Distribution: AMS, APHIS Originating Office: MRPHR-HRPB

United States Department of Agriculture

Marketing and Regulatory Programs

Agricultural Marketing Service

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Directive MRP 4511.2 9/11/2018

POSITION CLASSIFICATION

1. PURPOSE

This Directive establishes position classification policy for Marketing and Regulatory Programs

(MRP).

2. REPLACEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

This Directive replaces MRP Directive 4511.1, dated 02/16/2006.

3. AUTHORITIES/REFERENCES

This Directive must be applied in conjunction with:

a. 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) Part III, Chapter 51, Sections 5101-5115.

b. Title 5, USC, Part III, Chapter 53, Sections 5346, 5362-5363.

c. Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 335.103.

d. Title 5, CFR, Part 511, Subparts A, B, F, G.

e. Title 5, CFR, Part 532, Subpart F, G.

f. Title 7, CFR, Part 2, Subpart P.

g. USDA Department Regulation DR-4020-511-001, Position Classification.

h. USDA Department Regulation DR-4030-335-02, Merit Promotion and Internal

Placement.

i. Human Resources Desk Guide (HRDG), Subchapter 4511.

4. COVERAGE

a. Positions covered by this Directive:

(1) General Schedule positions, and

(2) Federal Wage System positions.

b. Positions not covered by this Directive:

(1) Foreign Service positions;
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(2) Senior Executive Service positions;

(3) Positions classified to the Milk Market Administrator pay system; and

(4) Positions classified to the Administratively Determined pay system.

5. POLICY

a. It is MRP policy to classify positions in the appropriate class and grade in conformance

with standards published by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) policies.

b. Pay must be based on the principle of equal pay for substantially equal work. Differences

in pay must be in proportion to substantial differences in the difficulty, responsibility and

qualification requirements of the work performed.

6. OPERATING PROCEDURES

Operating procedures and responsibilities for position classification are contained in the HRDG.

Subchapter 4511.

7. DELEGATED CLASSIFICATION AUTHORITY

a. Delegated position classification authority is used to determine and certify the proper pay

plan, title, series, and grade of a position. The Human Resources Specialist with

delegated classification authority certifies the classification of a position by signing the

Classification Approved section on the Position Description Cover Sheet, AD-332.

b. The Secretary’s Department-wide authority for position classification is delegated by 7

CFR 2.91 (a) (10) to the Director, Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM).

This authority is further delegated as follows:

(1) Mission Area Human Resource Directors.

(2) The MRP Human Resource Director has delegated classification authority to

Human Resources Specialists (Classification) who have completed requisite

training.

c. This authority may be revoked by OPM or OHRM if it finds that an agency is not placing

positions in classes and grades in conformance with published standards, and may require

prior approval before a personnel action is effected to place a position in a class and

grade for payroll and other personnel purposes. Classification authority may be restored

at a later date to the extent that OPM or OHRM is satisfied that later actions are in

conformance with published standards.

8. RECORDS MANAGEMENT

All records related to position classification are maintained by the APHIS MRP Business Services

Human Resources Division (Operations and Policy). General Records Schedule (GRS) retention

requirements and archiving responsibility are listed below.
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a. Records maintained by Human Resources (Operations), Minneapolis, MN:

(1) GRS 2.1 – item 020; official record copy of position description (PD) and AD-332,

PD Cover Sheet; destroy two years after position is abolished or PD is superseded

(longer retention is authorized for business use).

(2) GRS 2.1 – item 022; records relating to developing, editing, classifying, and

evaluating PDs; including information on title, series, grade, duties, and

responsibilities; destroy when PD is final (longer retention is authorized for

business use).

(3) GRS 2.1 – item 022; USDA Office of Human Resources Management approval

records (email) for establishing a position’s new official title or new working title;

destroy when title is entered into National Finance Center EmpowHR System

(longer retention is authorized for business use).

(4) GRS 2.1 – item 030; records related to desk audits; destroy three years after final

decision; (longer retention is authorized for business use).

(5) GRS 2.1 – item 030; MRP Form 151 Promotion Resulting From Additional Duties

and Responsibilities, and MRP HR Director approval emails for grade stacking

situations; destroy three years after final decision (longer retention is authorized for

business use).

(6) GRS 2.2 – item 041; position description filed in temporary folder of electronic

official personnel file (eOPF); destroy when superseded or obsolete, or upon

separation or transfer of employee, whichever is earlier.

b. Records maintained by Human Resources (Policy Branch), Riverdale, MD:

(1) GRS 2.1 – item 030; classification appeals; destroy three years after final decision

(longer retention is authorized for business use).

(2) GRS 2.1 – item 040; certificates received from OPM, stating final decision on a

position classification appeal; destroy two years after position is abolished or PD is

superseded (longer retention is authorized for business use).

9. INQUIRIES

a. Inquiries on this Directive should be directed to the Human Resources Policy Branch at

301-851-2929.

b. Inquiries on procedural classification matters should be directed to the servicing

Classification Specialist.

c. This Directive and the HRDG subchapter are available on the following Web sites:

APHIS Directives Library, APHIS Manuals & Guidelines, and AMS Issuances Home

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/s/

Mark Davidson 

MRPBS Deputy Administrator