STATE OF LOUISIANA

DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

General Circular No. 001480

To: Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource Directors

Subject: Use of Promotional "Certifiable" Scores Under Rule 8.20(g)

Issue Date: April 24, 2002

At its April 10, 2002 meeting, the Civil Service Commission adopted Rule 8.20(g).

This rule allows the Director to establish a promotional score or range of scores for any job such that any permanent classified employee achieving that score may be promoted without the use of a competitive promotional certificate. This will allow flexibility in promotions similar to that afforded by the certifiable score for probational appointments.

Until the Department is able to conduct a study to determine where to set the new promotional scores, we are authorizing by means of this circular the use of current certifiable scores for promotion as well as for probational and job appointments. When making a promotion using a certifiable score, however, the new promotional rule 8.20(g) should be cited as authority rather than 8.4(d). Once the Department has completed its study, we will set separate promotional scores that may be different from the certifiable score. In many cases the promotional score may be lower than the certifiable score since the pool of applicants is usually smaller for promotions than for probational appointments. When we set the new promotional scores, the OPEN system will display separately a "certifiable score" and a "promotion score".

Civil Service is requesting a new ISIS Action reason be developed to cover the new rule. It will be called "promotion score". Until it is approved and implemented, agencies entering promotions into ISIS HR using certifiable scores as authority under Rule 8.20(g) should enter the action reason "promotion" and use text notes if desired to cite rule 8.20(g). Non-ISIS agencies should develop a new action type or reason to accommodate promotions under the new rule.

For jobs with "Eligible" grades rather than numeric grades, we will authorize by policy that anyone on the list is considered to have a promotion score just as we now consider them to have a certifiable score. Persons with "Eligible" grades may now be promoted using Rule 8.20(g) as authority without requesting a certificate.

Of course, agencies are not required to use promotion scores. It is an option designed to speed the process and eliminate some administrative burden where possible. But if insufficient numbers of people achieve the promotion score or if the agency wishes to consider persons who have lower scores, they may always request a promotional certificate and appoint someone within the top five grade groups using standard procedures for working certificates.

If you have any questions regarding Rule 8.20(g) or this circular, please contact Max Reichert, Assistant Chief of Staffing Division by phone at 225-342-8536 or by e-mail at mreichert@dscs.state.la.us.

Sincerely,

Allen H. Reynolds

Director