PLANNING ANI) A11 A\ INI ST It AT IV E PERSONNEL IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

A Pilot Stnilv

June

Bulletin No. 1631

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P L A N N I N G AN II AIMlINlSTItATIVE

PERSONNEL IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

A Pilot Study

.lime 1909

Bulletin No. 1631

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

G e o r g e P. S h u l t z , S e c r e t a r y

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Geoffrey H. Moore, Commissioner

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Preface

This bulletin presents the results of a pilot study of local government manpower 

undertaken by the Bureau of Labor Statistics with the support of the Department of 

Housing and Urban Development. The study was designed to identify occupations 

related to the planning and administration of urban programs and to provide a basis for 

further large scale surveys and * studies of employment and future manpower 

requirements for these occupations. Current manpower problems and future skill 

requirements related to planning and administrative activities were also investigated.

The Bureau is grateful to the many urban officials who participated in the study 

and provided the information which formed the basis for this report.

The study was conducted in the Division of Manpower and Occupational Outlook 

of the Bureau of Labor Statistics under the general direction of Neal H. Rosenthal. The 

report was prepared by Gerard C. Smith. Michael Crowley, Joseph J. Rooney, and 

Janice N. Hedges participated in the interviewing and analysis of information. Guidance 

and assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development was provided 

by John Huss, Director of the Division of Urban Manpower Development and by 

Thomas Melone, Director, Urban Planning Research and Demonstration Program.

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C O N TE N TS

Page

Introduction .................................................................................. 6

S u m m a ry ....................................................................................... 7

Chapter:

I. Planning and administrative manpower in local government . 

Occupations related to planning and administrative activities 

Illustrative staffing patterns of selected local 

government agencies...............................................

Regional planning Agencies.....................................

II. Current manpower problems and future expectations ....

Recruiting p rob le m s ...............................................

How jobs are fille d ..................................................

Alleviating manpower sh orta ge s ................................

Future manpower developments................................

III. Future research needs ...............................................

Occupational employment surveys ..............................

Local government occupational re c o rd s.......................

Projection of manpower requirements and s u p p ly ..........

Requirem ents.....................................

Supply .............................................

Job opportunities and mobility studies ....

Education and training requirements ..........

Appendixes:

A. Descriptions of planning and administrative jobs

B. Study proced ure .....................................

C. Available employment statistics .................

D. Abstract ...............................................

Tables:

1. Illustrative staffing pattern of a chief executive's office .................... 10

2. Illustrative staffing pattern of a city planning co m m issio n ................. 11

3. Illustrative staffing pattern of a model cities agency ......................... 11

4. Illustrative staffing pattern of a planning research and

development section of a department of public health .................... 12

5. Illustrative staffing pattern of a community action a g e n c y ................. 12

6. Illustrative staffing pattern of a fiscal agen cy................................... 13

7. Illustrative staffing pattern of a housing and urban

renewal agency ...................................................................... 13

8. Illustrative staffing pattern of a parks and recreation department .... 14

9. Illustrative staffing pattern of a regional planning agency ................. 14

10. Planned and actual staffing of a large city planning department .......... 17

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IN T R O D U C T IO N

Whether the planning and administrative capabilities of local governments are 

adequate to cope with the continuing need for rapid expansion of local government 

services is an unanswered question. Comprehensive studies that clearly identify the 

extent and nature of current and anticipated manpower problems in planning and 

administration have not yet been undertaken. This pilot study paves the way towards 

such comprehensive studies by identifying:

1. Occupations that entail planning and administrative functions within local 

governments as background information to develop large scale employment 

surveys.

2. Problems urban governments are having in meeting current skill requirements 

in occupations having planning and administrative functions and to indicate 

what has been done, what is being done, and what is planned to resolve those 

problems.

3. Areas where further research is needed in order to develop comprehensive 

information on the future planning and administration capabilities of local 

governments for use as background for action to assure that future manpower 

needs of local governments will be met.

Occupational analysis in this study is concentrated on professional, administrative, 

and technical personnel engaged in planning and administrative duties. Excluded from 

detailed analysis were occupations found in operational and service functions, such as 

teacher, policeman, and fireman, which are not engaged primarily in planning and 

administrative activities.

The study is based primarily on information drawn from interviews with local 

officials who have knowledge of planning and administrative activities and manpower. 

Interviews were conducted in five United States cities that reflect differences in size, 

geographic area, government organization, the presence of higher educational facilities, 

and socio-economic factors. Because only five cities were studied, the information 

obtained on manpower problems and other subjects may not be representative of the 

national situation and care must be taken in using all of the data presented. (See 

appendix B for more information on selection of the cities and study methods.)

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S U M M A R Y

Within the spectrum of planning and administration 

in local governments, some occupations are clearly 

administrative and others entirely planning. However, in 

many occupations, planning and administration are 

complementary. For example, the chief of a city's 

planning agency is engaged in planning, but he also must 

direct all activities of the agency. Similarly, the chief of 

a city's fiscal agency is engaged primarily in 

administration, but he also becomes involved in planning 

future financial needs and policies of the city.

Job titles alone cannot be used to identify planning 

and adm inistrative occupations. Different city 

governments often use the same title to describe 

different occupations. For example, "administrative 

assistant" is used by some local governments to describe 

a high level professional who assists the city's chief 

executive, whereas others use the title to describe an 

individual performing clerical duties. Different job titles 

also may be used to describe similar jobs. For example, 

urban planner and city planner may be identical jobs.

Many workers function as support personnel to 

persons in professional planning and administrative 

positions. For example, draftsmen prepare drawings of 

buildings for use by engineers in planning a major urban 

renewal project. Similarly, social planning analysts 

obtain information on the characteristics of inhabitants 

of an area scheduled to be redeveloped to provide urban 

planners with background data with which to plan for 

the physical and social needs of the area.

In this pilot study, several hundred professional, 

administrative, and technical (PAT) job titles were 

identified as having planning and administrative duties in 

local governments. These titles were condensed into 40 

occupational groups for use in data collection and 

manpower analyses activities. The groups range from 

chief executives to technician level planning aids.

Manpower Shortages

Local governments are faced with problems of 

occupational shortages, but generally in planning and 

administration these jobs do not make up a large 

proportion of the job vacancies because they are a 

relatively small proportion of all jobs. Moreover, a large

proportion of planning and administration jobs are high 

level positions. Typically, these jobs are filled by 

promotion from within and, therefore, are staffed with 

relative ease. Among planning and administrative 

occupations in the cities studied, the major vacancy 

problems are at the entry level for city planners, 

administrative specialists, and planning aids and 

assistants. Other PAT occupations involved in planning 

that present vacancy problems are engineer, architect, 

draftsman, and neighborhood counseling specialist. The 

officials interviewed attributed vacancy problems to a 

general shortage in the supply of workers, and to the 

inability of cities to attract workers because of low 

salaries, lack of clear promotion opportunities, low 

prestige, and civil service impediments such as unrealistic 

examination requirements, residency requirements, and 

lengthy time lags between application and hiring.

Filling the Jobs

Recruiting is a key factor in meeting manpower 

needs in local governments. However, planning and 

administrative jobs are filled both by promoting city 

employees from within and by recruiting from the 

outside. The policy of promoting personnel to 

successively more responsible positions is prevalent in 

most city government agencies contacted for this study. 

Thus, high level administrative positions generally are 

staffed by individuals having technical rather than 

adm inistrative training. Recruiting generally is 

concentrated at the level for technical personnel, and it 

is from these entry level positions that the manpower is 

drawn to fill local government planning and 

administrative needs.

In the cities studied, a number of approaches are 

used to alleviate manpower shortages. By increasing 

salaries and instituting tuition rebate and other 

educational aid programs, local governments attempt to 

make employment more attractive. In addition, they 

commonly substitute personnel of a lower grade or 

related specialty and use technician level aids and 

assistants to support high level planning and 

administrative specialists. Also, recruiting campaigns are 

being expanded and intensified in the cities studied.

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Future Needs

Long-range manpower planning is not common at 

the local government level. Program and manpower 

planning is keyed to the fiscal year budget. Local 

government officials, however, expect programs that 

require personnel in planning, administrative, and related 

occupations to grow over the next several years. They 

identified a myriad of factors that can be expected to 

cause future growth in these occupations. The most 

significant of these factors is the likelihood that greater 

resources will be devoted to improving the cultural, 

economic, social, and physical conditions of cities. 

Consequently, emphasis is and will continue to be placed 

on city planning, urban redevelopment, and economic 

action programs. Federally aided activities, such as the 

Model Cities Program and other economic opportunity 

and manpower development programs, are expected to 

stimulate the need for planning, administrative, and 

related professional and technical specialists.

More Research and Data Necessary

Relatively little of the available manpower 

information assesses the extent and nature of current 

and anticipated manpower problems faced by cities in 

staffing for urban planning and administrative manpower 

needs. Although this pilot study and other literature 

provide some information on local government 

manpower statistics and problems, information is not 

available to provide sufficiently detailed data to guide 

policy decisions. Information from this study, however, 

does point to a number of research needs and provides a 

basis for designing manpower studies for: (1) The 

development of wide scale occupational employment 

surveys, (2) the development of projections of future 

manpower requirements and supply, (3) occupational 

mobility, (4) job opportunity, and (5) education and 

training requirements in planning, administrative, and 

related occupations.

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P L A N N IN G A N D A D M IN IS T R A T IV E PERSO NNEL IN LO CAL

G O V E R N M E N T : A P IL O T S TU D Y

Chapter I. Planning and Adm inistrative

Manpower in Local Governments

The primary objective of this study was to identify 

professional, administrative, and technical (PAT) 

occupations related to planning and administering the 

programs and activities of local governments, with 

emphasis on occupations involved in urban development. 

Identifying PAT occupations related to planning and 

administration was not an easy task. Planning and 

administration could not be narrowly defined, nor could 

these functions be easily separated from other activities 

performed in local governments. Thus, a broad spectrum 

of occupational specialties were included within the 

scope of the study.

The following definitions of planning and 

administration were used for this study.

Planning-Planning encompasses activities related 

to developing new government programs or improving or 

changing existing ones. Planning includes activities such 

as those related to planning financial needs, planning 

physical requirements (space, equipment, etc.), planning 

for social and human resource oriented programs, and 

manpower planning. Planning also includes work 

conducted in coordinating several urban programs; for 

example, coordinating housing, welfare, health, and job 

training programs that are part of the redevelopment of 

a depressed area. It encompasses activities related to the 

analysis of alternatives, and the making of decisions on 

the types of programs to undertake, including activities 

concerned with obtaining information needed to make 

the decisions. Therefore, professional, technical, and 

administrative occupations related to planning include 

both high level professional workers, such as city 

managers and urban planners, and technician level 

support personnel, such as planning aids and draftsmen.

Administration =City administration is the process 

of managing and directing a city's operations. It ranges 

from the overall management of a city and the 

management of a major agency, department, or bureau, 

such as a Housing and Urban Renewal Agency, to the 

management of specific operational activities, such as 

personnel, budgeting, or data processing. Therefore, 

professional, technical, and administrative workers in

administration include not only the chief of an agency 

and his assistants, but those workers who are involved in 

the administration of specific activities that service the 

total government operation.

Occupations Related to Planning and Administrative

Activities

City size and the extent of a city's social, 

economic, and cultural programs are the major 

determinants of the number and variety of PAT 

occupations within a city government that include 

planning and administrative duties. Large cities that are 

pressed hardest by problems of slum neighborhoods and 

deteriorating commercial districts, transportation 

problems, racial strife, and numerous other problems 

have much more complex organization and staffing 

needs than smaller, more tranquil communities. The five 

cities studied, which range in size from approximately

50,000 population to more than 1,500,000, varied 

greatly both in the number of agencies and in the types 

of occupational specialties employed. In the larger cities 

studied, separate agencies carried out functions such as 

city planning, model neighborhood planning, housing 

and urban renewal programs, and human resources 

development. In small cities, these activities are generally 

performed by staff members of traditional city agencies, 

such as the engineering or public works department, the 

finance department, or the mayor's or city manager's 

office.

Some occupations identified in this study entail 

planning only and some administration only. In other 

cases, both functions are characteristic of the job. 

However, administration is usually the primary function 

and planning duties are secondary. For example, 

administration and planning in most of the government 

agencies studied are the responsibility of the agency 

chief and his assistants, their primary function being 

administration. In addition, city agencies employ 

administrative specialists, who do not have planning 

duties, to assist in handling the detailed work necessary 

for program administration. Duties of these 

administrative specialists include implementing executive

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decisions and collecting and preparing information for 

use in determining administrative policies.

In agencies such as city planning commissions or 

model cities' departments, all PAT workers are involved 

in planning directly, or indirectly as support personnel. 

Some workers in these agencies, such as the director of 

the agency, also have administrative duties. Similarly, 

some city agencies were found to have separate planning 

sections, and personnel employed in these sections are 

engaged in planning; only the top staff have 

administrative duties. Planning sections within these 

agencies generally are staffed heavily with personnel who 

are closely related to the agency's function. For 

example, in an urban renewal agency, a planning section 

may utilize city planners and engineers. In a police 

department planning section, personnel generally include 

police officers who have experience in departmental 

organization and operations.

Job titles alone cannot be used to identify planning 

and adm inistrative jobs. Many planning and 

administrative positions in the local governments studied 

have titles that are built around the title of the agency; 

for example, director of finance in the financial 

department, or director of parks for the parks 

department. Other titles are related to staff functions, 

such as assistant to the city manager, or by professional 

background, e.g., engineers. One can not tell by the job 

title engineer whether the job entails planning, 

adm inistration, or technical engineering work. 

Furtherm ore, some occupations are titled as 

administrative specialties (for example, administrative 

assistant) when incumbents may be engaged in clerical 

activities rather than high level administrative activities.

Because of the large number of occupational titles 

identified as related to planning and administration the 

information from the five cities was condensed in order 

to present it in a logical and easy to understand manner 

for use in preparing or collecting comparable 

occupational employment statistics for all the cities. In 

these summary groupings, administrative occupations 

were classified separately from planning occupations. 

Jobs that entail both planning and administrative duties 

were classified according to their primary function.

Administrative occupations were identified (1) by 

program (e.g., health, housing, and urban renewal) or (2) 

by function (e.g., planning, personnel). Administrative 

specialists who cross functional or program lines were 

classified separately. Planning occupations were 

classified primarily by generic job title. Summary 

occupational descriptions and detailed lists of titles

identified under each description are presented in 

appendix A.

Illustrative Staffing Patterns of Selected Local Government Agencies

Staffing patterns in 2 large cities having more than

500,000 population, illustrate the relationship of 

workers engaged in planning and administrative activities 

to the total staffing of the particular agencies. Staffing 

patterns of agencies in the smaller cities were similar but 

generally did not have the variety of occupational 

specialties found in larger cities. PAT personnel engaged 

in planning and administrative activities ranged from 

workers in a chief executive's (mayor's) office all of 

whom are engaged primarily in administratives activities 

to personnel in planning agencies where all are engaged 

in planning activities. Other agencies, including regional 

Planning Commissions, employ a variety of PAT 

personnel involved in varying degrees in planning and 

administrative activities.

The chief executive's office is the primary 

administrative unit of a city government. Depending 

upon the form of government organization, the chief 

executive may be a mayor, elected commissioner, or a 

city manager. The types of administrative personnel 

employed in a chief executive's office are illustrated in 

table 1.

T able 1. Illustrative Sta ffin g Pattern of

a C h ie f Execu tive's V O ffice

O ccu pation E m p lo y m e n t

T o tal Sta ff 15

A d m inistrative Personnel 6

M a y o r 1

Executive Secretary to M a y o r -

A d m in istratio n 1

Executive Secretary to M a y o r -

Departm ental Laison 1

A ssistan t to M ayo r 1

Special A ssistan t fo r C o m m u n icatio n s

and In fo rm atio n 1

C o m m u n ity D evelopm ent C o o rd in ato r 1

Clerical and Other g

2 J M ayo r-co u n cil form o f governm ent.

2/ A d m inistrative personnel m ay have plan n in g duties.

Note: See appendix A fo r job descriptions.

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Table 2. Illustrative Staffin g Pattern o f a

C ity Plan nin g C o m m issio n

O ccu pation E m p lo ym e n t

Total S ta ff 1/ 77

A dm inistrative and Planning Personnel 2/ 65

D irector 3/ 1

Assistant Director 3 / 1

Assistant D irector for Plan n in g-Z on in g 3 / 1

Associate Director Transportation Planning 3 / 1

Adm inistrative A ssistan t 3 / 1

C h ief o f Planning Sectio n s 4 / 5

Chief o f Transportation Plan 4/ 1

C ity Planner 15

E co n o m ic A n a ly st 4

Engineer 3

Public A d m in istratio n A n a ly st 1

Planning Ed u cation A ssistan t (Public Relations) 1

Statistician 2

Planning A ssistan t 5/ 2

D raftsm an and D raftin g A id 5/ 25

Clerical and Other 12

J / A ppo inted com m issioners are n ot included.

2/ Entire professional and adm inistrative staff is engaged

in planning activities.

.3/ Perform adm inistrative duties.

4 / A lth o u gh these jobs include the title "c h ie f", they entail

supervisory and technical duties rather than adm inistration.

.5/ Technician level su pport personnel.

Note: See appendix A fo r job descriptions.

Chief executives are responsible for the overall 

administration and policies of a city, and planning 

activities are a major part of their work. Administrative 

assistants and executive secretaries aid them in both 

planning and administration. Some assistants may work 

in a variety of areas such as staffing, policymaking, 

long-term planning, or city financing; others may 

specialize in one area such as the coordination of several 

programs related to urban development.

City planning commissions have the primary 

function of guiding all private development and 

redevelopment and of planning for all public 

developm ent. Commissions are concerned with 

developing comprehensive plans; zoning; planning for 

the improvement and redevelopment of residential, 

business, and industrial areas; and the location and 

design of public buildings, parks, and memorials. They 

are responsible for submitting recommendations to the 

city's chief administrators on matters related to city 

planning.

Planning commissions generally are headed by 

appointive boards. Board members are often architects, 

engineers, builders, real estate specialists, attorneys, and 

other citizens having an interest in and some knowledge

of the goals and purposes of city planning. They act in 

an advisory capacity and generally receive little or no 

compensation. Administration or planning is conducted 

by the professional director of the planning commission 

and his assistants who are in charge of divisions or 

branches of the commission. In addition to city 

planners, planning commissions employ engineers, 

architects, economists, draftsmen, illustrators, and other 

professional and technical specialists. Staffing patterns 

are illustrated in table 2.

Model cities agencies are among the newest and 

most unique local government organizations. These 

agencies are responsible for developing plans for 

presentation to neighborhood groups that lead to a 

community development program best suited to the 

needs of the community. Model cities agencies also act 

as coordinating centers to bring together other city 

departments and agencies concerned with planning and 

community development that are related to model city 

programs.

Model cities planning personnel are concerned with 

all facets of social, economic, and physical conditions 

needing remedial action in target areas of a city. Staffs 

are generally small but highly professional and include 

city planners, government and public administrators, and 

social scientists. Model cities groups may supplement 

their staffs by borrowing employees from other 

departments that are participating in phases of program 

development in their area of responsibility. For example, 

when working on a phase of model cities planning that is 

concerned with health services, personnel from the city's 

health department may be assigned to the model cities 

group. Table 3 presents staffing detail for a model cities 

group.

T able 3. Illustrative Staffin g Pattern o f a M od el Cities A g e n c y

O ccu pation E m p lo y m e n t

Total S ta ff 11

A d m inistrative Planning Personnel J / 9

Project D ire c to r^ / 1

A ssistan t Project Director_2/ 1

G overnm ental A n a ly st 1

C ity Planner 2

Social Planning A n a ly st 2

C o m m u n ity Services A ssistan t 1

A cco u n tan t 1

Clerical 2

J / En tire professional and adm inistrative staff is engaged

in planning activities.

_2/ Perform adm inistrative duties.

Note: See appendix A fo r job descriptions.

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T able 4. Illustrative Sta ffin g Pattern o f a Planning, Research,

and D evelopm ent Sectio n o f a D epartm ent o f Public Health

O ccu pation E m p lo ym e n t

To tal S ta ff

A d m inistrative and Planning Personnel 1_/

D irector of Planning, research, and developm ent 2

Public Health Ed u cato r

C o m m u n ity Services A ssistan t

Statistician

Illustrator

Clerical

8

6

/ 1

1

1

2

1

2

y j En tire professional and adm inistrative staff is engaged in

plan n in g activities.

2 / Perform s prim arily adm inistrative duties.

Note: See appendix A fo r job descriptions.

The planning, research, and development section of 

the city's Department of Public Health has as its primary 

function the planning of programs, such as air and water 

pollution or rat control, based on public health

requirements. A major part of this planning includes 

gathering vital statistics and analyzing data for use in 

making program decisions. The following table illustrates 

the types of PAT personnel engaged in planning health 

programs. Administrative, as well as planning duties, are 

performed by the director of the unit, and planning 

research is done by the public health education and 

community services assistant. Statisticians are involved 

primarily in gathering and analyzing data for program 

planning. Illustrators design research presentations.

Community action agencies are charged with the 

responsibility of receiving and allocating funds provided 

to local governments under provisions of the Economic 

Opportunity Act of 1964, the Manpower Development 

and Training Act (MDTA), and other legislation to carry 

out programs designed to improve community social and 

economic conditons. In some cities, activities funded 

through community action agencies are carried out by 

traditional local government agencies, such as the 

department of health or education, or by third party 

contractors.

T able 5. Illustrative Staffin g Pattern o f a C o m m u n ity A c tio n A ge n cy

O ccu pation E m p lo ym e n t O ccu pation E m p lo ym e n t

T o tal S ta ff 2,067 Other Professional and Technical Personnel 450

A d m inistrative and Planning Personnel \ J 43 M edical C o n su ltan t Supervisor 1

Executive Director 1 Social C o n su ltan t Supervisor 1

A ssociate Executive D irector 11 N ursin g C o n su ltan t Supervisor 1

D irector o f In fo rm atio n Services 1 Team Supervisors (M edical Service) 4

C h ief o f Program Evaluation

A d m inistrative Services Supervisor

1

1

Health A id 20

Fiscal O fficer 1 Librarian 5

Personnel and Train in g O fficer 1 Recreation Supervisor 2/ 2

Program A n a ly st 1 Street C lu b W orker 25

C o o rd in ato r Pre-School Program 1 Case Supervisor 1

Director, V olu n teer Service C orps 1 So cial W orker 2 / 6

A ssociate Executive Director, N eigh b o rh o o d Service 1 Case W orker 11

C h ief of N eigh b o rh o o d O perations 2 Case W orker's A ssistan t 3/ 4

N eigh b o rh o o d Developm ent Supervisor 4 C o n tract Exam in er 1

Ed u cation and Train in g A d m in istrato r 1 Property and S u p p ly O fficer 1

Director, C h ildren's Services 1 Teacher 14

Program Director, C h ildren's Services 1 Teacher's A ssistan t 3 / 15

Project Co o rdin ato r, Ed u cation Services 1 Project Associate (Ed u catio n Services) 1

Project A ssistan t C oordin ator, Ed u cation Services 1 G ro u p Leader A d viso r (E m p lo y m e n t Program s) 2/ 4

Director, F am ily Services 1 Job Developer 1

Director, Health Services 1 Job Locator 2

M an pow er D evelopm ent C o o rd in ato r 1 Field Supervisor (N eigh b o rh o o d Y o u th Corps) 6

A ssistan t M an po w er D evelopm ent C o o rd in ato r 1 N eigh b o rh o o d D evelopm ent C ou n selor 2 J 40

Director, N e igh b o rh o o d Y o u th C orps 1 N eigh b o rh o o d Developm ent Assistan t^./ 281

A ssistan t Program Supervisor N e ighb orhood Y o u th C o rp s 2 A cc o u n tan t A u d ito r 2

A n alyst, Public A d m in istratio n 1 Statistical A ssistan t (Professional) 1

A d m inistrative A ssistan t (professional) 3 O ther 4 / 1,574

1/ Prim arily adm inistrative but also engaged in som e planning activities.

2 / M a y have planning duties.

3/ Technician level su pport personnel.

4 / Includes clerical and service personnel and enrollees o f various w ork-training program s.

Note: See appendix A fo r job descriptions.

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Community action agencies are engaged in both 

short-range development programs and long-range 

program planning. Planning as well as program 

administration generally is done by the top staff, which 

includes the director of the agency, assistant directors, 

and program directors, coordinators, and analysts. (See 

table 5.) Program analysts and fiscal officers familiar 

with principles and practices of program planning and 

budgeting systems are key administrative occupations 

employed in these agencies. PAT staffs include a large 

number of social worker oriented specialists such as 

neighborhood counselors and w ork-training 

administrators.

Fiscal agencies' primary activities are planning and 

administering annual budgets and financial planning for 

long-range capital improvement programs. Finance 

directors, budget officers, and general management and 

public administration personnel are commonly 

employed in fiscal agencies and have both planning and 

administrative duties. The following illustrative staffing 

pattern provides detail on the types of PAT occupations 

employed to perform the planning and administrative 

activities of fiscal agencies. (See table 6.)

T able 6. Illustrative Staffin g Pattern o f a Fiscal A gen cy

O ccu pation E m p lo ym e n t

Total Staff 330

Adm inistrative and Planning Personnel V 57

Controller 1

D ep u ty Controller 1

C on troller's A cc o u n tin g Director 1

Adm inistrative A cco u n tan t 2

A u d ito r o f Disbursem ents 1

C o n tro ller's Syste m s and M eth o d s A cco u n tan t 1

C ity Board A cco u n tan t 1

Budget Director 1

Assistan t Budget Director

A dm inistrative Su pervisor-Retirem ent and

1

Insurance Plans 1

M an ager=Con troller's Data Processing 1

A ssistan t M an ager=C on troller's D ata Processing 1

A dm inistrative A ssistan t 2

G overnm ental A n a ly st 42

Other Professional and Technical Personnel 105

A ctuarial Assistant 1

A cco u n tan t 68

Program er 10

Incom e T ax Investigator 26

Clerical and O ther 168

1/ Prim arily adm inistrative but also engaged in som e

planning activities.

Note: See appendix A fo r job descriptions.

T able 7. Illustrative Sta ffin g Pattern o f a H o u sin g

and U rban Renew al A g e n c y

O ccu pation E m p lo ym e n t

Total S ta ff 580

A d m inistrative and Planning Personnel 37

Director-Secretary 1J 1

A ssistan t D irector 1/ 1

Superintendent o f H o u sin g O perations 1/ 1

A ssistan t Superintendent o f H ou sin g O perations 1/ 1

Supervisor o f Ten an t Selection J_/ 1

H o u sin g M anager _1/ 11

Technical A id - Business A d m in istratio n 1/ 3

U rban Renewal C o o rd in ato r 2

Personnel O fficer V 1

A dm inistrative Engineer 1/ 1

So cial E co n o m ist 3

C ity Planner 11

O ther Professional and Technical Personnel 134

A cco u n tan t 10

Data Processing Program er 1

Public Relation s W orker (Publicist) 2

Engineer 2/ 13

Public H o u sin g A id 2/ 22

Urban Renew al A ssistan t 2/ 84

C o m m u n ity Service A ssistan t 2/ 2

O ther 3 / 409

V Perform prim arily adm inistrative duties.

2/ So m e m ay have plan n in g duties.

3/ Includes clerical w orkers, constru ction workers,

skilled craftsm en, b u ild in g m aintenance, and all other

m anual and service personnel.

Note: See appendix A for job descriptions.

1/

Housing and urban renewal agencies are responsible 

for the planning and management of public housing and 

for planning urban renewal projects. A variety of 

specialists are needed to carry out the work of a housing 

and urban renewal agency. At the top are executive and 

program directors who plan, coordinate, and administer 

the overall activities of the agency. Other occupations 

found in these agencies include widely divergent 

specialties such as city planners and public housing 

managers. Among the occupational specialists that entail 

planning and administrative duties are urban renewal 

coordinators, engineers, business or public 

administration specialists, and economists. The following 

illustrates the types of PAT occupations employed in a 

housing and urban renewal agency (table 7).

1/ In some cities, the housing and urban renewal 

functions may be in separate agencies or independent 

authorities.

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Parks and recreation departments are concerned 

with physical, social, and cultural leisure time activities 

for citizens of all age groups. Beautification of the city 

by designing, building, and maintaining parks, squares, 

and greens is another important function of parks and 

recreation departments. Some departments plan, 

acquire, build or administer golf courses, swimming 

facilities, zoos, and other types of recreational facilities. 

Planning and administrative activities in those agencies 

generally are conducted by the top staff. In addition, 

recreation counselors, program coordinators and 

analysts, and landscape architects may be engaged in 

planning for new programs or facilities or improving 

existing areas. The following table presents occupational 

detail for a large city parks and recreation department 

(table 8).

Regional Planning Agencies

Regional planning agencies are concerned with the 

development of broad range plans to guide and 

coordinate the growth and development of an area that 

may encompass several local governments. In addition to 

their primary concern--the development of general 

regional development plans--regional agencies also act as 

advisors to local governments on the relationship 

between their planning activities and those of the region, 

State, or Federal Government, and as reviewing and 

coordinating agencies for applications for Federal funds 

initiated by planning units within the region.

Regional planning agencies in the areas studied are 

organized as research and planning arms of Councils of 

Governments or Inter-Governmental Commissions. 

Council members generally include local officials such as 

mayors, city councilmen, county commissioners, and 

city and county planning directors. Executives from 

regional transit, port, and housing authorities and similar 

independent agencies may be members of Councils of 

Governments and Inter-Governmental Commissions that 

maintain full-time planning staffs to execute work 

programs of the parent body and to coordinate the work 

of consulting groups employed for particular reseamh 

and planning projects.

The regional planning commissions or councils 

studied had small, highly professional staffs. The 

following table 9 is ^illustrative of the types of 

occupations employed by regional planning groups.

T able 8. Illustrative Staffin g Pattern o f a Parks

and Recreation D epartm ent

O ccu patio n E m p lo y m e n t

Total S ta ff 442

A dm inistrative and Planning Personnel 1/ 27

General Superintendent o f Parks and Recreation

A ssistan t General Superintendent o f Parks and

1

Recreation 1

Executive A d m in istrato r o f Parks and Recreation 1

Personnel O fficer 2

Superintendent o f Recreation 1

A ssistan t Su perintendent o f Recreation 1

C h ief o f Landscape Architecture 1

Landscape Architect 6

Su perintendent of Forestry and Landscaping 1

A ssistan t Superintendent o f Forestry and Lan dscapin g 10

Program D evelopm ent A n a ly st 1

Sen io r Citizen Program C o o rd in ato r 1

O ther Professional and Technical Personnel 200

Recreation Supervisor 2/ 12

A ssistan t Recreation Supervisor 2/ 10

Recreation Instructor 139

C o m m u n ity H ouse Supervisor 2/ 34

Recreation Facilities Investigator 2/ 1

A cco u n tan t 4

O ther 3/ 215

J J Prim arily adm inistrative but they m ay engage in som e

planning activities.

2/ M a y have plan n in g duties.

3/ Includes clerical, m aintenance, and service personnel.

Note: See appendix A fo r job descriptions.

T able 9. Illustrative Staffin g Pattern o f a Regional

Plan nin g A ge n cy

O ccu pation E m p lo ym e n t

Total Sta ff 51

A dm inistrative and Planning Personnel J_/ 40

Executive Director 2/ 1

A ssistan t D irector 2/ 3

Transit Program M anager 2/ 1

Planner (U rban or Regional) 15

Transit System s Planner 1

So cial Planner 1

E c o n o m ist (Region al) 2

Im plem entation Research Specialist 1

Program A n a ly st * 3

Engineer (Sanitary) 1

Program er (Com puter) 1

System s A n a ly st 1

Planning A ssistan t 3 / 5

D raftsm an 3 / 3

Illustrator 3 / 1

Clerical and Service Personnel 11

V Entire professional and adm inistrative staff is engaged

in planning activities.

2/ Prim arily adm inistrative.

3/ Technician level su pport personnel.

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Chapter II. Current Manpower Problems and Future Expectations

Recruiting Problems

Several agencies of the local governments studied 

were having difficulty in meeting their skill 

requirements. However, the number of vacant positions 

in planning and administrative jobs were only a small 

proportion of the total number of vacancies, primarily 

because planning and administrative positions represent 

only a small proportion of total employment. Many 

administrative jobs are high level positions that are filled 

by technical specialists who are promoted from within 

and, therefore, pose relatively little problem. Most 

vacancies in the cities studied were in clerical, skilled, 

manual, and service jobs, and in professional and 

technical occupations that are not engaged primarily in 

planning and administration, such as nurses and other 

medical specialists, social welfare workers, and engineers.

Among planning and administrative occupations, 

the major vacancy problems identified were at the entry 

level for city planners, administrative specialists, and 

planning aids and assistants. Other PAT occupations 

which are related to planning activities and for which 

cities experienced difficulties in finding qualified 

workers were architects, draftsmen, engineering aids and 

technicians, neighborhood counselors, and employment 

training specialists.

The regional planning agencies contacted for this 

study had fewer problems in attracting and holding 

qualified personnel than did city planning agencies. 

Reasons given for their greater ability to recruit and hold 

personnel were (1) higher salaries than those paid by 

cities, (2) the fact that many planners consider working 

for a regional group to be more prestigious and 

glamourous than working for a city group, and (3) 

regional agencies employment qualifications and hiring 

standards were generally not tied to rigid civil service 

requirements.

In addition to the problems concerning the number 

of available workers, many young workers entering PAT 

occupations in the cities studied have not developed the 

needed analytical and communication skills. Training 

and skill in written and oral communications was 

mentioned most often as a serious deficiency in the 

skills young people brought to the job. The lack of 

sufficiently developed communications skills was 

considered by some administrators to be particularly 

acute among accounting and engineering graduates.

Occupational shortages were attributed both to the 

lack of young persons with training in the needed skills

and to the inability of local governments to attract their 

share of trained personnel. From the information 

obtained from this study, however, which of these two 

factors was the primary reason for the shortages is not 

clear. Many officials indicated that they felt the key 

problem was a general shortage of qualified personnel. 

However, about the same number of local officials 

indicated salary and promotion opportunities as the key 

problem in recruiting adequately prepared PAT 

personnel. Many of the skills needed by local 

governments also are in demand by other employers and, 

therefore, cities must compete for workers with private 

industry and Federal and State governments. If salaries 

and promotion opportunities in local government are 

not competitive, young persons will not be attracted to 

local government jobs. However, the PAT occupations 

which have the greatest shortages-nurses and other 

medical specialists, accountants, and engineers--also are 

in short supply to other employers.2/

Civil service restrictions that impede efficient 

recruitment were another important reason underlying 

vacancy difficulties. Many of the city officials 

interviewed felt that examinations for PAT occupations 

do not determine realistically who is the best qualified 

applicant for a particular job. Civil service commissions 

administer examinations and establish lists of eligible 

candidates which may require, for example, that the 

person scoring highest in the examination be hired or 

that one of the three highest be selected. Some officials 

interviewed did not consider these procedures to be the 

most effective means for producing the most qualified 

job candidate. They felt that academic achievement and 

successful employment experience should be weighed 

much more heavily than written examinations in 

determining an applicants qualifications.

Residency requirements also were cited as 

impediments to recruiting. In some cities, for example, 

employees are required to live within the city, thereby

2/ See Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1968-69 

edition, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, Bulletin 1550; Health Manpower 1966-75, A

Study of Requirements and Supply, U.S. Department of 

Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS Report 323, 

June 1967.

3/ Civil service examinations in some cities are 

required both for entry positions and for pormotion.

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excluding from consideration qualified manpower from 

outside the city limits. A few of the officials interviewed 

felt that even if residency requirements are waived, the 

very fact of thefr existence keeps some persons from 

applying who might otherwise be interested and 

qualified for city employment.

Time lags experienced between application and 

employment also were cited as reasons that qualified 

applicants tend to lose interest in and cease to be 

candidates for city employment. In some cases, weeks 

and even months passed between the time a person 

qualified for a job and the time that he actually was 

hired. An administrator of one city's housing and urban 

renewal agency contrasted this with private industry 

practices. Referring to accountants as an example, he 

said that although a month or more may pass between 

the time of examination and employment in the city 

government, a candidate could be interviewed by a 

leading manufacturing company located in the city and 

placed on the payroll the next day.

Another problem often mentioned as underlying 

manpower shortages was the low level of prestige 

accorded to local governments. According to many of 

the officials interviewed, this negative image of local 

government employment is caused, at least in part, by 

non-competitive salaries with other employers in the 

area, the inability of recruiters to make definite hiring 

committments, and residency requirements.

How jobs are filled

Recruitment programs have a major impact on the 

success that local agencies have in filling jobs. Planning 

and administrative jobs in PAT occupations in local 

governments are filled by promoting from within a city's 

work force and by recruiting from outside. Most high 

level planning and administrative jobs, as well as other 

high level supporting professional and technical 

positions, are filled by promotion of experienced 

personnel from within, whereas recruiting from outside 

usually is used to fill entry level jobs. Promoting 

personnel to successively more responsible positions is 

the policy of most city government agencies contacted 

for this study and is especially prevalent in the more 

traditional service oriented agencies such as police and 

fire departments, public works departments, and public 

utilities departments. Because of the practice of 

promotion from within, many top administrative jobs 

are filled by technical personnel rather than individuals 

trained specifically as administrators.

Recruiting usually is centralized in the Civil Service 

Commission or the personnel agency of a city, and a 

number of different recruiting methods are used by the 

cities studied for this report. These methods range from 

simple posting of job opportunities on bulletin boards to 

intensive college recruitment campaigns. The following 

list presents the major methods of recruiting used in the 

cities studied:

1. Posting of notices in public buildings and 

waiting for applications

2. Advertisements in local newspapers

3. Advertisements in professional journals

4. College recruitment

5. Obtaining personal leads from professional 

contacts

In the cities studied, various methods of recruiting 

were used in differing degrees. The larger cities relied 

more heavily on recruiting at college campuses than did 

the smaller cities. All cities posted notices in public 

buildings and advertised in local newspapers. Advertising 

in professional journals and personal leads from 

professional contacts generally were used when trying to 

fill specific jobs.

Alleviating manpower shortages

Several approaches were used by the local 

governments studied to alleviate manpower shortages. 

Although all the approaches discussed here were not 

used by each city government that was studied or by all 

agencies in any particular city, they serve to illustrate 

how cities attempt to solve manpower shortage 

problems.

Raising the level of salaries was one of the principal 

methods used by local governments in an attempt to 

make employment more attractive. Two of the 5 cities 

studied were currently revising their salary structures. In 

some cities, where recruiting difficulties warranted, 

hiring above the entrance level of a given salary scale was 

possible.

College recruiting campaigns also were used to find 

qualified employees to alleviate shortages. Most city 

officials, although they would like to intensify college 

recruiting, did not have sufficient funds and manpower 

to devote to extensive recruitment outside their local 

areas. However, in the cities studied, an effort is being 

made to expand and intensify recruiting campaigns, and 

visits to college campuses, vocational and technical 

schools, and high schools are becoming more and more

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frequent. One planning administrator who often is asked 

to speak to graduate city planning students said that 

these visits provided him a good opportunity to meet 

with and recruit top notch new graduates for his agency.

Educational and tuition rebate programs have been 

initiated by the local governments studied to help attract 

new PAT personnel and to upgrade the skills of current 

employees. Each of the five cities studied had some type 

of employee educational program. These programs 

ranged from informal systems of occasionally sending an 

employee to a nearby university for coursework to very 

formal programs of tuition rebate and specialized 

in-house training. These programs often reflected active 

cooperation between the city and local colleges and 

universities in setting up specialized public 

administration and related courses. A number of city 

officials interviewed held part-time teaching positions in 

local junior colleges, colleges, and universities, and some 

of them were active in helping local colleges develop 

urban studies programs-particularly 2-year programs in 

planning, urban renewal, recreation, and public 

administration, which city employees attended.

Substituting personnel of a lower grade or related 

specialty in vacant positions is another method used by 

the cities studied to alleviate manpower problems. This 

practice is described most clearly by comparing planned 

and actual staffing patterns for a city agency. For 

example, the planned staffing pattern for PAT 

occupations in the city planning department illustrated 

in table 10 includes city planners, social economists, and 

draftsmen. The number and level of these positions is 

established for each fiscal year budget. However, 

department officials have the option of filling budgeted 

positions with lower level personnel or related specialties 

as long as salary expenditures do not exceed the 

budgeted allottment for a particular position. In the case 

presented in table 10, personnel to fill authorized job 

vacancies in the planning department were not available, 

and less experienced planners were employed; 

architectural and civil engineers were substituted for 

planners, and draftsmen were used in lieu of junior level 

planners. The practice of substituting lower level and 

related personnel is used not only to fill shortage 

positions but also to make positions available to 

competent personnel who can function effectively in the 

agency but do not qualify for any of the agency's 

budgeted positions.

The use of technician level aids and assistants as 

support personnel to higher level professionals and 

administrators also was practiced by the cities studied.

T able 10. Planned and A ctu al Staffin g Pattern

o f a Large C ity Plan nin g Departm ent

O ccu pation N u m b er em ployed

Planned Actu al

Total S ta ff 57 53

Director o f C ity Planning 1 1

A ssistan t D irector o f C ity Planning 1 1

Head C ity Planner 3 3

Principal C ity Planner 6 4

Sen ior C ity Planner 9 8

Im term ediate C ity Planner 9 5

Junior C ity Planner 8 3

Principal So cial E co n o m ist 1 1

Sen ior Social E co n o m ist 1 1

Junior So cial E co n o m ist 1 1

A ssistan t Architectural Engineer 0 4

Ju nior Architectural Engineer 0 2

Ju nior Civil Engineer 0 1

Sen ior Draftsm an 2 2

Draftsm an 5 7

Junior D raftsm an 0 1

Secretarial Stenographer 1 0

Sen io r Stenographer 0 1

Stenographer 4 3

Junior Stenographer 0 1

T y p ist 2 0

Sen io r Clerk 2 2

Clerk 1 1

Total Vacancies - - 4

However, the officials interviewed during the course of 

the study had mixed feelings about using additional 

support personnel as a means to alleviate PAT shortages.47 

On one hand, many officials felt that many of the more 

routine and repetitive tasks done by planners, 

administrators, and other professional employees could 

be performed by aids and assistants. The advantages of 

this approach include (1) providing more time for higher 

level personnel to attend to professional duties, and (2) 

providing career opportunities and advancement for 

lower grade city employees having specialized training. 

On the other hand, some administrators felt that many 

technician level careers were dead-end jobs, and the 

limited advancement potential of these occupations 

would cause more problems than they would solve. On 

balance, however, most administrators interviewed 

considered the use of technician level aids and assistants 

coupled with adequate training and educational

4/ The use of technician level support personnel is 

not only a practice for alleviating shortages. Some 

occupational utilization patterns have these workers as 

an integral part of the staff.

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assistance programs a positive step toward alleviating 

shortages and providing career opportunities for persons 

w ho would otherwise be excluded from local 

government planning and administrative functions.

Future Manpower Developments

Manpower planning in the city governments studied 

generally was done on a year-to-year basis and, for the 

most part, was tied directly to the financial budget. 

Long-range manpower planning was at a minimum. All 

the cities studied were suffering from financial problems 

caused by shrinking tax bases and increasing needs for 

city services. These problems accompanied by the 

possibility of manpower reductions were more on the 

minds of city officials than were thoughts of long-term 

manpower plans. Despite the general lack of long-range 

manpower planning, local officials indicated that the 

future would bring new and expanded programs that 

w ould require more workers in planning and 

administrative occupations. Generally, officials appeared 

optimistic that finances for these new programs would 

be made available, despite their current financial 

problems.

Most significant among the myriad of factors that 

local officials expect to cause future occupational 

growth is the need to improve the physical, economic,

and social conditions of cities. Emphasis is being placed 

on urban redevelopment and economic action programs. 

Federally aided activities, such as the Model Cities 

Program and the Economic Opportunity and Manpower 

Development programs, are expected to stimulate the 

need for planning, administrative, and related 

professional and technical specialists. The need to attack 

physical problems, including the rebuilding of slums and 

building recreation facilities, will increase the need for 

planners, urban renewal specialists, zoning and housing 

code administrators, public housing managers, and 

recreation and parks administrators. Programs designed 

to attack social problems, such as social tension, juvenile 

delinquency, and crime, will increase the need for 

persons trained and experienced in social work, 

psychology, guidance and counseling, and the 

administration of job training and other economic 

development programs. Economists and social planning 

analysts will be needed to collect data and do analysis 

for planning economic and social deveolpment programs.

Local government officials also expected increasing 

needs for management specialists who have skills and 

ability to use modern program planning and budgeting 

techniques to plan new programs and to budget financial 

resources. Local governments pressed by financial 

problems were making increasing use of these specialists, 

as well as accountants and auditors and finance 

administrators.

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Chapter III. Future Research Needs

Employment in local governments is growing at a 

rate well above that of the Nation. The Bureau of Labor 

Statistics estimates that employment requirements in 

local governments will increase by about one-third 

between 1966 and 1975, nearly twice as fast as the 

increase projected for total employment in the United 

States.5/The rapidity of employment growth in local 

governments raises the question as to whether the 

manpower requirements of local governments will be 

met, especially in the areas of planning and 

administrative manpower, which also are in strong 

demand in other sectors.

Relatively little information is available that 

assesses the extent and nature of current and anticipated 

manpower problems faced by cities in staffing for urban 

planning and administrative manpower needs. Although 

this pilot study and other literature provide some 

information on local government manpower statistics 

and problems, information is not available to provide 

data with the desired reliability on which to guide policy 

decisions. Information from this study, however, does 

point to a number of research needs and provides a basis 

for designing future manpower studies. Some of the 

most important studies of urban manpower that were 

indicated by this pilot study are as follows: (1) Wide 

scale occupational employment surveys, (2) projections 

of future manpower requirements and supply, (3) 

studies of job vacancies and mobility patterns, and (4) 

studies of education and training requirements in 

planning, administrative, and related occupations.

Occupational Employment Surveys

Surveys of employment by occupation provide the 

basic input to manpower analysis and are one of the key 

urban government manpower research needs. Data on 

current levels of employment provide the base for 

projections of future occupational requirements and for 

estimates of occupational needs that are created by work 

force attrition. Also, manpower information, such as 

statistics on job vacancies and occupational transfers, are 

most meaningful when measured against the aggregate 

employment level of the particular occupation being 

studied.

Information on employment is needed on a 

continuous basis. Statistics collected on a "one time

5/ Tomorrow's Manpower Needs, U.S. Department 

of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bulletin 1660, 

February 1969.

only" basis do not provide the information on the 

dynamics of changing employment. Attesting to the 

need for and use of a continuous flow of employment 

data are the annual surveys of scientific and technical 

employment in private industry conducted by the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual data on teacher 

employment collected by the Office of Education, and 

annual records of employment of several medical 

occupations compiled by professional associations. 

Because of these annual data, these occupations 

probably are the most studied of the Nation's many 

occupations and, thus, more information is available to 

planners to develop comprehensive programs of 

education and training in these fields.

This pilot study provides the basic framework for 

collecting occupational data for planning and 

administrative manpower in local governments. The next 

step is to use the occupational classifications developed 

from this pilot study to conduct surveys of occupational 

employment.

Local Government Occupational Records

Centralized employment records are kept by the 

local civil service commission or central personnel office 

in 4 of the 5 cities studied. Each of these four cities also 

has a formal occupational classification system 

containing written job descriptions for each occupation. 

In the fifth city studied, the smallest one, occupational 

statistics are available through centralized social security 

records maintained by the budget office, but written job 

descriptions are not available. In general, the following 

basic employment data can be readily provided by 

central employment records: (1) Total city employment;

(2) employment by occupation; and (3) employment by 

agency.

Some types of employment data may be difficult 

for local officials to provide; for example, cross 

tabulated information, such as occupation by agency, 

generally is not readily available at a central source, 

despite the great importance of this type of data to 

manpower analysis. In many cases, listing cross tabulated 

data would require considerable work on the part of 

local governments before such material could be made 

available. However, some types of data may be readily 

available in individual agencies rather than at a central 

source.

Central personnel agencies do not maintain 

information on occupation by function; for example, 

occupational records do not contain information on the

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num ber of engineers engaged in planning or 

administrative functions. To develop quantitative data of 

this type, definitions or specific functions would have to 

be provided to agency officials who have detailed 

knowledge of the functions performed by each PAT 

worker in their individual agencies, and these officials 

would have to review each job and place it in the proper 

functional classification. Most of the local officials 

interviewed said that they could provide this type of 

information, although they indicated possible difficulties 

in cases where employees cross functional lines.

Data on age, sex, educational attainment, and other 

characteristics of workers by occupation are not readily 

available from central employment records. Officials 

interviewed said that this type of information usually is 

contained in each employee's personnel folder, but for 

all practical purposes, it could not be withdrawn for 

survey purposes. Central records, however, could be used 

for selecting samples of employees, by occupation, for 

inclusion in studies of these type of data, as well as for 

studies of job satisfaction and occupational mobility 

patterns.

Local personnel officials did not forsee major 

difficulties in providing occupational data for survey 

purposes, especially data available from central records. 

However, to compile useful data, standardized 

occupational definitions are essential. Job descriptions 

used by local government personnel departments or civil 

service agencies vary from city to city and, therefore, job 

titles for workers who perform exactly comparable 

duties may not be the same. In one city studied, the title 

"planning assistant" was used for the entry level job in 

professional city planning work; in another city, the 

same title was used for a technician level assistant 

engaged in drafting work needed to develop city plans.

Projections of Manpower Requirements and Supply

Development of manpower plans and programs rely 

heavily on projections of occupational requirements and 

supply. Policy makers should have information on 

occupational requirements and supply to judge if 

sufficient manpower will be available to conduct 

efficiently a specific program. Educational planners need 

occupational supply and demand projections as 

background data to guide them in developing programs 

to support education in particular fields of study. 

Studies of occupational supply and demand may 

indicate, for example, how the mix of education grant 

and student loan programs should be distributed, or 

what new curricula should be added in existing schools.

Manpower planners in local governments also must 

consider their needs in relation to those of other 

employers, since engineers, accountants, and other 

professional and technical workers are needed by private 

industry and Federal and State governments, as well as 

by local governments.

Requirements

Projections of occupational requirements in local 

governments have been developed by the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics as part of its analysis of manpower 

requirements for the United States. However, the 

occupational detail provided by these studies is limited, 

primarily because of insufficient data on occupational 

employment. In addition, projections of local 

government manpower data that are included with 

studies of the Nation cannot deal fully with the 

dynamics of manpower requirements that are expected 

to result from new programs. Furthermore, studies of 

local government manpower conducted in the past have 

lacked both occupational detail and detail on primary 

function such as planning and administration by 

occupation.

Projections of requirements for different 

occupations in local governments require different 

methods of analysis, usually because of differences in 

the factors underlying the demand for workers in a 

particular occupation. Occupational employment 

requirements in local government are affected by a host 

of factors. Population and related demographic factors 

and the need for urban development programs are very 

important among the variables that must be considered. 

Information on changing population, social, and 

economic patterns in a city also must be considered to 

the fullest extent possible. Analyses of urban 

development needs and an assessment of the potential 

fiscal capacity, including financing that may be made 

available through federal programs for various programs, 

is needed to establish goals and construct models 

designed to project future occupational needs. 

Technological change also has a major effect on demand 

for manpower skills required by local governments. 

Furthermore, the study of occupational patterns of 

specific agencies is important because of the relationship 

between the needs for one occupation and those of 

another, for example, planners and planning assistants.

No one technique or set of variables can be used 

successfully to project manpower requirements for all 

occupations in local governments. The number of urban 

planners required, for example, may be wholly

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dependent upon the amount of money that will be made 

available for planning programs. The need for 

administrative personnel, on the other hand, is related to 

size of a city, the number of programs or activities 

undertaken, and the organizational and technical 

complexity of the various programs.

Projections of changes in manpower requirements 

by occupation provide only part of the information on 

the number of job openings that will need to be filled in 

the years ahead. In estimating the total number of 

openings likely to arise in an occupation, consideration 

of manpower needs resulting from the replacement of 

those who leave is essential. In most occupations, more 

workers are needed yearly to fill positions left vacant by 

those who leave the occupation to enter other 

occupations, shift to other employers, or retire or die 

than are needed to staff new positions created by 

growth.

Supply

Information on future requirements only provides 

one side of the manpower picture. Studies of 

occupational supply, designed to be comparable to 

requirements studies, are needed to indicate what 

expansion in training is necessary to meet manpower 

needs. A recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report on 

supply and demand for health occupations indicates that 

training of physicians for the Nation as a whole must be 

increased by 80 percent over 1966 levels to meet 1975 

requirements.6 Studies that provide information of this 

type should be undertaken for occupations directly 

related to local governments' manpower needs.

Entrants into a specific occupation in local 

government may come from any one of several fields of 

study. High level administrative assistants in an urban

6/ Health Manpower, 1966-75, op. cit.

7/ See Two Years After the College Degree-Work

and Further Study Patterns (NSF 63-26, 1963) for an 

example of a major followup study of college graduates.

8/ Beginning in January 1969, the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics plans to launch an intregrated Current Job 

Opportunities-Labor Turnover Statistics Program. The 

job opportunities information program is designed to 

provide a large amount of industrial and geographic data 

and, ultimately, to provide for publication of job 

openings data for the entire nonagricultural economy 

(including State and local governments) in all major 

metropolitan areas.

9/ Excludes separations for death, retirement, and 

involuntary discharge.

renewal agency may be graduates of college or university 

program s in engineering, social work, public 

administration, or other courses of study. Also, in fields 

such as urban planning, where graduates from urban 

planning curriculums provide the major source of 

entrants, some graduates of these programs will not 

become urban planners. Thus, follow-up studies of the 

employment of a new college graduates by fields of 

study directly related to urban planning and 

administration, such as graduates of urban planning 

curriculums, would be of great use in an analysis of 

manpower supply to local governments.7'

Studies that cover the various sources of entrants 

into specific occupations are necessary to assess fully 

manpower resources for staffing urban development and 

related local government programs. New college 

graduates are not the only source of entrants to 

professions related to the planning and administration of 

urban programs. Many workers are upgraded from lower 

level jobs or are hired from other employers. Manpower 

supply studies should include information on work 

experience-including the activity of workers in planning 

and administration jobs just prior to entering their 

current jobs, and their activities since leaving school.

Job Opportunity and Mobility Studies

In addition to the basic studies of occupational 

employment and future requirements and supply, much 

additional research is needed to fill in the lack of current 

information concerning the needs and problems in the 

fields of urban government manpower. Job opportunity 

studies on a broad scale are needed to provide 

information on the specific occupations that are 

persistently difficult to fill and on the magnitude of 

occupational shortage.8/Studies of workers who leave 

local government employment are needed to provide 

information on why local government employees leave 

their jobs. Information obtained during the interviews 

indicates resignations9/accounted for about one-half to 

three-fourths of employees who left local government 

service in the cities that were studies. According to 

information obtained by local personnel offices during 

exit interviews, lack of upward mobility was the primary 

motive for resignation. Other reasons for leaving jobs, 

such as health, return to school, poor working 

conditions, and leaving the city, were cited much less 

frequently than "to take a better job". Department 

heads and other officials indicated low salaries and the 

lack of promotion opportunities as prime causes of

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\

employee resignation; however, specific studies are 

needed to provide detail on the extent and nature of 

turnover problems.

Education and Training Requirements

Information also is needed on the education and 

training requirements for occupations related to the 

planning and administration of urban development 

programs. Comparative studies of education and training 

requirements in various cities would provide information

on the skill requirements needed by personnel involved 

in local urban and community development activities. 

This information would prove valuable for developing 

basic and remedial education and training programs to 

provide competent urban development personnel and to 

upgrade the skills of currently employed local 

government personnel. Information on education and 

training requirements also would be useful in assessing 

the potential for creating new and strengthening current 

programs for developing and using technician level aids 

and assistants to support professional workers in key 

planning and administrative positions.

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Appendix A . Descriptions of Planning and Adm inistrative Jobs

This appendix presents descriptions of professional, 

administrative, and technical jobs that have planning and 

administrative duties and are found in local 

governments. Because of the great number of job 

descriptions that were found in the 5 cities studied, the 

jobs first were grouped and then summary descriptions 

were prepared. Each description developed for this 

appendix includes information on planning and 

administrative duties and general education or 

experience requirements. To help identify the specific 

jobs that are encompassed by each description, a list of 

job titles follows each description.

Jobs in w hich the duties are primarily 

administrative are presented separately from those that 

are primarily planning. Administrative occupations were 

grouped either by program (health, housing and urban 

renewal, public works) or by activity (personnel and 

financial). Those grouped by program generally are 

found in one agency, whereas those grouped by activity 

usually are found in several agencies. Some 

administrative jobs could not be classified in this manner 

because they encompass several activities and are found 

in several agencies; these occupations are presented 

separately under a single job description.

Top officials of a city agency may be identified as 

director, chief, superintendent, executive director, or by 

another common title. In the job titles presented here, 

the term director is used to identify these officials, 

except in cases where one specific title is very common, 

for example, Chief of Police.

Assistants to directors of agencies are encompassed 

in the summary job descriptions, although specific job 

titles are not presented in the lists that follow each 

description. Assistants include titles such as assistant or 

associate director, assistant bureau chief, assistant 

division chief, and assistant superintendent. Assistant 

director,of planning is not listed, although his duties 

would fall in the description of planning administrators.

Most planning jobs are listed by generic job name, 

e.g., architect, civil engineer, systems analyst. However, 

all architects, all engineers, and all systems analysts 

employed in a city are not necessarily engaged in 

planning. An engineer, for example, who prepares plans 

for a new waste disposal plant is engaged in planning, 

but an engineer in charge of highway maintenance is not 

involved in this function.

Administrative Occupations

CHIEF EXECUTIVES are responsible for overall 

control of a city's agencies and are concerned with 

matters such as day-to-day administration, long-term 

planning, financing city operations, and staffing. 

Assistants work closely with the chief executive and 

represent him in meetings and conferences with other 

government officials and representatives of private 

organizations and citizens groups.

Titles identified:

City Manager

Commissioner

Mayor

C O M M U N IT Y ACTIO N A N D MANPOWER

DEVELOPMENT AD M IN IST RAT O RS direct and plan 

programs designed to promote the social and economic 

welfare of disadvantaged city residents. May be 

concerned with manpower and career development, 

social development and home services, community 

development and neighborhood services, educational 

programs, medical and dental health programs, or any 

other activities that contribute to the social and 

economic needs of people. Requirements generally 

include graduation from a university or college with 

specialization in fields such as vocational education, 

personnel administration, guidance and counseling, 

social science, business or public administration or a 

related field, and experience in employee training, 

vocational guidance, or social work administration.

Titles identified:

Chief of Program Evaluation

Director:

Children's Services 

Family Services

Human Resources Development 

Manpower Development Service 

Neighborhood Youth Corps 

Volunteer Service Corps

Employment Project Administrator

Executive Director - Community Action Agency

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Executive Director - Neighborhood Services

In-Service Training Program Coordinator

Manpower Development Coordinator

On-The-Job Training Project Administrator

Project Director - Human Resources Development

Supervisor of Community Action Center 

Operations

Work Training Program Administrator

COMMUNITY RELAT IO N S ADM IN IST RAT O RS

direct and plan all or part' of the activities of a city's 

equal opportunity program. General educational 

requirements are graduation from a university or college 

and experience in personnel administration, civil rights 

programs, intergroup or labor relations, or community 

organization activities.

Titles identified:

Administrator-Community Relations

Director of Community Relations

Division Chief (Community Relations)

Secretary-Director-Commission on 

Community Relations

DATA PR O C ESSIN G ADM INISTRAT O R is 

responsible for directing and planning activities and 

operations of a city's, data processing unit. Generally 

requires a university or college degree with specialization 

in business administration, accounting, statistics, or 

engineering, and experience in analyses and development 

of systems, methods, and procedures related to 

electronic data processing.

Titles identified:

Chief, Bureau of Data Processing

Data Processing Operations Supervisor

Data Processing Supervisor

EDP Systems Manager

Manager of Controllers Data Processing

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

AD M IN IST RAT O RS direct and plan activities of a city's 

economic development agency primarily concerned with

promoting development and expansion of commerce 

within a city. Generally requires a university or college 

degree, and experience in a government, business, or 

civic organization concerned with industrial development.

Titles identified:

Coordinator of Industrial and Commercial 

Development

Director-Advisory Committee on Small 

Business

Director of Economic Development

FINANCIAL A D M IN IST R A T O R S formulate 

financial policies and direct and plan programs such as 

budgeting, financial accounting, assessment, collection 

of taxes, disbursement of public funds, purchasing and 

warehousing of supplies and equipment, and related 

activities of a financial nature. May be employed in the 

primary fiscal agency of the city or in other agencies 

such as urban renewal or welfare. In general, the 

educational requirements for positions in financial 

administration include a university or college degree 

with specialization in public administration, accounting, 

or business administration. Some positions require a 

CPA.

Titles identified:

Administrative Accountant 

Auditor and Budget Officer 

Budget Director 

Capital Accounting Supervisor 

Chief Accountant

Chief, Bureau of Accounting Operations 

Chief Bureau of Budget and Management 

Research

Chief of Fiscal and Administrative 

Services

Chief Purchasing Agent 

City Auditor 

City Controller 

City Treasurer

Commissioner of Purchases and Supplies 

Collector

Controllers Accounting Director 

Controllers Systems and Methods Accountant 

Director of Assessments 

Director of Purchases

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Fiscal Officer

General and Capital Accounting 

Supervisor

Principle Auditor

HEALTH ADM IN IST RAT O RS direct all or part of 

the activities of a city's health department and health 

care facilities. The many health programs in local 

governments require administrators with diverse 

backgrounds. Many administrative specialties in the 

public health field require a license to practice medicine 

or a doctorate in science or public health. Others require 

graduation from a college or university with 

specialization in fields such as life sciences, sanitary 

engineering, or public or business administration. Many 

positions require specific knowledge of one or more 

health specializations.

Titles identified:

Administrative Health Officer 

Commissioner of Health 

Coordinator of Alcoholism Programs 

Directors of Bureaus, Divisions,

Programs, and Facilities:

Administrative Services 

Air Pollution Control 

Bio-Statistics 

Communicable Disease 

Child Health Services 

Community Sanitation 

Dairy Farm Inspection 

Day Care 

Dental Care

Environmental Hygiene 

Flood Control 

Food Plant Inspection 

Food Services

Health Administrative Services 

Health Information 

Hospitals

Hospital and Medical Care 

Hospitals, General Services 

Hospitals, Maintenance Services 

Industrial Hygiene 

Laboratories 

Meat Control

Medical and Public Health Services

Medical Director

Mental Health Services Clinic

Milk Plant Inspection

Nursing

Nutrition

Public Health Nursing 

Public Health Unit 

Rodent Control 

Sanitarian Training 

Vital Records

District Superintendent of Public Health 

Nurses

Hospital Administrator

Hospital Business Manager

Hospital Superintendent

Medical Research Chief (Project Director)

Medical Superintendent 

Public Health Engineer 

Sanitary Engineer Health Inspection 

Supervisor of Hospital Investigation and 

Collection

Supervisor of Public Health Education

HOUSING AND URBAN RENEWAL

AD M IN IST RAT O RS direct activities performed in a 

local government housing and urban renewal agency or 

authority. Work may involve planning and coordinating 

various activities of the agency. General educational 

requirements are graduation from a university or college 

with a specialization in business administration, public 

administration, public housing, social sciences, city or 

regional planning, or a related field such as engineering 

or architecture.

Titles identified:

Administrative Engineer, Housing 

Director for Renewal Operations 

Director of:

Community Organization 

Demolition - Construction 

Engineering (Urban Renewal)

Planning and Construction 

Program Development-Housing Agency 

Property Rehabilitation 

Rehabilitation Financial Assistance 

Director, Urban Renewal and Housing Agency 

Executive Director, Redevelopment Agency 

Housing Manager 

Project Coordinator 

Property Manager 

Property Rehabilitation Supervisor

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Rehabilitation Advisory Services 

Supervisor

Relocation Site Manager 

Social Services Coordinator 

Superintendent of Housing Operation 

Supervisor of Tenant Selection 

Supervisory Redevelopment Land Officer 

Urban Renewal Coordinator

L IB R A R Y AD M IN IST RAT O RS direct and plan 

the activities of a local public library system, individual 

library, or library department. Generally requires 

graduation from a professional library program and 

extensive experience in professional library work 

including library administration.

Titles identified:

Chief of Library Department 

City-County Librarian 

Coordinator of Major Library Activity 

Director of Libraries 

Library Associate Director 

Library Business Director

PERSONNEL ADM IN IST RAT O RS direct and plan 

all or part of a personnel program for a city or a local 

government agency. May be concerned with specific 

personnel functions, such as examination programs, 

investigating, position classification, training, or other 

aspects of personnel administration. General education 

requirement is graduation from a college or university 

with a specialization in public, business, or personnel 

administration.

Titles identified:

Administrative Personnel Examiner

Classification Supervisor

Employee Safety Engineering Coordinator

Examination Supervisor

Personnel Administrative Supervisor

Personnel Director

Safety Coordinator

Secretary and Chief Examiner, Civil Service 

Commission 

Training Coordinator

PLAN N IN G ADM IN IST RAT O RS direct all or part 

of the activities of a city's primary planning agencies, 

such as city planning commission or model cities agency

or the planning unit of another agency. Outline and 

assign projects and review work in progress and upon 

completion, act as advisors for difficult planning projects 

and meet with the major, city council, and other 

officials to present information on planning projects. 

Handle public contacts and business for the planning 

agency. General education requirements include 

graduation from a college or university with 

specialization related to city planning. For some 

positions, a specialization in the social sciences, 

especially economics, engineering, architecture, or public 

administration may be required.

Titles identified:

Chief of Current Operations 

Chief Planner

Director, Department of Planning 

Director of:

Master Plan

Planning and Construction (Urban 

Renewal

Research and Analysis (Planning)

Research and Analysis (Urban 

Renewal

Transportation Planning 

Executive Director, Regional 

Planning Council 

Head City Planner

Planning Research and Development 

Director (Health)

Project Director - Model 

Neighborhood Agency

PU BLIC RELATIO NS AD M IN IST RAT O RS direct 

and plan comprehensive public relations programs for a 

city government or specific operational units within 

city governments. Requirements generally are graduation 

from a university or college and specialization in 

journalism, English, and responsible experience in public 

relations work.

Titles identified:

Administrative Assistant - Community 

Relations

Airport Promotions Manager 

Director of Reports and Information 

Information Officer 

Planning Education Assistant (Public 

Relations)

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PU BLIC SAFETY ADM IN IST RAT O RS direct and 

plan all or part of the activities of a city's public safety 

agencies such as the police department, fire department, 

civil defense department, or traffic department. Police 

and fire administrators generally are promoted from the 

ranks after serving in progressively responsible positions 

and do not require any specific educations. Other public 

safety administrative positions often require graduation 

from a college or university with specialization in public 

administration, law, or engineering.

Titles identified:

Police Administration

Chief of Police 

Chief Inspector 

Community Relations Officer 

District Inspector 

Headquarters Superintendent 

Juvenile Bureau Superintendent 

Police Commissioner

Fire Administration

Chief of Fire Department 

Executive Chief Fire Department 

Executive Secretary 

Fire Department Secretary 

Superintendent of Fire Apparatus

Civil Defense Administration

Civil Defense Coordinator 

Civil Defense Executive 

Director of Civil Defense

Other Public Safety Administration

Commissioner of Traffic and Transit 

Safety Director

Traffic Engineer - Administrative

PUBLIC WORKS A N D PU BLIC UTILITIES

ADM IN IST RAT O RS direct and plan all or part of the 

activities of a local government's public works and/or 

utilities department. Administrators included in this 

category are responsible for activities such as the 

construction and maintenance of streets, alleys, and 

highways; operation and maintenance of water supply;

sewerage and sanitation; municipal waste; public 

transportation; and the operation and maintenance of 

municipal buildings. Some administrative positions 

require graduation from a university or college, often 

with specialization in civil, mechanical, electrical, 

chemical, or sanitary engineering.

Titles identified:

Bureau Engineer 

Bureau Engineer, Surveys 

City Engineer

Building Code Enforcement Officer 

Building Superintendent 

Chief Division of Community Sanitation 

Chief of Water and Sewerage Treatment 

Chief, Water Systems Supervisor 

Commissioner of Buildings and Safety 

Engineering 

City Engineer 

Director, Bureau of:

Licenses and Permits 

Structural Engineering 

Utilities

Director, Municipal Parking Authority 

Director of Public Works 

District Superintendent of Highways 

District Superintendent of Highway 

Maintenance

General Manager, Department of Street 

Railways

General Manager of City-County Joint 

Building Authority

General Superintendent, Department of 

Public Works

General Superintendent, Public Lighting and 

City Electricians

General Superintendent, Sanitation 

Sanitary Sewer Director 

Street Superintendent 

Superintendent, General Manager and Chief 

Engineer, Water

Superintendent of:

Building Inspection

Building Maintenance

Building Maintenance and Construction

Electrical Distribution

Motor Transportation

Overhead Lines and Cables

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Plant Maintenance and Construction 

Power Production 

Public Service 

Pumping Plant Operations 

Rolling Stock

Sewer Maintenance and Construction 

Street Maintenance and Construction 

Streets and Sanitation 

Transportation Operations 

Water Distribution System Maintenance 

Transportation District Superintendent 

Transportation Marketing and Planning 

Administration 

Zoning Enforcement Officer

RECREATION A N D PA R K S ADM IN IST RAT O RS

direct and plan the activities of a recreation and parks 

system. Recreation and parks administrators formulate 

policies, rules and regulations, and devise capital 

improvement and financial plans. General educational 

requirement is graduation from a university or college 

with specialization in recreation, business or public 

administration, landscape architecture, or related fields 

such as engineering or city planning.

Titles identified:

Director of Recreation and Parks 

Executive Administrator of Parks 

and Recreation

General Superintendent of Parks 

and Recreation 

Park Superintendent 

Recreation General Supervisor 

Recreation Superintendent 

Superintendent of Forestry and Landscaping - 

Parks and Recreation 

Superintendent of Public Services - Parks 

and Recreation 

Superintendent of Recreation

A D M IN IST R A T IV E ASSISTANTS AND

ADM IN IST RAT IV E SPECIALISTS assist department 

heads or other high level program administrators in 

planning, policy formulation, program evaluation, public 

relations, and other executive functions. May exercise 

control over specific functions such as budget or 

personnel. Other common duties include collecting and 

preparing inform ation used for determining 

administrative policies; interpreting and implementing

executive decisions; serving as an advisor for establishing 

new administrative polices; and conducting research and 

preparing reports. Prim ary requirement for 

administrative specialist position is a thorough 

knowledge of the principles and practices of public or 

business management and administrative experience. 

Some positions require graduation from a university or 

college with a degree in public or business 

administration, or accounting.

Titles identified:

Administrative Assistant 

Administrative Service Supervisor 

Administrative Trainee 

Analyst (Public Administration)

Business Manager

Chief of Administrative Services

Governmental Analyst

Management Analyst

Office Manager

Technical Aid - Business Administration

OTHER ADM INISTRATORS. This category 

includes all program administrators not specifically 

described in the preceding statements. Convention 

facilities managers, managers of historical, art, and other 

cultural centers, and retirement systems managers are 

examples of the miscellany of administrators placed in 

this category. Generally require specific subject matter 

training or experience related to their program activity 

as well as administrative ability.

Titles identified:

Airport Manager

Business Administrator and Secretary,

Institute of Arts 

Cafeteria Manager 

Chief of Weights and Measures 

Inspection 

City Clerk

Commissioner, Recorders Court Jury 

Commission

Convention Facilities Director 

Convention Facilities Manager 

Deputy Sealer Of Weights and Measures 

Director, Civic Center Commission 

Director, Historical Commission,

Assistant

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Director of Elections 

Director of Labor Relations 

Director of Minimum Wage Commission 

Director Municipal Museum 

Insurance Manager 

Manager, Convention Facilities 

Manager, Municipal Auditorium 

Market Master

Municipal Trailer Park Manager 

Real Estate Supervisor 

Retirement Systems Administrator 

Superintendent of Zoological Park 

Operations 

Zoo Supervisor

Planning Occupations

ARCHITECTS plan and design physical structures 

and organize the services necessary for their 

construction. Consult with appropriate city officials to 

determine size and space requirements and provide them 

with information regarding cost, design, materials, 

equipment, and estimated building time. Plan the layout 

of a project and integrate structural, mechanical, and 

ornamental elements into a unified design. Make 

technical studies and inspections and arranges work 

schedules. Direct the preparation of reports and the 

maintenance of records. Positions require graduation 

from a university or college with a degree in 

architecture.

Titles identified:

Architect

ARCHITECTURAL TECHNICIANS assist 

architects engaged in planning by examining 

architectural drawings for accuracy and conformance 

with specifications. Make cost estimates of structures. 

Check materials, structural and mechanical designs, site 

plans, and cost estimates submitted by architects and 

consultants. Confer with architects, contractors, and city 

agencies concerning work in progress. Maintain 

architectural technician positions is high school 

graduation and experience in examining or drawing 

architectural plans and specifications, cost estimating of 

building structures, or project superintendent for a 

building contractor. Two year university training in 

architecture or civil engineering often is substituted for 

experience.

Titles identified:

Architectural Technician

COMMUNITY RELATIO NS W ORKERS aid in 

planning and implementing equal opportunity programs. 

Investigate com plaints and compile data on 

discrimination practices in employment or public 

accomodations. Evaluate environmental conditions 

in c lu d in g education, housing, em ploym ent 

opportunities, recreation opportunities, delinquency, 

health and income, and prepare analyses and reports on 

how they affect community relations. Plan, schedule, 

and participate in the counseling of socially maladjusted 

persons. May secure public assistance support for needy 

persons and may investiage fradulent assistance claims. 

Generally requires graduation from a university or 

college with specialization in social science, education, 

or psychology.

Titles identified:

Community Services Assistant 

Intergroup Relations Representative 

Public Aid Worker

COMPUTER PRO G RAM ERS prepare computer 

programs designed to store and process data needed for 

planning programs of city government agencies. Define 

problems for conversion to electronic data processing 

and develop and prepare detailed instructions and 

necessary test data to determine the accuracy of the 

program. Prepare detailed operating procedures for 

operating personnel and make modifications and 

improvements to programs as required. Generally require 

high school graduation and experience in computer 

programing. Some positions require graduation from 

college or equivalent experience. For trainee positions, 

ability to achieve a satisfactory score on a programing 

aptitude test is required.

Titles identified:

Computer Programer 

Data Processing Programer

D RAFT SM EN prepare clear, complete, and 

accurate working plans and detail drawings for 

engineering or planning purposes. Make final sketches of

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prepared drawings, charts, or topographic maps; check 

dimensions of parts, materials to be used, and the 

relations of various parts to the whole structure. Draw 

plans of subdivisions, streets, highways, subways, water 

and sewer systems, and other public projects from 

survey notes, and make any adjustments necessary or 

desired. Generally requires graduation from high school 

supplemented by college level courses in engineering and 

drafting.

Titles identified:

Draftsman 

Drafting Aid 

Engineering Draftsman 

Planning Draftsman

ECONOMISTS conduct studies to determine the 

economic feasibility of various urban betterment 

programs. Perform research related to population trends, 

land use, urban renewal programs, future employment 

and unemployment trends, and estimates of income 

distribution. Prepare comprehensive reports that present 

an analysis and interpretation of the results of research. 

May speak before civic and technical groups to explain 

the results of research programs. May meet with 

industrial, business, or civic groups to discuss viewpoints 

regarding specific research programs. Requires 

graduation from a college or university with 

specialization in economics or related social sciences. 

Some positions require an advanced degree and/or 

experience in the analysis of data related to city 

planning, housing and urban renewal, or a related field.

Titles identified:

Economic Analyst 

Economic Research Aid 

Social Economist 

Urban Researcher

ENG IN EERING A ID S perform elementary field or 

office tasks in support of engineers engaged in planning 

for construction projects. Execute routine tasks in 

survey parties and conduct routine inspection of a 

nonprofessional engineering nature. Perform simple 

drafting and computing work that does not require 

previous specialized training or experience. Assist in 

coordinating the work of city forces, contractors, and 

utility companies on various phases of projects. May act

as rodman or chairman on a survey party. Generally 

requires graduation from high school, preferably 

supplemented by experience in an engineering office or 

with a survey party engaged in construction projects.

Titles identified:

Engineering Aid

ENG IN EERING TECHNICIANS assist in preparing 

reports, charts, graphs, and tabulations for use in urban 

development plans or other planning activity. Perform 

technical engineering work of moderate difficulty 

including making computations and plotting information 

from field surveys, preparing maps and plans, and 

making cost estimates. May perform engineering tests 

using precision instruments and do other related work as 

required. May specialize in civil, electrical, mechanical, 

traffic, or other engineering specialty. General 

requirement for engineering technician occupations is 2 

years of college including basic engineering courses or 

completion of a vocational course of study in civil, 

mechanical, electrical, or traffic engineering, or 

equivalent experience in engineering related work.

Titles identified:

Engineering Technician 

Engineering Technician - Civil 

Engineering Technician - Electrical 

Engineering Technician - Mechanical 

Engineering Technician - Traffic 

Engineering Technician - Water

ENG IN EERS (CIVIL) prepare plans, designs, 

specifications, and cost estimates for urban development 

and public works construction projects. May act as a 

consultant to various city departments concerned with 

the construction, demolition, or renovation of 

buildings, roads, sewers, water facilities, or other public 

works projects. May advise the general public and 

officials of government agencies on policy, what 

resources are available, ordinances, engineering 

problems, and construction costs. Graduation from a 

university or college with a degree in civil structural or 

related fields of engineering generally is required.

Titles identified:

Airport Engineer 

Architectural Engineer

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Civil Engineer 

Engineer of Inspection 

Engineer of Surveys 

Field Engineer 

Project Engineer 

Public Works Engineer 

Structural Engineer 

Water System Engineer

ENG IN EERS (CHEM ICAL) prepare plans and 

establish standards for analyses and investigation 

of problems such as waste disposal, air and water 

pollution, radiation hazards, and occupational diseases 

for urban renewal, health, and related planning projects. 

Make technical engineering surveys, studies, and 

inspections, and review and approve plans and 

specifications submitted by consulting engineering firms. 

Graduation from a college or university with 

specialization in chemical, sanitary, or related 

engineering generally is required.

Titles identified:

Chemical Engineer 

Health Engineer 

Industrial Waste Engineer 

Public Health Engineer 

Sanitary Engineer 

Water Pollution Engineer

EN G IN EERS (ELECTRICAL) prepare plans and 

specifications for a variety of electrical equipment 

necessary for streets and traffic planning. Make cost 

estimates of street lighting, traffic controls and 

communication systems installations, extensions, and 

modifications. Collect data pertaining to the operation 

of electrical equipment and electrical installations. 

Recommend adoption or rejection of design and 

specifications standards. May act as a consultant to city 

officials on electrical engineering problems. Generally 

requires graduation from a college or university with 

specialization in electrical engineering.

Titles identified:

Electrical Engineer

ENG IN EERS (M ECH AN ICAL) prepare plans for 

the installation of mechanical equipment in new 

facilities. Check plans, designs, and specifications for

mechanical installations in new construction projects. 

Investigate and inspect technical mechanical engineering 

problems. Examine plumbing, heating, ventilating, and 

refrigeration systems in construction plans for 

conformity with the building code. Prepare technical 

engineering reports. Employment generally requires 

graduation from a college or university with 

specialization in mechanical or civil engineering.

Titles identified:

Mechanical Engineer

Specifications Engineer

ENGINEERS (TRAFFIC) plan for the 

improvement of street systems to expedite traffic 

movement. Investigate traffic conditions and problems 

through field surveys and study of existing statistical 

data. Determine the layout of traffic signals, and review 

expressway construction projects. Prepare maps of 

proposed traffic structures and develop plans for traffic 

flow. Determine detour routing, truck routes, 

channelization of traffic, pavement markings and 

dividers, off-street parking facilities, and other related 

traffic planning matters. Review street, highway, and 

expressway projects under construction to assure 

contract specifications are fulfilled. Employment 

generally requires graduation from a college or university 

with specialization in civil engineering and planning.

Titles identified:

Engineer of Expressway 

Engineer of Streets 

Traffic Design Engineer 

Traffic Engineer 

Traffic Planning Engineer 

Transportation Engineer

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS plan the landscaping 

areas to be used as parks or other recreation facilities, 

highways, hospitals, schools, land subdivisions, and 

commercial or residential areas. Confer with city 

officials, engineering personnel, and architects on the 

overall program. Prepare site plans, working drawings, 

and cost estimates for landscape development. Inspect 

construction work in progress to insure compliance with 

landscape specifications, to approve quality of materials 

and work, and to advise construction personnel on 

landscape features. Employment generally requires

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graduation from a college or university with 

specialization in landscape architecture.

Title identified:

Landscape Architect

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT

COUNSELO RS coordinate, organize, and attempt to 

stim ulate citizen interest and participation in 

community action programs. Promote community 

action programs by making house calls and individual, 

family and group contacts, and urging participation in 

these programs. Contact various organizations on behalf 

of persons needing services and assist in coordinating the 

efforts of various agencies serving an individual or 

family. Prepare summaries, analyses, and reports on 

neighborhood needs and problems, as well as individual 

cases or investigations. Counsel residents in an assigned 

area or neighborhood to improve their capacity for 

productive and self-sufficient roles in the community. 

May speak before groups to acquaint them with 

facilities, services, and information available. 

Employment generally requires graduation from a 

college or university with specialization in social science, 

social work, or vocational counseling. Some positions may 

require 2-years of college with specialization in social 

sciences or other fields related to community services.

Titles identified:

Counselor Aid

Counselor, Neighborhood Youth Camps 

Neighborhood Development Counselor 

Neighborhood Development Supervisor

PLAN N IN G ASSIST ANT S compile data to be used 

by urban planners in making planning studies. 

Summarize information from maps, reports, and field 

investigations. Trace maps and prepare statistical 

tabulations, charts, and graphs to illustrate planning 

studies, such as those concerning population, 

transportation, traffic, land use, zoning, proposed 

subdivisions, and public utilities. May conduct field 

interviews and make surveys of traffic flow; parking, 

housing, and educational facilities; recreation; zoning; 

and other conditions which affect planning studies. 

General requirement for planning assistant jobs are 

graduation from a 2-year junior or community college 

with specialization in urban planning or development.

Titles identified:

City Planning Aid 

Planning Aid 

Planning Assistant

RECREATION SPECIALISTS plan recreation 

activities and coordinate programs and activities with 

other community agencies such as community action, 

education, or welfare departments. May work with 

disadvantaged or anti-social groups to develop social, 

cultural, and recreational activities. These positions 

generally require post high school training in recreation 

or a related field. For some positions, graduation from a 

university or college with specialization in recreation, 

physical education, or social sciences is required.

Titles identified:

Group Activities Specialist 

Recreation Activities Counselor 

Recreation Activities Specialist 

Recreation Director 

Recreation Supervisor (Various 

Recreation Activities)

Street Club Worker 

Student Recreation Assistant

SO CIAL PLAN NING A N ALY ST S perform social 

analysis and planning, such as studying and evaluating 

social conditions and the agencies and programs 

concerned with resolving social problems. Evaluate 

neighborhood factors by working with social agencies 

and indigenous persons. Develop detailed proposals by 

documenting quantitive and qualitative deficiencies in 

existing approaches, and proposing methods for 

ameliorating social problems. Evaluate programs 

initiated under the Federal Economic Opportunity Act 

and make recommendations for improvement or change. 

General educational requirements are graduation from a 

university or college with specialization in social or 

behavorial sciences. Some positions may require an 

advanced degree.

Titles identified:

Social Planning Analyst

SYSTEMS AN ALY ST S analyze data processing 

problems and develop procedures to process information 

needed for planning programs. Develop forms, input and

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output documents, and types of files needed for 

information systems, and design computer and 

tabulating machine and manual data processing 

procedures. Employment generally requires graduation 

from a college or university and training and/or 

experience in computer programing and systems 

analysis. For some positions, specialization in subject 

matter areas such as engineering, city planning, or other 

fields may be required.

Titles identified:

Systems Analyst

URBAN PLAN N ER S develop plans and programs 

for the utilization of land and physical facilities of cities, 

metropolitan areas, counties, and regions. Compile and 

analyze data on economic, social, and physical factors 

affecting land use, transportation, parking, and other 

urban planning problems and prepare graphic and 

narrative reports on data. Confer with local authorities, 

civic leaders, social scientists, and land planning and 

development specialists to devise plans and recommend 

arrangements of land and physical facilities for 

residential, commercial, industrial, and community uses. 

Recommend governmental measures affecting land use, 

public utilities, community facilities, housing, and 

transportation. The general educational requirement for 

urban planner positions is graduation from a college or 

university with specialization in city planning, 

architecture, landscape architecture, civil engineering, or 

a related field. Some planning positions may require 

specialization in public administration, economics or 

related social sciences.

Titles identified:

City Planner 

Land Use Data Analyst 

Planner 

Planning Aid 

Planning Technician 

Regional Planner 

Transportation Planner 

Urban Planner

URBAN RENEWAL CO ORDINATORS analyze 

alternatives and make recommendations on methods, 

procedures, and criteria to be employed for urban 

redevelopment or neighborhood conservation projects. 

Review relocation plans, financial schedules, and cost

estimates of urban renewal projects for conformity with 

federal regulations and the availability of funds. Review 

bids received for items such as site clearance, community 

improvement, or utilities relocation. Follow up on 

contract work to see that estimates are not being 

exceeded, and that schedules are being maintained. 

Arrange for sales of excess land and physical facilities. 

Oversee the preparation of periodic progress reports 

relating to specific urban renewal projects. May present 

talks on the subject of urban redevelopment or 

neighborhood conservation. Requires graduation from 

university or college, preferably with specialization in 

business or public administration.

Titles identified:

Urban Renewal Coordinator

URBAN RENEWAL W ORKERS contact relocation 

or rehabilitation site occupants to advise them of their 

rights and financial assistance available. Implement 

neighborhood conservation programs by disseminating 

information and encouraging neighborhood cooperation 

with the goals of the program. Consult with property 

owners and residents concerning property rehabilitation 

problems and methods. Conduct surveys in urban 

redevelopment areas to obtain the data necessary to plan 

the proper and orderly relocation of residents. 

Investigate and process moving expense claims. Prepare 

and maintain records concerning individual properties. 

Organize and participate in citizen groups and solicit 

support for redevelopment programs. Help determine 

beginning and completion dates for each step of an area 

redevelopment project. Develop methods and procedures 

designed to eliminate or overcome problems and 

expedite work progress. May act as Mason with other 

government agencies or public service agencies. 

Employment generally requires graduation from a 

college or university with specialization in public or 

business administration, economics, or sociology. For 

some positions, 2 years of university work with 

specialization in public or business administration or 

social sciences is sufficient.

Titles identified:

Urban Renewal Worker

Urban Renewal Assistant

ZO NING INVESTIGATORS review development 

plans for compliance with zoning ordinances. Provide 

information to public concerning compliance with and

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interpretation of city plans and zoning codes. Perform 

related clerical work. Employment generally requires 

graduation from high school and experience in field or 

office work related to city planning or zoning. 

Supervisory level job may require graduation from a 

university or college, or equivalent training and

experience.

Titles identified:

Zoning Investigator 

Zoning Examiner

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Appendix B. Study Procedure

The study is based primarily on information 

obtained during interviews with municipal and other 

government officials responsible for planning and 

administrative activities. Valuable information also was 

provided by written materials such as job descriptions, 

agency staffing patterns, and special reports on job 

vacancy and employee turnover, which were provided by 

local officials.

M ore than 70 government officials were 

interviewed in the five cities studied, including 

representatives of chief executives' offices, personnel 

administrators and specialists, and functional executives 

in the departments and divisions that are responsible for 

a city's programs and activities. Also included in this 

group were administrators and other representatives of 

county and regional planning agencies.

Five cities were included in the study. In an 

attempt to obtain manpower information on as many 

different types of situations as possible, cities were 

selected from 5 broad regions of the United States: 

Eastern, Central, Southern, Pacific, and Mountain. The 

cities selected had differences in population size and 

growth trends, types of government organization, and 

economic and social characteristics, including racial 

composition, income levels, and population density. 

However, the five cities selected do not reflect a 

scientific sample, and the data obtained cannot be 

considered representative of the country as a whole. 

Three of the cities selected were participants in the U.S. 

Department of Housing and Urban Development's Model 

Cities Program, and three had a regional planning agency 

located in the city.

No specific attempt was made to determine the 

significance of different social, economic, or 

organizational characteristics on planning and 

administrative activities and manpower problems. 

Nevertheless, the primary factor that determines the size 

and complexity of planning and administrative 

manpower needs appears to be the size of the city. As 

indicated in the body of the report, the large cities in the 

study were pressed hardest by problems of slum 

neighborhoods, deteriorating commercial districts, 

transportation inadequacies, and numerous other 

problems. They had much more complex organization 

and staffing needs than the smaller, more tranquil 

communities.

Major Characteristics of the Cities Selected

City I is a large city of more than a million

population located in the Central portion of the United 

States. Population has declined slowly in recent years.

The city has a mayor-council form of government 

and is a participant in the U.S. Department of Housing 

and Urban Development's (HUD) Model Cities program.

In comparison with other U.S. cities, this city has a 

high proportion of nonwhite's and high population 

density. Median annual family income was higher than 

the average for the United States as a whole ($5,660), 

but almost one-fifth of families in the city had annual 

incomes under $3,000 in 1959.10/

City II is a large city of between 500,000 and 1 

million population located in the Eastern region of the 

United States. Population has declined slightly in recent 

years.

The city has a mayor-council form of government 

and is a participant in the HUD Model Cities Program.

This city has a high proportion of nonwhite 

population and high population desnity in comparison 

with other U.S. cities. Median annual family income was 

roughly the same as the average for the Unites States as a 

whole, and almost one-fifth of the families in the city 

had incomes under $3,000 in 1959.

City III is a medium sized city, having a population 

of between 250,000 and 500,000, and located in the 

Southern region of the United States. Population has 

increased rapidly in recent years.

The city has a major-council form of government 

and is a participant in HUD Model Cities Program.

Nonwhite population as a proportion of total is 

higher than that for the United States as a whole. 

Population density is relatively low. Median annual 

family income was much lower than the average for the 

entire United States. Almost three-tenths of the families 

in the city had incomes under $3,000 in 1959.

City IV is a medium sized city, having a population 

of between 250,000 and 500,000, and located in the 

Pacific region of the United States. Population has 

increased moderately in recent years.

The city hasa council-managerform of government.

10/ Data on income is from the U.S. Census of 

Population 1960. Although more current data are not 

available for individual cities, a Bureau of Census 

Report, Americans at Mid Decade, Series P-23, No. 16, 

published in January 1966 reported, "family income in 

1965 showed little evidence of any change in the 

inequalities of distribution of aggregate income among 

families at various income levels."

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Nonwhite population as a proportion of the total is 

only slightly higher than that for the United States as a 

whole, and population density is relatively low. Median 

annual family income was considerably higher than the 

overall U.S. average, and only about one-tenth of the 

families in the city had annual income of less than 

$3,000 in 1959.

City V is the smallest city included in this study 

(population of less than 50,000), and it is located in the 

Mountain region of the United States.

The city has a commission form of government.

Nonwhite population is very small and population 

density is relatively low. Median annual family income is 

considerably higher than that for the United States as a 

whole, and only about one-tenth of the families in the 

city had incomes of less than $3,000 in 1959.

Interview Procedure

Interviews were conducted with the help of an 

interview guide that centered around several basic 

questions on the following topics: (a) background 

information on the type of occupational information 

available in central records, (b) the methods by which 

planning and administration is carried out in the city, (c) 

methods of identifying planning and administrative 

occupations, (d) recruiting methods and hiring and 

retention problems, (e) education and training of 

workers in planning and administrative positions, (f) and 

employment growth trends. Under topic (a), for 

example, the interviewer asked basic questions such as: 

What type of manpower information is available from 

central records? How can summary occupational 

information such as occupational employment by age 

and sex be obtained from the records? Under topic (b), 

interviewees were asked to describe their agencies 

planning and administrative activities as they relate to 

the city as a whole, the particular agency or operating 

unit, and State, regional, or Federal planning bodies. 

Under topic (c), specific questions centered around 

identifying planning and administrative occupations. The 

officials interviewed were asked to list all planning and 

administrative occupations and provide detailed 

occupational descriptions. Topic (d) centered around 

recruiting methods and hiring and retention problems. 

Officials interviewed were asked basic questions such as: 

How does the city agency recruit workers for planning 

and administrative jobs? Do you have difficulties in 

filling planning and administrative jobs? In what 

occupations are shortages or hiring problems most

prevelant? What steps has the city taken to alleviate 

hiring problems? Under topic (e), questions were asked 

about the education and training of planning and 

administrative personnel. Among the questions that were 

asked are: Do the curricula of colleges, universities, and 

other post high school training institutions give new 

graduates the necessary skills for planning and 

administrative jobs? What specific courses can be 

identified as most valuable? Under topic (f), which 

centered on future employment growth expectations, 

local officials were asked, for example, to identify 

occupations which they expected to grow (or decline) 

substantially over the next 5 to 10 years. They also were 

asked to describe factors that would cause change. 

Despite the use of the interview guide, the interviews 

were not structured rigidly. It was felt that a loose 

structure would allow respondents to present 

information they felt to be most important.

The interview guide was tested in one of the cities 

studied before it was used in the other four cities. 

During the "pre-test," several factors were discovered 

that helped facilitate the subsequent interviews. Among 

these was that the civil service commission or personnel 

department of the city had written job descriptions for 

all occupations found in the city government, and that 

these could be sent to Washington to analyze. Primarily 

as a result of an analysis of these written job descriptions 

that the categorization of planning and administrative 

jobs and job descriptions found in appendix A was 

developed. Information on the general availability of 

data for survey purposes also was supplied primarily by 

the Civil Service Commission or Personnel Department. 

Operating agency officials, however, were more helpful 

in providing information on planning and administrative 

activities and related manpower information.

The interview technique used in this study provided 

very satisfactory results for this type of study. The 

insights that were gained from the manpower problems 

of the cities, as well as the problems of collecting 

occupational data in a large scale survey, could only be 

obtained satisfactorily through personal interviews. 

Clearly, studies designed to obtain comprehensive 

statistics on local government planning and 

administrative manpower will require methods that 

differ from those used in this study. To collect 

occupational data, for example, a statistically valid 

sam ple survey must be designed and formal 

questionnaires developed. (See Chapter 3.)

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Appendix C. Available Em ploym ent Statistics

This appendix presents information on the basic 

sources of statistics on employment in local governments 

that are collected and published on a national basis. 

Other data may be collected by professional associations 

and by local governments, but no attempt has been 

made to include data that may be available through 

these sources.

Data on total employment in local governments is 

published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as 

part of its monthly reports on wage and salary 

employment. Each year, the BLS publishes a historical 

series of annual average data for both the national total 

of local government employment and for selected States 

and standard metropolitan statistical areas.12/

The Bureau of the Census collects data and 

prepares reports on employment in State and local 

governments. Data on employment by State and selected 

local governments and by function (education, 

highways, police protection, parks and recreation, etc.), 

as well as total full-time, part-time, and full-time

13/

equivalent data, are included in annual reports issued by 

the Bureau of the Censes. Similar but more detailed data 

are available from the 1962 Census of Governments.14/

Little information on occupational employment 

statistics is available for local governments. The most 

comprehensive data published covers 279 occupational 

groups, sub-groups, and individual occupations collected 

during the 1960 decenial census,5and these data have 

many limitations. The most severe limitations are (1) the 

concept of public administration, (2) currentness, and

(3) lack of specific detail for key planning and 

administrative occupations.

Decenial census statistics are classified in such a 

manner that occupations in local public administration 

cover only part of all local government employment. In 

the census tabulations, statistics are classified into 

establishments defined according to major economic 

activity. For example, school systems and statistics on 

their personnel are classified into the educational 

services industry, and medical and health related 

personnel are classified in the medical services industry; 

therefore, they are excluded from the data on public 

administration.

Local government employment is increasing at a 

very rapid rate, yet census occupational detail is 

available only at ten-year intervals. Although 

information collected during the 1960 decenial census 

provided some information on the general occupational 

patterns for local governments, it is of little value in

assessing the nature and extent of recent trends in 

changing occupational structure. Questions relating to 

current problems must be evaluated with current 

statistics.

Furthermore, the census occupational tabulation 

does not provide seperate detail for some key 

occupations related to the planning and administration 

of urban programs. These occupations are recognized 

and classified by the Bureau of the Census, but, for 

technical reasons, are not presented separately. City 

planners, for example, are classified as one of the 

administrative occupations, and in the published 

statistics are a component of a large group of 

m iscellaneous occupations titled Officials and 

Administrators, Not Elsewhere Classified, Public 

Administration. Detail for many other occupations 

similarly are lost inthe presentation of published statistics.

In addition to the decenial census, data on 

occupational employment in scientific and technical 

occupations in local governments was collected for 

October 1963, as part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

program of occupational employment statistics. These 

statistics provided measures of employment for 

engineers, chemists, and several of the science 

occupations and are the benchmark for employment of 

these workers in local governments. However, data of 

this type are needed on a continuing or regular basis, not 

only for these occupations but others related to 

administration and planning activities.

11/ Employment and Earnings and Monthly Report 

of the Labor Force. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau 

of Labor Statistics.

12/ Employment and Earnings Statistics for the 

United States 1909-67 (Bulletin 1312-5), and 

Employment and Earnings Statistics for States and Areas 

1939-66 (Bulletin 1370-4). Both are published by the 

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

13/ Employment in 1967 and City Public 

Employment in 1967, Census GE Series, Numbers 3 and 

4, Annual, U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the 

Census.

14/ Census of Governments 1962 - Compendium of 

Public Employment, Vol. Ill, U.S. Department of 

Commerce Bureau of the Census.

15/ U.S. Census of Population 1960, Occupation by 

Industry, 1963. Final Report PC(2)7C, U.S. Government 

Printing Office, Washington, D.C.

16/ Occupational Employment Statistics 1960-66,

Bulletin 1579, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of 

Labor Statistics.

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A P P E N D IX D. A B STR A C T

The primary objectives of this pilot study were to 

(1) identify occupations that entail planning and 

administrative functions within local governments; (2) to 

identify problems urban governments are having in 

meeting current skill requirements in such occupations 

and to indicate actions taken or contemplated to resolve 

those problems; and (3) to identify areas where further 

research is needed. The report is based primarily on 

information drawn from interviews with local officials in 

five cities of varied size, characteristics, and geographic 

location.

Several hundred professional, administrative, and 

technical (PAT) job titles were identified. These titles 

were condensed into 40 occupational groups, ranging 

from chief executives to technician level planning aids. A 

large proportion were high level jobs, typically filled by 

promotion from within. Occupational shortages were 

identified mainly at entry levels. The most prominent 

shortage occupations were city planner, administrative 

specialist, and planning aid and assistant.

City approaches to alleviating manpower shortages 

included increasing salary levels and instituting tuition 

rebate and other educational aid programs, substituting 

personnel of a lower grade or related specialty, and using 

technician level aids and assistants to support high level 

planning and administrative personnel. Efforts also were 

being made to expand and intensify recruiting 

campaigns.

Long-range manpower planning is not common in 

the cities studied, but local officials interviewed 

expected growth in programs that require PAT 

personnel.

The most important research needs identified in the 

report are: (1) Development of wide scale occupational 

employment surveys; (2) development of projections of 

future manpower requirements; (3) occupational 

mobility studies; (4) job opportunity studies; and (5) 

studies of education and training requirements in 

planning, administrative, and related occupations.

* U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1969 0 - 3 5 6 -1 7 4

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U.S. D E P A R TM E N T O F LABOR

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

W A S H IN G T O N , D.C. 20212

POSTAGE AND FEES PAID

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

j^ T H IR D C L A S S M A I L j

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