PROPOSAL FOR OP POLICY REGARDING PERSONNEL GENERALISTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP92-00455R000100170015-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 2, 2009
• Sequence Number: 15
• Content Type: MF

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy for Plans and Control
THRU (Chief
Position Management & Compensation Division
SUBJECT : Proposal for OP Policy Regarding
Personnel Generalists
1. In view of the current interest in Agency personnel policies
and procedures on the part of senior Agency management, I believe
the opportunity (and need) exists for OP to provide our component
generalists with more clear and consistent policy direction, as
well as training sufficient to sharpen their skills as OP representatives.
2. Having been in a position to deal with component Personnel
Officers positions for the past four years, I have become aware of
a vast difference among the position requirements, as well as the
variety of approaches taken by the incumbents of those positions.
This results in a broad spectrum of impressions which Agency managers
have of the Office of Personnel, ranging from respect to disdain.
3. My proposal is that an experienced OP careerist be assigned
to complete the following two tasks in a time frame of six to
eight weeks:
a. Write and distribute an "owners's manual" for Personnel
Officers, specifying what Agency managers should expect
from generalists at the various grade levels, and clearly
defining OP's policy in assigning Officers to component
positions based on the requirements of those positions.
b. Establish and conduct a comprehensive training course
for component Personnel Officers to include specific
attention to basic OP objectives, policies and procedures.
I believe a pre-course test and a post-course test
should be given before and after this course to
determine whether periodic revision of the course
would be appropriate. The course should contain
lectures on CSGA, Mimimum promotion targets, APP &
PDP, Position Management & Classification, Counseling,
etc. as well as discussion groups led by attendees
on how policy is applied in their components. I
suggest the course be a tely two weeks full-
time, 77 Attendance by OP
personnel would be mandatory.
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4. In addition to the above, OP may wish to consider assigning
a senior OP officer (CMO, OP/EXO, DD/Pers) with the responsibility
for monitoring the use of personnel officers in the components,
and evaluating their performance.
5. I had hoped to staff out this proposal in more detail
and accomplish the tasks outlined in paragraph 3, however, the
staffing problems and volume of activity in PMCD will prevent
me from doing so.in the foreseeable future. I do, however, believe
the timing is right to take this kind of initiative, and suggest
that some effort be made to select a qualified OP careerist to
devote some time and attention to the above. I would be glad to
provide whatever assistance I can to whomever might be selected.
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Personnel
STAT
Position Management Of icer-
SUBJECT : Proposal-for Reallocation of PMCD Responsibilities
and Functions
1.(U) The following proposal is based on our discussion of 6 July
regarding a change in Position Management and Classification
responsibilities and functions, which will involve more participation
in that process by Office of Personnel generalists assigned to Agency
components.
2.(U) The proposal is predicated on the fact that the complement
of personnel assigned to PMCD is insufficient to provide the Office
of Personnel with enough trained-specialists to implement and maintain
a sound. and defensible classification and management program. Throughout
STAT the Civil Service, the normal ratio of position classification specialists
STAT to positions is approximately one classifier to tions. Given
SIAI the current Agency strength, this would require at eas 7~P ion
STAT Management Officers be assigned to PMCD. Currently, N4CD has itrained
Position on Management Officers attempting. to service over0 positions.
In considering the ratio of classifiers to positions, it must also be
noted that the Central Intelligence Agency encompasses an extremely
broad and varied group of occupations,. including some highly specialized
and exotic requirements which do not readily lend themselves to routine
position classification procedures. Essentially, PMCD is attempting to
run an unusually complex and difficult program with less than 1/3 the
amount of trained personnel normally required to run a more routine and
less complex program. It would be unrealistic to expect that the Office
of Personnel could, in the foreseeable future, ever hope to staff PMMCD
with the number of trained personnel required to maintain a reasonably
current PMCD program.
3.(U) Stated simply, I propose that the professional personnel
officers assigned to agency components assume a greater role in the
classification and management program. Specifically they could, with
a reasonable amount of training, be responsible fdr: .,
a. Ensuring submissions to PMCD conform to established
policies and procedures
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b. Initial review of position and organizational changes,
providing justification for the change(s) including any
deviation from normal ratios of entry, transitional,
journeyman and senior positions; as well as application
of established position management principles regarding
professional/clerical ratios, supervisory/functional
positions, etc.
c. Assigning FES factor levels to position descriptions in
draft form
d. Providing component managers with advice and information
regarding position management and classification policies
and procedures PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL
CHANGES
4.(U) Position Management and Compensation Division would retain
classification authority. The role of PMCD would revert to:
a. Responsibility for all final grade allocations
b. Responsibility for the conduct of periodic surveys (frequency
to be determined after the impact on PMCD workload can
be assessed.)
c. Establish and maintain classification criteria, benchmarks,
standards, and policy
.d. Review and comment on all organizational changes, including
the impact of any reorganization on existing or proposed
grade structures
f.
Provision of format and procedures for writing and
submitting position descriptions
Maintenance of statistical summaries, organizational
histories and Staffing Complement
Training of all component personnel officers.
h. Provision of consultative services to component managers
and personnel officers (upon request)
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5.(U) Implementation of the proposal outlined above would require
immediate provisions for training component personnel officers in the
field of position management and classification. The majority of the
required training could be done through courses available from the
Civil Service Commission. The PMCD internal course with some revision,
could be given to personnel officers who have attended CSC courses,
allowing the internal course to concentrate on Agency policies and
procedures. At least one experienced Position Management Officer would be
required to assume responsibility for monitoring the training of personnel
officers during the implementation phase of this proposal, assuming it is
adopted, and could tailor the PMCD course to include only those aspects
of position classification and organizational analysis which are peculiar
to CIA. The dedication of even one PMCD officer to that task is certain
to have an effect on the current PMCD workload, and any consideration of
this proposal must include a realistic estimate of which PMCD objectives
would have to be curtailed to accommodate the reduction of its resources.
I will defer to Chief, PMCD to provide that estimate.
6.(U) Since PMCD is currently in the process of adapting the
Factor Evaluation System of position classification, and is already working
on classification standards and benchmarks, preparation for implementing
this proposal could begin immediately by initiating CSC training courses
for personnel generalists. As' classification standards are finalized and
published, they would be issued to the component personnel offices and
applied by generalists prior to submission to PMCD. Initially, PMCD will
probably be required to review the efforts of the generalists very closely,
and function essentially as it is doing now; however, as the proficiency of
generalists in this field increases, and more. classification standards are
published, the role of PMCD should gradually be reduced to a manageable one.
At that time a more realistic assessment could be made as to the frequency
and extent of periodic survey activity which would be necessary.
7.(U) In the interest of brevity, I have not addressed some of the
additional benefits to be derived from ensuring that OP generalists are
equipped with at least the same level of expertise in wage and salary
administration as those civil service employees filling similar positions
in other federal agencies; however, some of those benefits are worthy of
note:
a. The positions occupied by personnel-generalists in the
components would be stronger from a classification
standpoint and provide a greater challenge to careerists
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 b. The continual problem of staffing PMCD would be alleviated.
OP careerists who have occupied component positions would
have at least the basic skills required of a Position
Management Officer
c. Agency components would have the benefit of sound counsel
from within the component, which would hopefully alleviate
some of the misunderstanding, whether real or imagined,
which now interferes with PMCD/component relationships
8.(U) There are obviously other factors to be considered and analyzed
before you make a final decision regarding this proposal. I could try to
anticipate and answer any other questions you might have in this regard;
however, the concept underlying this proposal could be applied in several
different ways, and it may be more productive at this stage to discuss the
matter in a meeting which could include the OP/CMO, Senior Component
Personnel Officers and whomever else you feel should comment on the proposal.
9.(U) Copies of this memo have been provided to Chief, PMCD; Chief,
PMCB and DD/P&C. I would welcome the opportunity to further discuss this
proposal with you or your designated representative.
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