now..
2. Comptroller notifies the Executive Committee of the number of
points available at the beginning of the fiscal year. The Executive
Director will hold back 10 - 15% of the points for emergency and
unforeseen requirements.
3. There are, a number of options for deternir.ing the appropriate
distribution of points to the Directorates:
a. Based upon requirements submitted >.:y Directorates;-
b.? Based upon percentage of Agency pcsitons; or
c. Based upon previous point usage.
(See Attachment A for description and advantages/disadvantages of each
option. )
UNDER OPTION C
4. Directorate polls Offices for individual point requirements. This
exercise will be part of the existing budget process. Based upon
pro_ections of reorganizations, ad hoc upcrade requests, etc., Offices
submit their requirements to the Directorate. Directorate prioritizes
Office submissions and forwards to ExDir for review and final
determination of distribution.
4. Once distribution scenario is approved by the EXDIR, Directorates
are notified of their point bank.
ALL OPTIONS
5.
Directorates will have option to:
a.
b.
Further distribute points to the Office-level; or,
Maintain the balance at the Directorate-level, distributing
them on an as-requested basis.
6.
ODB will maintain a record of point usage by directorate and
office. A "bank" statement will be provided on a monthly basis to the
Directorate and Office personnel shops giving them points used and
gained, points remaining and effect on office and Directorate average
grade of actions taken to date.
7. Points generated by establishing new positions below the Agency
average grade will be available for use by the Office receiving the
pc
new positions. ConveL?e~Y, ~
o~y ints spent spen* establishing positions
Agency average grade will be deducted from that office's
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9. Directorates must be aware that the large increases in points that
we have seen over the years are most likely a thing of the past. They
have largely resulted from the increases in average grade generated by
the PMCD survey process and the banding of the Comm and secretarial
occupations which provided the Comptroller with justification for a
substantial increase in Agency average grade for the next fiscal
year. The Agency point bank was also boosted by the acquisition of
some 200 GSA positions for the SPO program. As we received the
positions at average grade, but put them on the books well below
average grade, a large number of additional points was generated.
This is unlikely to occur again. Managers may very well be forced to
live with limited increases or, possibly, no increase in their point
bank. As has always been the case, positions can continue to be
upgraded by taking a corresponding downgrade elsewhere.
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ACHMENT A
A. Based upon requirements submitted by Directorates.
In a manner similar to the SIS position request exercise, ExDir will
review requirements submitted against points available and determine
an appropriate percentage breakdown.
1. Distribution would reflect projected requirements, not past
activity.
2. 0DB would compile the requests and reconcile with points available.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Some Directorates may overstate their requirements in order to get
additional points.
,Possible Distribution Scenarios
B. By Percentage of Agency Positions:
% OF AGENCY DIRECTCF.ATE LESS POINT
POSITIONS * BANK RESERVE BANK
DDA
DDO
DDS&T
DDI
* Assuming a reserve of 10%. This reserve will be. held at the ExDir level and
can be used as priorities demand.
Total Points Available:
Points Held in Reserve:
Total Points for Use
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Possible Distribution Scenarios (Con't):
B. By Percentage of Agency Positions (Con't):
ADVANTAGES:
1. Straightforward method that reflects the relative size of the
Directorates.
2. Easily understood and calculated.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Is not an accurate reflection of relative activity among the
Directorates - size of Directorate does not always accurately reflect
the requirement for points in a given year.
2. Does not reflect differences in Directorate average grade.
C. Based upon previous point usage.
ODB preparesra monthly report on points used by office and
Directorate. A thorough review could be conducted of these reports to
see which offices and Directorates historically require the greatest
number of points.
1. Would be reflective of actual point usage and Directorate
requirements, not simply of relative size.
2. ODB could provide the analysis, taking workload off of Directorate
and component personnel officers.
1. Past may not be reflective of future requirements.
2. Analysis will require interpretation as unusal circumstances will
create anomalies in the numbers (eg. the acquisition of the SPO
positions at average grade by OS resulted in a positive gain of over
400 points.)
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L) U
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Executive Director:
A. Will establish criteria for distribution of grade points.
B. Will Allocate points to the Directorates according to established
criteria.
C. Will have authority to assure that the Directorates keep within
their authorized point bank.
D. Maintain a reserve of grade points (10=15% of total bank) for
critical, unforeseen requirements.
2. Directorate Management:
A. Request and compile annual requests,for points from components for
submission to the EXDIR. (Option A)
B. Prioritize requests for points and justify them to the EXDIR.
(Option A)
C. Distribute allocated points to the offices, either in lump sum or
as requested. By distributing points as needed or requested,
Directorate has greater flexibility to adjust to changing priorities
during the course of the year. A lump sum distribution would place
greater responsibility at the office level to judiciously utilize
points.
D. Monitor Directorate average grade and point usage.
3. Office-level Management:
A. Identify actual and projected requirements for points.
B. Prioritize and justify requests to the Directorate.
C. .Distribute points to appropriate groups and divisions as needed or
requested.
D. Monitor Office average grade and point usage.
4. PCSD/ODB:
A. Monitor point usage and provide monthly "bank' statement to EXDIR,
Directorates and Offices.
B. Provide guidance to Directorate arid Office manager and personnel
officers on the most effective use of points and to raise warning
flags when unusual trends develop.
officerslonepoin-slaiidphowr ieyoareaus~ars and component personnel
D. Conduct effectiveness studies of the system for the EXDir.
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? III. Decentralization of Position Classification
A. Step 1: Reduce the number of occupational titles, currently 380,
,by combining like functions and grouping into a manageable number
whose occupational definitions are comprehensible to managers and
definable by classification.
ODB will work with each Directorate to identify appropriate
occupational groupings. Groupings can be as narrow or as broad as the
Directorate requires within reasonable classification restraints.
Occupations will be retitled according to their occupational group.
B. Step 2: Prioritize occupations to. be decentralized. Once the
five test occupations are finalized and given to the components to use
(according to the following procedure), OP/PCSD will work with
Directorates to identify and prioritize their remaining occupations.
Occupations will be decentralized in a phased manner. No generic
position descriptions will be utilized until coordination process is
finalized. Directorate will identify a focal point or working group
for each occupation. If the Directorate identifies one focal point,
that person be a substantive expert on a given occupation and should
have the clout to give preliminary approval to the drafts. Any
working group should include a component personnel officer.
C. Step 3: Develop benchmarks. PCSD prepares generic position
descriptions using the proposed Agency classification system for a
minimum of three levels; full perfor,-arce, expert, and -znager.
Directorates may wish to have generic descriptions prepared on levels
above and below journeyman level as a mechanism for establishing
career development tracks. Draft position descriptions are then
forwarded to the Directorate representative for review and comment.
This process continues until both PCSD and the Directorate agree on
all information contained in the descriptions. The Directorate will
establish the appropriate chain of command for internal approval of
the generic position descriptions.'
Once a broad generic position description has been developed for a
Directorate-wide occupation, PCSD will work with lndivid~al offices to
include office-specific requirements and qualifications. Once
occupational groupings with large populations have been covered, PCSD
will tackle the smaller and unique occupations.
D. Step 4: Decentralize occupation. The initial effect of
decentralization is that PCSD will cease classifying positions at and
below the journeyman grade level or positions for which a generic
position description exists. There will be no immediate change to the
Table of Organization (TO). PCSD will continue to input the following
changes at the request of the component, but with no.substantive
review:.
-- Change in position location
-- Change in-position grade when certified to meet an
established benchmark
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-- Change in organizational structure
-- Change in a position's occupation title
-- Addition/deletion of title suffixes
-- Change type of position (clerical, technical, professional)
consistent with grade and title changes.
Changes must either be point neutral or utilize existing points from
the Directorate/component "bank." Or, just as with a survey, the
average grade will be allowed to increase within the constraints of
the points available.
E. Step 5: System controls. In order to assure that the principle
of "equal work for equal pay" is still enforced, PCSD will have an
oversight role, conducting spot checks of positions above the
journeyman grade level or organizations under one or more of the
following circumstances:
a. At the request of an Office or Directorate when 1) a
position does not fit neatly into a generic position description
or 2) as a result of a sudden increase in attrition or
management problem.
b. When an unusual `rend develops in an Grfice or :ir-ctorate
such as a sudden increase in average grade, an.increase of
expert positions to greater than 10% of the workforce, an
increase in the supervisor to worker ratio, or a preponderence
of clerical downgrades.
c. As part of an organization development (OD) study of an
Office or division.
d. As a result of the filing of a grievance.
Any recommendations that result from these surveys will ce advisory
only, with the final determination to made by the Office management.
Step 6: ODB's New Role. The Office of Personnel's Organizational
Developmen '-_?.,e four primary fund,-icns:
a. Development of occupational benchmarks.
b. Working with Directorates to establish new occupations or change
existing ones.
Office/Directorate
d. Organization Development studies - designing organizational
structures, recommending better use of position resources, etc.
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