KEY POSITIONS AND COMPETITIVE DEVELOPMENT GROUPS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00530R000500920004-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 25, 2012
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: June 15, 1987
• Content Type: REPORT

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,
June 15, 1987
Subject: Key Positions and Competitive Development Groups
I. KEY POSITIONS
1. Key Position: Normally positions involved in determining
strategy, plans, and/or policy in the career program or cluster
group. In most career programs, key positions will cover grades
no lower than GS/GM-13 through SES.
2. Identifying Key Positions: Prior to the development of
ACTEDS training plans, career progression paths should be
reviewed to determine the key or top level positions to which
they lead, i.e., the positions for which the progressive and
sequential training is needed. Each Functional Chief (FC) is
responsible for identifying key positions within his/her career
programs. This process is simplified if the positions can be
designated by Army-wide organizational titles and grades, e.g.,
Senior Project Manager (Supervisory Operations Research Analyst),
GM-1515-15. In some cases, specific position titles, series,
grades and locations may have to be identified. Small numbers of
key positions will facilitate the functional management and
administration of the career program ACTEDS program. Each-
position will require special training requirements, competitive
selection 61 trainees for competitive development groups Or
individual training programs, monitoring and mentoring of
trainees, and placement efforts after the completion of the
training.
3. Selecting for Key Positions: Ideally, upon completion of the
ACTEDS training program, the employee should be placed in a
position in which he/she will be able to utilize the newly-
acquired knowledges and abilities. In most cases, however, many
employees will be competing for the same key position.
Therefore, the FC(R) will want to look at selection procedures
that will assist in selecting the best candidate and, at the same
time, allow increased functional involvement in the selection
process. There are no hard and fast rules for choosing/designing
selection procedures. Each career program or cluster group will
have unique features that must be considered. Evaluation
methodologies are discussed in section 11-4 below and Appendix W
and are equally applicable to either the direct selection or the
competitive development group process.
4. Other Ways to Get Involved: In some cases, the FC(R) may
want to become involved in the selection process without changing
the current system to a great extent. This may be due to lack of
resources to implement new programs or processes, or success of
the current system in selecting the best candidates for key
positions. Two ways of getting involved are recommended:
a. FC(R)/Candidate Week Program. In this type of program,
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final candidates for the key position would each spend a week
with the FC(R) before the final selection is made. During- the
week, the FC(R) will include the candidate in daily activities,
giving the candidate an active role wherever possible. This type
of exercise will allow the FC(R) to form an objective opinion
about the candidate based on observed performance before the
final selection is made. It will also give the candidates an
opportunity to broaden their perspectives.
b. Selection Concurrence/Coordination. In this option, the
FC(R) would allow the current evaluation and referral process to
continue up to the point of selection. The name of the proposed
selectee would then be referred to the FC(R) for coOrdination
and/or concurrence.
II. COMPETITIVE DEVELOPMENT GROUP (COG)
1. Intent: To identify a cadre of high potential employees who
will participate in a program of intensive career development
intended to prepare them for key positions in the career program.
Training funds and spaces are thus concentrated on certain
selected employees who are expected to be best able to utilize
the training by advancing- to more responsible positions within
the career field.
2. Applicability: A CDG may be of more beneft to some ceer
programs-than to others, depending on a number of factors to
include:
a. Complexity:. A career program comprised of related
specialties or tracks (e.g., IMA, Comptroller) may require its
potential managers to have at least a working knowledge of all of
the functions. In such cases, a COG may be extremely useful in
cross-training -employees in one or more secondary specialties. A
relatively homogeneous career program may 'find no need for such 3
structured approach to training and selection.
b. Size: Small career programs with few key positions it
may not be cost effective to develop a CDG. The formality- of a
CDG may cause more work than is necessary in order to adequately
develop employees in order to staff, a.small number of jobs.
c. Current applicants: In some career programs, management
may be pleased with the quality, quantity, and minority group
representation of applicants being certified for promotion to key
managerial positions under the current system. In such cases,
there may be no need to "fix what isn't broken."
d.. Timeliness of current referral . system: Timeliness of
referral for promotion is one benefit of a COG if it includes a
provision for noncompetitive promotion. of graduates. A list of
graduates eligible for a particular position could be produced
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within a relatively short period of time upon receipt of a
recruitment request. If the current referral system is .timely,
this time savings is not applicable,
3. Intake. A system should be designed for determining how
often the CDG will be opened for new selections and how many
employees should be accepted each time. Factors to be considered
include:
a. Entry. Decide how many grades below the grade of the
key positions (the target level for the CDG 1 participants will be
brought into the CDG. The grade level for entry into the CDG
will vary by career program. It will generally be one or two
grade levels 'below the level of the lowest-graded key position.
The earlier in an employee's career that selections will be made,
the more difficult and imprecise the evaluation of candidates
becomes. Assessing potential is quite complex. When these
assessments involve predistions of a specialist's potential to
progress into supe:visory and then managerial level work, they
become much less accurate. Therefore, beginning the CDC, more
than two levels below the grade of the key positions is not
advisable. Projections for intake may have to be done
separately for each grade-level eligible for entry to ensure that
the correct number of employees are being prepared for each
covered grade level.
b. Number of and turnover in key jobs. Key jobs, the
target positions for CDC graduates, must be identified first.
Turnover .projections should then be made, based on historical
data, available information on age of incumbents and any other
considerations, such a5 future changes in mission or technology,
the retirement system, or the compensation system.
c. Training panned. Consider the type, length and number
of training courses and developmental assignments planned in the
CDG core curriculum. An estimate of the total amount of time to
complete the graduation requirements will be useful in
determining staggered intake into the CDG.
? d. Forecasting. Using guidelines developed by the Office,
of Personnel Management for Senior Executive Service development
groups, the maximiim number of candidates" selected should not
exceed twice the number of annual projected vacancies. A.
workable size is 1.5 times the number of positions to be filled.
The followiny is an example for a career program of approximately
350 key positions with 10 percent annual turnover:
Estimated yearly vacancies:
Less vacancies to be filled
. by other means (outside
hire, transfer, etc)*
Positions to be filled from
3
? (10) - (15)
pool 20 - 25
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Size of pool (1.5 times) 30 - 38
*if desirable
Depending on the *structure 'of the career positions and the
qualification requirements for the various positions within a
program, . separate estimates may be needed for the various
specialties.
4. Selection:
a. Competition. Selection for entry into the CDG must be
competitive because participation is likely to result in rapid
advancement. . Formal competition must provide the opportunity
for all interested and eligible employees to be considered and
for the assessment and selection to be based on merit factors
only. For each grade level of employee eligible to apply, a
separate evaluation procedure may also be necessary. It could be
perceived as unfair to rate and rank employees at the GS-I2 level
against those at the GM-14, for example, whose experiences hnve
enabled them to possess skills, knowledges and abilities at a
higher level.
b. Area of Consideration. The area of consideration is the
area in which the agency makes a search for eligible candidates
in a specific action. The mininum area of consideration _for
promotion actions to career _program positions is set by Army
regulati-on, The area of consideration for the CDG should be the
same as that which is set for key positions in the career program
(generally Army-wide). It must be the same if noncompetitive
promotion will be permitted for CDG graduates (see paragraph 6).
c. Recruiting. There are two basic Methods for identifying
interested and eligible candidates:
(1) the central referral system (e. 9., ACCES or MAP)
if one exists. The existing systers could be modified to provide
employees the opportunity to apply on the same forms for
promotion and entry into the CDG. These systems may also provide
the benefit of automated support for the application' and
evaluation system. A potential problem with this method is that
its use is limited to the grade levels covered by the central
referral system. Thus, if the CDG will be open to employees at
grade levels which are higher- or lower than the current
registration levels, this method would need to be supplemented in
some manner to permit those employees to compete.
(2) an announcement system .(e.. g., DACADS, Army-wide
vacancy announcements). Such a system. would enable employees to
respond to a vacancy announcement which is distributed at the
work site or to the home address. This would be necessary in
career programs which do not have a cen-tral referral syztem. T
is also an option for those with central referral programs,
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although it may not be cost effective, especially for programs
with large applicant pools.
d. Evaluation. The evaluation- methodologies which may be
used to select employees for a CDG are similar to those used in
merit promotion systems. Depending on the availability of
resources for design and use of assessment tools and the expected
size of the applicant pool, an initial screening under one system
could be followed by a more indepth assessment using one or more
additional methods. A questionnaire could be sent to all
employees in the career program to get a feel for how many would
be likely to apply for a CDG so that the most appropriate tools
could be selected. The assessment techniques which are
considered to be the most appropriate screening methods for use
in ACTEDS are (1) a central referral list issued under ACCES or
SKAP; and (2) training and experience ratings. Possible
supplemental assessment tools to be used in conjunction with
either a central referral list or a training and experience
rating include: (1) assessment center; (2) structured
interview; (3) performance appraisal; and (4) supplemental
supervisory rating. All of these evaluation tools are described
in Appendix W.
e. Selection. Selecting authority would rest with the
FC(R). A panel of advisors may be tasked to review the referral
list prepared under the steps discussed above and to recommend
selections. Selections should be announced with some degree of
fanfare through command channels 'in order to alert all involved
parties and to foster a sense of pride in the achievement of
employees at the local level. -
5. Training:
a. Career Development Plan (CDP). An analysis is made of
the employee's background to determine the training from which
the most benefit would be derived. A CDP, which details a
blending of developmental assignments and formal training courses
is then developed. It must conform to the core curriculum (see
Glossary, Appendix V) or other similar guidance, be tailored to
the individual's needs and goals and spell out the requirements
for graduation from the CDG. It is generally written jointly by
the employee and a mentor with appropriate resource counseling
from an Employee Development Specialist and participation of the
employee's supervisor. FC(R)-level review and approval of all
CDPs for CDG participants may be desirable for the sake of
consistency.
b. Accomplishment. Formal training identified in the CDP
will be scheduled by the immediate .supervisor as soon as
practicable. Training for which there .are insufficient quotas
for all employees to attend (e. g., Senior Service Schools) and
developmental assignments will be handled as discussed in other
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papers.
c. Mentoring. .The mentor, or advisor, is an ecsentil
aspect of this program. 71-.e mentor must receive specialized
training in coaching techniques, interpretation of the assessment
results, and the development of effective candidate CDPs. The
mentor should meet the following qualifications:
(I) willingncos to serve as a senior advisor,
(2)
development,
personal commitment
to individual career
(3) extensive knowledge a:)d :::ight ab-ut how thingL
get dcne within tht? Army,
(4) broad and extensive managerial experience at two
Or more org.nii?az:on31 level: above that of the CDS candidate,
of a in th7-.'
,
(r) extensiv.4-_ contact and interaction with other
agencies and organization,--, tnd
(7) a proven record competent manJoer.
It is rec-JF.mende-; that the ,,mr.:luyeo have eomn
selection of hie/her nen:or to help ens.,:re a prody.ctive woring
relationship. Similarly, the =uperviaor must iso be an
important player so that difficulties are not. .-n-cuntered in
carrying out the CD?.
d. Oversight. Once a C2P is developed and approved, it
should be con=i'4ered a contract between the Army and tho
employee. All partief :hould do a:: 7hat 1E "Ls:: en,urc
that it is followd. 3ome degree of over.,:ight FOn 'y
recommended in the initial 'elco-ent
training period as adjustment .E are needed.
e. Evaluation. Periodic evaluatjon of each participant'f.
performance is essential to en-:ere that only those who
successfully complete each phase of the training continue in the
program. A standing operating procedure for the evaluati:-n
process should be developed for u:e throughout the CDG. Criteri
should be developed which must be met in order for participants
to remain in the program.
6. What happens upon graduation? Optinz
a: CDG graduates are the sole source of applicants for key
positions. A single toe2d of comp'etition would
!,election into the CDC an fut ther noncompetitive promotion (c:.
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or more grades) to a key position.
(1) Pros:.
(a) It will guarantee *a higher degree of
utilization of training since more graduates are likely to be
assigned to higher level positions.
(b) More employees are likely to apply for entry
into the CDC knowing that further competition is not required for
promotion.
. (c) Vacancies can be filled quickly because a
competitive referral list will not be required.
(2) Cons:
(a) It will require strict control over the
number of employees selected for entry into the CDC, so that
sufficient vacancies would exist to permit placements to be
effected within a reasonable period of time after graduation.
(o) There will be little . or no promotion
opportunity for employees who opt out of the CDG, for example,
cause of the mobility requirement. This is likely to cause
morale problems for these employees who find that their careers
are sudd-e.n.ly at a dead end.
(c) Commanders and other managers who select for
key positions will not be pleased to find that there may be
highly qualified employees who are not CDG participants, and
therefore, not eligible for consideration. There is likely to be
strong concern over the fact that their authority to select from
any appropriate 'source has been diminished.
? (d) It will require more sophisticated candidate
evaluation procedures to predict an employee's potential to
develop from a specialist to a supervisor or from a supervisory
to a manager (depending on the the entry level into the CDC).
The cost of developing and employing such methodologies would be
high and favorable results could not be guaranteed.
b. CDG participation includes training only with no
provision for noncompetitive promotion. Competition covers only
entry into the CDC and graduates must compete with non-graduates
for promotion under the type of merit promotion system currently
utilized.
(1) Pros:
(a) It permits. conside.ration of applicants from
all sources for key positions. Commanders are likely to favor
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this approach since it gives them more flexibility in their
selections.
(b) Candidates for key. poeitions will undergo
another round of competition directly related to the position to
be filled, thereby increasing the validity of the assessment
process.
(c). Emp: yees who opt out of the competitive
development group and those who are not selected will remain
eligible for key positions, thus lessening 'morale problems which
may be caused by using CDG graduates as the sole source to fill
key positions.
(2) Cons:
(a) Funds will be expended in training people who
may never be premoted to key positions. However, it is likely
that the training received will be of benefit to them in thsir
careers.
(b) orse of .-?-cple who h=ve received the
training and have not been selected may be adversely affected.
However, If section and training is good, the chances of this
occurring will be align:.
e selectine. 6 choice of two li-t: :rcm
which to sect. A I i..of C gydua:,,ts for
noncompetitive I.-..ro7otion Could be isceeJ and a second
developed under competitive procedures could
or issued only upon request. A selection could be made from
either list. ?
(1) Pr:::
.(a) Provides management a greater deeree of
flexibility by permitting 3 ch:ice in recr:;iting appl:canto. fl:m
all sources, including non-Army applicants.
(b) Applicants who have successfully competed for
the CDG will not have to under-L.o further examinion and
competition. This process .would also provide for very quick
response time on referral requests.
(c) Morale should not be negatively impacled
since all employees will remain eligible for consideration.
(2) Cons:
(a) The possibility of.training excess people who
will never be promoted still exists. However, ae mentioned
above, there will sti:: be some benefit derived from th3t
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training.
(b) Morale of people who have completed the
training may suffer when non-CDC graduates are selected for key
positions.
7. Mobility requirements:
s. Purpo-e. To give the FC P the greatest amount of
flexibility, participants must be available for a wide variety of
assignments and duty locations. A mobility agreement is used to
ensure that employees will accept world-wide assignment. The
mobility agreement, if desired, should be a part of the
application pacace for entry into the CDC so that all applicants
are in agreement from the onset. Without mandatory mobility, the
FC P will have neither the authority to assign employees to the
training assignments which would be nest beneficial for career
development no the option to recommend placement of graduates
for vacancies in ;'ey p,-,sitions in any location. '*"h'-- is a m7.jor
difference between the m:::tary (highly m..:.bile) and civL
(selectively mebile) personnel systems.
b. Application. Mobility relates to both the training
process and the placement of CDS gradtes. * Training sites for
the formal courses which would be mandatory fol. CDC participants
would be kri:',wn up front, the:C.CL-tiCns of the 'key
position-s- for which graduates would be referred. Cenera.11y,
employees are given the opportunity to make '.!.1flir assic;r:me:;I:
preferences known. Consideration of the emn'oyee's preference
and the needc, of the Army are weighed to d-termine where the
employee will be assigned. The number and i.Dcation of the key
positions will have an impact on the likelihood ofemployees
accepting a mobility requirement.
c. Considerations.
(I) A mobility requirement may cause J.,. pioblem for
some high potential employees who cannot to be mobile because of
personal considerations. Thus, some of the potentially* test-
qualified employees may not apply.
(2) A DCSPEP study conducted in 19.2 found that women
are much less likely to be mobile than are men. Unless this
trend has been drastically reversed in the last five years, It
can be expected that a mobility requirement will have adverse
impact on women.
(2) Some employees are likely to agree initially to a
mobility requirement but refuse to relocate when the time
for actual placement. The career -program must have a plan for
dealing with this situation.
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(4) Willingness to relocate on a short-term bsi for
training may differ from willingness to relocate on a permanent
basis for an attual duty assignment. Again, locations of both
the training sites and the key positions will have an impact.
8. Resources:
a. The level of resource commitment needed to run a CDG
will vary depending primarily on the complexity (see Section II,
Paragraph 2a above) of the career program. Elements of these
programs which would affect the resource reuirements include:
(1) The extensive cross-training of employees in
related fields associated with complex career programs, such as
IMA and Comptroller, raises the expectation that the length of
time for participants to complete all graduation requirements
would be longer in these types of programs. The longer the
period of training, the higher the cost.
() The decree of individual tailorinf; of the C"-`7..=,nd
graduation requirements is expected to be greater for complex
programs than for less complex programs. This would cause
additional work on the part of the mentors and employees and at
the CDP review and approval level.
5. ro!= to con.r1.4er include:
(1) 2evelopment of .assessment tools. This may 5e done
in-house or by contract. Some projection of cost is provided in
Appendix B along with the de=criction of e-3ch too!.
(2) Travel and per diem, including:
(a) =u;...jc,---mttr=r--xpert.travol for development
of assessment tools,
"(5) subject-matter-expert and applicant trr.vel
for assessment of applicants and interviews,
(c) mentor and participant travel for orientation
meetings, if desired, and development of CDPs, and
(d) participant travel to
and
training, developmental as:Lignments, etc.
(2) Formal training tuition.
formal
(4) Miscellaneous, such as salaries, administrative
support and material costs.
.r'
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