CPM 2002-6

June 25, 2002

MEMORANDUM FOR HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTORS

This memorandum announces the 2002 annual review of special salary rates authorized under 5 U.S.C. 5305.� Each agency with special rate employees must submit certifications to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) documenting its recommendations for the adjustment of special rates.� We are providing the following materials to assist you:

Attachment 1 - 2002 annual review instructions.

Attachment 2 - Worksheet for Special Salary Rate Requests (OPM Form 1397, long and short form versions).

Attachment 3 - Index of current special rate authorizations by agency.

Attachment 4 - Special rate agency contacts.

Agencies may complete a single short form version of OPM 1397 for all special rate tables for which they are requesting an increase equal to the across-the-board General Schedule increase.� You are not required to report the number of filled and vacant positions covered by each special rate table applicable to your agency, since we will use on-board counts derived from the Central Personnel Data File.���

You must submit all annual review materials to OPM by October 15, 2002.� It is important that you submit your certifications on time so we can compile and review the data and obtain a consensus among affected agencies if there are substantial differences in agency requests.� You may obtain electronic copies of all the attachments on OPM’s Internet website at www.opm.gov/oca/compmemo/index.asp.

IT Special Rates

In January 2003, we plan to amend the information technology (IT) special rate tables 999A–999F to delete the former GS-334 Computer Specialist series designation.� The IT special rate tables will continue to cover the GS–854 Computer Engineer, GS-550 Computer Scientist, and GS-2210 Information Technology Management occupational series. �As you know, the job family position classification standard for administrative work in the Information Technology Group, GS–2200, issued in May 2001, canceled the GS-334 Computer Specialist Series.� In a memorandum to you on June 5, 2001 (CPM 2001-5), we amended the IT special rate tables to include the new Information Technology Management Series, GS-2210, and agreed to retain the GS–334 Computer Specialist series designation temporarily for IT special rate coverage purposes.� This allowed employees whose positions were classified in the GS–334 series to continue to receive the applicable IT special rate for their grade and duty station.� In January 2002, we retained the GS–334 series designation in the IT special rate tables to give agencies more time to implement the new classification standard.� By January 2003, agencies should have completed their reclassification actions and classified affected IT positions to the GS–2210 series.� However, if you will be unable to complete reclassifying your GS-334 positions by January 2003, we ask that you let us know by November 15, 2002.� Please contact us by email at payleave@opm.gov.

We ask agency headquarters to bring any problems encountered in implementing the annual review process to our attention as they arise.� You may contact the Pay and Leave Administration Division by telephone at (202) 606-2858, by fax at (202) 606-0824, or by email at payleave@opm.gov.

Last Modified: 3:39:26 PM on Wednesday, August 20, 2003