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HECCP
Project News
October 15, 2009 – Classification Structure Drafted
We are approaching a major milestone in our Classification Study. Using information that was gathered from the 1,200+ PDQ’s and 50 group interviews, FLA has drafted a new Classification Structure. A Classification Structure is a high level overview of job families and levels of work performed across the UMS. It describes jobs in terms of their distinguishing characteristics, including: nature of work, level of decisions, direction received, direction provided, responsibilities, complexity, education, training, and work experience. Once completed the structure will provide a framework for developing more specific position descriptions. Currently, this draft structure is being carefully scrutinized by our Joint Labor-Management Team, Working Group, and Steering Committee to make sure it accurately and completely reflects the work performed at UMS. It is important to remember that the structure, and the position descriptions that follow are not static documents, but will continue to evolve as changes occur in the workplace and new information on job duties and responsibilities is uncovered.
Please feel free to contact me anytime at scott.harrison@maine.edu should you have questions, concerns or ideas.
-Scott
Scott A. Harrison
HECCP Project Leader
June 15, 2009 – Occupational Panel Discussions - Overall Success!
After reviewing the 1,200 plus PDQ’s that we shipped to them in April, Fox Lawson & Associates (FLA) identified a group of positions for which they needed additional information. They selected employees from each of these positions to serve on various occupational panels and be interviewed. The interviews were conducted by project consultants from FLA. More than 180 employees participated and overall, it went very well. Thanks to all involved.
The purpose of the interviews was to clarify information included on the PDQ’s and assist FLA in defining the different levels of work, the distinguishing characteristics of each level, the minimum qualifications and other issues related to classification. There were six areas that were covered during the interview. These areas are described below.
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Direction Received – The level of direction or instruction employees are given in order to perform their duties. Directions may be verbal or written, and may be contained in a manual or dictated by organizational policy and/or procedures.
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Level of Decisions – The ability employees have to change the way they perform their job, or to commit their department or the organization to a course of action. Decisions may require the interpretation of policies and procedures, or may be made in the absence of policies and procedures.
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Supervisory Responsibility – The level of responsibility for another persons’ job performance. Supervisory responsibility may include making hiring and termination decisions, evaluating others’ performance, assigning work, and/or monitoring work.
Distinguishing Responsibilities – The duties and tasks that are essential to the job, and are not performed by lower level positions.
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Education/ Training – The minimum level of education and/or training that an employee believes should be required for entry into their position. This may not be the level of education and/or training that they possess, and may be different from what the University currently requires.
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Work Experience – The minimum amount of related work experience necessary for entry into the position.
Using the information that was collected from the PDQ’s and occupational panel discussions, FLA is creating a new Classification Structure. A draft should be available in August for review by the Joint Labor-Management Team, Project Team, and Steering Committee.
If you did not participate in a group interview but have questions or comments you wish to express, please email Fox Lawson & Associates directly at flasolutions@foxlawson.com. As well, feel free to contact me anytime with your ideas and/or questions, scott.harrison@maine.edu.
-Scott
Scott A. Harrison
HECCP Project Leader
April 10, 2009 – HECCP Progress Report
As we approach the one year mark since launching the HECCP project, I have summarized the team’s accomplishments and our next steps. I have also included summary results from a project opinion survey that was recently administered to all Design Team participants. It has been a productive year…. Click here to read entire report.
March 25, 2009 – PDQ Results – Employees Rise to the Occasion
Thanks to all of you who completed a PDQ. Thanks too, to supervisors, department heads and HR for your work in reviewing the PDQ’s and getting them to me on time. They continue to trickle in and as you can see below, to-date we have received over 1,200!
- UMA – 70% (88/126)
- UMF – 84% (108/128)
- UMFK – 90% (43/48)
- UMM – 88% (28/32)
- UM – 71% (692/968)
- USM – 65% (251/386)
- UMPI – 100% (59/59)
- SWS – 100% (26/26)
This is a great response, especially given the pressures and competing priorities faced by everyone these days. As I reviewed the PDQ’s, a couple things came to mind: one, it appears we received a representative sample of PDQ’s from each of the current classifications, which is very positive; and two, it is clear that employees took this task seriously, investing a lot of time to reflect on their work and attention to describing it completely and accurately on the questionnaire. The PDQ is crucial to our project - your efforts are appreciated.
As far as next steps, the PDQ’s were shipped to Fox Lawson & Associates (FLA) last week for analysis. The outcome of their analysis will be a new classification structure and updated job descriptions. Once FLA has drafted these items you may be contacted to participate in an interview or on an occupational panel to answer questions and offer your input to help refine their work.
Stay tuned to this site for more project updates. Thanks again for all your efforts.
-Scott
For the Project Team
January 5, 2009 – A Good Turnout!
More than 1,100 employees from around the state joined us at last month’s HECCP Employee Information Sessions (EIS). Thanks to all who attended. We hope you found it helpful and informative. Overall, response to the sessions and the project has been positive. If you were unable to make a session you can view it online at http://www.maine.edu/system/hr/heccpeis.php.
As discussed, the Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ) is important to you and our study. It is your opportunity to share with us precisely what your job entails in terms of duties and responsibilities, knowledge and skills, education and experience, working conditions, etc. This information will be used to create updated job descriptions and a new and improved classification and compensation structure.
The deadlines for completing the PDQ follow:
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By January 19 – employees deliver signed PDQ to supervisor.
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By February 2 – supervisor/department head delivers signed PDQ’s to campus HR.
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By February 16 – campus HR delivers completed PDQ’s to System Office.
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By February 23 - PDQ’s shipped to Fox Lawson & Associates for analysis.
Should you have questions regarding the PDQ or HECCP feel free to contact your supervisor, HR, me scott.harrison@maine.edu or (if privacy is a concern) our outside consultant, Fox Lawson & Associates at flasolutions@foxlawson.com.
Happy new year!
-Scott
For the Project Team
Scott Harrison, Project Leader
November 4, 2008 – You are Invited!
Mark your calendars! HECCP Employee Information Sessions (EIS) will be held in December. All hourly employees, their supervisors and department managers are urged to attend.
View the schedule of sessions to be held at your campus location. You are welcome to attend a session at another location if it is more convenient for you. Discuss which session to attend with your supervisor, then contact your HR office to register.
The sessions are approximately 11/4 hours. We will be distributing the PDQ (interactive Word (.doc) version) and answering your questions regarding HECCP and the PDQ.
-Scott
For the Project Team
Scott Harrison, Project Leader
October 17, 2008 – Building the PDQ: A Teamed Approach
Last month’s News stressed the importance of the Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ) that all employees will receive in December and will be asked to complete for their job. This importance cannot be overstated. The desired results of our PDQ – complete and accurate information about the nature and level of work performed by university employees - will serve as the foundation for our classification and compensation study. The questionnaire will supply the critical information for creating up-to-date job descriptions, evaluating jobs and comparing our pay to other organizations in the relevant market.
The HECCP Project Team and Joint Labor-Management Team have been working together over the past several weeks to hammer out a questionnaire that fits our needs at UMS -- one that is technically sound (i.e., gets us the information we need) and as easy as possible to understand and complete. Last week the Project Team held focus groups at campuses across the University System to pilot our draft PDQ.
The focus groups were very helpful. We recorded over 100 comments and suggestions from employees who participated in them. Many of these ideas have been incorporated to improve the PDQ you will receive. We are grateful to those who shared their time and feedback.
Elinor Hague Arthur Drolet Peggy Loveless |
Paul Philbrick |
A final PDQ recommendation will be delivered to the Steering Committee this month. Employee information sessions will be held at all campuses in December to distribute the questionnaire, review instructions and answer your questions. A schedule of these sessions will be available soon. Please feel free to contact me anytime should you have questions and/or ideas regarding HECCP.
-Scott
For the Project Team
Scott Harrison, Project Leader
September 18, 2008 – A Busy Month for HECCP!
Our charge calls for “teaming together to create a fair and sensible pay system – one that aligns with our HR mission and compensation philosophy.” Our teams have been hard at work! The Project Team, Joint Labor-Management Team, and Steering Committee have met numerous times since my last report (9 times in total!). Results have been positive. We received final approval on our HECCP project goal which marks successful completion of Phase I: Project Initiation and Administration. In preparation for Phase II: Classification Study, the team spent considerable time reviewing job evaluation options and evaluating the pros and cons of each. After careful consideration we selected a model and methodology that has been proven in similar settings and aligns well with our project goal and success criteria.
Under the direction of Dr. Fox (Fox Lawson Associates), the team has been hard at work customizing a Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ) that fits our needs. The PDQ is extremely important and care is being taken to make it as easy as possible to complete. In early December employees and supervisors will be invited to attend a one hour Employee Information Session (EIS) where we will distribute the PDQ, review it in detail and answer any questions you might have. Given its purpose and importance we expect that it could require a couple hours of your time to complete. This will be time well spent as the results will provide us with clear and accurate information on your current job duties and responsibilities. We will use this information to create updated job descriptions and classifications. All jobs will then be evaluated and ranked to ensure internal equity (Phase III: Job Evaluation). Finally, we will compare our pay scales to those of similar positions in the marketplace to assess our external competitiveness (Phase IV: Market Study). This is an exciting time for the HECCP project and your participation especially in completing the PDQ is critical to our success. Stay tuned as I will be back in touch with another update and a schedule of campus information sessions. Please feel free to contact me anytime should you have questions and/or ideas regarding HECCP.
-Scott
For the Project Team
Scott Harrison, Project Leader
July 18, 2008- Dr. Fox Comes to Town
Our outside consultant, Jim Fox, Ph.D. from Fox Lawson & Associates (FLA) arrived in Bangor this week and spent Wednesday and Thursday in planning sessions with the Project Team, Joint Labor-Management Team, and Steering Committee. Your feedback was helpful to us. We began each meeting by discussing the issues that came out of the HECCP survey. This served as a good backdrop for our discussion of project goals and expectations. Dr. Fox then led us through his 5 step process for building a new and improved classification and compensation system (see the presentation here). This process has been used by FLA successfully in several colleges and universities. We look forward to visiting your campus this fall to share more about the project and its benefit to you and our UMS.
-Scott
For the Project Team
Scott Harrison, Project Leader
July 14, 2008 - HECCP Survey Results
Thanks to all who participated in the HECCP survey. As you will see from the summary report, we received a solid response: 600+ surveys (a 33% response) covering all 5 units and all 9 locations. We received an impressive 2,000+ comments that are being summarized for use by our HECCP project teams as they begin their work. The results are clear – employees are ready for positive change to their classification and compensation program. With assistance from our outside consultant and continual input from you, the project teams are up to the task and eager to get started. Their kickoff meetings are this week, July 16 and 17. Visit this site often to monitor progress and share your thoughts.
-Scott
For the Project Team
Scott Harrison, Project Leader