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Show HILLTOP TIMES NSPS positions assigned GS pay grades, titles and descriptions 4 TIMES July 15, 2010 BY APRIL ROWDEN Air Force Manpower Agency Public Affairs Office R ANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas — With only weeks remaining to classify Air Force civilian jobs into the legacy General Schedule personnel system, Air Force classifiers are ensuring NSPS positions have a current GS title, series and grade before the NSPS conversion out date. The Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act repealed the National Security Personnel System, resulting in the mandatory transition of more than 44,000 Air Force federal employees to other personnel and pay systems. Core documents are currently undergoing review and classification for those Air Force employees whose positions were created under NSPS. Core documents describe the major duties, responsibilities and supervisory relationship of a position. "Classifiers are unbiased agents of the government and are held to very strict standards established by the Office of Personnel Management when assigning GS ratings to a position," said Col. Brian Norman, the Air Force Manpower Agency, or AFMA, commander. "Our team renders a classification based solely upon the actual work performed and required in the position under review, not upon any person's quali- fications or their previous military grade." Classifying a position at the accurate grade for the assigned duties and responsibilities ensures balance of the organization and is vital toward maintaining classification accuracy across the Air Force. "All of us are charged with being good stewards of government resources and taxpayers' dollars," Norman said. "If a position is classified a GS-15 when it's really a GS-14 or GS-13, we are doing an injustice to the other positions that are classified in accordance with 0PM standards." AFMA classification specialists have a proven track record of making the right decisions and appropriately applying the 0PM Classification Standards and Guidelines. Since centralized classification began in 1996, all appealed classification decisions have been upheld by 0PM and the Department of Defense in favor of AFMA's classifications. "We properly classify positions based on standards given to us within the bounds legally established by the Office of Personnel Management," Norman said. "To do otherwise would put our agency at risk of losing its classification authority." Employees whose positions were originally under GS will have the position classified based on the position description on file, also referred to as the "reach back PD." Other positions may have an applicable Standard Core Personnel Document that may be used. Many of these standard core documents are available for viewing on the Air Force Portal, keyword "SCPD library." "We understand that a few positions have dramatically evolved in workload and responsibility since the initial conversion to NSPS. For those individuals, we will review the updated core documents as soon as possible," Norman said. An employee who feels the classification does hot accurately reflect his position's assigned duties and responsibilities may appeal the classification decision to the Department of Defense or OPM after the individual has transitioned into the GS personnel system. By law, employees will not lose pay upon conversion. These general guidelines will be followed when determining an employee's pay. If the employee's current pay: • Fits within the rate range of the appropriate grade to which the employee is assigned, the employee will be placed at a step that equals or exceeds his existing pay. • Is below the rate range for the appropriate GS grade to which the employee is assigned, the employee will be placed on the first step of the GS grade upon conversion out. • Is above the rate range for the appropriate GS grade to which the employee is assigned, the employee will be placed on pay retention to ensure he does not suffer any decrease in or loss of pay upon conversion. In the meantime, Air Force classification teams are working efficiently and effectively to provide fair and accurate classification service. "The Air Force demand for classification and staffing expertise is at an unprecedented level with NSPS5:.* out, insourcing, rated-to-civilian conversions, Global Strike stand-up and other key initiatives ongoing simultaneously. I am very proud to say the Air Force team has performed with the utmost professionalism and care," said Norman. "We'll continue to work closely with all stakeholders; through these challenges." The first phase of the transition : for Air Force employees began July 4. Phase II is scheduled to begin July 18. For more information on the transition schedule, click http:// www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123210690. For more information on the NSPS transition, visit www.cpms.osd.mil/ nsps/transition. For more on the classification process, visit http:// www.opm.gov or AFPC's personnel services website, keyword "Classification Standards." Air Force employees may call the 24-hour Total Force Service Center at (800) 5250102 or DSN 665-5000. 1 Federal Women's Program welcomes new manager BY MARY LOU GORNY "I want to be able to reach out and offer a resource to our community and help others navigate their way through their federal careers." Hilltop Times editor E dna Cooper, management assistant to the Engineering Data Branch chief and an alternative dispute resolution mediator, has another opportunity before her to expand her skills as she walks into the role of Federal Women's Program manager at Hill Air Force Base. Denise Elbert, outgoing manager, described her own experience this way, "Being the program manager is an opportunity for professional growth while serving the women of Team Hill and the neighboring community." Elbert and Cooper were both present at a reception for the Women's Federal Program at Club Hill held July 8. Elbert said she will have the opportunity to serve in some regional opportunities in the Federal Women's Program. Both women were excited as they looked to the future of the program. Cooper described the training she received as a mediator and said it has given her the opportunity to look at things from many points of view. Some of those skills have spread into other areas of her work life and even, she said, to her relationships with her family. "I've taught my children a lot of negotiation skills, on accident," she said, smiling. The skills she learned through her position as a mediator, her children then modeled. "They're very good negotiators now," she said. Starting out in the maintenance side of the base as the EDNA COOPER, Federal Women's Program manager at Hill Air Force Base Cooper only woman in her area, then moving into the GS side of things, Cooper looks forward to learning from those already involved in the federal women's program and especially in getting others more involved. "I want to be able to reach out and offer a resource to our community and help others navigate their way through their federal careers," she said. Cooper wants to make sure those in other areas of the base know that they are welcome to participate. "When I was in Maintenance, I didn't know that there was a Federal Women's Program — I had no idea such a thing existed, and so that's one of the things I want to be able to do is to really reach out to those folks," she said. She said the resources and learning opportunities available to those working in federal careers are exciting and she recommends them to others. Cooper has found mentoring to be a big help as she has made her way through her own federal career. "When somebody can take your hand, show you the ropes, show you what to do and what not to do — it opens up so many more doors," she said. She agrees sharing knowledge is itself empowering for both the SAVE A LIFE Blood-Plasma Donations Provide... ones learning and the mentors themselves. "There have been a few people who have come to me who have wanted to move on to other areas and lacked knowledge that they could put down in their resume," she said. "I love to share what I know." She said she found herself helping others with such things as what needed to be on a resume for a particular position and helping others learn such basic things as timekeeping. Cooper hopes to add a class a month to enhance skills, such as resume writing, interviewing skills, self-esteem or other areas KIM COOK/U.S. Air Force; of interest, in addition to the once a month meetings. "Anyone (Left to right) Edna Cooper, Federal Women's Program, manager, Angie Tymofichuk, director of the Ogden is welcome," she said. "No one Air Logistics Center Engineering Directorate, and -jj is turned away whether they are Denise Elbert, Wingman Advocate and outgoing i active duty, civilian or contracmanager of the Federal Women's Program at Hill .;; tor — as long as we learn from Air Force Base, stand together at the reception to r) each other." As a federal employee since welcome Cooper to her new collateral duty position. ;•!. 2002, and a contractor for two years before that, Cooper has a myriad of experiences to pull from as she approaches this auxiliary position and hopes to see others willing to share their own knowledge and experiences to enrich others in their careers and knowledge. For more information about the program contact her via email at edna.cooper@hill.af.mil. Visit •>Utah icMouronis | services j whniovor • Innovative life-saving products & services since 1 940 • Significant scientific & clinical advances in healthcare • Therapeutic treatment to countless numbers of children and adults in desperate need of critical care for burns, shock, and other life-threatening conditions Plasma donors with much-needed additional income Miul bring pkoh* 10. 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