OPM.gov Home | Subject Index | Important Links | Contact Us | Help

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

Advanced Search

Job Family Position Classification Standard for Administrative Work
in the Equipment, Facilities, and Services Group, GS-1600

May 2003

Table of Contents

Page 20 of 32

FACTOR 3 – GUIDELINES

This factor covers the nature of guidelines and the judgment employees need to apply them. Individual assignments may vary in the specificity, applicability, and availability of guidelines; thus, the judgment that employees use similarly varies. The existence of detailed plans and other instructions may make innovation in planning and conducting work unnecessary or undesirable. However, in the absence of guidance provided by prior agency experience with the task at hand or when objectives are broadly stated, the employee may use considerable judgment in developing an approach or planning the work. Here are examples of guidelines used in administrative work in the Equipment, Facilities, and Services Group, GS-1600:

Title 44, U.S. Code, Public Printing and Documents
Joint Committee on Printing issuances
Joint Committee on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, ordinances, and procedures pertaining to equipment, facilities, and services
Administrative policies, and locally developed guidance
Program requirements
Agency regulations, legislation, and precedent decisions covering program operations
Automated program procedures
Maintenance instruction manuals
Contractor’s quality assurance program documentation
Local policies, handbooks, and other operating procedures

Do not confuse guidelines with the knowledge described under Factor 1– Knowledge Required by the Position. Guidelines either provide reference data or impose certain constraints on applications. For example, in some of the functional areas covered by this standard, there may be several generally accepted methods of accomplishing work, perhaps set forth in an agency operating manual. However, in a particular office, the policy may be to use only one of those methods; or the policy may state specifically under what conditions the office may use each method. The primary components of this factor are: Guidelines Used and Judgment Needed.

Note: In the tables below, factor level description is abbreviated as FLD.

Level 3-1				25 Points
Series	Equipment, Facilities, and Services	GS-1601	Laundry Operations Services	GS-1658
	Cemetery Administration Services	GS-1630	Food Services	GS-1667
	Facility Operations Services	GS-1640	Equipment Services	GS-1670
	Printing Services	GS-1654
FLD	Guidelines Used – The employee uses specific and detailed guidelines that cover all aspects of the work. Judgment Needed – The employee works in strict adherence to available guidelines, which require little or no judgment. The supervisor or designated employee must authorize any deviations from the guidelines.

Level 3-2				125 Points
Series	Equipment, Facilities, and Services	GS-1601	Laundry Operations Services	GS-1658
	Cemetery Administration Services	GS-1630	Food Services	GS-1667
	Facility Operations Services	GS-1640	Equipment Services	GS-1670
	Printing Services	GS-1654
FLD	Guidelines Used – The employee uses a number of guidelines that are directly applicable to the assignment. Guidelines prescribe established procedures and techniques and provide clear precedents. Judgment Needed – The employee uses judgment to: select and apply the most appropriate guidelines; determine the appropriateness and applicability of any minor deviations with existing guidelines; and refer to the supervisor situations to which the existing guidelines cannot be applied or that require significant deviations.

Level 3-3				275 Points
Series	Equipment, Facilities, and Services	GS-1601	Laundry Operations Services	GS-1658
	Cemetery Administration Services	GS-1630	Food Services	GS-1667
	Facility Operations Services	GS-1640	Equipment Services	GS-1670
	Printing Services	GS-1654
FLD	Guidelines Used – The employee uses a wide variety of agency policies, regulations, precedents, and work directions; however, they are not always directly applicable to issues and problems or have gaps in specificity. Precedents are available outlining the preferred approach to more general or day-to-day problems or issues. Judgment Needed – The employee uses judgment to interpret, modify, and apply available guidelines to specific problems or issues.

Level 3-4				450 Points
Series	Equipment, Facilities, and Services	GS-1601	Laundry Operations Services	GS-1658
	Cemetery Administration Services	GS-1630	Food Services	GS-1667
	Facility Operations Services	GS-1640	Equipment Specialist	GS-1670
	Printing Services	GS-1654
FLD	Guidelines Used – The employee uses policies and precedents that are very general in nature. Policies specific to assignments are often scarce or of limited use. Judgment Needed – The employee uses judgment, initiative, and resourcefulness in deviating from established methods or researching trends and patterns to: develop new methods and criteria; propose new policies and practices; and/or significantly modify existing equipment.

Table of Contents

U.S. Office of Personnel Management 1900 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20415 | (202) 606-1800 | TTY (202) 606-2532

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

Job Family Position Classification Standard for Administrative Work in the Equipment, Facilities, and Services Group, GS-1600

May 2003

FACTOR 3 – GUIDELINES

Job Family Position Classification Standard for Administrative Work
in the Equipment, Facilities, and Services Group, GS-1600