More Information: Position Management 

What is position management?

Good position management can be defined as a carefully designed position structure which blends the skills and assignments of employees with the goal of successfully carrying out the organization’s mission or program. Sound position management reflects a logical balance between employees needed to carry out the major functions of the organization and those needed to provide adequate support; between professional employees and technicians; between fully trained employees and trainees; and between supervisors and subordinates.

Since supervisors and managers play major roles in the management and classification of subordinate positions, they are responsible for assuring a sound position structure in the organizations they lead.

A position in the Federal Government is defined as the duties and responsibilities which make up the work performed by an employee. Defining the duties and responsibilities of the position is accomplished through the position design process.

• The primary objective in assigning duties and responsibilities to individual positions is to provide the basis for orderly, efficient, and economical accomplishment of the work of the organization. Determining the need for positions, the kinds of positions, and the number of positions is position management.

Example of position management: 

Supervisor, Mary Bee, has enough LE duties for 1 position to perform LE duties 100% of the time. She has enough non-LE duties for 3 other positions 100% of the time. If the supervisor assigns the LE duties to 1 position, she will have 1 primary-LE covered position, only has the increased costs for 1 position. If she splits the LE duties between all 4 position, she now has no primary LE positions, but has the increased costs of training, background investigations, related equipment, etc for 4 employees.

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Revised 05/03/2002