OPM Should Abolish the Time-In-Grade Requirement

5. Abolish the time-in-grade requirement. 

Create a general qualifications framework that permits
agencies to augment or modify qualification standards for both
internal and external placement actions.

By spring 1994, the director of OPM should revise the
regulations to abolish the time-in-grade requirement.(24) In
addition, OPM should revise its guidance concerning
governmentwide qualification standards.(25) OPM should
continue to implement a framework of generic qualification
standards that permits agencies to identify and develop
experience requirements for specific series. Agencies would be
permitted to modify standards for both external and internal
placement actions, including promotions, when the agencies
determine that candidates can successfully perform the work of
the position although they may not fully meet the
qualification requirements in the generic standards. Agencies
may augment standards with selective placement factors (for
example, foreign language proficiency) but may not require
additional amounts of education or experience beyond those
required by the standards. Decisions to either augment or
modify standards should be made before vacancy announcements
are issued and will be publicized in the announcement.

Endnotes

24. Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 300, Subpart F.

25. See U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Handbook X-118,
Qualification Standards for Positions under the General
Schedule (Washington, D.C., December 1991).