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Complete and accurate position descriptions (PD) for Foreign Service National
Employees (FSN), as well as Descriptions of Work (DOW) for Personal Services
Contractors (PSC) are critically important elements in the effective implementation
and administration of a fair and equitable administration of compensation for both
types of service providers (employees and personal service contractors). FSNs are
administered through the Foreign Service Act of 1980, by the Department of State.
PSCs are administered by the Peace Corps at posts, with the assistance of the Chief
Administrative Officers of the Regions and the Office of Acquisition and Contract
Management (OACM).
WHAT IS A POSITION DESCRIPTION? What purpose does it serve?
A position description (PD) is an official record of the work assigned by
management to an FSN employee. It is the basis on which the grade of the FSN
position is determined and is one of the two factors determining the employees
pay. The other factor is the determination of the salary scale prevailing in that
geographic area for the particular kind of work involved in the position.
WHAT IS A DESCRIPTION OF WORK? What purpose does it serve?
A description of work (DOW) is also a detailed official record of the services
expected from a personal services contractor (PSC), in exchange for specific
compensation, according to definite terms and conditions within a specific time
frame. The DOW is an indispensable part of the Personal Service Contract, to be
included either as one of the clauses or as an attachment. Compensation is
negotiated with the contractor using country-specific economic indicators as a
guide. The most commonly-used economic indicator is the local compensation
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plan (LCP) which includes a salary scale prevailing in that geographic area for the
particular kind of work involved in the position.
Other Uses of the Position Description.
A PD would be of crucial importance to sound post management if it served only
(1) as the official record of the work assigned by management to an FSN
employee, and (2) as the basis for making the grade level determination for the
position. However, its importance is enhanced by the fact that the PD serves many
other uses in the broader area of personnel administration and sound program
management. Specifically:
- The PD helps in setting the qualifications used in filling the position and in
promoting an employee to the position.
- The PD is a useful tool in training a new employee in his/her duties.
- Other training requirements related to the work of a position can be determined
from the duties and responsibilities presented in the PD.
- The duties and responsibilities in the PD are used also in developing
performance standards for the work and its evaluation.
- The PD contributes to improved employee morale and efficiency by telling each
employee exactly what portion(s) of the work of the organization he/she is
expected to perform, the supervisory levels involved, and how the work fits into
the organization.
- For the American supervisor newly arrived at post, or the new local supervisor,
the PDs for his/her program area provide information as to how predecessors
organized the work and assigned the activities of the program among FSN staff.
Other Uses of the Description of Work:.
A DOW is of utmost importance in PSC management. A PSC performs the
functions required or is declared defaulted. Therefore, the DOW should be detailed
enough to allow for an adequate monitoring of services rendered and the
determination of whether the services were adequately performed or the contract
was defaulted. It is also used to determine grade levels of the LCP which will be
used as guide to establish compensation, when the LCP is used as an economic
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index. This happens more often than not. As the PD in cases of FSN employees,
the DOW is also used in PSC management for the following:
- The DOW helps in setting the qualifications used when competing the PSC.
- The DOW is a useful tool in providing specific training to a new PSC in his/her
duties.
- Other subsequent training requirements related to the work of a PSC can be
determined from the duties and responsibilities presented in the DOW.
- The duties and responsibilities in the DOW are used also in developing
performance and delivery standards for the work and its evaluation.
- The DOW contributes to improved staff morale and efficiency by telling each
PSC exactly what portion(s) of the work of the organization he/she is expected
to deliver, the supervisory levels involved, and how the work fits into the
organization.
- For the American supervisor newly arrived at post, or the new local supervisor,
the DOWs for his/her program area provide information as to how predecessors
organized the work and assigned the activities of the program among staff.
Who Prepares the PD?
A PD may be written by anyone who knows the facts about the position. Those
most likely to know are the employee (except in the case of a vacant position), the
supervisor, and the State Personnel Officer or Administrative Officer. Frequently,
a completed PD is the result of the joint efforts of all these persons and, in some
cases, of other persons as well, such as Agency Regional staff, or expert TDYers
organizing/reorganizing the work of the post.
The PD should be written as if the position is vacant. That is, it should describe
the duties and responsibilities of the position, not the personal attributes of the
incumbent(s).
The PD should completely and accurately describe the duties and responsibilities
that are actually assigned to the position. To do this, the person(s) preparing the
PD should include the following information, specific to the requirements of the
position:
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HOW
according to an approved
Travel plan and protocol,
submitting visit reports
whose format is included
in post specific guides
WHY
to monitor PCV
Safety &
Security, as
well as
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performance to
define possible
needs for
further inservice
training.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
It is important to note that knowledge included in the PD or the DOS should be
what is required by the position. It is frequently the case that the candidate brings
to a position, or a PSC, knowledge and skills which exceed those required and used
in doing acceptable work in the position or PSC where s/he is assigned. It is
important that the PD or the DOW include only the nature or kinds of KSAs
actually needed and describes how these are used in doing the work of the position
or the PSC.
I. Knowledge
Program Manager
Knowledge Example #1
a. Kind of Knowledge:
b.
How Used:
Knowledge of the host countrys environmental differences as To design and/or adapt Peace Corps projects and support
well as agricultural and food production strategies, processes PC Volunteers in reaching project goals and objectives.
and policies
Administrative Assistant
Knowledge Example #2
a.Kind of Knowledge:
b.
How Used:
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level of proficiency through practice leading to a skill in data entering. Skills can
usually be observed, so it is common practice to describe skills as a certain
dexterity. For example: Skill in driving, maintaining a 4-wheel vehicle and mapreading to go from the PC office to a Volunteer site in the rural areas.
The following are examples of descriptions of skills requirements:
Program Specialist
Skill Example #1
a. Kind of Skill:
b.
How Used:
Administrative Assistant
Skill Example #2
a. Kind of Skill:
Skill in using Windows Excel
b.
How Used:
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- Label a knowledge as professional only when the nature of the work meets
the definition of a professional occupation, that is:
Professional occupations are those that require knowledge in a field of
science or learning customarily and characteristically acquired through
education and training that meets the requirements for a bachelors or
higher degree with major study in or pertinent to the specialized field, as
distinguished from general education. The work of professional positions
is creative, analytical, evaluative, or interpretive, and is characterized by
personal responsibility to keep abreast of and exercise judgment and
broad perspective in the application of an organized body of knowledge
that is constantly studied to make new discoveries and interpretations or
to improve the data, materials and methods.
- Although there are some positions for which an ability or abilities should be
stated in the PD or DOW, avoid listing abilities when a requirement can be
described as a knowledge or a skill. For example: ability to examine
vouchers is too vague, since it does not show what the employee or the
contractor has to know to do the examination. It is possible that such ability
requirement would require extremely different knowledge among several
positions. To illustrate:
WRONG
BETTER
Ability to examine vouchers.
Knowledge of travel regulations to
check travel vouchers for compliance
with such regulations, for accuracy of
terminology, and for correctness of
travel computations.
Ability to examine vouchers and
Knowledge of professional accounting
transportation accounts.
concepts, principles, and theories to
audit the total accounting system,
including those of travel and
transportation.
- Do not include in desired qualifications such personal characteristics as
enthusiasm, patience, adaptability, integrity or creativity; unless you list them
as desired attitudes. These are very difficult to gauge at the onset, and even
more difficult to train for.
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Supervision Received.
Each PD or DOW should indicate the title of the supervisor of the
position and have an organization chart attached, to clearly
demonstrate where this job is placed within the hierarchy.
Supervision received has three parts:
o How the work is assigned.
o The employees responsibility for carrying out the work.
o How the work is reviewed.
o How is the work assigned? Supervisors have direct or indirect controls
over the work in the way assignments are made, instructions are given,
priorities and deadlines are set, and objectives and boundaries are
defined. For example, a supervisor may make assignments
With detailed instructions as to how to do the work;
Or with instructions only for new difficult, or unusual aspects of
the work;
Or with suggestions only for procedures;
Or with information only about the objective to be achieved and
any priorities or deadlines.
o What is the employees/contractors responsibility for carrying out the
work?
This deals with the extent to which the employee/contractor is expected
to develop the sequence and timing of various aspects of the work, to
modify or recommend modification of instructions, and to participate in
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priorities or deadlines
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However, the same reference librarian may have more difficult and less
specific requests for reference services to which the card catalog is not so
specifically and directly applicable, and which leave some latitude for
use of personal judgment.
o How much judgment is needed in using the guidelines?
In performing the work of a position, the existence of specific
instructions, written procedures and policies, hand books, manuals, and
the like, may limit the opportunity of the employee/contractor to interpret
and adapt the guidelines, to develop new guidelines, or to plan and
conduct work in some special manner due to the absence of guidelines,
while making the work simpler. On the other hand, very general, outdated or otherwise inadequate guidelines or the absence of a specific
method for any phase of the work, may require the employee/contractor
to use considerable judgment in applying inadequate guidelines or in
developing appropriate guidelines, making the work considerably more
difficult.
It is extremely important to explain the nature of guidelines in a PD/SOW
and to indicate the extent to which the employee/contractor follows them
explicitly or uses judgment in deciding between alternatives in
interpreting, in adapting or in developing guidelines.
Available Guidelines and Exercise of Judgment.
Example #1
a. Guides
Administrative Assistant
b.
Judgment
b.
Judgment:
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well as training packets governing programs and activities training programs and other assignments within the prescribed
of the Training Sector, including procedures for Focus In/ training schedule, according to prescribed results and consistent
Train Up and other Training surveys and data.
with other general guidelines, supervising the work of a small
detail of specialists. Beyond the requirement of adherence to
these general guidelines, the employee/contractor uses personal
judgment in determining the breadth and depth of assignments
and in deviating from prescribed procedures in the interest of
providing the most complete and appropriate service.
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