105. Board Items

Introduction

Section 3(a) of Article VII of the California Constitution provides that the State Personnel Board (SPB) shall prescribe classifications. Government Code (GC) Section 18800 provides that:

The [State Personnel] board shall create and adjust classes of positions in the state civil service in accordance with Article VII, Section 1(b), which states in the civil service permanent appointment and promotion shall be made under a general system based on merit ascertained by competitive examination. The classes adopted by the board, shall be known as the Personnel Classification Plan of the State of California. . . .

GC Section 19818.6 provides that: “The Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) shall administer the Personnel Classification Plan, including the allocation of every position to the appropriate class in the classification plan.”

Based upon these provisions of the law, DPA is responsible for developing and submitting classification changes to SPB for adoption. A proposed Board Calendar Item is submitted to the staff of the SPB who will review it to determine whether it is complete and should be scheduled and presented to the Five-Member Board at one of the biweekly meetings of the Board. Thus the changes in the classification plan are referred to as the board item process.

SPB applies the same standards to all proposed changes to the classification plan, and each proposal will be carefully evaluated to ensure all issues have been adequately addressed, including, but not limited to: employee status; merit and job relatedness; supportable and consistent minimum qualifications (MQ) patterns; future impact to applicants and employees; relationship to other classes and parallel classes; and integrity of the overall classification plan.

PML 2007-026, PML 2005-012 and PML 2005-012A outline the delegation provided and DPA approval required for department class modification and or class establishment.

General Information

Personnel Management Policy and Procedures Manual

Section 100 of SPB’s Personnel Management Policy and Procedures Manual (PMPP) contains detailed information about procedures and requirements of the Board relative to classification proposal development and submission. Departments should review PMPP Section 100 carefully to ensure that direct submission of classification proposals under DPA’s delegated authority continue to meet the Board’s requirements.

Board Meeting Dates and Time Frames

At the end of each calendar year, SPB distributes its Board Meeting Schedule for the upcoming year to each department’s personnel office via a “Memo to All State Agencies and Employee Organizations” (SPB prints this memo on Pink paper and it is referred to as a “Pinkie”). It is the responsibility of the personnel officer to ensure that this Pinkie is distributed to everyone in their department who processes Board Items.

Staff Calendar

These are non-substantive minor classification changes or revisions that do not change the class concept. The Five-Member State Personnel Board has delegated to SPB staff, by resolution, the authority to approve Staff Items. The effective date is the date the item is approved by SPB staff. A brief summary of the item is included in the SPB Calendar for information only.

Examples of Appropriate Classification Revisions for a Staff Calendar Item

Minor revisions to typical tasks and duties that reflect current usage or updated language. The revisions must not be significant enough to change the class concept.
Minor revisions to minimum qualifications which do not affect selection or recruitment for the classification. Revisions to the minimum qualifications which could possibly be considered for a Staff Item include: broadening the minimum qualifications to enlarge the candidate group; clarifying existing minimum qualifications; adding an early entry feature; educational requirements when there has been a change in the required curriculum; or to delete obsolete requirements, provided that none of the changes increase existing minimum qualifications or restrict future candidate pools.
Changes to knowledge and abilities resulting from the findings of a validation study or current usage in the class, such as classes now using computers that did not use them when the last specification revision was made.

Examples of Inappropriate Classification Revisions for a Staff Calendar Item

Any revision to which there is known or anticipated opposition by the representative employee organization.
Any revision requiring a status resolution.
Any revision which results in a change in the class concept.
Any revision in which the totality of the changes is significant.
Any revision involving known controversial or sensitive issues.
A revision to a servicewide class unless it is required as a result of a validation study or a collective bargaining agreement.
Changes which increase existing minimum qualifications
Any revision which impacts employee status or merit
Any revision which impacts selection, recruitment, existing promotional relationships to other classes or impacts parallel classes

Format

Submit a Staff Item cover memorandum to SPB staff that fully explains and justifies the revision. The memorandum should contain a “Summary of Issues,” “Background,” “Recommended Change,” and “Justification.”

After DPA receives a copy of the Staff Calendar Item, DPA will notice the representative employee organization writing in accordance with its memorandum of understanding. Verification that the employee organization is not opposed to the revision must be provided in writing before the item can be evaluated by SPB staff.

A copy of the proposed revised class specification, in strikeout and underline format, must be included with the Staff Item cover memorandum. The proposed specification must be typed by DPA support staff before submitting to SPB staff.

Consent/Non-hearing Calendar Items

These are non-controversial substantial changes that all stakeholders are in agreement with and support which require Board action. Items submitted for the Consent/Nonhearing calendar must come to DPA for review and approval including union notification and agreement prior to being submitted to SPB. Consent/Non-Hearing items are typically defined as:

Establishment of civil service classes
Classification proposals identified by SPB staff as important or sensitive
Changes to class titles or definitions which significantly alter the class concept
Changes to probationary periods
Abolishment of classes
Resolutions affecting the status of individuals

Hearing Calendar

These are classification actions that are controversial and contested by one of the impacted parties including: SPB, DPA, any Union(s) with represented employees in the classes, or Employees. A hearing is also needed for the addition of drug-testing requirements to classification specifications. The Board Item cover memo should include a description of the “Reason for Hearing,” as well as discussion of the issues.

All hearing calendar items must come to DPA for review, approval, and union notification.

Classification Board Item Process

When planning a revision to the classification plan, departments first submit a concept proprosal to DPA. After the concept is approved, Departments prepare a detailed proposal and justification for the changes and resubmit this to DPA. DPA types the final specification, prepares union notification, and submits the final proposal to the SPB. When the changes are adopted by the SPB board, DPA prepares the Pay Letter and final copying, and distribution of class specifications is done by SPB. These are the final actions which bring closure to the classification proposal process.

The steps in the board item process are outlined in detail in both in the Overview Flow Chart and in the discussion below. Departments should refer to Section 99 for guidance on conducting the classification study that supports the class change proposal.

Classification Proposal Request (CPR)

Step 1

Department’s Role:

Departments submit a CPR to DPA for review and approval. This package includes:

Classification Proposal Request Transmittal with original signatures.
Part A: Classification Proposal Concept. Each question must be addressed fully. This draft document does not go to the SPB.
A draft class specification may be submitted with the concept.

DPA’s Role:

CCD support staff must type new class specifications and revisions to existing specifications. This ensures that correct format is followed, class codes, schematic codes, and alternate range criteria numbers are properly assigned, and a master specification is entered into the specification file.

The CCD analyst will share the CPR, specification, and other relative information with the appropriate DPA Labor Relations Officer (LRO) for input relative to bargaining considerations and, upon approval of the CPR, class specification, and/or salary analysis by the CCD analyst (typically within two weeks), a DPA approved transmittal form will be returned to the department as indication to proceed with the development of the remaining portions of the Board Item Process.

Step 2

Department’s Role:

Upon receipt of the signed transmittal form, the department will complete and submit all related documents to CCD for review and approval.

Part B: Classification Considerations. Each question in Part B must be answered fully. Please refer to Section 100 for guidance in conducting class studies.
Part C: Salary Analysis must be completed if the proposal is to establish a new class, develop a deep class, or is any classification action which impacts salary (also see Section 200).
Form 137 must be completed for new class establishments and other proposals with salary impact. (also see Section 145). If a class specification (also see Sections 170 and 171) has not been submitted with the CPR, it must be submitted with Part B.
Checklist for Classification Proposals. This form, which provides assistance in the development of classification proposals, outlines a synopsis of the analytical process required in the development and presentation of all classification proposals. This form may be submitted with other classification documentation if utilized by departmental staff, or may be used by CCD staff as a checklist for review and assessment of proposals submitted by departments.

DPA’s Role:

Union Notification

CCD staff will send Preliminary Union Notification (also see Section 160) letter(s) to the appropriate union(s) for proposals that include establishment of, or revision to, classes whose incumbents are rank and file. A Courtesy Notification letter is sent to interested groups for proposals whose incumbents are not rank and file. Proposals impacting both rank-and-file and excluded incumbents require both types of notification.

Prior to submission of a classification proposal to SPB, CCD staff will prepare the following:

Classification Item Transmittal.
SPB Item Cover Memo. This is completed along with required Recommendations and Resolutions. “Part B. Classification Considerations” and the class specification are attached to the SPB Item Cover Memo when presented to SPB.
SPB Scheduling Sheet. CCD staff will enter the proposed classification action on the automated form.
Final Union Notification (also see Section 160) CCD will provide a letter to bargaining unit representatives for all classification proposals impacting rank-and-file incumbents based upon the requirements stated in the appropriate Bargaining Unit Contract.

Prior to adoption of a classification proposal, the CCD analyst, DPA LRO, and departmental personnel office staff will respond to any union inquires related solely to the classification proposal. Based upon bargaining unit agreements, issues relative to salary may not be entertained until after adoption of the classification proposal. Upon adoption of the classification proposal, the CCD analyst, DPA LRO, and departmental staff will determine the appropriate course of action in response to union concerns regarding salary issues.

Payletter Preparation

Upon receipt of the SPB minutes indicating adoption of the classification proposal, the CCD analyst will prepare the Pay Letter information using the Class Data Sheet (also see Section 115). The following guidelines may also be required for appropriate development of Pay Letter information:

Analyst Instructions for Pay Letter Process
Checklist for Clearance of Class Data Sheet
Class Data Sheet Instructions
Salary Movement Instructions for Status Resolutions
Salary Movement Instructions for CBID Changes From Supervisory to Managerial
Salary Movement Instructions for Alternate Range Criteria

CCD support staff will prepare documentation which signifies approval in a Pay Letter, prepare a finalized class specification, and send the specification to SPB for duplicating and distribution to using departments.