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

  GS-0100 - SOCIAL SCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY, AND WELFARE GROUP 

This group includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to advise on, administer, supervise, or perform research or other professional and scientific work, subordinate technical work, or related clerical work in one or more of the social sciences; in psychology; in social work; in recreational activities; or in the administration of public welfare and insurance programs.

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-0101 - Social Science Series

This series includes positions the duties of which are to advise on, administer, supervise or perform research or other professional and scientific work in one or any combination of the social sciences when such work is not classifiable in other series of this occupational group.

GS-0102 - Social Science Aid and Technician Series

This series covers positions involving nonprofessional work of a technical, specialized, or support nature in one or more of the social science or other occupational fields covered by this group when there is no more appropriate series. The positions require a practical understanding of the objectives, policies, procedures, or regulatory requirements pertaining to the work and the ability to apply skills or knowledge of the occupation involved. The work does not require full professional competence (or equivalent professional-level preparation) in the theories, principles, and concepts of the field.

GS-0105 - Social Insurance Administration Series*

This series includes positions primarily concerned with administering, planning, managing, and conducting the Federal Social Security old age, survivors, disability, and/or health insurance programs. Included are those positions concerned with the development, preparation, issuance, and interpretation of policies, methods, and procedures for the conduct of such programs; and also those positions that involve representing the programs before the general public and determining eligibility for benefits when the work requires the ability to deal effectively with the general public. Positions in this series require a knowledge of the broad concepts and technical provisions of the old age, survivors, disability insurance, and/or health insurance programs established by the Social Security Act, as amended.

GS-0106 - Unemployment Insurance Series**

This series covers positions involving the development, promotion and evaluation of unemployment insurance programs administered under Federal-State joint arrangement. Positions in this series require a knowledge of the history, concepts, methods, and techniques of social insurance and of the social and economic conditions under which such programs operate.

GS-0107 - Health Insurance Administration Series

This series includes positions that involve managing, supervising, or performing work concerned with the administration and operation of national health insurance programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. This includes interpreting program requirements and formulating policies, methods, and procedures; monitoring, reviewing, evaluating, and assessing the integrity and quality of program operations; preparing and analyzing health care data related to the programs; and performing other related activities. Positions included in this series primarily require knowledge of the laws, regulations, principles, and operational requirements of national health insurance programs; knowledge of the interrelationships among these programs and other related Federal and State programs; and analytical skills and abilities used in planning, developing, and evaluating the operation and delivery of these programs to the public.

GS-0110 - Economist Series*

This series includes positions that require application of a professional knowledge of economics in the performance of duties that include: research into economic phenomena, analysis of economic data, and the preparation of interpretive reports; advice and consultation on economic matters to governmental officials and private organizations or citizens; and the performance of other professional work in economics including supervision and the direction of economists engaged in the various economics programs of the Federal Government.

GS-0119 - Economics Assistant Series

This series includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to supervise or perform subordinate research and related work involved in the collecting, compiling, verifying, analyzing, or reporting data, where the work requires the application of specialized or technical knowledge or skills in one or more fields of economics, but does not require full professional competence in economic theories, principles, and concepts. Excluded are positions that require application of knowledge of statistical clerical methods characteristic of the Statistical Assistant Series, GS-1531.

GS-0130 - Foreign Affairs Series

This series includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to advise on, administer, supervise, or perform research or other professional and scientific work in the departmental formulation and direction of the foreign affairs of the Government or in the study and disposition of information bearing on international relations.

GS-0131 - International Relations Series

This series includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to advise on, administer, supervise, or perform professional work in the formulation and implementation of foreign policy of the United States in the conduct of the relations, primarily of a political or politico-economic nature, of the United States with other governments.

GS-0132 - Intelligence Series*

This series includes positions concerned with advising on, administering, supervising, or performing work in the collection, analysis, evaluation, interpretation, and dissemination of information on political, economic, social, cultural, physical, geographic, scientific, or military conditions, trends, and forces in foreign and domestic areas that directly or indirectly affect the national security. These positions require a basic knowledge and understanding of one or more of the natural or social sciences, engineering, or military science, but do not demand, as a primary qualification requirement, full knowledge of the current state of the art.

GS-0134 - Intelligence Aid and Clerk Series

Positions in this series have duties involving subordinate or clerical work in the field of intelligence. These duties require the application of knowledge concerning administrative or clerical procedures and operations peculiar to the collection, production, or dissemination of intelligence information. Such information covers the political, economic, social, cultural, physical, geographic, scientific, or military trends or conditions in foreign or domestic areas that affect the national security.

GS-0135 - Foreign Agricultural Affairs Series

This series includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to advise on, administer, supervise, or perform professional work in market and economic analysis and interpretation, and foreign reporting, in connection with the development of foreign markets for United States agricultural commodities; in analysis of the agricultural economy, developments, trends, and conditions in foreign countries; and in representing the Government in matters affecting foreign agricultural affairs.

GS-0136 - International Cooperation Series*

This series includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to advise on, administer, supervise, or perform research and operational work in the planning, development, and implementation of foreign economic assistance programs undertaken by the United States. These duties require a knowledge of economic, social, cultural, and political conditions in the country of assignment and of United States foreign policy.

GS-0140 - Manpower Research and Analysis Series

This series includes positions involving the performance of professional work in manpower research or in manpower programs development and evaluation for the purpose of furthering the development and utilization of the nation's manpower resources. Such work requires the application of concepts, principles and practices of sociology, psychology, economics, and/or allied social sciences in implementing national programs designed to equip the underemployed, the persistently unemployed and other unemployed with necessary skills to provide an opportunity for their full participation and utilization in the labor force; to increase the general employability of unemployed youth; to aid school dropouts or potential dropouts in continuing or resuming their education; and to insure sufficient availability of needed manpower and occupational skills.

GS-0142 - Manpower Development Series*

This series covers positions that involve specialized administrative and technical work concerned with the implementation, promotion, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of Federally funded programs for the development and utilization of manpower resources. Some positions in this occupation are involved in programs that deal with the identification of and communication with disadvantaged people requiring employment assistance, the provision of necessary assistance and support through counseling, education, and training and their placement into suitable, stable employment. These positions require specialized knowledge and application of manpower methods, practices, techniques, and principles. These positions do not require full professional knowledge in one or more of the social or behavioral sciences or regular application of the theories, principles, and practices of these disciplines.

GS-0150 - Geography Series*

This series includes positions the duties of which involve professional work in the field of geography, including the compilation, synthesis, analysis, interpretation and presentation of information regarding the location, distribution, and interrelationships of and processes of change affecting such natural and human phenomena as the physical features of the earth, climate, plant and animal life, and human settlements and institutions.

GS-0160 - Civil Rights Analysis Series*

This series includes positions primarily concerned with planning, conducting, and reporting descriptive social science research in the field of civil rights and equal opportunity when the paramount qualification requirements for the position includes a broad knowledge of the field of civil rights; ability to apply accepted documentary and field research techniques to study issues and policies affecting civil rights; consulting skill; and a high degree of writing and oral communication skill. Positions in this series typically involve research into specialized technical fields such as voting rights, public accommodations, or equal employment requiring specialized knowledge of a subject-matter area in addition to a broad knowledge of civil rights.

GS-0170 - History Series*

This series includes positions the duties of which are to advise on, administer, supervise or perform research or other work in the field of history when such work requires a professional knowledge of established methods and techniques of historical research in the collection, evaluation, analysis or presentation of historical facts.

GS-0180 - Psychology Series*

This series includes positions involving professional work relating to the behavior, capacities, traits, interests and activities of human and animal organisms. This work may involve any one or a combination of the following functions: (1) experimenting with or systematically observing organisms to develop scientific principles or laws concerning the relationship of behavior to factors of environment, experience, or physiology, or to develop practical applications of findings; (2) applying professional knowledge of psychological principles, theories, methods, or data to practical situations and problems; and (3) providing consultative services or training in psycho-logical principles, theories, methods, and techniques to advance knowledge of them and their appropriate use.

GS-0181 - Psychology Aid and Technician Series

This series includes classes of positions that involve the performance of nonprofessional technical work in connection with a program of research or direct services in psychology. Positions in this series involve a practical understanding of some of the principles, methods and techniques of psychology but do not require formal education in psychology. While positions in the lower grades of the Psychology Series, GS-0180, may involve performance of tasks similar to work performed by incumbents in this series, work classifiable to the GS-0180 series is distinguished by the fact that it is performed as part of a program of training and development leading to acquisition of broader knowledge, skills and insights into the overall principles and theory of psychology, whereas work in the Psychology Aid and Technician Series is performed for its immediate productive value, is typically very limited in breadth, and does not provide substantial development of broader psychological skills, knowledge, and insights.

GS-0184 - Sociology Series**

This series includes positions that involve professional work requiring a knowledge of sociology and sociological methods specifically related to the establishment, validation, interpretation, and application of knowledge about social processes. Sociologists study specialized areas such as: changes in the character, size, distribution, and composition of the population; social mechanisms for enforcing compliance with widely accepted norms and for controlling deviance; social phenomena having to do with human health and disease; the structure and operation of organizations; and the complex interrelationship of the individual and society. Sociologists are concerned primarily with the study of patterns of group and organizational behavior, social interaction, and social situations in which interaction occurs. The emphasis is on the patterns of behavior that are characteristic of social groups, organizations, institutions, and nations. Some sociologists perform sociological research, others apply sociological principles and findings, and some perform a combination of both kinds of work.

GS-0185 - Social Work Series*

This series includes positions that require application of a professional knowledge of the principles and practices of social work in the performance of such assignments as providing direct services to individuals and families, including work with individuals in groups. Also included are positions concerned with teaching social work, doing research on social work problems, training of social work students, and providing consultation and advice to members of related professions and community organizations on social work questions.

GS-0186 - Social Services Aid and Assistant Series*

This series covers nonprofessional positions in support of counseling, guidance, and related social services work in social, employment assistance, or similar programs. The people served by the programs may be individuals or families in the community or individuals in an institution, dormitory, or other Government facility. Duties may range from work that involves group leadership and giving practical guidance on day-to-day activities to residents in a Government facility to work that involves training or employment opportunities. The work requires skill to communicate effectively and work constructively with members of the particular group involved. The work also requires a practical knowledge of program requirements and procedures, and a practical understanding of some of the more routine methods and techniques of counseling.

GS-0187 - Social Services Series*

This series includes positions that require application of specialized program knowledge and service skills in providing assistance to individuals and families served by social welfare programs. This work involves such functions as obtaining selected background information through interviews and home visits, establishing eligibility to make use of agency resources, helping individuals identify needs that are related to services the agency can provide, explaining and encouraging the use of agency and community resources as means of dealing with identified problems, and making appropriate referrals to sources of additional help. These functions may be performed either: (1) in conjunction with professional social work; or (2) in conformity with agency procedural instructions and standards of services. Although these positions require a specialized knowledge of the social service program, they do not require a broad theoretical approach to social problems acquired through professional education in social work or in other recognized disciplines in the social sciences.

GS-0188 - Recreation Specialist Series*

This series includes positions where the paramount requirement is for a general knowledge of the goals, principles, methods and techniques of the broad field of recreation in evaluating recreation needs and in planning, organizing, advising on, and administering recreational activities and programs that promote the physical, creative, and social development of participants.

GS-0189 - Recreation Aid and Assistant Series**

This series includes positions requiring a practical knowledge of one or more recreational activities, such as military or urban community center activities, child care and youth center activities, senior citizens recreation activities, outdoor recreation activities, recreation craft centers and hobby shops, sports centers, music and theater centers, and general recreation activities for special populations such as students in Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools and inmates of Federal correctional institutions. This practical knowledge, combined with skill in the maintenance and use of recreation materials and equipment, is used in providing support and assistance to recreation specialists or recreation program managers by performing limited aspects of recreation work, and by working with participants in well-organized and carefully monitored recreation activities.

GS-0190 - General Anthropology Series

This series includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to advise on, supervise or perform research or other professional and scientific work in the anthropological sciences except archeology. This work may be specialized in one or several of the branches of the scientific field that includes ethnology, physical anthropology, and scientific linguistics.

GS-0193 - Archeology Series**

This series includes positions that involve professional work in archeology, the scientific study of past human activities through the physical remains of life and past human activities. The work may include research, field investigations, laboratory analysis, library research, interpretation or consultative work, preparation of reports for publication, curation and exhibition of collections, or development and implementation of programs and projects that carry out such work. Such work requires a knowledge of professional archeological principles, theories, concepts, methods, and techniques.

GS-0199 - Social Science Student Trainee Series

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