2
Steps 1 – 3: List and Rate Tasks
Collect information about the job. A good place to start is by reviewing
existing materials that describe the work that is performed on the job. Such
materials include:
• Position descriptions,
• Classification standards,
• Subject matter expert (SME) input,
• Performance standards, and
• Occupational studies.
The tasks and competencies, Appendix F, developed through OPM's
Governmentwide occupational studies are also a good source of information
(http://www.opm.gov/deu/Handbook_2007/DEO_Handbook.pdf). Since
these studies are based on a comprehensive review of job information and are
very broad in scope, you may not need to develop many additional tasks and
competencies beyond those included in these studies.
Use the Job Analysis Worksheet for Tasks to list the tasks that are required to
perform successfully on the job based on the information and/or SME input
(along with the source of that information) collected in Step 1.
NOTE: This worksheet includes tasks from the position description template.
On the Job Analysis Worksheet for Tasks:
a) Have the SMEs individually rate the tasks on the importance and
frequency scales provided on the worksheet. (Note the scales shown on
the worksheets are examples of scales that have been used in past job
analyses. Alternative scales are provided in the DEOH);
b) Eliminate tasks that were rated as “Not Performed” on either the
importance or frequency scale by at least half of the SMEs. Of the tasks
that remain, compute an average rating (excluding any “0=Not
Performed” ratings from the average) across SMEs for each task on each
scale; and
c) Then identify which tasks are critical for the job. This involves
determining cutoffs for both the importance and frequency scales. A
recommended cutoff is 3.0 or above for both scales. (This will vary by
the scale used, depending on the anchors associated with each scale
rating.) That is, tasks that, on average, were rated 3.0 or above on both
importance and frequency are considered critical for the job.