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7344252
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Memorandum for the Heads of Departments and Agencies
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7344252
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document
title
Memorandum for the Heads of Departments and Agencies
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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7344252
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28
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1976-05-28
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5
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1976
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Digitized from Box 26 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 1976
Office of the White House Press Secretary
THE WHITE HOUSE
May 27, 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
Over the past two decades, there has been a gradual but
substantial rise in the average grade of General Schedule
employees. Much of this rise is due to the fact that
technological changes and other factors have brought about
significant shifts in the makeup of the Federal workforce.
These changes are reflected by a marked increase in the
proportion of technical, professional and managerial
employees in the General Schedule.
We cannot assume, however, that this is the whole explana.
tion. Recent reviews by the Civil Service Commission the
General Accounting Office, and the Office of Management and
Budget indicate that classification and position management
systems are not functioning as effectively as they should
in a number of Federal agencies. There is evidence of both
overgrading and undergrading because positions are either
improperly described or inaccurately classified. This
creates a situation which is unfair to all concerned. There
are also indications in several agencies of excessive organi
zation fragmentation, duplication of work and superfluous
layers of supervision.
Where work has become substantially more complex or difficult,
managers have a clear obligation to make commensurate adjust-
ments in the way work is organized and in the grades of indi
vidual jobs. At the same time. there is an equally clear
responsibility to ensure that undue grade increases are not
allowed to occur. Position classification is a matter of
law. Government managers are required to put jobs in their
proper grades and Federal employees are entitled to equitable
pay. Proper position management ensures that work is organized
in a cost effective manner to provide optimum development
and use of people's skills and energies. When either position
classification or position management is deficient the result
may be an unnecessary increase in the cost of Government.
I, therefore. am calling upon you to reexamine your internal
position management and classification systems to ensure
they are operating effectively and in full compliance with
applicable laws and regulations. Agency heads will conduct
this review in a manner to be prescribed by the Civil Service
Commission and will report to the Commission both the actions
they have taken and the results of those actions.
At the same time, the Civil Service Commission will pursue
vigorously its continuing programs for evaluating agency per
formance and bringing about corrective action in the areas of
position management and classification. Where the Commission
finds extensive overgrading, undergrading, or underutilization
of personnel resources, it will bring its findings to the
attention of the Agency head concerned. In addition the
Commission and the Office of Management and Budget will work
with the agencies involved to correct such problems. and may
prescribe special instructions where warranted.
GERALD R. FORD
####