U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Policies and Instructions

General Policies:
E. Application of Qualification Standards

1. Selecting the Appropriate Qualification Standard
2. Implementing New or Revised Standards
3. Experience Requirements
4. Educational and Training Provisions or Requirements
5. Crediting Combinations of Education and Experience
6. Using Selective Factors
7. Using Quality Ranking Factors
8. Special Inservice Placement Provisions
9. Other Requirements or Provisions
10. Supervisory Positions

10. Supervisory Positions

All supervisory positions require a combination of subject-matter knowledge and skills and managerial abilities related to getting work done through other people, e.g., planning, assigning, and reviewing work, and evaluating performance. The relative importance of supervisory skills and subject-matter knowledge will depend on the specific duties of the position being filled. Therefore, applicants for supervisory positions may be evaluated using the appropriate standard for the series and/or the Supervisory Guide. In determining the level of subject-matter knowledge required, it should be kept in mind that the subject-matter duties are not always classified at the same grade level as the supervisory duties.

In some instances, employees are assigned to supervise work in a series other than the one to which their positions are classified, and it will be necessary to determine whether this supervision provided them with appropriate experience to qualify for a position in the series supervised. For example, was the supervision purely administrative in nature, or was the supervisor also required to have substantial subject-matter knowledge of the work performed to provide technical direction? If it is determined that the supervisor provided technical direction, the grade-level of the subject-matter duties involved should be determined so that they may be appropriately credited.