The General Schedule Supervisory Guide (GSSG) provides a standardized framework for classifying supervisory positions across the federal government. It evaluates supervisory roles based on six defined factors and uses a consistent grade conversion table aligned with the Factor Evaluation System (FES).
Key Insights
- The GSSG assesses supervisory positions using six specific factors: program scope and effect, organizational setting, supervisory and managerial authority, personal contacts, difficulty of typical work directed, and other conditions.
- To be classified under the GSSG, a position must involve technical and administrative supervision, require at least 25% of the incumbent’s time on supervisory duties, and meet the minimum criteria for supervisory authority.
- The GSSG shares a grade conversion table with the FES to maintain consistency and is only applicable to managerial roles when the manager also performs supervisory functions.
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Welcome back. We're coming down to the last part of Module Six.
We're going to talk about the General Schedule Supervisory Guide. The General Schedule Supervisory Guide. And so we use this guide to classify supervisor positions throughout the government.
And so, unlike his predecessor, the current guide does not base the grade of the supervisor on the number of subordinate employees that their supervisor supervises. And so it is expanded the definition of employees supervised has been expanded so that agencies have the ability to adjust based on their needs. The format of this GS supervisory guide, it provides evaluation criteria for supervisory positions from grade five through grade 15.
It uses an evaluation method that is similar to the FES, the Factor Evaluation System factors. The FES system assesses nine factors. The supervisory guide assesses six factors.
It also has a grade conversion table. And that grade conversion table is the same grade conversion table that we use for the FES classification method. And so the GS and the supervisory, the GS supervisory guide, and the FES use the same grade conversion table.
And so to create consistency throughout the government, OPM found that it was necessary. And so the five, the six, excuse me, the six factors for supervisory guides that you must assess are factor one, program scope and effect. Factor two, organizational setting.
Factor three, supervisory and managerial authority exercise. Factor four, personal contacts. Factor five, difficulty of typical work directed.
And factor six, other conditions. And so when you are classifying supervisory positions, there is a three-step process. And so the first thing you want to do is determine that the position meets the criteria in the guide.
The position must meet the criteria in the guide, and you must apply the appropriate evaluation criteria, apply any adjustment provisions if applicable, and then you total up your score and your points for that supervisory position. And so let's look at the criteria for coverage. To be covered by the General Schedule Supervisory Guide or to be able to classify a position using the General Schedule Supervisory Guide, you want to be able to ensure that the position accomplishes the work through technical and administrative supervision.
The supervisory duties must be at 25% of the supervisor's time. It must meet the lowest level of factor three in the guide to be a supervisor. And you only use it to evaluate managers when managers are also supervisors.
If you have managers who don't supervise, then you use the regular FES format to classify those supervisors and managers. Let me say that again. You only use the supervisory guide to evaluate managers when managers are also supervisors.
If managers do not directly supervise employees, you use the regular FES format to classify those managerial positions.
