May 18, 2000
MEMORANDUM FOR DIRECTORS OF PERSONNEL |
FROM: |
HENRY ROMERO ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR WORKFORCE COMPENSATION AND PERFORMANCE |
SUBJECT: |
Special Rate Study for Information Technology Worker |
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is studying the possibility of
establishing special rate schedules for categories of information technology
(IT) workers. We have initiated this study in response to requests for
additional compensation flexibility from agency human resource (HR) and IT
officials to help resolve IT recruitment and retention problems. This memorandum
requests your assistance in providing some of the staffing data and other
information needed for this project.
Background
Under 5 U.S.C. 5305, OPM may establish special salary rates to address
situations in which the Government's recruitment or retention efforts are, or
are likely to become, significantly handicapped. In establishing special rates,
OPM considers staffing data (e.g., vacancy rates, offer acceptance rates, quit
rates, general labor market conditions), salary data for similar non-Federal
employees, other actions taken to address staffing problems, the impact of
staffing problems on an agency's mission, and any other relevant factors.
We usually ask agencies that request OPM to establish special rate schedules
to take the lead in coordinating the request with other affected agencies.
However, for the IT special rate study, we have volunteered to perform the
coordination function to expedite the special rate approval process. We have
already started to collect and analyze some of the data needed for the study. We
now need your help to provide information that will assist in focusing our
project, developing the required justification for IT special rates, and
providing a basis for designing IT special rate schedules and estimating costs.
Coordination with the CIO Council
This comprehensive special rates study will require HR officials to
coordinate with the IT community to properly identify IT staffing problems. In
this regard, we are consulting closely with the CIO Council on this project. The
Council has endorsed our proposal to conduct a special rates study and provided
input on the study's approach and coverage.
We strongly recommend coordinating this special rates data gathering effort
with your agency's Chief Information Officer. We are requesting specific
staffing information that may not be readily available or easily identified.
Your CIO can help provide the expertise and first-hand experience necessary to
effectively respond to this request.
Types of Information Technology Employees Included in the Special Rate Study
- Our study will focus primarily on occupational series GS-334, Computer
Specialist. However, we are open to including employees in other occupational
series (e.g., GS-1550, Computer Science). If you believe other occupational
series should be included, please provide data, as directed below, for those
additional series.
- Significant distinctions in staffing problems and mission criticality may
exist within the IT field. Therefore, we are requesting IT staffing data by
skill category using the 11 specialty titles within the IT career field
developed by OPM's Classification Programs Division. (See
attachment 1 for a
list of specialty titles and their definitions.) While these specialty titles
pertain primarily to GS-334 employees, they may also apply to other
occupational series. As discussed below, our information collection forms also
allow you to identify other specialties, sub-specialties, or certification
levels. (We understand that some agencies have not yet implemented the 11
specialty titles and may have difficulty readily identifying these specialties
within their IT workforce. If this is the case in your agency, we request that
you work with your IT organizations to obtain as much staffing data by
specialty as possible.)
Headcount and Staffing Data
- Please provide headcount data for each skill category (listed by specialty
title), as requested by sample form A in attachment
2. If you want to include employees in occupational series other than
GS-334, please fill out a separate form A for each series. Please note that
form A also provides a place for data on specialties not otherwise listed.
(Note: We will use the Central Personnel Data File (CPDF) to obtain headcounts
and turnover rates by occupational series, but the CPDF does not include
information on the number of employees by skill category within an
occupational series. In addition, depending on the results of our preliminary
analysis, we may eventually need to ask you to provide more specific data
by skill category, such as grade distribution by geographic location.)
- Please provide any staffing data by skill category that are currently available
or that can be readily collected. Include data on vacancy rates, offer acceptance
rates, quit rates, and overall turnover rates by grade level for each category.
(See sample form B in attachment 3.) You may also
include data on the quality of job candidates for each category, if relevant.
To supplement staffing data, please provide a description of staffing problems
by skill category based on the direct experience of IT program managers. Include
relevant anecdotal examples of staffing problems and descriptions regarding
the extent to which other pay flexibilities have been used but have not been
effective in solving staffing problems.
Ranking Skill Categories and Geographic Areas
- Please rank IT skill categories based on the severity and criticality of
recruitment problems (i.e., high vacancy rates, low offer acceptance rates,
low quality candidates) and retention problems (i.e., high quit/turnover
rates) in your agency. Please include the rankings with the headcount data on
sample form A. As with the headcount data, please include the rankings for
each occupational series on a separate form.
- Please rank geographic areas based on the general overall severity of recruitment
and retention problems for IT employees with critical skills. (See
attached sample form C.)
Survey Data
If you have survey information regarding IT salaries in the non-Federal
sector (local or national), please provide a copy. (If the information is
voluminous, contact us first to be sure we do not already have a copy of the
survey.)
OPM Contact
Please submit the requested information by June 30, 2000, to:
Donald J. Winstead
Assistant Director
for Compensation Administration
Office of Personnel Management
1900 E Street NW.
Washington, DC 20415
You may also submit the information by fax on (202) 606-0824 or email at payleave@opm.gov.
If you have any questions regarding this project, please contact Jeanne Jacobson
on (202) 606-2858. We appreciate your assistance in supporting this very
important initiative.
Attachments:
Last Modified: 3:55:52 PM on Thursday, September 04, 2003
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