405. CEA Levels Criteria (Including Definitions)

Introduction, General Guidelines

The criteria for the CEA levels are contained in Section 8 (Variable Compensation Plan) of the introductory pages of the California State Civil Service Pay Scales. They are repeated in this section for ease of use. Departments may propose modifications to meet specific department needs with approval by DPA. All exceptions to the criteria require approval by DPA.

The five levels of CEAs are retained because of the State Personnel Board’s requirement that they be used for merit-related issues such as reinstatement and transfer determinations. However, the Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) views the CEA as one class with one very broad pay band of flat salary rates. The exception to the broad pay band is the zone grid identified in Level 5, which is reserved for CEA positions specifically required to perform the duties of a physician or attorney.

General Guidelines for Evaluation of CEA Positions

These guidelines are intended to assist in the process of allocating positions to one of the five pay levels within the CEA category. They are not absolutes because each CEA position must be evaluated in terms of management responsibility as ascertained from the following factors (see Section 410, Key Position Description):

  • The reporting level.
  • The scope, complexity, and sensitivity of policy and program responsibility.
  • The size of the organization and nature of the agency served.
  • The impact of recommendations and decisions in determining programs and establishing and implementing policy.
  • The dollar volume of decisions made.
  • The scope of decisions made or advice rendered in relation to the organization, State Government, or the State as a whole.
  • The department size.
  • The role of the position in the organization (Director, Chief Deputy Director, Deputy Director, Division Chief, Program Manager, Specialist).
  • The impact of the individual on the job and the organization.

Allocation decisions should be made by an analysis of as many factors as possible so that one factor, such as size, does not have an overpowering influence.

Specific Criteria

In addition to these general guidelines, more specific criteria or examples of allocations are provided in the following subsections for each managerial level within the CEA category. These are to be used as guidelines in developing each departments specific level criteria.

CEA Levels Criteria

CEA 1
Criteria Code Department Size CEA Criteria
1A. Smallest/small department Division chief with a program of average responsibility and complexity.
1B. Moderate, large department Program manager with full management and supervisory responsibility for a specialized function.
1C. Moderate, large department High level staff specialist with average coordinating or program planning responsibility.
CEA 2
Criteria Code Department Size CEA Criteria
2Q. Smallest department Chief deputy director in one of the smallest departments with significant responsibility for policy formulation and line operations.
2B. Smallest/small department Deputy director with responsibility for a significant program.
2A. Moderate or large or agency Deputy director with more limited level department program responsibility.
2E. Smallest or small department Division chief with significant program responsibility.
2F. Moderate department Division chief with responsibility for a significant technical program.
2D. Large department Division chief with responsibility for a program of average responsibility and complexity.
2C. Agency level department Division chief with more limited program responsibilities.
2I. Moderate department Program manager with a function of average responsibility and complexity.
2H. Large or largest department Program manager with a critical program of limited scope.
2G. Agency level department Program manager with more limited program responsibilities.
2K. Moderate or large or agency High level staff specialist with major level department coordinating or program planning responsibility.
CEA 3
Criteria Code Department Size CEA Criteria
3A. Smallest department Chief deputy director with a significant role in formulation of policy and in the management of line operations.
3B. Small department Chief deputy director who is a member of the executive staff with limited responsibility for line operations.
3D. Smallest department Deputy director with responsibility for the department’s primary mission.
3C. Moderate or large or agency level dept Deputy director with a more limited program scope, responsibility or impact.
3F. Moderate or large or agency level dept. division chief with significant program responsibility.
3G. Largest department Division chief with a more limited scope of program responsibility.
3J. Moderate department Program manager with significant responsibility for a highly technical program, e.g., education or engineering.
3I. Largest department Program manager with a significant program responsibility.
3K. Agency level department High level legal staff specialist with major coordinating and program planning responsibility.
3H. Small legal program Deputy director/division chief with responsibility for a small legal program.
CEA 4
Criteria Code Department Size CEA Criteria
4A. Smallest or small department Director with a highly specialized mission.
4B. Small or moderate department Chief deputy director with a significant role in formulation of policy and in the management of line operations.
4D. Moderate department Deputy director with responsibility for the department’s primary program.
4C. Large or agency level department Deputy director with policy and program responsibility of significant scope, complexity, or sensitivity.
4F. Moderate department Division chief with responsibility for a highly technical program, e.g., engineering or education.
4E. Largest department Division chief with significant program responsibility.
CEA 5
Criteria Code Department Size CEA Criteria
5A. Small department Director with policy and program responsibilities of significant scope, complexity, or sensitivity.
5B. Large department Chief deputy director.
5C. Largest department Deputy director in one of the largest departments with responsibility for a significant program.
5D. Agency level department Deputy director with responsibility for the department’s primary mission.

Chief Administrative Officer Allocation Standards

CEA 1
Criteria Code Department Size CEA Criteria
1D. Smallest department CAO who has charge of most administrative services as well as a major segment of a (or entire) line program, reporting to the director or chief deputy director.
1E. Small department CAO who has responsibility for a full range of administrative services, administering the functions through lower level administrators, and reporting to a chief deputy director or director.
CEA 2
Criteria Code Department Size CEA Criteria
2N. Small department CAO who has charge of a full range of administrative services as well as a major segment of the (or entire) line program, reporting to the director or chief deputy.
2M. Moderate department CAO who has charge of the major portion but not the full range of administrative functions.
2L Large department CAO who reports to a chief of administrative services, and has responsibility for most administrative functions of major consequence, administering the functions through subordinate managers.
2J. Largest department CAO who reports to an institution or region head, and who is one of a small management team (4 or less) who are responsible for all program and administrative functions of the institution or region.
CEA 3
Criteria Code Department Size CEA Criteria
3N. Small to moderate department CAO who has charge of a full range of administrative services as well as a major segment of the (or entire) line program, reporting to a director or chief deputy director and where the director is fully committed to making all department wide major policy decisions by majority vote of the executive staff of which the incumbent is a member
3M. moderate department CAO who has charge of the full range of administrative functions and has significant departmental policy influence.
3L. large department CAO who has charge of a full range of administrative functions of major consequence, administering these functions through subordinate managers.
CEA 4
Criteria Code Department Size CEA Criteria
4G. Large department CAO who has charge of a full range of administrative functions of major consequence, administering these functions through subordinate line managers, and is responsible for a major segment of (or entire) line program.
4H. largest department CAO who has charge of the full range of administrative functions