Description of Work: A detailed description of work can be found in the Army Occupational Guides (AOGs) for the Intelligence Specialist series (GS-132). This standard can be used in conjunction with that AOG to determine precise descriptions for the various subspecialties of this series.

Education and Experience Required GS-5 and above: The following table shows the amount of experience and/or education required for grades GS-5/15 for positions covered by this standard. Applicants who meet experience requirements for a higher grade also meet the experience requirements for positions at lower grades in the same occupation. Possession of an advanced degree, e.g. Ph.D. without having earned the lesser degree, e.g. M.A., qualifies an applicant for both the appropriate higher and lower grade.

Evaluating Academic Background The following list of degree majors is to be used as a guideline for determining whether a degree is closely related (CR) to the position being filled. Note that in some cases it may be determined that degrees in this listing are not CR to the specific position being filled. Also, in some cases, degrees not listed below may be classified as CR. Academic disciplines will vary with the specialized position requirements and will be established jointly by the selecting management official and the personnel specialist.

If candidates possess an academic degree which is not closely related (CR), then their education should include or be supplemented by the minimum number of related/specialized credit hours stated for the given grade. Candidates who do not possess the indicated academic credentials can qualify on the basis of experience alone or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

General Experience

Progressively responsible work which has demonstrated the ability: 1) to collect, assemble and analyze pertinent facts and draw conclusions; 2) to prepare clear and concise written and oral reports; 3) to deal effectively with individuals or groups of persons; and 4) to plan and organize work. Experience of a general clerical nature (typing, filing, routine procedural processing, maintaining records or other non-specialized tasks) does not meet this requirement. Substantive and relevant secretarial, clerical or technician work, however, may be qualifying as long as it provides evidence of KSAs needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled. To be considered substantive the duties must have required knowledge of intelligence functions, methods and/or policies, etc, rather than strictly processing skills and abilities. Time spent performing these substantive duties may be credited as qualifying general experience.

Specialized Experience

Progressively responsible experience is that which has included intelligence-related research, analysis, collections and /or operations. At the GS-11 level and above it should have included intelligence analysis and/or production, intelligence collection and/or operations, counterintelligence, or threat support directly related to the position to be filled. Creditable specialized   experience may include previous military intelligence experience, experience gained in the private sector or in another government agency as long as it was at a level at least equivalent to the next lower grade in the series. This experience should demonstrate:

-Knowledge of intelligence processes, cycle and organizations;

-Knowledge of and/or ability to use research tools such as library holdings, photographs, statistics, graphics and maps;

-Knowledge of the systems, procedures and methods of analyzing, compiling, reporting and disseminating intelligence data; and/or

-Knowledge of organization(s) for and methods of collecting and analyzing intelligence data.

Undergraduate Education:

For a maximum of three years of the required general experience, applicants for Intelligence Specialist positions may substitute successfully completed study in an accredited college or university at the rate of one year of academic study (30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours) for nine months of experience (25 percent of the three year general experience requirement).

The successful completion of all requirements for any four-year degree program will satisfy the requirements for the GS-5.

The successful completion of all requirements for a closely related (CR) Bachelor's Degree or non-closely related Bachelor's degree which included or has been supplemented with appropriate specialized coursework and/or credit hours will be accepted as meeting the full requirements for the GS-7 level.

The Superior Academic Achievement standard of OPM is also applicable at grade GS-7 for those non-closely related degree applicants whose curriculum did not include the specific specialized credit hours described above.

Graduate Education:
Education at the graduate level (including law school education) in an accredited college or university in the amounts shown in the table meets the requirements for positions at GS-08 through GS-11. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position.

A year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours which the school attended has determined to represent one-year of full time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 16 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the one year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

For certain positions covered by this standard, the work may be recognized as sufficiently technical or specialized, and the working level such that graduate study alone may not provide the knowledge and skills needed to perform the work. In such cases use selective factors to screen out applicants without those KSAs.

Combining Education and Experience

Combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the (2) percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-8 and above. (When crediting education which requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.)

Use of Selective Factors

Activities may identify some positions covered by this standard that require knowledge, skills, and abilities or other qualifications that are in addition to the minimum requirements described in this standard. The need for these special requirements can be met through the use of selective factors in both the external and in-service recruitment processes. They must be job related, essential for the successful performance of the position, and represent KSAs or other qualifications which could not be reasonably acquired on the job during the period of training customary for the position being filled.

Credit for Reserve Duty

In order for Reserve Duty to be credited as specialized experience, it must be progressively responsible experience which has included intelligence and/or counterintelligence research, writing, analysis, operations or management related to the position being filled. Credit for time spent performing specialized duties will be calculated on the basis of a 2087 hour (260 day) work year. Time spent acquiring intelligence related (Military Intelligence MOS producing) training is creditable as specialized work experience.

Placement of Internal Candidates

Internal applicants who lack the specific general or specialized experience requirements may enter this occupation provided that the applicant's overall background gives clear indication of the ability and potential to perform the duties of the position. In these cases, movement will be accomplished by reassignment, change to lower grade, or by conversion to a new excepted appointment at the same or lower grade. Upon such movement, the employee will be expected to clearly demonstrate possession of the knowledges, skills, and abilities necessary to satisfactorily perform in the new position before being eligible for promotion within this occupation. Only the difference in qualifications between the position held and the position desired ("add on rule") need be considered in subsequent placement actions.