U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Office of Merit Systems Oversight and Effectiveness

Classification Appeals and FLSA Programs

Atlanta Oversight Division

75 Spring Street, SW., Suite 972

Atlanta, GA 30303-3109

/s/

_____________________________

Kathy Day

Classification Appeals Officer

10/31/00

_____________________________

Date

As provided in section 511.612 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, this decision constitutes a certificate that is mandatory and binding on all administrative, certifying, payroll, disbursing, and accounting officials of the government. The agency is responsible for reviewing its classification decisions for identical, similar, or related positions to ensure consistency with this decision. There is no right of further appeal. This decision is subject to discretionary review only under conditions and time limits specified in the Introduction to the Position Classification Standards, appendix 4, section G (address provided in appendix 4, section H).

Decision sent to:

Appellant:

[Appellant]

Agency:

[Human Resources Group Leader]

Ms. Donna D. Beecher

USDA-OHRM-OD

U. S. Department of Agriculture

J. L. Whitten Building, Room 402W

1400 Independence Avenue, SW.

Washington, DC 20250

Introduction

On June 2, 2000, the Atlanta Oversight Division, U. S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), accepted a classification appeal for the position of Fleet and Equipment Specialist, GS-2150-11, [organizational location], Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, [geographic location]. The appellant believes the position should be classified at grade GS-12.

The appeal has been accepted and processed under section 5112(b) of title 5, United States Code (U.S.C.). This is the final administrative decision on the classification of the position subject to discretionary review only under the limited conditions and time outlined in part 511, subpart F, of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.

General issues

The appellant believes the property management duties added to his position during the past year should be evaluated at the GS-12 level. He also believes some of his previous duties should be eliminated in order to compensate for the amount of time he must now spend performing property management work.

It is the agency's right to assign duties to a position, and assignment of duties is not an appealable issue. The appellant should discuss with his supervisor his concerns about whether or not he has sufficient time to adequately perform all of his duties.

The appellant questions his agency's comparison of his position to series other than GS-2150 (i.e., GS-1670, Equipment Specialist; GS-018, Safety and Occupational Health Management; and GS-1103, Industrial Property Management). Although the agency determined that the appellant's position should be placed in the GS-2150, Transportation Operations Series, that series has no published evaluation criteria. When no directly applicable grade level criteria have been published, other standards that cover work as similar as possible to the duties being evaluated should be used. Since the appellant's work involves fleet and equipment management duties, safety management duties, and property management duties, the agency referenced appropriate series to determine the grade level of the position.

Position information

The appellant is assigned to position number [#]. The appellant, his supervisor and the agency agree to the accuracy of the position description.

The appellant serves as the fleet and property manager and equipment specialist. He is responsible for managing personal and real property and a fleet that includes owned and rental vehicles and equipment. He also plans, organizes and directs a safety and wellness program.

The appellant spends approximately 40 percent of his time in fleet and equipment management. This involves gathering data, conducting studies and making recommendations for projected fleet and equipment needs. He analyzes utilization, efficiency, and economy of vehicles and equipment, makes assignments based on priorities, resolves conflicting requirements, and determines ways to accomplish planned work. The appellant plans, directs and administers the maintenance program for all vehicles and equipment. He also initiates procurement action on replacement vehicles, determines when to dispose of vehicles and equipment, and sets acceptable prices for those being sold.

The appellant spends 25 percent of his time managing the property program, which includes real and personal property (expendable and non-expendable). He insures that necessary inventories and reporting requirements are completed; approves or disapproves transmittal forms and documents before they are entered into the Property Management System; determines replacement schedules; and takes action to dispose of real and personal property.

Twenty-five percent of the appellant's time is spent planning, organizing, and directing a safety and wellness program including accident prevention, education and promotion, accident analysis and reporting, safety awards, and program evaluation. He spends the remaining 10 percent of his time performing driver training and testing duties.

The supervisor establishes overall objectives. The appellant independently plans his own work, coordinates with other staff, and typically resolves problems. He determines what should be brought to the supervisor's attention.

Series and title determination

The agency determined the primary reason for the existence of the appellant's position is the fleet and equipment specialist work, which is best covered by the Transportation Operations Series, GS-2150. This series includes positions which administer, supervise, or perform work involving the planning, directing, or operating of rail, motor, air, or water transportation systems and service, including positions involving responsibility for operation of both transportation service and terminal facilities. The appellant does not contest the series determination, and we agree.

OPM has prescribed no titles for positions in the GS-2150 series. Therefore, the appellant?s agency may choose the official title for his position following the titling guidance in the Introduction to the Position Classification Standards.

Standard determination

Industrial Property Management Series, GS-1103, June 1970.

Equipment Specialist Series, GS-1670, November 1994.

Safety and Occupational Health Management, GS018, August 1981.

Grade determination

The appellant does not contest the agency's determination that his fleet and equipment management duties and his safety program duties are equivalent to grade GS-11. We have reviewed the agency evaluation and agree with their determination. Therefore, this appeal will address only the property management duties that the appellant believes are misclassified.

The GS-1103, Industrial Property Management Series, includes positions which primarily require a knowledge of business and industrial practices, procedures, and systems for the management and control of government-owned property. This series closely matches the appellant's property management duties and is used for grade-level comparison.

Industrial Property Management Series, GS-1103, Part I

Classification criteria for industrial property management specialist positions are described in terms of (a) Nature of Assignments and (b) Level of Responsibility.

Nature of Assignments

This factor reflects the scope and difficulty of assignments as well as the nature and purpose of personal contacts. Work assignments may range from single tasks performed sequentially for training purposes to full responsibility for highly complex property control systems. Grade level criteria include consideration of the range and difficulty of property administration functions performed, the amount and types of government property to be controlled, and the complexity of the property control system which has a significant impact on the scope and difficulty of a property administrator position.

Grade-level criteria include the diversity, variety, and complexity of the organization and operation; the amount and types of government property involved; and the difficulty associated with disposing of excess and surplus property.

At the GS-9 level, the property administrator has full responsibility for maintaining surveillance and control over government property under a less complex property control system (e.g., several hundred line items controlled under similar methods and procedures). The GS-9 administrator typically has responsibility over property in possession of a number of individuals. The property is stable, nonconsumable, and can be readily identified, segregated, and inventoried.

At the GS-11 level, the property management specialist serves as the property administrator with full responsibility for the property management program within a specified area or location. Assignments exceed the GS-9 level in that a GS-11 property administrator has responsibility for surveillance and control of large amounts of government property (e.g., thousands of line items) under a more complex property control system. At grade GS-11, government property is more difficult to control because there are varied types of property with each type subject to different control methods, the property and records are maintained in various dispersed divisions, problems associated with identification/use/maintenance/disposition are encountered and include unique or special property provisions requiring the use of experienced judgment in applying established guidelines.

At the GS-12 level, property administrators control larger amounts and greater varieties of government property. Typically, the control of government property is diffused among different organizational components which requires use of diverse and more complex methods of control techniques, procedures, and forms to meet specific needs of numerous divisions, subdivisions, and facilities serviced. There is a continuous need to resolve difficult property administration problems relating to unique or special property provisions without established precedents. The scope and complexity of work assigned at the GS-12 level is such that the GS-12 property administrator typically has some responsibility for the work of lower graded industrial property management specialists. This may include working as a team leader with responsibility for training lower graded specialists, as well as making and reviewing their work assignments. Characteristic of GS-12 property administrator assignments are extremely large amounts (e.g., tens of thousands of line items) of government property to be controlled with a large amount of consumable materials for work in progress and substantial quantities in most of the following property types: special tooling, special test equipment, industrial plant equipment, other plant equipment, military property, real property, salvage, and scrap. Property is more difficult to control than at the GS-11 level in that more types of property result in a much greater diversity of procedures for property control, and the greater variety and dissimilarity of materials, equipment, or facilities result in an increase in the difficulty of problems that may arise.

The appellant's property management duties compare to the GS-9 level. He is responsible for personal and real property (expendable and non-expendable) which includes 679 line items and buildings (e.g., 8 offices, 10 houses), and facilities (e.g. showers and picnic areas) located in 4 districts. The majority of his work involves the personal property items. The appellant insures that inventories and database are current and accurate, verifies that assets exist, approves/disapproves all transmittal forms and documents from property technicians and property officers in the districts, takes action to dispose of property, and investigates property losses. The property he manages is relatively stable, can be easily identified, and easily inventoried (e.g., radios, computers, copy machines, offices, houses, maintenance equipment). He oversees and maintains the database for his assigned districts according to established guidelines and procedures which generally apply to all or most of the transactions. The appellant selects the appropriate guidance depending on the nature of the transaction. He follows established regulations for disposing of property.

Although the appellant has full responsibility for the property management program, he does not have responsibility for controlling the large amount of property typical of GS-11 level assignments. Additionally, there is no indication that he routinely manages unique property or faces problems with identification, use, maintenance, or disposition of property, which are also characteristic of GS-11 level assignments. The appellant does not meet the GS-11 level which must be met before the GS-12 level can be considered.

GS-9 is credited for Nature of Assignments.

Level of Responsibility

This factor indicates the degree of supervision received, the nature of available guidelines, and the nature and complexity of decisions and recommendations. Positions in this occupation range from training assignments performed under extremely close supervision to assignments at full working levels that involve independence and authority to make decisions on the adequacy of the property control system.

At the GS-9 level, the property administrator has responsibility for planning and accomplishing the property administration functions, making final decisions that records, consumption, use, maintenance, etc., of government property meet Federal and agency regulations and requirements. The supervisor reviews the reports and records for effectiveness of results and soundness of judgment. The property administrator keeps the supervisor informed of unusual or controversial problems.

At the GS-11 level, the property administrator typically receives general administrative supervision from a supervisor with broad responsibilities for administration and technical supervision from staff or supervisory industrial property specialists at a regional or district headquarters. Work assignments and objectives are generally prescribed, but methods of accomplishment are seldom reviewed or controlled while work is in progress.

At the GS-12 level, responsibility involves the same supervisory relationship as described at the GS-11 level. The essential difference between the GS-11 and GS-12 positions is the greater scope and complexity of assignments found at the GS-12 level in dealing with much larger market areas and with greater numbers and types of property.

The appellant?s position meets the GS-11 level of responsibility in that he has full authority to make decisions relevant to property management matters in a four district area, including signatory authority for the numerous forms and correspondence needed for excess property disposal. The appellant works independently, keeping his supervisor informed of problems. His position does not meet the GS-12 level since it involves a smaller market area than described at that level with fewer numbers and types of property.

GS-11 is credited for Level of Responsibility.

Summary

To credit the GS-11 level, the overall property management work must be equivalent to GS-11. Since Nature of Assignments is credited at GS-9 and Level of Responsibility is credited at GS-11, the property management work is properly classified at the GS-9 level.

Decision

The appellant's fleet and equipment management duties and safety program duties equate to GS-11 and represent 65 percent of his work. His property management duties equate to GS-9 and represent 25 percent of his work. The fleet and equipment management duties are grade-controlling. Therefore, the appellant's position is properly classified as GS-2150-11, with the title to be determined by the agency.