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478-1-.04 CLASSIFICATION PLAN.
SECTION 4.100. PREPARATION OF THE PLAN
The Commissioner shall collaborate with the departments under the classified service and coordinate activities to collect information regarding responsibilities and standards assigned by the appointing authority. After review of the information collected and analysis of classification specialists and other persons technically familiar with the character of the work being performed, the department heads in consultation with the Commissioner, shall group positions into appropriate jobs. Responsibilities and standards shall describe the work of each job. The Commissioner shall then assemble the results of the job analyses into a comprehensive classification plan. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
SECTION 4.200. ADOPTION OF THE PLAN
The Commissioner shall recommend a comprehensive classification plan to the Board. At public hearings at which employees, appointing authorities and other interested parties may appear and make known their views as to the form and content of class titles and class specifications, the Board having made those changes deemed appropriate shall adopt the plan. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
SECTION 4.300. AMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN
Whenever circumstances warrant, the department heads may, in consultation with and notification to the Commissioner make changes in the agency unique jobs and the Commissioner may, after affording the appointing authorities reasonable opportunity to be heard, make changes in the common job descriptions of the classification plan, such as the establishment of new jobs, the amendment or revision of the job descriptions, the merger, division, alteration or abolition of existing jobs to cover existing and newly created positions. Any change shall take effect on the first day of the calendar month immediately following the month in which the change was made or at such other time as agreed upon by the Commissioner and the department head. The Commissioner shall report such changes to the Board and shall publish the change in a manner accessible to the department heads. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
SECTION 4.400. USES OF THE JOB TITLES
Job titles established for the classification plan shall be used in all personnel and payroll procedures. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
SECTION 4.500. RECONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN
The head of any agency affected by amendments to the plan or other classification decision made by the Commissioner may request the Commissioner to change such decision. The Commissioner shall review the request and issue a decision no later than thirty (30) days following receipt of the request for review. If disagreements between the department head and Commissioner continue, the department head may request within fifteen (15) days following the Commissioner's decision for the Personnel Administration Advisory Council to review and mediate the disagreement. If the Advisory Council is unable to mediate the disagreement, the department head may appeal to the Board. The Board's decision shall be final. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
SECTION 4.600. INTERPRETATION OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
PAR. 4.601. A job description will be written for each job. A job description will contain the job title; a general summary of the nature and kind of work performed and the level of supervision received by employees of positions in the job; examples of the major responsibilities assigned to positions in the job; examples of performance standards reflecting the measurable work output or expected work behaviors for each responsibility; and when practicable, the knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies necessary to perform the work and a general statement of the necessary qualifications to do the work. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
PAR. 4.602. Job descriptions are general descriptions of the type of work assigned to positions in a job and the qualifications necessary to do the work. The language of a job description shall not be construed as limiting or modifying the authority which department heads now have or may hereafter be given to take from, add to, eliminate entirely, or otherwise change the duties and responsibilities of employees, or to direct and control their work; nor does the performance of responsibilities mentioned in a particular job description require that the employee's position be allocated to that job. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
PAR. 4.603. The minimum qualifications section of the job description shall describe the necessary competencies, which may be expressed as knowledge, skills, abilities, or behaviors, and/or background that an applicant must possess at entry to the job to perform the responsibilities normally assigned to positions within the job classification. associated with the job. Job minimum qualifications shall generally be developed concurrent with the creation of the job in the classification plan, but may be deferred to such time as necessary to fill a vacant position assigned to the job. The Commissioner or department head may allow alternative training, experience or competency statements as job minimum qualifications when substantiated by appropriate job analysis. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
PAR. 4.604. Preferred qualifications are statements of types, amounts and/or levels of work experience, training and education and other competencies that would reasonably indicate that the applicant could perform job duties at well above the minimally acceptable level. If present, the preferred qualifications section of the job description will indicate training, experience or competency statements. Applicants possessing preferred qualifications will generally be given first consideration in screening and hiring for positions in the job. Unless otherwise indicated, preferred qualifications may not substitute for the stated job minimum qualifications. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
SECTION 4.700. ALLOCATION AND REALLOCATION OF POSITIONS
PAR. 4.701. Every position existing when these rules take effect or hereafter authorized or created shall be allocated to the appropriate job by the respective department head. The department heads may request technical assistance from the Commissioner. Allocations and reallocations shall be reported in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner. Allocations and reallocations may be reviewed periodically by the Commissioner as a part of the program evaluation audit to report the level of consistency in the application with the classification plan. Department heads shall assure that positions are allocated and/or reallocated to appropriate jobs within the respective department. The Commissioner may periodically conduct statewide studies to analyze and report the extent to which the responsibilities assigned to positions reflect the responsibilities in job descriptions. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
PAR. 4.702. Those positions which are substantially similar with respect to nature and kind of work required, the level of supervision received, the qualifications necessary for successful job performance, and for which most of the responsibilities assigned are essentially the same, shall be in the same job. (09-19-96/10-01-96)
SECTION 4.800. ALLOCATION OF NEW, CHANGED OR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS
Whenever a new or additional position is authorized or created by a department head or the responsibilities of an existing position are substantially changed, the department head shall allocate or reallocate the position as provided in PAR. 4.702. The department head may request that the Commissioner provide technical assistance to allocate or reallocate position(s). (09-19-96/10-01-96)
SECTION 4.900. INCUMBENTS OF REALLOCATED POSITIONS (10-23-97/10-27-97)
PAR. 4.901. Promotion, Transfer or Demotion. When a filled position is reallocated from one job to another, the incumbent --if certified as eligible for promotion, transfer, or demotion to the new job -- may be continued in the position at the discretion of the appointing authority. If not continued in the position the incumbent's employment status shall be determined in accordance with other applicable provisions of these rules. (10-23-97/10-27-97)
PAR. 4.902. Position Level Reduction. (10-23-97/10-27-97)
PAR. 4.902.1. When a filled position is reallocated to a lower paygrade as a result of reduction of responsibilities, the incumbent shall have the right to request a review of the reallocation. The review shall be conducted by an official(s) designated by the appointing authority and shall be conducted in accordance with procedures established by the department. The review shall be conducted only to determine if the performance plan developed for the incumbent is reflective of the job to which the position is allocated. (10-23-97/10-27-97)
PAR. 4.902.2. In lieu of, or in addition to, designating an official(s) to evaluate requests for review specified in Par. 4.902.1, an appointing authority may request that the Commissioner conduct such evaluation and make a recommendation to the appointing authority as to the appropriateness of the position allocation. (10-23-97/10-27-97)
(Authority O.C.G.A. 45-20-3; O.C.G.A. 45-20-4.)
