Handbook of Occupational Groups and Families		Classification Programs Division
Release Date:  August 2001		Section Twenty-three of Sixty-six

    GS-1900 - QUALITY ASSURANCE, INSPECTION, AND GRADING GROUP   

This group includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to advise on, supervise, or perform administrative or technical work primarily concerned with the quality assurance or inspection of material, facilities, and processes; or with the grading of commodities under official standards.

Throughout the following information, an asterisk (*) stands for series with a published standard and a double asterisk (**) stands for series with a published flysheet.

Series in this group are:

GS-1910 - Quality Assurance Series*

This series includes all positions the duties of which are to perform, administer, or advise on work concerned with assuring the quality of products acquired and used by the Federal Government. The work of this series involves: (1) the development of plans and programs for achieving and maintaining product quality throughout the item's life cycle; (2) monitoring operations to prevent the production of defects and to verify adherence to quality plans and requirements; and (3) analysis and investigation of adverse quality trends or conditions and initiation of corrective action. The duties of these positions require analytical ability combined with knowledge and application of quality assurance principles and techniques, and knowledge of pertinent product characteristics and the associated manufacturing processes and techniques.

GS-1980 - Agricultural Commodity Grading Series*

This series includes positions that administer, supervise, or perform work concerned with examining and evaluating agricultural products to determine their official U.S. grade and/or their acceptability in terms of quality or condition in accordance with official standards and related regulations. The work often includes the inspection or monitoring of the conditions under which the product is processed, stored, or transported insofar as these factors affect product quality.

GS-1981 - Agricultural Commodity Aid Series

This series includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to supervise or perform subordinate clerical work such as taking samples, making tests or otherwise assisting in the grading or classing of agricultural commodities in accordance with prescribed standards and regulations. (This series does not include positions the duties of which are to perform subordinate work in one or more branches of agricultural science. Such positions are properly classified in the Biological Technician Series, GS-0404. Neither does it include positions the duties of which are to perform nonprofessional work in the physical sciences. Such positions are properly classified in the Physical Science Technician Series, GS-1311.)

GS-1999 - Quality Inspection Student Trainee Series

See the series definition for the General Student Trainee Series, GS-0099.