PERSONNEL

PRACTICES

Career Appointments

Granted Political

Appointees From

October 1998

Through June 2000

United States General Accounting Office

GAO Report to Congressional Requesters

September 2000

GAO/GGD-00-205

United States General Accounting Office General Government Division

Washington, D.C. 20548

Page 1 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

B-285641

September 18, 2000

The Honorable Christopher S. Bond

Chairman, Committee on Small Business

United States Senate

The Honorable Joe Scarborough

Chairman, Subcommittee on Civil Service

Committee on Government Reform

House of Representatives

The Honorable Henry J. Hyde

Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary

House of Representatives

At your request, we are monitoring and reviewing the appointment of

political appointees to career positions in the executive branch. You

recently asked us for an interim report on these “conversions,” and this

report responds to your request. As agreed, it provides (1) the number of

political appointees who converted to career service positions between

October 1, 1998, and June 30, 2000; and (2) certain information about the

political positions they held and the career positions to which they

converted. Forty-five federal agencies provided us with information on the

number of conversions and associated positions (see app. I). We will

report at a later date, as agreed with you, on all conversions that will have

occurred through April 2001 and on certain issues related to those

conversions, such as whether agencies followed proper procedures when

making appointments.

Political appointments are generally made by the administration in office

and are noncareer appointments. These appointments are generally

noncompetitive and are therefore made without regard to the rules for

competition that govern career appointments. However, while serving

under a political appointment, appointees can apply and compete for

positions that are filled through career appointments. Career

appointments do not end with the change of administrations and are to be

filled only after fair and open competition has occurred to ensure that all

applicants receive fair and equitable treatment.

Political appointees fill positions in the executive branch under different

types of appointments; for example, they can receive Schedule C
B-285641

Page 2 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

appointments to General Schedule positions to support and advocate the

president’s goals and policies. The types of appointments this report

covers are listed and defined in the scope and methodology section of this

letter. As we have in past reports on the conversion issue, which are listed

at the end of this report, we have included information in this report on the

appointment of former legislative branch employees to career positions in

the executive branch.

On the basis of information submitted by the 45 agencies and our

discussions with them, we determined that 57 former political appointees

and legislative branch employees were converted to career positions

during the 21 months from October 1998 through June 2000. Nine

appointees were former legislative branch employees, and the other 48

appointees were former political appointees at executive branch agencies.

The 57 appointments were made by 18 of the 45 agencies. The other 27

agencies, according to their reports, did not appoint political appointees or

former legislative branch employees to career positions. Most of the 57

appointments were at the Departments of Justice (13), Energy (7),

Commerce (7), Defense (5), and Labor (5).

Of the 57 appointments, 10 were to career positions in the Senior

Executive Service (SES), which is the federal government’s top career

management level.1 Another 38 career appointments were to career

General Schedule (GS) positions, usually at pay grades 13, 14, or 15, which

are the three highest GS pay grades. Finally, 9 of the 57 appointments

were to various other career positions, such as Assistant U.S. Attorney

positions at the Department of Justice. The 57 appointments represented

far less than 1 percent of the aggregate number of career appointments in

fiscal year 1999 to SES positions, GS-7 to GS-15 positions, and other career

positions.

Appointments frequently were made to newly established positions.

Agencies reported making 25 conversions to new positions, and most of

the appointees to these new positions (18 of the 25 appointees) were

already employed at the appointing agencies. For 41 of the 57

appointments, the individuals who were appointed were already working

at the agencies that appointed them.

1

Agencies reported 12 more appointments to career SES positions that we did not include. The

individuals who were appointed had been in limited-term SES positions. Because limited-term SES

positions can include political appointees, we asked agencies to report career appointments whenever

limited-term SES positions were involved. However, in these 12 cases, we found after further review

that the 12 appointees were career employees rather than political appointees.

Results
B-285641

Page 3 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

Finally, the annual salaries appointees received upon their career

appointments differed in many instances from the annual salaries they last

received in their prior positions. Prior salary data were available for 56

appointments; and for 25 of them, the new salary and the old salary were

identical or within $1,000. For the remaining 31 appointments, the new

salaries were higher or lower than the old salaries by more than $1,000.

The new salary was higher in 17 cases and lower in 14 cases. Appendix II

contains information on each of the 57 appointments.

During presidential election years, because of the expected high turnover

of political appointees, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) seeks

to ensure that each political-to-career conversion complies with

appropriate federal personnel rules. On February 18, 2000, OPM issued a

memorandum to agencies explaining its clearance process for conversions.

As part of that process, OPM must approve each proposed conversion

through January 2001. From February 2000 through June 2000, OPM

approved the conversion of 12 Schedule C and noncareer SES appointees

and rejected 1.

We obtained comments on a draft of this report from the Director, OPM.

The Director said that OPM found the information in our report helpful

and said that OPM will be using it as the agency continues its oversight of

the conversion process.

We also confirmed the data shown in appendix II by sending it to the

respective agencies that reported it. The agencies made some additions or

corrections to the data, such as filling in information that was missing or

correcting a date. Appendix II reflects the changes that were made by the

agencies.

To ascertain the number of conversions from political positions to career

positions, we asked 45 federal agencies (see app. I) to complete our data

collection instrument each time they made (or make) a career

appointment of a former political appointee or legislative branch employee

between October 1, 1998, and April 30, 2001. We also asked them to

submit a negative report for each month in which they had not made a

conversion.

Agency Comments

Scope and

Methodology
B-285641

Page 4 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

As expressed on our data collection form, we defined political appointees

as those individuals who received an appointment to the following

positions after April 1, 1997:

• Schedule C;

• noncareer SES, including limited-term SES and limited emergency SES;

and

• presidential appointees, including Executive Level, and noncareer

Ambassadors.

We included in our definition individuals who were employees in the

Executive Office of the President and who were first hired after January

20, 1993. We also asked agencies to report on the appointment of former

legislative branch employees to career positions in the executive branch.

Schedule C, noncareer SES, and presidential appointees are appointed by

an administration to support and advocate the president’s goals and

policies. Schedule C appointees generally receive noncompetitive

appointments to excepted service positions graded GS-15 and below that

involve determining policy or that require a close, confidential relationship

with the agency head or other key officials of the agency. Noncareer SES

appointees can receive noncompetitive appointments to SES positions that

normally involve advocating, formulating, and directing the programs and

policies of the administration. Limited-term SES appointments are timelimited, nonrenewable appointments for up to 3 years. These

appointments can be made noncompetitively. Limited emergency SES

appointments also can be made noncompetitively, and the appointees

serve at the pleasure of the agency head.

We established the October 1998 to April 2001 coverage period, with

agreement of your representatives, in order to include conversions that

might occur in the months before and after the November 2000

presidential and congressional elections. We used June 2000 as the ending

date for this interim report because it was the latest full month for which

we had data.

In completing the data collection instrument, the 45 agencies were asked

to provide information about the career position to which the individuals

were appointed. Specifically, we asked them to provide the position title,

the appointee’s pay grade, annual salary, and appointment or entered-onduty date. We also asked them to provide the title of the appointee’s

former position. In addition, we asked the agencies to provide the related

Standard Form 50 for all appointments. These forms provide the official
B-285641

Page 5 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

record of a personnel action, such as an appointment. We used the Form

50s to obtain information about each appointee’s prior position, such as

annual salary, and to verify information that agencies provided on the data

collection instrument. We did not make judgments regarding the

qualifications of former political appointees and legislative branch

employees for the career positions to which they were appointed.

We did our work in Washington, D.C., from April 1999 through July 2000 in

accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.

We are sending copies of this report to Representative Elijah E. Cummings,

Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Civil Service, House

Committee on Government Reform; Senator John F. Kerry, Ranking

Minority Member, Senate Committee on Small Business; Representative

Dan Burton, Chairman, and Representative Henry A. Waxman, Ranking

Minority Member, House Committee on Government Reform; and the

Honorable Janice R. Lachance, Director, OPM. In addition, copies will be

sent to other congressional committees, the heads of the 45 agencies who

reported information to us, and other interested parties. We will also

make copies available to others on request.

Major contributors to this report were Richard W. Caradine, Assistant

Director; Carolyn L. Samuels, Evaluator-in-Charge; and Domingo Nieves,

Senior Evaluator. Please contact Mr. Caradine or me on (202) 512-8676 if

you have any questions.

Michael Brostek

Associate Director, Federal Management

and Workforce Issues
Page 6 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

Contents

1 Letter

Appendix I 8

Listing of 45 Executive

Branch Agencies and

Departments

Reviewed and Criteria

Used to Select Them

Appendix II 11

Noncareer Appointees

Converted to Career,

Career-Conditional,

Career SES, and Term

Appointments by

Agency

Appendix III 17

Comments From the

Office of Personnel

Management

Related GAO Products 18
Page 7 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices
Appendix I

Listing of 45 Executive Branch Agencies and

Departments Reviewed and Criteria Used to

Select Them

Page 8 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

The criteria used to select the executive branch agencies and departments

were: (1) all cabinet-level departments and agencies, (2) agencies that had

oversight or other regular responsibilities for federal workforce issues, and

(3) departments and agencies of particular interest to the congressional

requesters of the review. As a result, the following 45 agencies and

departments were identified:

1. Department of Agriculture

2. Department of Commerce

3. Department of Defense (Office of the Secretary, Air Force, Army, and

Navy)

4. Department of Education

5. Department of Energy

6. Department of Health and Human Services

7. Department of Housing and Urban Development

8. Department of the Interior

9. Department of Justice

10. Department of Labor

11. Department of State

12. Department of Transportation

13. Department of the Treasury

14. Department of Veterans Affairs

15. African Development Foundation

16. Commission on Civil rights

17. Consumer Product Safety Commission

18. Corporation for National Service
Appendix I

Listing of 45 Executive Branch Agencies and Departments Reviewed and Criteria Used to

Select Them

Page 9 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

19. Environmental Protection Agency

20. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

21. Export-Import Bank of the U.S.

22. Federal Aviation Administration

23. Federal Labor Relations Authority

24. Federal Maritime Commission

25. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service

26. Federal Retirement and Thrift Investment Board

27. Federal Trade Commission

28. U.S. Institute of Peace

29. Inter-American Foundation

30. U.S. International Trade Commission

31. Merit Systems Protection Board

32. National Endowment for the Arts

33. National Endowment for the Humanities

34. National Labor Relations Board

35. National Mediation Board

36. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission

37. Office of Government Ethics

38. Office of Management and Budget

39. Office of Personnel Management

40. Office of Special Counsel
Appendix I

Listing of 45 Executive Branch Agencies and Departments Reviewed and Criteria Used to

Select Them

Page 10 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

41. Office of the U. S. Trade Representative

42. Overseas Private Investment Corporation

43. Peace Corps

44. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

45. Small Business Administration
Appendix II

Noncareer Appointees Converted to Career,

Career-Conditional, Career SES, and Term

Appointments by Agency

Page 11 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

Career, career-conditional, career SES,

term appointment, and other position

title and office

Career grade

and salarya

Date

appointed/

entered on

duty

Noncareer position title, office, and

department

Type of

appointment,

noncareer grade

and salarya

Department of Agriculture

Program Analyst

National Resource Conservation Service

Outreach Division

GS-0343-13/03

$64,949

06/04/00 Confidential Assistant to the Chief

Natural Resources Conservation

Service

Department of Agriculture

Schedule C

GS-0301-13/02

$59,961

Department of Commerce

Government Liaison

Bureau of the Census

GS-0301-14/10

$85,978

11/22/98 Congressional Affairs Officer

Bureau of Census

Department of Commerce

Schedule C

GM-0301-15/00

$90,767

Intergovernmental/Partnership

Specialistb

Office of the Secretary

GS-0301-13/02

$59,961

01/31/99 Legislative Affairs Specialist

Office of the Secretary

Department of Commerce

Schedule C

GS-0301-13/02

$59,961

Outreach Program Specialistb

National Oceanic & Atmospheric

Administration

ZA-0301-04/02

$82,000

05/17/99 Senior Legislative Assistant

U.S. Senate

Legislative Branch

Employee

$72,000

Supervisory International Trade

Specialist

International Trade Administration

GS-1140-14/02

$70,855

09/27/99 Special Assistant

Office of the Deputy Assistant

Secretary for Technology and

Aerospace Industries

Department of Commerce

Schedule C

GS-0301-14/02

$66,707

Program Analystb

Office of the Director

National Institute of Standards and

Technology

ZA-0343-III/01

$48,000

10/10/99 Legislative Affairs Specialist

Office of the Secretary

Department of Commerce

Schedule C

GS-0301-11

$40,714

Regional Director

Economic Development Administration

Denver Regional Office

ES-0301-00/01

$111,671

12/19/99 State Director

Rural Development

Department of Agriculture

Schedule C

GM-0301-15/00

$92,354

Deputy Under Secretary for Economic

Affairs

Economic & Statistics Administration

ES-0301-00/06

$130,200

06/04/00 Chief Economist

Economic & Statistics Administration

Department of Commerce

Noncareer SES

ES-0110-00/05

$120,886

Department of Defense

Program Analystb

Defense Security Cooperation

Agency

GS-0343-14/01

$68,570

05/09/99 Program Analyst

Defense Security Cooperation Agency

Department of Defense

Schedule C

GS-0343-13/04

$63,829

Family Support Liaisonb

Defense, Prisoner of War/Missing,

Personnel Office

GS-0301-15/10

$104,851

11/21/99 Special Assistant for Family

Advocacy & External Relations

Defense, POW/Missing, Personnel

Office

Department of Defense

Schedule C

GS-0301-15/10

$104,851

Program Analystb

Deputy Under Secretary of Defense

NH-0343-III/00

$60,830

01/16/00 Staff Specialist

Deputy Under Secretary of Defense

Department of Defense

Schedule C

GS-0301-12/04

$56,324

Foreign Affairs Specialistb

Threat Reduction Nonproliferation Policy

GS-0130-15/02

$87,459

05/21/00 Defense Fellow

Washington Headquarters Services

Department of Defense

Schedule C

GS-0301-15/02

$87,459
Appendix II

Noncareer Appointees Converted to Career, Career-Conditional, Career SES, and Term

Appointments by Agency

Page 12 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

Career, career-conditional, career SES,

term appointment, and other position

title and office

Career grade

and salarya

Date

appointed/

entered on

duty

Noncareer position title, office, and

department

Type of

appointment,

noncareer grade

and salarya

Director of Defense Procurement,

Acquisition & Technology

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense

ES-1102-00/06

$133,477

06/04/00 Administrator, Office of Federal

Procurement Policy

Office of Management and Budget

Presidential

Appointee

EX-0301-03/00

$133,477

Department of Education

Management & Program Analystb

Office of Intergovernmental,

Interagency Affairs

GS-0343-14/04

$75,427

05/23/99 Special Assistant

Office of Intergovernmental,

Interagency Affairs

Department of Education

Schedule C

GS-0301-14/04

$75,427

Management Analystb

Office of the Chief Information Officer

GS-0343-13/01

$60,890

05/21/00 Special Assistant

Office of Elementary and Secondary

Education

Department of Education

Schedule C

GS-0301-13/01

$60,890

Education Program Analystb

Office of Elementary & Secondary

Education

GS-1720-14/01

$71,954

06/04/00 Special Assistant

Office of Elementary & Secondary

Education

Department of Education

Schedule C

GS-0301-14/01

$71,954

Department of Energy

Foreign Affairs Specialistb

Office of Nonproliferation & National

Security

GS-0130-12/02

$48,635

11/22/98 Staff Assistant

Office of Intelligence

Department of Energy

Schedule C

GS-0301-12/02

$48,635

Deputy Directorb

Office of Counterintelligence

ES-0340-00/01

$110,351

07/04/99 Professional Staff Member

House Permanent Select Committee

on Intelligence

House of Representatives

Legislative Branch

Employee

Director

Office of Planning & Analysis

ES-0301-00/01

$110,351

10/01/99 Senior Staff Advisor

Office of Science

Department of Energy

Schedule C

GS-0301-15/05

$91,410

Budget Analyst

Office of Chief Financial Officer

GS-0560-15/02

$83,346

12/19/99 Staff Assistant

Office of Chief Financial Officer

Department of Energy

Schedule C

GS-0301-15/02

$83,346

Program Specialistb

Office of Intelligence

GS-0301-13/09

$77,126

02/13/00 Senior Program Analyst

Office of Intelligence

Department of Energy

Schedule C

GS-0301-14/03

$75,750

Associate Chief Financial Officer

National Nuclear Security Administration

ES-0301-00/02

$121,264

6/18/00 Associate Chief Financial Officer

Budget, Planning, & Financial

Management

Department of Energy

Schedule C

GS-0505-15/10

$110,028

Attorney Advisorb

Immediate Office of the General

Counsel

GS-0905-13/05

$69,008

02/27/00 Special Assistant to the General

Counsel (Attorney-Advisor)

Office of the General Counsel

Department of Energy

Schedule C

GS-0905-15/01

$84,638
Appendix II

Noncareer Appointees Converted to Career, Career-Conditional, Career SES, and Term

Appointments by Agency

Page 13 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

Career, career-conditional, career SES,

term appointment, and other position

title and office

Career grade

and salarya

Date

appointed/

entered on

duty

Noncareer position title, office, and

department

Type of

appointment,

noncareer grade

and salarya

Department of Health and Human Services

Supervisory Tribal Child Support

Program Specialist

Child Support Enforcement

GS-0101-15/10

$110,028

05/21/00 Commissioner

Administration for Native Americans,

Administration for Children and

Families

Department of Health and Human

Services

Presidential

Appointee

EX-0301-V/00

$114,500

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Reform Issues Managerb

Administration

GS-0301-15/08

$99,474

02/28/99 Director

Executive Secretariat

Department of Housing and Urban

Development

Schedule C

GS-0301-15/08

$99,474

Department of the Interior

Director of Diversity and Human

Resourcesb

Reclamation Service Center

Diversity & Human Resources Office

ES-0340-00/04

$125,900

06/06/99 Deputy Assistant Secretary

Assistant Secretary Policy,

Management & Budget

Department of the Interior

Noncareer SES

ES-0301-00/04

$125,900

Special Assistant to the Director

Office of the Director

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

GS-0301-15/10

$110,028

04/09/00 Special Assistant

Special Assistant to the Commissioner

Bureau of Reclamation

Department of the Interior

Noncareer SES

ES-0301-00/04

$130,200

Department of Justice

Assistant U.S. Attorney

U. S. Attorney’s Office/Central Division,

California

AD-0905-21/00

$67,234

10/25/98 Deputy Director Violence Against

Women Office

Office of the Assistant Attorney

General

Department of Justice

Schedule C

GS-0905-15/02

$80,391

Secretary

Office of Automation, U.S. Attorney’s

Office, South Dakota

GS-0318-09/04

$35,088

11/22/98 Secretary

Office of Automation, U.S. Attorney’s

Office, South Dakota

Department of Justice

Schedule C

GS-0318-09/04

$35,088

Immigration Judge

Executive Office of Immigration

Review, Office of the Chief

Immigration Judge

IJ-0905-00/04

$122,065

12/06/98 Assistant U.S. Attorney

Northern District of CA

Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys

Department of Justice

Presidential

Appointee

AD-0905 -01/00

$118,300

Web Managerb

Office of the Assistant Attorney

General

GS-0301-14/08

$84,570

07/18/99 Special Assistant to the Administrator

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Office of Justice Programs,

Department of Justice

Schedule C

GS-0301-15/02

$83,346

Assistant U.S. Attorney

District of New Mexico

AD-0905-24/00

$59,287

03/22/99 Legislative Assistant

U.S. Senate

Legislative Branch

Employee

$46,500

Assistant U.S. Attorney

U.S. Attorney’s Office – Eastern

Division, New York

AD-0905-29/00

$109,113

07/18/99 Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Office of the Assistant Attorney

General

Department of Justice

Noncareer SES

ES-0905-00/04

$125,900
Appendix II

Noncareer Appointees Converted to Career, Career-Conditional, Career SES, and Term

Appointments by Agency

Page 14 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

Career, career-conditional, career SES,

term appointment, and other position

title and office

Career grade

and salarya

Date

appointed/

entered on

duty

Noncareer position title, office, and

department

Type of

appointment,

noncareer grade

and salarya

Executive Resources Program

Managerb

Director, Executive Office for U.S.

Attorney

GS-0301-15/02

$83,346

08/01/99 Special Assistant to Secretary for

Scheduling

Office of Management and

Administration

Department of Energy

Schedule C

GS-0301-15/02

$83,346

Policy Analystb

Office of the Director,

Community Relations Service

GS-0301-14/01

$68,570

11/07/99 Special Assistant to the Director

Community Relations Service

Department of Justice

Schedule C

GS-0301-14/01

$68,570

Senior Advisor to the Directorb

Executive Office for Immigration

Review, Office of the Director

GS-0905-15/10

$110,028

03/26/00 Professional Staff Member

Committee on Appropriations

House of Representatives

Legislative Branch

Employee

$124,000

Legal Secretary

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Western District of Louisiana

GS-0986-07/10

$36,741

02/13/00 Secretary

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Western District of Louisiana

Department of Justice

Schedule C

GS-0318-10/05

$43,154

Paralegal Assistant

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Eastern Division, Wisconsin

GS-0986-08/10

$41,092

02/13/00 Secretary to the U.S. Attorney

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern

Division, Wisconsin

Department of Justice

Schedule C

GS-0318-10/05

$43,578

Assistant U.S. Attorney

U. S. Attorney’s Office, Northern

California

AD-0905-21/00

$71,996

04/23/00 Assistant to the Attorney General

Office of the Attorney General

Department of Justice

Schedule C

GS-0905-14/01

$71,954

Assistant Director

Communications Division

Office of Community Oriented Policing

Service

GS-0301-15/01

$84,638

06/18/00 Chief of Staff

Office of Boards and Divisions

Office of Community Oriented Policing

Service

Department of Justice

Schedule C

GS-0301-15/01

$84,638

Department of Labor

General Attorney

Office of the Solicitor, Division of Civil

Rights

GS-0905-12/01

$48,796

10//24/99 Special Assistant to the Assistant

Secretary

Pension and Welfare Benefits

Administration

Department of Labor

Schedule C

GS-0301-12/01

$48,796

Management Analyst

Office of Small Business Programs

GS-0343-14/07

$82,284

12/19/99 Special Assistant

Office of the Assistant Secretary for

Administration & Management

Department of Labor

Schedule C

GS-0301-14/07

$82,284

Lead Program Analyst

Occupational, Safety, & Health

Administration

GS-0343-14/04

$75,427

12/05/99 Legislative Director

House of Representatives

Legislative Branch

Employee

$45,000

Program Analyst

Occupational Health and Safety

Administration

Directorate of Federal/State Operations,

Office of Cooperative Programs

GS-0343-11/01

$42,724

3/12/00 Counsel

Committee on Budget

House of Representatives

Legislative Branch

Employee

$72,100
Appendix II

Noncareer Appointees Converted to Career, Career-Conditional, Career SES, and Term

Appointments by Agency

Page 15 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

Career, career-conditional, career SES,

term appointment, and other position

title and office

Career grade

and salarya

Date

appointed/

entered on

duty

Noncareer position title, office, and

department

Type of

appointment,

noncareer grade

and salarya

Manpower Analystb

Employment and Training

Administration, Office of the

Assistant Secretary

GS-0140-15/10

$110,028

04/09/00 Special Assistant to the President

for Economic Policy

Office of Policy Development, National

Economic Council

Executive Office of the President

Executive Office of

the President

AD-0301-00/00

$97,500

Department of State

Program Analyst

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and

Migration/Office of Multilateral and

External Relations

GS-0343-13/03

$61,895

09/26/99 Special Assistant

Office of the Assistant Secretary

Department of State

Schedule C

GS-0301-13/03

$61,895

Program Analysis

Office of Europe/Bureau of International

Narcotics and Matter/Multilateral

Programs

GS-00343-11/10

$55,541

2/13/00 Foreign Affairs Officer (Special

Assistant)

Office of Assistant Secretary

Department of State

Schedule C

GS-00130-12/03

$54,618

Department of Transportation

Executive & Legislative Assistantb

Office of the Chairman, Surface

Transportation Board

GS-0301-12/07

$58,556

04/11/99 Confidential Assistant to the

Chairman

Office of the Chairman, Surface

Transportation Board

Department of the Treasury

Schedule C

GS-0301-12/07

$58,556

Department of the Treasury

Secretary (Typing)

Bank Supervision (Policy), Core

Policy, Capital Policy Division

OC-0318-08/00

$33,074

09/26/99 Secretary (Typing)

Office of National Drug Control

Policy

Executive Office of the President

Executive Office of

The President

GS-0318-08/05

$34,525

Assistant Directorb

Federal Law Enforcement Training

Center

ES-0301-00/03

$124,185

03/19/00 Assistant to the Attorney General

Immediate Office of Attorney General

Department of Justice

Noncareer SES

ES-0340-00/05

$130,200

Department of Veterans Affairs

Staff Directorb

Office of the Deputy Under Secretary

For Memorial Activities

GS-0301-15/07

$101,565

05/07/00 Special Assistant

VA Central Office, Office of the

Secretary

Department of Veterans Affairs

Schedule C

GS-0301-15/07

$101,565

Environmental Protection Agency

Director

Office of Environmental Justice

Office of Enforcement & Compliance

Assurance

ES-0905-00/05

$125,900

11/22/98 Associate Solicitor

Division of Conservation & Wildlife

Department of the Interior

Noncareer SES

ES-0905-00/05

$125,900

Supervisory Environmental Protection

Specialist

Office of Solid Waste and Emergency

Response

GS-0028-15/00

$126,825

06/18/00 Deputy Assistant Administrator

Office of Solid Waste and

Emergency Response, Office of

the Assistant Administrator

Environmental Protection Agency

Noncareer SES

ES-0340-00/03

$126,825
Appendix II

Noncareer Appointees Converted to Career, Career-Conditional, Career SES, and Term

Appointments by Agency

Page 16 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

Career, career-conditional, career SES,

term appointment, and other position

title and office

Career grade

and salarya

Date

appointed/

entered on

duty

Noncareer position title, office, and

department

Type of

appointment,

noncareer grade

and salarya

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Writer Editorb

Office of Communications and

Legislative Affairs

GS-1082-13/02

$62,920

03/26/00 Media Contact Specialist

Office of the Chairwoman, Office of

Communications and Legislative

Affairs

Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission

Schedule C

GS-0301-13/02

$62,920

International Trade Commission

International Trade Analyst

Office of Investigations, Division C

GS-1101-09/10

$43,747

02/17/99 Legislative Assistant

House of Representatives

Legislative Branch

Employee

$28,000

General Attorney

Office of Unfair Import Investigations

GS-0905-14/06

$79,999

05/01/99 Legislative Assistant

U.S. Senate

Legislative Branch

Employee

$81,760

Office of Management and Budget

Chief, State/USIA Branch ES-0301-00/04

$133,259

02/15/00 Majority Clerk and Staff Director

Subcommittee of the Departments of

Commerce, Justice, and State, the

Judiciary and related Agencies

House of Representatives

Legislative Branch

Employee

$138,615

a

Salary includes locality pay

b

Newly established position

Legend:

AD – Administratively determined rates not elsewhere specified

ES – Senior Executive Service

GS – General Schedule

IJ – Immigration Judge Schedule. The code is for use by the Department of Justice only.

NH – Business Management and Technical Management Professional. DOD Acquisition Workforce

Demonstration Project. The code is for use by the Department of Air Force, Department of Army,

Department of Defense, and the Department of Navy only.

OC – Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The code is for the use by the Office of the

Comptroller of Currency only.

ZA – Administrative. The code is for use by the Department of Commerce only.
Appendix III

Comments From the Office of Personnel

Management

Page 17 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices
Related GAO Products

Page 18 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

Personnel Practices: Career Appointments of Former Political and

Congressional Employees (GAO/GGD-97-165, Sept. 2, 1997).

Personnel Practices: Improper Personnel Actions on Selected CPSC

Appointments (GAO/GGD-97-131, June 27, 1997).

Hiring of Former IRS Employees by PBGC (GAO/GGD-97-9R, Oct. 2, 1996).

Personnel Practice: Career Appointments of Legislative, White House, and

Political Appointees (GAO/GGD-96-2, Oct. 10, 1995).

Personnel Practices: Selected Characteristics of Recent Ramspeck Act

Appointments (GAO/T-GGD-95-173, May 24, 1995).

An Overview of Ramspeck Act Appointments (GAO/T-GGD-95-155, May 8,

1995).

Personnel Practices: Presidential Transition Conversions and

Appointments: Changes Needed (GAO/GGD-94-66, May 31, 1994).

Political Appointees: Turnover Rates in Executive Schedule Positions

Requiring Senate Confirmation (GAO/GGD-94-115FS, Apr. 21, 1994).

Political Appointees: 10-Year Staffing Trends at 30 Federal Agencies

(GAO/GGD-93-74FS, Apr. 30, 1993).

Personnel Practices: Career Appointments Granted Political Appointees

From January Through November 1992 (GAO/GGD-93-49FS, Jan. 22, 1993).

Personnel Practices: Schedule C and Other Details to the Executive Office

of the President (GAO/GGD-93-14, Nov. 6, 1992).

Political Appointees: Number of Noncareer SES and Schedule C

Employees in Federal Agencies (GAO/GGD-92-101FS, June 8, 1992).

Personnel Practices: Details of Schedule C Employees to the White House

(GAO/T-GGD-92-28, Apr. 19, 1992).

Personnel Practices: Propriety of Career Appointments Granted Former

Political Appointees (GAO/GGD-92-51, Feb. 12, 1992).

Personnel Practices: The Department of Energy’s Use of Schedule C

Appointment Authority (GAO/GGD-90-61, Mar. 8, 1990).
Related GAO Products

Page 19 GAO/GGD-00-205 Personnel Practices

Political Appointees in Federal Agencies (GAO/T-GGD-90-4, Oct. 26, 1989).

Federal Employees: Appointees Converted to Career Positions, January

and February 1989 (GAO/GGD-89-89FS, June 13, 1989).

Federal Employees: Appointees Converted to Career Positions, October

Through December 1988 (GAO/GGD-89-66FS, Apr. 24, 1989).
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