Position Management and Classification

2-1. Primary Grading Standard (PGS)

• Structure. The CIPMS PGS is by definition the PRIMARY standard for the grade determination of GS positions throughout the Military Departments. This standard is designed to provide grade alignment across Departmental lines. Under the PGS, positions are evaluated for Specific grade levels using point-rated factors. Those factors are as follows:


FOR NONSUPERVISORY POSITIONS:
1. Factor A. Essential Knowledges
2. Factor B. Guidelines
3. Factor C. Scope of Authority and Effect of Decisions
4. Factor D. Work Relationships
5. Factor E. Supervision Received


FOR SUPERVISORY POSITIONS:
1. Factor A. Guidelines
2. Factor B. Scope and Variety of Operations
3. Factor C. work Relationships
4. Factor D. Supervision Exercised
5. Factor E. Complexity of Work Supervised
The PGS defines each factor in detail and, in most cases, breaks factors into subfactors. The PGS, then, describes degrees for each of the factors and assigns point values for these degrees. The points are totaled, and a conversion table is used to convert point totals into grades.
• Use. The PGS is used differently for nonsupervisory positions than for supervisory positions. For supervisory positions, the PGS can be used to directly classify positions. For nonsupervisory positions, the PGS is used to develop specific Army Occupational Guides (AOGs) which are then used to classify positions. In the absence of a specific AOG, nonsupervisory positions must be classified using Position Classification Standards developed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). When an AOG has been developed, the PGS supplements the AOG in certain ways:
1. Enhance understanding of intent of various factor level descriptions in the AOG, and
2. Supplement an AOG factor which significantly fails to describe the lowest or the highest degree found present in the appropriate position.

2-2. Army Occupational Guides (AOGs)

AOGs are best described as job specific classification standards. They are created through the combined efforts of subject matter experts and personnelists using the PGS as a reference point. AOGs are used to classify positions identified within the AOG itself as well as to serve as a cross reference for positions that have mixed duties and do not neatly fall into one AOG.

• Structure. The official classification of a position includes the pay plan, series, title, and grade. As they are developed, AOGs are provided as appendices to this Guide. AOGs are applied to determine the official classification of nonsupervisory work in CIPMS positions.
1. Part I of an AOG is a mandatory DoD-approved section. It provides series definitions, official titles, and career paths.
2. Part II describes covered occupation(s) and/or function(s). It provides information to relate the classification of the position to other personnel areas (for example, future skills coding guidance). It includes grade band and standard factor degree descriptions (FDDs). Some AOGs provide benchmark job descriptions rather than standard FDDs.
• Grade bands:
1. Consist of two or more grades within a career path which denote a common level of difficulty, responsibility, and qualification requirements of work, or a common level of knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work. (See Grade Conversion Tables in Appendix A, the illustration following Chapter 2, and Figure 2-1 in AR 690-XX.)
2. Represent grade levels for each level of work common to the occupation that may be allowable, based on the work assigned to the position, the needs of that organization, and established position classification and position management requirements. They do not establish target grade levels for all positions.
3. Represent a tool to check consistency between series and occupations and across the Military Departments. They aid series and grade determinations in the following manner:
• The duties in the grade band descriptions further define the typical or representative responsibilities by various functions covered by the AOG. The description provides supervisors and employees an initial orientation to the appropriate range of grades for the duties and responsibilities assigned to a position.
• The specific grade level determined by the evaluation of the factors should place the position within the same grade band which matches (or is equivalent to) the duties described. For example, if the duties and responsibilities of the position appear to match those described-in the full performance grade band, the total points for the factors should equal one of the grade levels in the full performance grade band. If the allocation does not match the grade band identified in (1) above, the person classifying the position should carefully review the evaluation.
• Development and review. Part II of the AOGs is developed under the guidance of the Intelligence Personnel Management Office (IPMO) and approved by ODCSPER and DCS, G-2. The currency and applicability of an AOG to Army's intelligence occupations is maintained through comments and suggested revisions by users both during formal review periods and as it is applied on a continuing basis. Drafts of new or revised AOGs are staffed for comments and testing. Each draft AOG will state specific criteria to be reviewed. In addition, AOGs will be examined to determine the effect on current grades, clarity of the draft, and sensitive issues expected in the application of the AOG.

2-3. Job descriptions

• Requirements. Use and requirements for job descriptions are covered in AR 690-XX. Final classification of Jobs in CIPMS must be-
1. Documented on an official job description (DA Form 374),
2. In the CIPMS factor formats, and
3. Signed and certified, for adequacy and accuracy in job content and accuracy in classification. Classification accuracy is subject to audit and corrective action where necessary.
• Use in Testing. A draft AOG may be changed significantly before an AOG is implemented. Therefore, the AOG test process does not require that a job description be rewritten in CIPMS format if adequate information is available to classify the job. when additional information is used, it must be submitted when the position is made part of the Activity's comments on the draft.

GRADE BANDS

Clerical Career Path

- Examples include clerk-typists, secretaries, word processing clerks, file clerks, etc.

1. Band 1 (GS-1 through GS-4) Entry Level
2. Band 2 (GS-5 through GS-9) Full Performance Level

Technician Career Path

- Examples include engineering and science technicians, intelligence or security technicians, computer operators, personnel and budget assistants, etc.

1. Band 1 (GS-1 through GS-4) Entry Level
2. Band 2 (GS-5 through GS-9) Full Performance Level
3. Band 3 (GS-10 through GS-13) Expert Level

Professional/Administrative Career Path

- Examples include intelligence and Security specialists, scientists and engineers, and other analyst and specialist positions.

1. Band 1 (GS-1 through GS-4) Pre-professional Level
2. Band 2 (GS-5 through GS-9) Entry/Developmental Level
3. Band 3 (GS-10 through GS-13) Full Performance Level
4. Band 4 (GS-14 through GS-15) Expert Level
5. Band 5 (GS-16 through GS-18) Senior Expert Level