General Circular No. 001368

To: Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource Directors

Subject: Filling Vacancies in New IT,HR,LP & SC Jobs & Related Info.

Issue Date: October 4, 1999

 EXAMINING INFORMATION:

The Governor approved new jobs and pay changes in the Information Technology, Human Resources, Library Paraprofessional and Stock Clerk job series effective September 21, 1999 (Refer to General Circular 1359 for affected job titles). Many of these involve changes to Minimum Qualifications. In cases where Minimum Qualifications have changed, existing registers must be cancelled and applicants notified to reapply. New registers must be established using the new job titles, job codes, and new minimum qualifications. Our objective is to stop adding persons to the old registers under the old qualifications as soon as possible and to start issuing certificates under the new titles as soon as possible. The transition will be handled as described below.

For affected jobs that appear on promotional or special announcements issued on or before SEPTEMBER 23, 1999, certificates will be issued under the old titles and qualifications as announced and appointment from the certificate will be honored as long as the certificate is active.

We will honor appointments from certificates issued on or before SEPTEMBER 23, 1999 for affected jobs as long as the certificate is active. If the certificates were issued under the old titles and the jobs have been allocated to the new titles, we will honor appointments under the new titles.

Agencies with internal posting agreements must announce affected jobs using new titles and minimum qualifications for any vacancy announcement posted with an opening date after SEPTEMBER 23, 1999. Vacancies posted with announcement opening dates on or before SEPTEMBER 23, 1999 will be allowed to run and appointments under old titles and qualifications honored per the terms of the posting agreement. Agencies with posting agreements have already been notified by telephone of these requirements. The statement in this circular is to provide written documentation and confirmation of the requirements.

Agencies participating in the pilot project to issue certificates should be careful and not issue certificates for jobs with OTH announcement schedules without checking with Civil Service or until we notify you otherwise.

Beginning SEPTEMBER 23, 1999, SF2s submitted requesting to fill vacancies under the old titles and job codes will be held and copies routed to our Classification and Pay Division to be properly allocated to new titles and codes. In some cases, agencies may be able to do this under delegated allocating authority. Once properly allocated, the SF2s will be processed using the new titles and codes.

SF2s received for the new titles and codes on or after SEPTEMBER 23 will be handled differently depending on the Announcement Schedule of the old job. In cases where the job would normally require special or promotional announcement, we will announce it under the new titles and qualifications using normal announcement procedures. If the job is CTS or STE (i.e., continuously open to all applicants or continuously open only to state employees), and we would normally issue a certificate immediately, there will be a delay in issuing while we notify applicants on the old registers and give them an opportunity to reapply so as not to have a break in eligibility. Applicants will be sent an application form along with the notification letter and will be given until OCTOBER 8, 1999 to reapply so we can screen them for the new MQ’s. It will take us some time after that to finish screening all of them. In cases where a written test is involved, they will not have to retest but can be regraded using their old test grade. No certificates will be issued from new registers until all applications received by the OCTOBER 8 deadline have been processed. On the date we begin issuing certificates for the new registers, we will begin honoring certifiable score appointments to the new jobs. For registers that have an ANN announcement schedule (i.e. they must be specially announced), applicants will be told to reapply when the new job is announced.

We hope to begin issuing certificates under the new titles, codes and qualifications by no later than OCTOBER 25, 1999 for these jobs. There are fifteen new jobs that fall in this category of being subject to delay in issuing certificates while we give applicants on old registers an opportunity to reapply. These are listed below.

Library Specialist 1

Library Specialist 2

Library Specialist 3

Human Resources Manager 1

Human Resources Manager 2

Stock Clerk 2

Stock Clerk Supervisor

Information Technology Applications Programmer/Analyst 2

Information Technology Applications Project Leader

Information Technology Technical Support Specialist 1

Information Technology Technical Support Specialist 2

Information Technology Technical Support Specialist 3

Information Technology Management Consultant 1

Information Technology Management Consultant 2-DCL

Information Technology Equipment Operator 3

Walk-in applicants appearing at the Baton Rouge and New Orleans offices will be screened and coded under new titles and qualifications as soon as the affected jobs appear on the OPEN system.

Now that the Governor has approved the new jobs and pay changes we are working to quickly update the position control system. You should be able to enter the necessary position actions or submit required position descriptions the week of October 4^th.

Actions may be entered on all job titles that were contained in both the original and supplemental exhibits. The supplemental exhibit included the jobs of Deputy Assistant Secretary 2, Deputy Undersecretary 1-3 and Human Resources.

Agencies using premium pay for the I/T jobs should note that it should be discontinued effective 9-20-99 COB. The premium pay was given to Information Technology jobs until the job study was approved. If a person’s pay will be cut when the premium pay is removed you may need to draft a letter to the Director of the Department of State Civil Service requesting a 6.16 (c) with detailed justification. Please contact Lisa Lusk at 225-342-8083 if you have questions.

Human Resources Implementation Information:

No position descriptions are required for movements to the equivalent level in the new structure (e.g. Human Resource Manager 1 being job corrected to Human Resource(s) Manager 1). You may enter a "B" request to make such movements.

A position description will be required for other requested movements.

Agencies participating in "Delegated Classification Authority" may use their authority for Human Resources allocations moving laterally as described above (please enter a job correction "B" request and remember to mark job correction and update on the hard copy SF3).

Position descriptions must be submitted for Department of Civil Service approval for any non-Human Resource "payroll" positions for which you request movement into the Human Resource job series.

Information Technology Implementation Information:

Please refer to the "Information Technology Walkover Chart" on the Classification and Pay page of our website @ www.dscs.state.la.us for information concerning required submission of position descriptions and use of delegated authority. This document has been amended to reflect titles NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DELEGATION. Four new titles are reserved for the Dual Career Ladder program. These titles will be delegated to agencies once the Civil Service Commission has approved the necessary policy.

This list has also been edited to reduce the number of titles requiring submission of a position description.

Library Specialists Implementation Information:

Position descriptions are required for movement to the new Library Specialist 3 and Supervisor titles. No SF3 is required for lateral movements of Library Paraprofessional 1& 2’s to the equivalent Library Specialist 1 & 2 titles. Also, you may wish to establish a training series to the second and in some cases third level. Please indicate this on all entries or documents.

If you have questions or comments concerning classification issues, please call Judy McGimsey or Glenn Balentine @ 225-342-8083.

Sincerely,

Allen Reynolds

Director