Signs of Performance Coherence
by
Dustin L. Parker
A Research Study
Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Public Policy and Administration School of Business and Public Administration
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY BAKERSFIELD
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION
May 10, 2017 Spring Semester
Copyright
By
Dustin L Parker Performance Coherence in the Public Sector,
By Dustin L. Parker
This thesis has been accepted on behalf of the Department of Public Policy and Administration by their supervisory committee:
A...,_ __ A ,~ Tony Pallitto, MSA-HCM Date Second Reader
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Abstract
California Children’s Services (CCS)—Workflow research embodies the agencies 56 civil servants who function under 18 job titles, providing services to 6000 members. The Workflow research is non-experimental and based on those 56 men and women. The applied research sought to examine coherence between employee’s actual job performance and their job duties described in Essential Functions section of their Class Specification Bulletins (CSB). The studies data collection method consisted of CCS volunteer employees completing a qualitative open- ended survey. Answering in their own words, the studies sample frame, 19 survey respondents wrote about their average daily routines at CCS, the dependent variable. Survey responses were examined through the Keywords and/or Phrase Model adding a layer of scientific reliability. The
Essential Functions section of the corresponding Job Title’s CSB document is the independent variable. The Workflow study revealed that 21percent of the surveys that described at least one job duty that was in-coherence.
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Table of Contents Abstract ...... i Chapter One: Introduction ...... 1 History of County Government ...... 2 Kern County Statistics ...... 3 Statement of the Problem ...... 5 Purpose and Importance of the Research ...... 7 Chapter Two: Review of the Literature ...... 9 Theory ...... 9 Kern County Policy and Procedures ...... 12 Historical Evolution of Civil Service ...... 13 Privilege Stage ...... 14 Patronage Stage ...... 15 Professionalism Stage ...... 16 Privatization Stage ...... 25 Partnership Stage ...... 26 Present Day applications in Kern County ...... 26 Merit System ...... 28 Class Specification Bulletins ...... 28 Design and Function—Class Specification Bulletin Format ...... 30 Organizational Theory ...... 34 Systems Theory ...... 36 Contingency Theory as Management Style ...... 37 Chapter Three: Method ...... 39 Grounded Theory ...... 39 All Employees as California Children’s Services ...... 40 Survey ...... 41 Content Analysis ...... 41 IRB Approval ...... 44 Confidentiality ...... 45 Limitations ...... 45 Chapter Four: Results & Discussion ...... 46 Findings...... 46 Discussion ...... 47 Theory ...... 50 Chapter Five: Summary & Recommendations Summation ...... 53 Recommendations Recommendation One: Job Duties Log ...... 54 Recommendation Two: Conduct a Formal Job Analysis ...... 54 Recommendation Three: Implement a Position Reclassification ...... 55
ii References ...... 57 Appendix A ...... 63 Appendix B ...... 65 Appendix C ...... 67 Appendix D ...... 68 Appendix E ...... 69 Appendix F...... 70 Appendix G ...... 71 Appendix H ...... 73 Appendix I ...... 74
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Chapter One: Introduction
California Children’s Services (CCS) currently delivers and funds a full range of qualifying medical management services, with approximately 56 employees hired under 18 job titles. Located in Kern County, CCS provides services to 6,000 children with qualifying complex medical conditions living in Kern County, CA. As a County employer in California, CCS is subject to state and federal employment laws and regulations as well as provisions of Civil
Service ordinances. The Kern County Board of Supervisors approves all classifications and entitles all County offices and positions by resolution. The County Human Resources Division maintains each position’s salary or pay-range Classification and corresponding Class
Specification Bulletin (CSB) (Refer to Appendix A, Figure 1) (Kern County, 2017).
Job descriptions, contracts, and salary classifications are key components of civil service appointments that server more than just an advisory purpose (Mayhew, 2017). State, Federal, and
County employees have job titles, descriptions, and salary range classifications that are used as organizational tools. Job descriptions feature plain-language explanations of the position’s essential functions, required qualifications, certain tasks and various other information associated with a given occupation. Managers base employee performance evaluations on job descriptions and use them to incentivize employees to pursue career development activities such as classes and seminars with the anticipation of job promotions (Powerhouse HR, 2005). Job Bulletins contain Job Descriptions. In county governments in California, a different terminology is used.
Class Specification Bulletins (CSB) advertise salary classifications and a positions Essential
Functions, therefore, both share interchangeable content in this research (Refer to Appendix A,
Figure 1). Job descriptions provide important information such as a salary classification ranges which are used by human resources to organize and identify civil service administration
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positions. Job descriptions are broadly outlined representations of perceived duties that form a
basis for salary classifications. Who performs what specific duties, how specific duties are to be
completed, and the frequency and purpose of specific duties are all uniquely designed in relation
to an organization’s mission and goals (SHRM, 2017).
Public sector job descriptions are more than simple documents; they have evolved with
civil service as state and federal governments interpret laws set-forth by legislative bodies to regulate employment. Examples of employment law affecting both public and private sector job descriptions is the Americans with Disability Act of 1999, and the ADA Amendments Act of
2008. Job descriptions were impacted and explanations for the scope of physical demands had to be broadened to comply with the new laws. Accurate up-to-date job descriptions are valuable tools that knowable managers use for recruiting and in conjunction with achieving organizational goals. Effective management depends on well-written, up-to-date job descriptions as practical tools of employee communication that are often used during critical stages of employment (Jules
Halpern Associates, 2014). The need for a job to require identification or a description grew with the creation of counties, which origins are traced back to England.
History of County Government
Early county governments shared their heritage with English shires, which originated in ninth century England and served as administrative extensions of the crown. The Norman
Conquest of 1066, renamed shires as “counties” although still retaining their original organizational function. America’s first counties were in colonial Virginia, in 1634. It wasn’t until America’s Declaration of Independence in 1776, that counties became arms of state government (County Government, 2017).
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County governments are not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, but have a unitary relationship within their state. Governmental powers provided by the U.S. Constitution are divided therein, between national (federal) government and the state government. The state government is the unitary system that controls local government, has vested power. Powers can only be granted to counties expressly by states and therefore, counties are agents of the state.
Counties relationship to states was summarized by the 1845 U.S. Supreme Court ruling of the
State of Maryland v. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The decision read, “counties are nothing more than certain portions of the territory into which the state is divided for the more convenient exercise of powers of government”, establishing that counties exists for state convince and have no legal standing on their own (County Government, 2017).
Kern County Statistics
Throughout the last one hundred and fifty years, county governments have functioned as agents of their respective state. Kern County is no exception being the third-largest county by geographical area in California. There were 884,788 residents as of 2015, with a median household income of $51,342 (Refer to Figure 2, Below). The highest paying industries by yearly median earnings are Utilities $71,000, Mining/ Quarrying Oil/ Gas Extraction $59,000,
Figure 2: Kern County Map, 2017
Source: Kern County Map. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://www.mapsofworld.com/usa/county-maps/california/kern-county-map.html
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and Professional/ Scientific Tech Services $43,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017). The county occupies a total of 8,163 square miles, spanning east beyond the Sierra Nevada range into the
Mojave Desert and west from the Sierras across the floor of the San Juaquin Valley to the eastern edge of the Temblor Range and south over the ridge of the Tehachpi Mountains (Refer to Figure
2, Above) (Kern County, 2017). Kern County’s governing responsibilities granted by the state of
California include assessing and collecting property taxes, registering voters and administering elections, providing law enforcement, prosecuting criminals, administering jails, recording deeds and other legal records, maintaining roads, keeping vital statistics, and controlling communicable diseases (County Government, 2017). Electing a Civil Service System in 1956, Kern County’s governing body the County Board of Supervisors, consists of five representatives from each of the counties five districts (Kern County, 2014). The County Board of Supervisors are subject to
State and federal employment laws, and provisions of Civil Service Ordinances (Kern County,
2017).
County administered responsibilities vary depending on the wealth of the state and the counties geographical boundaries and/or population. Those counties with large populations, similar to Kern county, play greater administrative roles in their communities. County departments administer state and federally funded programs such as public housing, public assistance, Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California), hospitals, universities, libraries, cultural programs, consumer protection, citizen recreation (stadiums), construction and housing codes, and provide water supply and sewage disposal. Kern County administers funds earmarked by the state go to pay salaries and other operating costs associated with California Children’s Services, the subject of this research. Kern county has a large diverse population and administers all types of state and federally funded programs, including public assistance programs for the poor and
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needy. By comparison, a startling 22% of Kern County’s residents live below the poverty line, the National average is 15% (DataUSA, 2017). Therefore, Kern County is home to a large community of poverty-stricken individuals and families constituting unmet basic needs that require considerable public assistance resources. Programs such as Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF), which is disseminated in California under the moniker, California Work
Opportunities and Responsibility to Kids (Cal-Works), doles out aid to nearly 200,000 county residents (DataUSA, 2017). Public assistance programs available in Kern county operate with tight budgets, therefore efficiency should be optimized in order to do the most good, for as many people in need as possible. The Special Project Manager sees to it that California Children’s
Services is efficiently managed, constantly evolving and conscientiously seeking out efficiencies and improving upon itself and the health care management services provided to families and caregivers of ailing children.
Statement of the Problem
Kern County’s Public Health Services Department administers California Children's
Services (CCS) budget which manages to provide services to 6000 members. Headquartered in
Bakersfield, CA., on the second floor of the Kern County Department Public Health Services building, California Children's Services serves all Kern families and/or care givers who have a child with qualifying medical needs. CCS attempts to hire employees the correct skill sets for each position in its hierarchy of employees which in return operate an efficient medical management services (Refer to Appendix I, Figure 1) (Walonick, 1993). The team at CCS works tirelessly with community providers to expedite coordinated medical care with specialists and children’s hospitals, when needed. CCS also helps solve challenges that poor families face when seeking medical care frequently, transportation costs; for instance, providing fuel vouchers for
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members medical transportation needs for out of town appointments. CCS stays with its qualifying children until they reach adulthood or until member moves out of the county. When members become adults, a transition team focuses on getting the patient to a few area providers until they find one who is a good match, a physician they feel is best to take over their care.
These are a fraction of the services provided by the team of medical management specialists at
California Children’s Services.
The full range of medical management services are provided to 6000 members by a staff of approximately 56 employees, hired under 18 different job title classification. Kern County
Human Resources are responsible for maintaining and updating Kern County Job Descriptions and/or Class Specification Bulletins for those working at California Children’s Services (CCS).
The research data is provided by CCS employees who will be emailed a link by a CCS
Supervisor, inviting volunteers to participate in a survey opportunity. The main focus of the research is the data obtained from CCS employees who volunteer to participate in the survey.
The research attempts to recognize coherence between average daily job duties and the job titles, the job description provided under Essential Functions section of CSBs (Refer to Appendix A).
Kern County Class Specification Bulletins (CSB) provide the standard of measurement. By comparing the words and/or phrases of each Job Title’s Essential Function section of the CSB document, coherence is establishable between the CSB documents and survey response data words and/or phrases. The pertinent information on the CSB document tool that is used to determine coherence is, Job Title, salary classification code, the Description section, and the
Essential Functions section (Refer to Appendix A, Figure 1). Kern County is responsible to provide a CSB document for every position in the county classification system, including CCS employees (Kern County, 2017). The CSB document must include a Job Title, a Description
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section, and an Essential Function section, among other information that is non-relevant to this research (Kern County, 2017). It is theorized, job descriptions are extensions of job contracts, because research determined managers use job descriptions to conduct employee’s performance evaluations and to hire and terminate employees. Therefore, job descriptions in the CSB documents should also be coherent with the description provided by the survey responses regarding average daily job duties. This research attempts to determine if coherence exists between average daily job performances and those job duties listed under their job titles,
Essential Functions section of the Class Specification Bulletin.
Purpose and Importance of the Research
Kern County Department of Public Health is responsible for administering state funds earmarked for California Children’s Services operating budget. CCS employees’ salaries arepaid according to the salary classification code levels and ranges provided in the CSB. CCS classifications are merit based civil service positions. Compensation is based on a position’s responsibility, skill level and/or prior experience alone or combines. Therefore, it is imperative that employees’ daily duties match those of the salary classification code level of compensation and that job classifications are updated and apply to current organization responsibilities. The research purpose is to examine if coherence exists between CCS employees’ job performance and their job description. Survey responses regarding average daily duties will be compared to the CSB document Essential Functions section. This research functions as a means of identify those job titles that are preforming duties outside of their contracted job descriptions. Identifying the degree of lost efficiency caused by an individual or by an entire department of individuals preforming duties outside of their job descriptions will necessitate further investigation. This research is a first step in the Workflow research and therefore should determine if there is reason
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to conduct further investigation to determine action with the county Human Resource
Department.
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Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
This segment of the study examines the design and function of California Children’s
Service (CCS) organizational hierarchy, the policies and practices that govern Kern County’s merit based civil service classification system, the Class Specification Bulletins’ (CSB) document set forth by the Kern County Board of Supervisors, and the theories that drives this research.
CSBs are official county documents designed to be uniform and concise for all levels of county employment. With shared continuity throughout the many departments, the CSB defines the hierarchy of classifications that make up county government (Refer to Appendix I, Figure 1).
This section examines the research approach mechanisms and framework design characteristics.
The research’s structural framework components seek to quantify coherence between job description (Essential Functions) and job performance data. Therefore, Essential Functions and job performance data are precedence variables in the following analysis. This section concludes by exploring Classic Organizational Theory, which underscores hierarchy of authority and division of labor that delineates policies and procedures that have a bearing on this research.
Theory
A review of workflow literature exposed, Traversing the many paths of workflow research: developing a conceptual framework of workflow terminology through a systematic literature review (2010). The authors Unert, Novak, Johnson, and Lorenzi performed an extensive literature review of all locatable articles that describe methods used to study and model workflow. A total of 6221 articles were reviewed with 127 articles included in their research. The articles included were a combination of various industries using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed workflow research methods. Data collected from the workflow study consisted of
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researcher perspective, study type, method type, specific methods, approach to evaluating quality of results, definition of workflow and dependent variables. The most frequented research methods used was ethnographic observation and interviews. The authors indicated that the time necessary to properly conduct descriptive workflow research is substantial. The findings indicated that the research design most frequented was triangulation. A time consuming, but powerful technique requiring the application and combination of several research methods in order to facilitate validation of data through cross verification from two or more sources.
The lack of a unified definition for “workflow” has created challenges in understanding purpose and findings in workflow research (Unertl et al, 2010). The authors researched articles for
Figure 3: Workflow Elements Model
definitions of workflow and developed a conceptual framework of elements. Regardless of field, workflow researchers are encouraged to consider the Workflow Elements Model (Refer to Figure
3, Above). The model includes two levels: Pervasive and Specific. The pervasive level includes
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three components that apply to workflow, the elements include: Context, Temporal factors and
Aggregate factors. Context constrains and enables workflow. Seeing how context is critical in researching workflow, physical workspace and virtual workspace and organizational factors.
Temporality involves scheduling, temporal rhythms, and coordination of events, and is important on individual, work group and organizational levels. Aggregate factors, the relationship/ interaction between different tasks and Actors, including elements such as coordination, cooperation and conflict (Unertl et al, 2010).
The Workflow Elements Model framework relates to the CCS research, identifying coherence between job performance and job descriptions; as follows: the actors are the Job Titles of those who work at CCS that participated in completing volunteer survey. Actor are not listed as CCS employees because their job title will be determined by survey data. Survey identification will be achieved through correlating survey responses (words and/or phrases) to
Job Titles descriptions located in Class Specification Bulletins; Each of the 18 individual job titles were match accordingly (Refer to Figure 3, Above). The research artifact is the Class
Specification Bulletin documents. They are official Kern County salary classification tools that exist for every CCS employee and they include important details such as Essential Functions and/or Job Descriptions. Actions are those who are performing duties not included in the
Essential Functions section of the employee contracted salary classification. Characteristics; undermining civil service merit based system of classification, altering efficiency, working outside scope of practice. Outcomes would be any lost efficiency, undermining managements authority, not preforming contractual responsibilities. Other factors outside of the model and not directly related to workflow also potentially contribute to the outcomes. The Workflow Elements
Model highlights commonalities across research domains aligning the findings to be better
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comprehended for future reference. Workflow research unifies concepts and methods in the name of science strengthening studies in both a rational and complementary way. The linear task- oriented business approach process combined with a multilevel ethnographic approach, often brings information forward from both dynamic exceptions and static routine elements developing a more complete workflow research design. Factors outside of the model (not directly related to workflow) can potentially contribute to outcomes. The relationship between elements and the importance of various elements is subjective. The work flow elements model provides flexible structure for research design and findings reports of research studies. The model captures attributes repeatedly discussed in workflow literature across contexts, research fields and industries (Unert et al, 2010).
Kern County Policy and Procedures
Kern County Class Specification Bulletins (CSB) are official documents that exists for every class position in the county (Refer to Appendix A, Figure 1). New positions requiring class specification or re-classifications of existing positions must first meet the county’s governing bodies approval before ever being classified into the county’s classification system. Kern County elected to have a civil service governing body in 1956, the County Board of Supervisors which consists of five representatives from each of the county’s five districts (Kern County, 2014).
Kern County Board of Supervisors are civil service administrators who are subject to State and federal employment laws, and provisions of the Civil Service Ordinances. According to, Kern
County Administrative Policy and Procedures Manual (2017), county employment is on merit basis administrated by equitable policies and uniform procedures established for all human resources matters. The Kern County Board of Supervisors classifies and entitles all county offices and positions by resolution (Kern County, 2014). Position specification criteria is based
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on the caliber of duties performed, the status of supervision, and the position class and character
(Kern County HR, 2017). According to Kern County Administrative Policy and Procedures
Manual (2017), the Auditor-Controller-County Clerk is responsible for “Division Name, Item
Number Classification, Insurance Code, Range, Step and Salary.” (Kern County, 2017).
Moreover, the requirements for entrance to each position within the county’s classification system are located in each position’s CSB. All contracted county employees have Class
Specification Bulletins that are identified by Class Code which indicate a position’s compensation level within the county’s classification system. The Kern County Board of
Supervisors has full authority over Class Codes and the entire classification system (Kern
County, 2014). A position cannot be classified in the county’s classification system if the Board of Supervisors has no authority over the position’s compensation (Kern County, 2017). Kern
County Human Resources are responsible for maintaining CSB’s continuous updating and publishing (Kern County, 2017). Additionally, Kern County Human Resources maintains an official roster of all employed persons in classified service and has ultimate authority over their employment status (Kern County, 2017). County and state actions are routed in the civil service.
Historical Evolution of Civil Service
America’s civil service evolution plays an essential role in public sector research.
Examining poignant moments over the last century creates a context for understanding civil service evolution in its entirety, as the necessary components facilitate modern societies functions. This research will briefly examine civil service evolution that began in the late 1700s and continues present day. The civil service administrations preparatory groundwork is organized and termed under the following headings; the Privilege stage from (1789-1828), the Patronage stage from (1829-1882), the Professionalism stage from (1883-1932), and the Performance stage
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from (1933-1964). The following informal headings characterize the modern era of civil service
beginning with the People stage from (1965-1979), and presently transpiring simultaneously are
the Privatization stage that started in 1980 and the Partnerships stage which began in 2002. The
inception of Civil service job classifications is explored briefly and presented in chronological
order according to its history.
Privilege Stage
This research begins at the end of the revolutionary war of 1783. After America won its independence from Great Britain, the Constitution established checks and balances. In time, its three branches of government would create numerous civil service opportunities. In the late
1700s, civil service jobs were held by select individuals who were part of the financial elite. This small group consisted of property owning political figures that led America to its victory during the revolutionary war. In fact, representatives who made up the Continental Congress were the same men who led the American Revolution. Those Congressional representatives included;
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, John Hancock,
Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Jay, and Patrick Henry (History, 2017).
Termed the Privilege stage, from (1789 - 1828) was a time when America was dominated by its founding fathers and their values of responsiveness and representation (Klinger, Nalbandian, &
Llorens, 2010). The influence that these men brought with them was incalculable. Their individual backgrounds and beliefs are not only the foundation that America is built upon but also the blue print for a rudimentary civil service administration. “Government by founding fathers” meant high civic standards and expectations, which was expected of all public officials in those years (Klinger, 2010). At the time, the Federal government consisted of few positions, mostly being clerical and/or administrative positions. It was a time when government was small,
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tiny compared to today’s standards. The privilege stage gave way to political pressures brought on by the publics focus. Shifting directions, the government began an expansion and furthered civil service’s evolution (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2017). The privileges period saw civil service positions filled according to an incumbent’s status in society and participation in the American revolution. Appointments were based on prior experiences, abilities and skills, a sort of select system of the elite.
Patronage Stage
The Patronage stage from (1829-1882), brought the emergence of political parties
(Klinger, Nalbandian, & Llorens, 2010). Political parties of the Patronage era were the result of political membership’s inherent rewards or spoils. Leading campaigners who supported winning candidates were rewarded through government employment (History, 2017). The power to appoint civil positions was the winning candidates right once in office. In fact, it was guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution (Article II, Section 2, paragraph 2), which clearly states that the method for appointment of higher officials, namely "Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls,
Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for" shall be Presidential nomination and Senate confirmation
(U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2017). An incumbent once elected, derived bargaining power from their political position’s power and ability to not only appoint but also remove, individuals from government jobs. Those appointed to civil service positions, could later be
“convinced” of a proposition due to an incumbent’s power to fire government employees at will
(Farazmad, 2004). Departure rarely occurring, the system gave elected officials a means of getting things done quickly. It also allowed for greater policy making abilities with likeminded individuals in their corner. The act of compensating a winning incumbent’s political organizers
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and supporters, with civil service jobs, was known as the spoils systems. It was supported many who saw politics as a pay day; George Washington Plunkitt declared that, “the people would not bother to vote, much less work in politics unless there is something in it for them: jobs and payoffs” (Riordon, 1963) (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2017). The tradition of appointing civil service positions would grow exponentially to the point where, once a position was appointed it would be difficult to keep track of. The political spoils appointment process was faulted with filling important position with individuals who did not have the skills or ability to perform the duties the position required (Farazmad, 2004). The idea of creating a salaries classification system has been proposed but with no structure it was obsolete.
Professionalism Stage
In 1853, Congress passed a Classification Act which organized government clerical workers into four grades, (The Act of 1853, 10 Stat. 189, 209). This was not a position classification in the modern sense of the term.
It lacked any provisions that would ensure work of the same difficulty and responsibility would be assigned to equivalent pay grades (Diprete, 1950).
The act basically states that pay for clerical positions be Figure 4: Mason-Dixon Line, 1860s Rebellious States. selected from one of the four
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designated menu choices (Diprete, 1950). The act offered no process for determining pay nor job
classification.
The Democrats returned to power and the White House with the election of President
Pierce in 1853. The Administration, precipitately removed 89 percent of Whig class appointees.
The largest employment of the spoils system came with President Lincoln in 1861. The
Republican party made it to the White House for the first time. There were 1,520 presidential
class appointees in 1859, Lincoln removed 1,457, or 96 percent (Rothbard, 2006). Pressing
issues in the nation’s capital centered around slavery tensions. The social climate began to
change, northern states wanted to abolish slavery but the southern states depended on slave labor
as a way of life. The debate grew heated, opinions were split and there would be no compromise,
a revolution to end slavery was afoot.
The Civil War, from (1861 – 1865) which is often referred to as the American Revolution,
eventually brought an end to the right to own slaves. Compromise on the topic had failed and a
difference of opinion essentially split the country in half—the United States and the new
Confederate States of America (Refer to Figure 4, above) (Foner, 2017). President Lincoln’s
proclamation allowed African American men to fight for their own freedom (Civil War Trust,
2017). Initially, the Proclamation only freed slave found in the rebellious states (those south of the Mason-Dixon line) (Refer to Figure 4, Above) (Civil War Trust, 2017). The Proclamation gave anti-slavery supporters the advantage; having played a central role in the abolishment of slavery in both North and South (Civil War Trust, 2017). Slavery was finally abolished by the
13th Constitutional Amendment, passed on December 6th,1865 (Civil War Trust, 2017) . Many
American men and women lost their life contributing to the abolishment of slavery; a noble selfless act that resulted in 4 million slaves’ gaining their freedom (History.com, 2017). The post-
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Civil War period, termed the Reconstruction era, from (1865 – 1877) experienced a process of rebuilding which brought huge changes in American culture, economy, and politics (Foner,
2017). The era in civil service evolution that followed was corrupt, A blight on American civil service history that must not be repeated. The period was racked by news of the day, elected officials infiltrating government office for the purpose of taking historical quantities of public monies. The business of America had matured and with it came civil services bad reputation.
America’s business sector saw rapid growth nearing the turn of the century, from a combination of different factors. New technologies combined with thousands of immigrants arriving daily as cheap labor, mechanized industrialization, railroads, and steam-powered ships the period was ripe with corruption (Aboukhadijeh , 2017). Traditionally, the government had a
“laissez-faire” philosophy about business matters, which in French equates to “hands off” of business. This philosophy had run its course, corruption was rampant and the spoils systems only made things worse.
It did not help that the era had become heavily reliant on spoils, officials would use whatever means possible to continuously be reelected (Farazmad, 2004). Problems abounded, some appointees were not capable of doing their duties, they had been appointed to important government positions with no skills. As time passed, these appointees became more difficult to monitor; providing further reason for a merit system (Farazmand A., 2007). Corruption of elected officials reached record breaking heights for the period. William “Boss” Tweed’s Ring
(Democratic Party) and the Republican "Gas Ring" both on two separate occasions stole some
$75 million from the U.S. Treasury. Government officials were sought after by business speculators, railroad promoters, land contractors, and stock market investors etc. who would wait in a proverbial line to purchase the officials “influence” (Foner, 2017). Pressure began building
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in the court of public opinion; time had come for civil service administration to evolve further.
That defining moment came in 1881, the tragic assassination of President Garfield. The unfortunate event was troubling, the newly elected President was assassinated by “an insane position seeker” who forever “blackened the name of spoils” (Farazmand, 2007).
The assassination of President Garfield on September 19, 1881, was due in part to the president’s responsibility to appoint civil service positions, what had started out a hundred or so positions had now outgrown one man’s control. A massive 100,000 federal positions were up for presidential appointment (SBAC, 2017). At the time of Presidents Garfield’s assassination, he had already proposed civil service reform. James Guiteau was the presidential assassin. Guiteau, had become disgruntled over not being appointed to a high office after he had written a great speech for the president. The assassin went to trial for murder where his bizarre show of behavior helped solidify public support for civil service reform. His trial and death by hanging occurred within a year of the murder (SBAC, 2017). President Arthur took office the afternoon of the assassination. He soon reversed his prior support of a political patronage system for civil service reform after being faced with appointing 100,000 federal workers. His support for civil service reform came at a very high political price, it led to his demise. This was verifiable by the
Republican Party’s refusal to nominate President Arthur for a second term of office (SBAC,
2017).
President Garfield’s assassination after roughly seven months in office, some 200 days, was a huge motivational push for Congress to approve the Pendleton Act (1883). The act ushered in a fundamental shift in foundation of the civil service administrations. The Pendleton Act, also known as the U.S. Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, paved the way to abolishing corruption and replacing the patronage system with a merit based system. The act led the way to better
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efficiency and professional effectiveness (Farazmand, 2007). Changing public demands resulted
in civil service reform, as a means of satisfying or keeping up with progress. The reform brought
certain federal jobs to the forefront, which from that point on would be filled through
competitive examinations open to all citizens. Under the merit system the best qualified
applicants would be appointed regardless of their political affiliation (U.S. Office of Personnel
Management, 2017). That’s not to say that nepotism, favoritism, and discrimination of race, age,
disability, and sex did not still exists, it did; although at that point in history people could depend
on most federal appoints being based on merit and that was guaranteed by law. The Civil Service
Reform Act of 1883 changed public-sector employment on a fundamental level that remains to this day. Without the switch from spoils or patronage system to a merit based system, America would be a much different place. Merit crosses poverty, nationalities, and sex without regard and
it is the only way to appoint individuals to a position that’s funded by public tax dollars; in a
sense, everyone pays the salary of a civil position. Merit based civil service appointments also
encourage the best and brightest to manage the government. The Pendleton Act came by fruition
of slow building pressures of corruption, culminating in tragic circumstances. The assassination
of President Garfield influenced the public’s opinion that the patronage system had “reduced the
Chief Executive of the United States to the level of a petty job broker" (U.S. Office of Personnel
Management, 2017).
As the nation reformed, the Professionalism stage (1883-1932) was the first merit based
system to come about after the passing of the Pendleton Act. No longer would people be
appointed to occupations based on party loyalty to elected officials; federal jobs were based on
merit (Klinger, Nalbandian, & Llorens, 2010). Qualifications and competencies where necessary
during the professionalism era. The period emphasized rationality, planning, specialization, and
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 21
standardization (Farazmand, 2007). The era reflected the belief that there was only “one best way” that existed to perform a task (Farazmand, 2007). The Pendleton act did away with many elements of the patronage system except that it failed to remove the officials themselves
(Ingraham, 1995). Once again, public opinion facilitated change. Civil service administrations came under fire. To heed their call, further evolutionary changes were required; in the name of a more effective government. Those appointed to civil service contended with merit based employment systems but had no job classifications, nor means of fair salary distribution. The job or salary classification system sets the bar for merit based employment.
Civil service classification systems were badly needed and had been requested by commission after commission to no avail; a request for such classification systems came on every annual report from the Civil Service Commission from 1902 on, “equal pay for equal work” (AHA, 2017). It took numerous attempts to get the classification system right. The Keep
Committee (1907) devised a position-classification system based on duties rather than salaries, that was doomed (AHA, 2017). The Commission on Efficiency and Economy (1911) concluded that a position classification system was overdue which had been well-established by the Civil
Service Commission from 1902 onward (AHA, 2017). The Division of Efficiency, was solely established for the purpose of carrying out Congresses instructions on developing a uniform system for rating the efficiency of federal employees (AHA, 2017). The congressional committee proved that efficiency ratings could not be compared until positions were standardized (AHA,
2017). It wasn’t until 1919 that Congress established the Joint Commission on Reclassification of Salaries (AHA, 2017). The Commission reported the following year that there were astonishing inconsistencies in titles and salaries (AHA, 2017). Another three years passed by as the classification system for civic employees was debated in Congress but finally passed
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 22
becoming the Classification Act of 1923 (AHA, 2017). The only problem was that the act only
applied to those who held positions at Washington government headquarters location and not
outside “the field” which referred to other government offices that were not headquarters (AHA,
2017). Another seventeen years had passed before civil service positions were classified by the
Ramspeck Act, of 1940; at that point, the Civil Service Commission was given jurisdiction over
job/salary classifications. (AHA, 2017). The early twenties and thirties era of civil service
evolution saw hard times for the country and the real-world fears of foreign invasion.
The Performance stage (1933-1964) of civic administration’s evolution shared some
political leadership from the patronage system and merit system values (Klinger, Nalbandian, &
Llorens, 2010). A period of new challenges emerged after the Great Depression, feeding families became the main focus for many Americans, there were few jobs available. President Roosevelt faced enormous challenges taking office in 1933, many created by the Great Depression’s aftermath while others were created by the fears of foreign wars that threatened United States soil (Klinger, Nalbandian, & Llorens, 2010). The presidents approach included enacting the New
Deal (1933) which expanded the federal government’s responsibilities. Newly created federal departments were charged with providing jobs, building federal housing, determining entitlements, managing the economy, workers’ rights to unionize, and maintaining a permanent military presence across the globe (Farazmand, 2007).
The Hatch Act (1939), banned political activity by federal employees. Enacted partially because of President Roosevelt’s efforts using patronage activities to control democratic congressional nominations (Farazmand, 2007). The Hatch Act for the last time ended the patronage systems of political leadership. The act also was a step in the right direction for building back the public’s trust through greater transparency (Klinger, Nalbandian, & Llorens,
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 23
2010). Those working in civic positions were then secured from being removed, protected by law from political interference or subjective treatment (Farazmad, 2004).
The evolution of the civil service system’s next phase of evolution, the People Stage from
(1965-1979), centered around the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The act was partially in response to social inequality and individual rights, both important components of the civil service evolution.
Discrimination in many forms was outlawed, public accommodations, voting, education, civil service appointments and private sector employment, and giving out of public funds—were now protected by law (Farazmand, 2007). Key reforms embodied the dominant values of the People
Stage including, efficiency, responsiveness, representation, and focused more heavily on rights and equality (Klinger, 2010). Affirmative action represents a key reform that emerged guaranteeing against discrimination, in the name of social equality.
The Civil Rights Reform Act of 1978 was a monumental key reform in terms of United
States civil service administration. Affirmative action served those who had been denied employment due to racial discrimination. Held back by hate, minorities were now able to make up for lost time (Farazmand, 2007). This group also included women, who were also considered a minority because of their exclusion (Farazmand, 2007). The Civil Rights Reform Act gave the government what it needed to enforce the laws protecting citizens from discrimination. Moving forward to present, those laws helped make America a stand out phenomenon country, one that all countries should emulate.
The people stage is the phase of civil service evolution when collective bargaining was realized, making it possible for unions to represent employees in binding contracts and standing up for workers’ rights. Collective Bargaining, “a set of techniques under which employees are represented in negotiation and administration of the terms and conditions of their employment”
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 24
(Klinger, 2010). Due to complex laws, public sector collective bargaining fell behind the private sector. The negotiating table did not exist for civic service administrations because of all the parties involved could not be brought together (Farazmand, 2007). Public sector employees have agency managers who are accountable to supervisors, who answer to the chief administrators, who answers to the legislature, who ultimately answer to taxpayers. At that time, collective bargaining unions in the public sector did not have authority to negotiate binding contracts
(Klinger, 2010).
The Civil Service Act of 1978, designed to protect the career civil service men and women and maintain bureaucratic responsiveness, became law while President Carter was in office (Klinger, 2010). Conflicts between federal government’s personnel policies and employee rights resulted in the creation of both, the Merit System Protection Board (1978) and the Office of Personnel Management (1979). Hearing appeals alleging civil service rights violations became the responsibility of the Merit System Board (Klinger, 2010). The Office of Personnel
Management provided managerial policy oversight within federal agencies. The Civil Service act addressed, poor public service, agency performance, and bureaucrats control and direction were all cited as reasons for change (Klinger, 2010) (Farazmand, 2004). Merging into modern civil service, which has transitioned into a combination of globalization and adaptation for survival, has led to privatization and partnership stages dominating the United States (Farazmad, 2004).
The State of California civil service men and women did not have Collective Bargaining until
1977, when Governor Jerry Brown signed laws that classified positions in Universities, schools and state employee systems (SBAC, 2017).
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 25
Privatization Stage
The privatization stage (1980-present) was the beginning of devolution for civic personnel administration (Farazmad, 2004). Progress made within the United States civil service administrations system over the Professionalism and Performance stage has waned. President
Reagan’s “do more with less” campaign launched endless attacks against bureaucracy (Klinger,
2010). Perpetuating stereotypical jargon about government inefficiency and paid overtime the president framed his ideas as the only views that were competent. Many listened to the rhetoric rather than those who actually work in civil service. Public sector positions are usually paid a decent salary which means they often do not get paid overtime, regardless of extra hours put in.
Nonetheless, many believed the President created havoc for some of society’s most vulnerable, the mentally challenged. One such example of President Reagan’s polices was the Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act (1981) which repealed President Carter's community health legislation. Effectively ending the federal government’s role of providing services for the mentally ill. From that point on, the states received block grants and the federal governments mental-health spending declined by 30 percent (Pann, 2013).
The Clinton administration oversaw more downscaling with Al Gore’s National
Performance Review. The period shifted towards community responsibility for social services; the pressures of the time were to be personal accountability with a limited decentralized government (Klinger, 2010). The general consensuses of the public at this stage held an aversion for government. A change occurred in communities that began working together, relying on each other rather than the government, which turned out to be not so bad after all (Klinger,
Nalbandian, & Llorens, 2010). The next phase in civil service evolution is the partnership system.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 26
Partnership Stage
The Partnership Stage (2002-present), emphasizes cooperative service delivery among: governments, businesses, and nongovernment operations (Klinger, 2010). Delivery system’s advocates feel that the system is more efficient and accomplishes objectives better than government (Klinger, 2010). A major problem with cooperative service delivery is accountability. This system completely removes any responsibility government has to its tax payers, thus setting a dangerous precedence making it difficult for the public to address these issues (Klinger, 2010). Dominate U.S. values of privatization and partnerships conflicts with those of traditional civil service administrations.
Present Day applications in Kern County
Kern County California Children’s Services operates by traditional civil service values.
California shares some history of civil service evolution with the progression of America.
Although job classifications lagged behind in the states, the federal government implementation of a civil service classification system happened early on. California implemented a salary classification system for civil service employees, the Ramspeck Act in 1940. California
Children’s Services bares the benefits of a centuries long evolution, of which the end product is world-class civil service administration.
California State Legislature approved the State Civil Service Bill (Chapter 590 of Statutes
1913). The bill established the California State Civil Service Commission, which was responsible for overseeing the administration of California's newly established civil service system. Politics at the State Capitol played out, erosion over the next 20 years left the reform powerless. California State Employees formed the Employees Association and secured the state retirement system from politicians and governs who wanted to use funds for various
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 27
propositions. The next hurdle was the civic service merit systems and hiring of employees. Lines of thousands of citizens formed applying for any job after the Depression had taken hold of the country. Some 10,000 workers had organized by the 1930s. At the time there was 23,000 state workers with some 12,000 being permanent positions. Which meant that over half could face immediate termination at any time. A core group of state workers circulated a ballot measure to collect signatures across the state. Voters adopted the civil service protections in the state constitutions nearly as they exists today. The State Personnel Board was created to oversee regulatory administration of a general civil service system that was merit based employment by completive advantage (SBAC, 2017). The board administers recruiting, examinations, selections, employment standards, and disciplinary processes. Laws adopted by the board:
• 1937 – Like pay for like work – this set salaries based upon prevailing rate in private work and other governments • 1937 – Merit salary adjustment – annual adjustments for satisfactory performance • 1947 – 40-hour work week – prior to this law, state employees worked Monday – Saturday • 1961 – George Brown Act – authorizing labor unions for state workers and a “meet and confer” right • 1976 – State Personal Board eliminated “salary requirement” from minimal qualifications • 1977 – Collective Bargaining laws are signed by Gov. Jerry Brown for the University, Classified School and state employee systems (SBAC, 2017). – The Educational Employment Relations Act (1976), EERA
– Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (1978), HEERA
– State Employer-Employee Relations Act (1978), SEERA (Dills Act)
•
•
•
•
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 28
Merit System
Merit System exists today as core values that should be expressed in every human
resource decision. There are nine Merit System Principles, which are located in Section 230l(b)
of title 5, U.S.C. These Merit System Principles provide guidance on how managers and
supervisors should manage human resources and how human resources staff should provide
oversight of core values (USDA, 2017). These nine principles are the expected outcomes of good
management. These nine principles are:
• Recruit, select, and advance on merit after fair and open competition;
• Treat employees and applicants fairly and equitably;
• Provide equal pay for equal work and reward excellent performance;
• Maintain high standards of integrity, conduct, and concern for the public interest;
• Manage employees efficiently and effectively;
• Retain or separate employees on the basis of their performance;
• Educate and train employees if it will result in better organizational or individual
performance;
• Protect employees from improper political influence; and
• Protect employees against reprisal for the lawful disclosure of information in
"whistleblower" situations (USDA, 2017).
Class Specification Bulletins
Class Specification Bulletins are official county documents that are the essential components of the county’s salary based classifications system. CSB’s display unique Class
Codes numbers, which are utilized to organize and identify position classification. CSB’s are valuable tools that can quickly be located by the general public and county human resource
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 29
managers alike, either on the county’s web site or filed alongside job contracts, in personnel files
within human resource divisions. Some organization neglect to update Class Specification
Bulletins, often referred to as Job Descriptions in some organization, which leads to
complications if the time-span from the last revision date is more than a few years (Tyler, 2013).
Kern County Human resource department is responsible for the management and updating of
Class Specification Bulletin documents. California Children’s Services does not have jurisdiction
over Class Specification Bulletins. These documents are the entire responsibility of Kern County
Human Resource. Therefore, CCS does not have the authority to update CSB documents.
Job descriptions and Class Specification Bulletins are not viewed as “living documents”
and once completed they are usually stored away in file cabinets or long-unopened text
documents; which is a lost opportunity to manage organizations as efficiently as possible (Tyler,
2013). Not updating Job Descriptions can lead to liability for otherwise responsible organization.
Such liabilities exist when organizations are faced with Workers’ compensation claims andbeing in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The biggest legal implications pertain to incomplete, outdated, or missing information (SHRM, 2017). Recommendations for updating
Job Descriptions range from one to three years (Tyler, 2013). A good opportunity to edit and update the official CSB documents occurs after a manager performs annual performance reviews for an employee in that position (Powerhouse HR, 2005). It is at that time, Measures of
Performance or Essential Functions are easiest discovered (Tyler, 2013). The required missing information can quickly be hunted down and added to the CSB; diminishing liabilities and returning an organization’s compliance (Powerhouse HR,2005).
The Kern County Administrative Policy and Procedures Manual (2017) states, that Job
Class Specification Bulletin for each position shall, “prescribe the title, definition, description of
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 30
duties and responsibilities, essential functions and employment standards for each classification, which shall be established and adopted pursuant to the Rules of the Civil Service Commission, and filed in the Human Resources Division”. County administrative policy state that positions within its classification system, have broad descriptions (Kern County, 2017). This is done to minimize the number of position’s Class Specifications in the county’s classification system
(Kern County, 2017). Class Specifications and Class Codes are key components of the merit system in Kern County Classification System. The following section examines the CSB’s design and format.
Design and Function—Class Specification Bulletin Format
Class Specification Bulletins (CSB) are official documents that communicate specific required information regarding every contracted position within Kern County’s Classification
System. CSB documents exist in two varieties, one electronically as a PDF file online and the other as a hard copy available on two sheets of 8 ½ x 11 paper (Refer to Appendix A). The document’s format consists of a uniform design. Each CSB document is divided in sections that are labeled by county defined headings followed by position specific content. This design format exists for every position within the county’s classification system (Kern County , 2017). CSB section information is written in a clear concise fashion. The document’s advertised position title is at the top center of the page and located directly underneath the position’s Bargaining Unit.
Found below the bargaining unit is the position’s Salary Ranges. Positioned on the top left side of the document, is the Kern County California State Seal. Situated below the great seal, on the left side of the document, is the CSB’s last Revision Date. Shifting to the top right side of the document, the positions unique Class Code is visible. The section that follows labeled,
Description, provides a “description” of each position’s typical tasks including, supervision level,
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 31
skill necessary to perform activities, and characteristics of specific functions. The ensuing section is labeled with the heading, Distinguishing Characteristics. It covers specific requirements in regard to memorized rules and regulations, personality traits, and social characteristics. The succeeding section heading comprises the main focus of this research, the
Essential Functions section of the CSB. The position’s “essential” daily responsibilities are described in a concise manner, matching with an employee’s actual job performance. The heading in this context is also a synonym for Position Specification, Performance Measure, and
Job Description which are used interchangeably throughout the literature. Essential Functions include the basic duties that an employee must be able to perform with or without reasonable accommodations. The Americans with Disability Act of 1999 and the ADA Amendments Act of
2008, creates compliance liabilities for all public and private sector employers operating with 25 or more employees after 1992 or those operating with 15 or more employees after 1994 (The
U.S. EEO Commission, 2017). According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, human resources must carefully examine an employee’s Essential Function “to determine if each jobs function is essential to the jobs performance. (This is particularly important before taking an employment action such as recruiting, advertising, hiring, promoting or firing)” (2017). When updated frequently with proper position information the Essential
Functions section of the CSB provides a glimpse of an organization’s “big picture”, or how the position fits the organization as a whole (SHRM, 2017). Moving down to the next section heading, Other Functions, which is a continuation of Essential Functions, usually including less important tasks or duties that occur on a less frequent basis. Moving further down the document to the section heading near the bottom of document labeled, Employment Standards. This section includes items such as training, education, and experience etc. that are required in the position.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 32
An example from a Class Specification Bulletins, for Fiscal Support Specialist, relays the requirements, “experience related to the area of assignment; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to obtain the knowledge and skill to successfully perform the essential duties of the job” (Kern County HR, 2017). The remaining portion of the CSB is customized according to a prospective position’s title, these sections are not included in every job classification document. Examples headings include Additional Requirements, Licensure,
Knowledge Of, Ability To, Skill in, and Supplemental. These sections cover a range of qualification requirements, special personal characteristics, and interpersonal skill requirements that address an employer is needs.
The CSB tool is required for this research study. The Essential Functions section of the
Class Specification Bulletins, for positions at California Children’s Services, is necessary to qualitatively investigate the degree of coherence between the county’s Essential Functions description and CCS employee’s surveyed job performance. The CSB uniform format was examined and the Essential Functions rationality is described in the context of the document.
Furthermore, the next section investigates Kern County’s use of Class Codes as its classification system’s identifiers compared to the use of a Position Control Number’s classification system.
Class Codes vs Position Control Numbers
Position Control Numbers (PCN) are used by some government agencies to organize jobs by levels of compensation within classification systems. PCN’s classification system shares little similarities with Kern county’s classification system. Class Specification Bulletins (CSB), developed by Kern County Human Resources, uses Class Codes to organize positions with similar salary levels together within the county’s classification system (Kern County, 2014).
However, PCN’s classification system uses the position itself with its own unique ID, thus
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 33
creating a framework of positions for all the jobs within an organization (Kaiser, 2017). PCN classification systems are useful for budgeting future cost for each position at an organization.
After developing a budgeted cost for each position at an organization you can budget future cost by comparing the actual cost of the position against those already budgeted (Infisoft Software,
2017). Since each position has its own unique ID or position number, individual costs can be tracked for positions, whether they are even filled (Kaiser, 2017). Class Codes do not offer budgeting in this way, Class Codes are not unique among the same classes of employees. PCN classification systems consists of a predetermined quantity of positions and usually an employee has to separate from the organization or promote, before someone new can be hired in that classification (Kaiser, 2017). Employees promote within organizations changing job titles, salary, etc. but the original positions do not usually change much and maintain the same budget cost over a few years’ time-span giving (RIT, 2017). Therefore, PCNs allow for position history tracking without regard to the employee or any promotions. One of the most important reasons an organization may implement PCNs is the organization’s structure, including financial budgeting and headcount (Infisoft Software, 2017). PCN organizations track the number of employees and new hires easily. The classification system once set up, only adds to the position structure when the need arises. This differentiation of employee and new hires allows managers the ability to monitor employment history individually (Infisoft Software, 2017). Position control systems work best for organizations that are fairly static, where jobs and job descriptions are mostly fixed, the organization is hierarchically structured, and budgeted by position (Infisoft
Software, 2017). A prime example of a business type that uses position control is a state funded university (State Controllers Office, 2014).
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 34
Organizational Theory
During the first half of this century, Classic Organizational theory (COT) evolved representing the merger of Max Weber’s—Theory of Bureaucracy, Frederick Taylor’s—
Administrative Theory, and Taylor’s—Theory of Scientific Management. In 1917, Taylor developed Scientific Management theory originally proposing six principles (Refer to Appendix
C, Figure 1) (Ghoneim, 2015). Taylor experimented for many years figuring out optimal work methods of scientific management, the four principles:
I. Replace guesswork methods with a scientific study of the tasks;
II. Select, train, and develop each worker rather than leaving them to train
themselves;
III. Ensure that the scientifically developed methods are being followed; and
IV. Make sure the managers apply scientific management principles to planning the
work and the workers actually perform the tasks (Artman, 2014).
The application called for the scientific management of workers to improve productivity. The relevance of scientific theory in regard to CCS research is that scientific principles have been applied in planning and that CCS workers participated in the task precisely by open-ended survey. Furthermore, the qualitative resulting survey data examination is carried out specifically in hopes of quantifying the measure of coherence, in order to measure if productivity is as efficient as designed. The scientific management methods called for optimizing the way tasks were performed which is a research emphasis on optimizing CCS employees job performance coherence within a particular Job Title’s salary classification according to the Essential Functions section of their Class Specification Bulletin. Positions at CCS are simplified according to
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 35
according to skill and responsibility. Employees are trained to perform specialized task in the one
“best” way. Scientific Management drives job classification system
The Bureaucracy Theory is the Classic Organizational Theory; focusing on establishing clear lines of authority and control. The bureaucratic theory emphasized hierarchical structure of power and recognized the importance in division of labor and specialization. Rules are vital to the hierarchy structure, they give way to stability and uniformity (Refer to Appendix I, Figure 1).
CCS operates under a well-defined line of authority or hierarchy of positions. Civil service administrations have long procession of authority including presidents, vice presidents, financial officers, and supervisors, etc. making up the organization’s management. Usually a group of employees are overseen by, and report to, a specific supervisor—who reports to a support manager—who reports to the general manager and so on, up the hierarchy of authority till the last administrator, The President—who has complete responsibility of all the lower level employees; and is responsible for the budget of the operation and responsible for the organizations reputation, the President. CCS operates by hierarchy of authority from supervisors to support manager to administrators (Refer to Appendix I, Figure 1). CCSs first line of authority in the organizational hierarchy depends upon where you start within one of three work supervisor titles ranging from, Supervising Public Health Nurse; to Public Health Nurse; to Program
Support Supervisor; to Supervising Therapist; and to the president administrator or Special
Projects Manager. The three group supervisors are managed by a single on-site administrator, the
Special Projects Manager. In theory, the hierarchy of authority at CCS continues but in order for an issue to reach further lines of authority a problem would have to be insurmountable and extraordinary by nature before it was even likely to surpass The Special Projects Manager (Refer to Appendix I, Figure 1). The line of authority continues on to Kern County Public Health
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 36
Director who administers CCSs budget provided by the state, continuing on past the Board of
Supervisors to the State Department, California Health Care Services Director and beyond to the
Governor’s Office. The evolution of Classic Organizational Theory brought functionality into
the twenty-first century and has contributed many organizational improvements.
Systems Theory
Figure 5: Open Systems Model Environment
Environment
California Children’s Services (CCS) research structure is congruent with the Open
Systems Perspective. The theory provides a systematic foundation for describing and defining
the research environment. CCS functions as a bureaucratic system that provides healthcare
management service; a partnership model represented by the Systems Theory approach, and by
the Open Systems Perspective to healthcare model.
The Open Systems Model (Above) depicts California Children’s Services internal environmental elements (Square). Representing the associations between inputs that produce resources for organizational functions, the structures and processes that are definitive of the organizational functions, and the outputs and outcomes of an organizational activities carried out by the CCS team members. These elements function within the context of an organization’s
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 37
culture and climate. The internal environment is subject to the external. The system is dynamic, and, as indicated by the feedback arrow, outputs and outcomes affect future inputs and resources.
This chapter touched on state and federal civil service procedures, Kern County
California Children’s Services employees classification systems, the history and evolution of civil service and the merit systems in the U.S., and the theories that characterized this research.
The section identified relationships between a job description and the Essential Function along with the connection to Class Codes and the county’s classification system. The research recognized that Kern County Human Resources is responsible for maintaining CSB documents upholding that the Board of Supervisors has full authority over CSBs, Class Codes and the entire classification system. A description of the CSB format and design detailed the Essential
Functions section and key component of this research. Kern County’s Classification System was analyzed and compared to the alternate system, the Position Control Number Classification
System, which many civil service administration use. Furthermore, the chapter convened by examining several theories that characterized the fundamentals of the Workflow research framework for identifying coherence between job performance and job description.
Contingency Theory as Management Style
California Children’s Services shares components of the Contingency Theory as
Management Style. The Important theorization that there is no universal or one best way to manage matches CCS constantly evolving philosophy of its managers who have to be able to analyze each and every situation individually. A wide range of external and internal factors must be considered and the focus should be on the action that best fits the given situation. Effective organizations not only have a proper fit with the environment but also between its subsystem.
The needs of an organization are better satisfied when it is properly designed and the
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 38
management style is appropriate both to the tasks undertaken and the nature of the work group.
This concept is represented by the two-off cite Therapy Units that CCS budgets for. Each unit having its own supervising manager that directs functions according to particular needs. Each manager is developed in skills that are most useful in identifying the important situational factors.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 39
Chapter Three: Method
This segment of research examines the framework used to determine coherence between merit based civil service job performance and the job description. The research variables are the survey data and the Essential Functions section of the Kern County’s Class Specification
Bulletins (CSB), an official document; identifiable by the corresponding jobs title. The research design, sample size, and method of data collection are presented. Limitation of the inherent research will also be reviewed.
Grounded Theory
This research is based on Grounded Theory inductive approach. A systematic methodology that uses a set of rigorous procedures that lead to the emergence of conceptual categories. The first step of the research was the introduction to California Children’s Services
(CCS) and the request to conduct a research investigation through survey questions. CCS also requested that data be acquired through an open-ended type of survey response and that participants be approached through email by CCS Supervisor. It was determined that CCS volunteers participates would respond to, “describe the activities/duties that make-up your daily routine at CCS”. (Refer to Appendix B, Figure 1) (Refer to Appendix I, Figure 1). Grounded
Theory methodologies are adaptive to environments such as healthcare and its rapidly changing nature. While identifying coherence between job performance and job classifications is a subject of the research, the need for theorization to also be adaptive to the assessment of coherence between what the job classifications are and their practice in a real-world healthcare environment, is fundamental. The research, after all, may lead to a determination that CCS employees are coherent within job classifications. But in order to make that assessment the classifications themselves must first be coherent within their healthcare setting.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 40
As research progressed, Grounded Theory approach gave way to the appropriate fit of the
Workflow Elements Model and the Organizational Design Framework that is part of
Organizational Theory. The Grounded Theory research procedures that lead to conceptual categories consisted of organizing keywords from the survey results into an excel spreadsheet.
Examining conceptual categories in relation to each other served as a theoretical explanation for the particular CCS’s survey response regarding “entering data into the Search Express software” and being informed that the duty was not a mutually shared responsibility. Many duties at CCS belonged or were assigned to specific skill sets, therefore categories of employees’ responses led to the departmentalization and hierarchy theory. The Grounded Theory made it possible to discover the best way forward research the framework for the coherence between job performance and job description.
All Employees at California Children’s Services
The population for this Workflow study consists of 56 men and women employed by
Kern County—California Children’s Service (CCS). The organization operates from three locations—two public school sites and a headquarters location on the second floor of the Kern
County Department of Public Health building, Bakersfield CA. California Children’s Services employees completed a qualitative open-ended online survey tool that sought information regarding average daily routines at CCS, data mined from those responses provided the dependent variables. Kern County Human Resources job descriptions and salary classification systems use Class Specification Bulletins (CSB) to classify and provide essential job description information concerning the 18 individual job titles at CCS (Refer to Appendix A, Figure 1). The
Essential Functions section of the CSB document is the independent variable in the Workflow study. Therefore, the study’s sample frame consists of those individuals who responded to an
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 41
email invitation and volunteered to participate in the online survey providing data—as the
dependent variable to be examined for coherence between the Essential Functions section of the
Class Specification Bulletins—as the independent variable (Reference Appendix A, Figure 1).
Return Rate
The sample population consists of the 56 men and women currently employed by Kern
County—California Children’s Services; working under 18 individual job titles. An open-ended
survey tool was developed to gather data on-line for this research. The research sample size
consists of individuals who responded to an email invitation sent out by CCS Supervisor inviting
volunteers to participate in the online survey. CCS employees who participate in providing data
equate to the sample population size.
Survey
The survey tool consists of non-experimental mixed-methods questions. The survey design included both qualitative open-ended questions and quantitative percentage questions.
This type of survey tool was chosen in hopes of gaining understanding and insight into the respondent’s daily routines in their own words. The non-experimental data collection tool, hosted by SurveyMonkey.com, consisted of 5 qualitative open-ended questions and 8 quantitative percentage questions (Refer to Appendix B, Figure 1). California Children’s Services employees were invited to participate in 13 mixed methods survey questions in all. The qualitative portion of the survey was designated to undergo thematic analysis while the quantitative portions of the survey failed to produce reliable results.
Content Analysis
This research analysis framework for California Children’s Services (CCS), examines qualitative open-ended survey data to determine the coherence between job performance and job
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 42
description. CCS volunteers that participate provide survey data on the hosting website
SurveyMonkey.com. The researcher was provided access to the survey data by a CCS supervisor, on the hosting web-site. The researcher had no contact with survey respondents. The population size of the survey is 56 or (N=56), the quantity of positions that the CCS Supervisor will send
Figure 6: Keywords and/or Phrases Model
Keyword Keyword Keyword Keyword
Targets Targets Targets Targets
email invitation inviting CCS employees to volunteer their participation in research (Refer to
Appendix B, Figure 1).
The research goal of determining the coherence between job performance and job description consists of investigating the survey’s job title and therein each Job Title’s Essential
Functions and Description section of the CSB. The first step in the research framework is to identify a Model for analysis.
Figure 6: Above, the Keywords and/or Phrases Model, is suitable to accomplish the research question, determine job titles and coherence between job performance and job descriptions. The model will be used as the fundamental design for examining each survey
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 43
respondent’s data and California Children’s Services 18 individual Job Title’s—Class
Specification Bulletins, Description and Essential Function Sections (Sherk, 2013). Further analysis of coherence between job performance and job descriptions focuses the Keywords and
Phrases Model as the process for making such determinations (Refer to Appendix F, Figure 4)
(Sherk, 2013).
The overall idea of the model is to start fairly broad and then get progressively more focused. An example of where to start the model process of determining a survey respondents job title is as follows: A top-level keywords and/or phrase of the survey data might include, “Phone call conversations with providers regarding determination of medical eligibility”. The main categories within that topic would be things like “phone authorizations” or “medical eligibility”
(Refer to Appendix F, Figure 4).
The model “clusters” are essentially the root phrases that will be used to research specific keywords and/or phrase targets. Moving down the model with “Phone call conversations with providers regarding determination of medical eligibility”, for example, would lead to clusters like “clinical determinations”, or “authorizations eligibility”; which can might lead to the job title identification. Clinical determinations can only be made by qualified licensed personnel which at
CCS are Public Health Nurses (Refer to Appendix F, Figure 4).
Finally, research, content analysis, process of elimination and common sense are all tactics used in the Keywords and Phrases Model. These methods lead or direct the researcher to the identification of potential target phrases within a cluster. Coherence between job performance and job description can further be determined by comparison of each Job Titles—Class
Specification Bulletin section Essential Function—and the keywords and/or phrases of the qualitative Survey response data (Refer to Appendix A, Figure 1) (Appendix G, Figures 1)
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 44
(Appendix F, Figure 4). The Process for identifying coherence included 7 steps. Each more in- depth than its predecessor, narrowing the key terms until a positive coherence is established or
the survey respondent’s data is identified as non-coherent.
Step 1: Examine Survey Response data and Essential Functions; by reading and re-
reading seeking out keywords and/or phrase that corresponds to Job Titles—
Essential Function section of the CSB.
Step 2: Map out the main Keywords and/or Phrases of the survey data of Job Titles.
Step 3: Identify the Survey Response Data and Essential Functions data potential clusters
(or root phrases) within each category.
Step 4: Evaluate further and prioritize keyword opportunities within each cluster.
Step 5: Eliminate keyword phrases that are not a good fit.
Step 6: Cross-reference candidate’s surveys with existing content.
Step 7: Finalize target (Sherk, 2013).
The research analysis will be accomplished through healthcare knowledge, institutional
knowledge, brainstorming, trend analysis, research and process of elimination tactics. A steps
process to investigate keyword phrases. Surveys with abundant data that matched their
corresponding CSB Job Title can be used to construct a list of coherent candidates’ keywords.
Examining survey data and CSB documents to determine coherence between job performance
and job description will be a time-consuming process. One that repeats, examination—and re-
examination, in an orderly thorough fashion, building perspective, until the researcher is
confident in his determinations.
IRB Approval
The IRB approval is located in Appendix E, under heading Figure 1.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 45
Protocol 17-55, “Employee Job Description Coherence", does not constitute human subjects research. Therefore, it does not fall within the purview of the CSUB IRB/HSR.
Confidentiality
The Program Support Supervisor at CCS headquarters sent a survey link from his office ensuring employee email confidentiality. The emails are to be sent to each of CCS’s 56 employees at all three locations, with an invitation to participate in an volunteers survey. The link in the email led participants to an open-ended survey being hosted on website
SurveyMonkey.Com. The survey site that hosts the data collection tool for a period of two days and was programed to not collect any identifying information from survey participants.
Limitations
This research is limited foremost by the CCS volunteers who participate in the open- ended survey questions. The open-ended survey results that motivated this research resulted in challenges due to the subjective nature of interpretation and matching abstract. Also, the subjective nature of survey responses resulted in further challenges in determining the various
Job Titles that belonged to each survey. The identification was limited to the survey responses and it is doubtful that any one survey would list every activity/duty they performed throughout the week, month, year due to seasonal changes in operations and the limited time-frames of some specific job duties. The research was limited by what the participants decided to share on the survey.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 46
Chapter Four: Results & Discussion
This section examines the research findings for California Children’s Services (CCS)
which examines qualitative open-ended survey data to determine the coherence between job
performance and job description. There were 20 CCS volunteers who participated in providing
survey data; respondents accessed surveys on the hosting website SurveyMonkey.com. The
population size of the research was 56 or (N=56), the number of employees emailed an invitation
asking for volunteer participants. Survey respondents deposited 20 surveys on the hosting
website, with 1 survey result not containing any data. The sample size was 19 or (n=19) the
number of respondents who completed the surveys. The research sample size was sufficient to
recognize in-coherence existed between daily activities/duties that make-up daily routines at
CCS (job performance) and the Job Titles Essential Functions section of Class Specification
Bulletin (Refer to Appendix A, Figure 1).
Findings
Chapter One “Statement of the Problem” section theorized that job descriptions are
extensions of job contracts; research determined that managers use job descriptions to conduct
employee’s performance evaluations and to hire and terminate employees. Therefore, job
descriptions (the Essential Function section of the CSB document) should also be coherent to the
activities/duties that make-up daily routines description provided by every CCS survey
respondent. This research determined that in-coherence existed in 4 of the 19 surveys (Refer to
Appendix D, Figure 1). The research findings established that 21percent of were as follows.
The first survey response listing an overreach of coherence in activities/duties that make-up daily
routines was “upload all documents for closed cases to Search Express”. It was identified by
CCS Supervisor that the function was not performed by OSTs. The next OST survey response
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 47
statement “renew cases with generic case note by PHN instructing to renew case based on
client's diagnosis-when Annual team is getting behind” (PHN Public Health Nurse). This is not a
function that is listed in the Essential Functions section on the OST Class Specification Bulletin.
The last OST survey statement “override Research on Pharmacy requests and some doctors’
requests”. The OST job title Class Specification Bulletin did not indicate any type of research
was performed in this classification. Each statement was scrutinized and re-examined to see if the identification of the Job Title was off. Each time the Keywords and Phrases model upheld the
same result. The remainder of statements in each of the survey matched the Essential Function
Section of the Office Service Technicians Class Specification Bulletin. The final survey result
that did not correspond to its Job Titles CSB was “Dispense gas cards, sometimes approve gas
cards as well” was included on a Fiscal Support Technician survey. In each case the remainder of
survey responses matched the corresponding CSB. The organized thematic analysis using the
Keywords and/or Phrases Model to process quantitative open-ended survey data and the data
located in the Essential Functions sections of 18 different Job Titles CSBs achieved satisfactory
research results (Refer to Appendix F, Figure 4) (Appendix D, Figure 1). The following research
findings were accomplished through healthcare knowledge, institutional knowledge,
brainstorming, trend analysis, research and process of elimination tactics. The adaptation of the
Keywords and Phrases method highly increased the research reliability and understanding for the
abstract review phase and content analysis phase, serving to offset some of the survey content
limitations (Refer to Appendix F, Figure 4).
Discussion
The findings verified that a degree of in-coherence exists at California Children’s Services (Refer
to Appendix D, Figure 1). The Survey findings indicated that employees are, at times,
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 48
performing tasks outside of their job descriptions. Further analysis revealed that in-coherence may be due in part to team work methodology. Team members who became inundated with tasks are sometimes assisted by other employees who have completed performing their duties. One can only speculate that there is more to the story, especially in the case of the Office Service
Technician. Further job analysis research is recommended. The CCS work environment is a structured hierarchy of occupations that are appointed according to merit. Each job title is
Figure 7: Financially Sustainable Scale
classified according to the class code, which correspond to Kern County’s classification system.
The class code corresponds to the Class Specification Bulletin which identifies the skill level and type of duties and tasks employees are certified and/or capable of completing (Refer to Appendix
A, Figure 1). The classification system and its various components have been updated or have undergone modernization on numerous occasions throughout civil service evolution. Currently, civil service is undergoing modernization through building partnerships with service providers in the private sector who provide needed services sometimes at reduced cost.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 49
The civil service Partnership Stage discussed in Chapter Two: Historical Evolution of
Civil Service, has impacted healthcare at all levels. The modern era of healthcare has been witness to successful partnering of public and private sector providers (Refer to Figure 7,
Above). The successes of partnerships influenced traditional civil service organizations adaptation to the macro-allocation of healthcare resources. Many public-sector organizations are non-profit and receive a budget or depend on grants rather than traditional revenues sources.
Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in healthcare could be a means of controlling costs. It is no longer feasible for an organization to provide every necessary health services due to extraordinary increases in health care costs, creating very real budgetary limitations (Mitchell,
2008).
PPP impacts public sector personnel. Intent plays a big role in employee’s fears of being replaced if the existing public facility brings in partners. The differences in private and public sector employment is derived from remarkably less pay. Public sector workers usually receive salaries, and benefits that are often greater than private sector organizations; this especially true for semi-skilled workers. Public sector staff share real fears about the future of contract terms and conditions being undercut by PPP that work the same jobs but for less pay. These fears must be seriously mitigated before taking on partners or contracted services, otherwise it could negativity influence the output of the project (Herpen, 2002).
To their credit, California Children’s Services (CCS) Special Projects Managers along with Supervisors have gone a step further and modernized the organizations civil service hierarchy, as both medical management service providers and clinical care benefactors. CCS operates two off-site Therapy Units as hybrid PPP. These Units provide clinical services that are budgeted by CCS funds, although each site includes an on-site supervisor that operate
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 50
independently Clinical Site Supervisors. An intuitive entrepreneurial game-changer that sets CCS apart providing cost controls as benefactors of clinical care. The hybrid PPP model can benefit other private sector healthcare benefactor organizations.
Theory
California Children’s Services research furthered the explication of the Workflow Elements
Model and contextualized a missing link in the framework of the model. The Workflow Elements
Model involves two levels: pervasive and specific. The large dotted-oval outer section of the
`Workflow model indicates the pervasive level. The three cloud shapes that indicate pervasive level components that apply throughout the inner levels specific elements of workflow are: context, temporal factors and aggregate factors.
Figure 3: Workflow Elements Model
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 51
Context constrains and enables workflow. Considering context is critical in workflow studies
including the physical workspace, the virtual workspace and organizational factors. The concept
of temporality involves scheduling, temporal rhythms and coordination of events, and is
important on individual, work group and organizational levels. Aggregate factors are the
relationship and interaction among different tasks and actors, including elements of coordination,
cooperation and conflict. The inner specific level elements are indicated inside rectangle shapes.
They consist of: the people performing actions (actors), the physical and virtual tools the actors
are using (artifacts), specific details of the actions being performed (actions), characteristics that
describe the actions (characteristics) and the end products of the actions (outcomes). Other
factors outside of our model and not directly related to workflow also potentially contribute to
the outcomes (Unertl et al, 2010).
The research defined links between pervasive and specific levels of the Workflow
Elements Model. The Context that constrained workflow, indicated by the research findings,
included the CCS survey results that determinate that duties changed no longer corresponding
with CCS job descriptions in the Job Titles Essential Function section of Class Specification
Bulletin. The Artifact elements of the model represents that change, the survey tools itself and
the Class Specification Bulletin. The Workflow Model’s component Actions, determined the
underpinnings of rationality that the research findings consisted of a missing links in the model.
Subsequently, the actions components included, the 21% of the surveys that indicated
incoherence, working outside of the Class Specification Bulletin, and the research findings that
duties at CCS changed according to the Job Titles Essential Function section of Class
Specification Bulletin, each sharing an elements connection. The Action component links the
Context and Artifacts components, which in turn links back to each other forming solid links
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 52
between components (indicated by dotted lines arrows on Figure 3, Above). The relationship among these elements and the importance of the various elements in the analysis of workflow are dependent on perspective, dependent variables, the research questions and contextual factors.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 53
Chapter Five: Summary & Recommendations
Summation
California Children’s Services provides Kern County communities funding for minors with qualifying medical conditions. The operation function as a private sector merit based civil service organization. A CCS Supervisor approached the researcher to study the work habits of volunteer employees through means of a qualitative open-ended survey that was driven by the
Grounded Theory. The survey was devised as requested and the research questions was designed to determine if coherence exists between job performance and job description. The survey link invitation was emailed to 56 CCS employees by a CCS Supervisor determining the research population to be (N=56). The survey was hosted of the web-site SurveyMonkey.com, where employee participant’s identification was kept completely confidential. The response rate to the confidential survey was adequate to make determinations regarding the research question. There were 20 surveys deposited on the hosting web-site with 19 containing completed information creating the sample size of (n=19). The content analysis consisted of applying the Keywords and
Phrases Model to the survey response and determining a corresponding job title. The job title identification was designated for each of the surveys. Further, scrutinizing the 19 survey, for every word and/or phrase that was a part of each response multiple times and on multiple occasions until findings were well established and no question remained (Refer to Appendix D,
Figure 4) (Appendix F, Figure 4). The survey findings were positive for both coherence and incoherence. The incoherence amounted to 21percent of the total number of survey or 4 of the 19 surveys presented signs of incoherence. The adaptation of the Keywords and Phrases method highly increased the research reliability and understanding for the abstract review phase and
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 54
content analysis phase, serving to offset some of the survey content limitations (Refer to
Appendix F, Figure 4).
Recommendations
Recommendation One: Job Duties Log
The first recommendation is to have Office Service Technicians create a simple Job
Duties Log. This is a standardized form (either electronic or paper, manager’s preference) that
records short 3 to 5 word sentences under the following four section headings (Functions &
Responsibilities), (% of Time), (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required; Special Licenses or
Certificates), and (Equipment/tools/technology or Materials Used). Start by having employees
think about what they do at their job (Refer to Appendix H, Figure 1). Have them keep a running
log for a few days. Have them use action verbs for example (e.g., evaluates, collects, prepares,
moves, communicates, etc.); have them stay away from using “assists” or “is responsible for”;
specify work objectives/outputs; try to use sentences that answer “what” and “why” questions
rather than “how.” The will help keep employees focused. Managers can use the information for
efficiency statistics or create efficient orders of daily operations. The logs can also be utilized
when employees are away (medical leave, paternity- maternity leave, etc.) to help train temps
and maintain efficiencies. Furthermore, once the entire form is completed for the week they can
be updated according to quarterly yearly activities.
Recommendation Two: Conduct a Formal Job Analysis
A second recommendation is to perform a formal job analysis which is a “systematic study of a job to determine which activities and responsibilities it includes, its relative importance to other jobs, the personal qualifications necessary for performance of the job and the
conditions under which the work is performed” (SHRM, 2017). Job Analysis can beconducted
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 55
much like the Job Duties Log although with more in-depth questions answered. An important concept for employers and employees should understand is that a formal Job Analysis is not a securitization of the employee, it is a simple analysis of the job. Granted, information about the job usually comes from the employee but the analysis is of how the position fits into the organization as a whole and how it relates to other positions that depend on its functions. A bonus of performing job analysis is their use by other departments and to complete other organizational functions. The job analysis benefits include: workforce planning, organizational design, performance management, affirmative action plans, recruiting and selection, training and development, risk management, ADA Act, etc. Job Analysis methods consist of open-ended questionnaire, highly structured questionnaire, interview, observation, among other methodologies. The open-ended questionnaire differs from this research. They include open- ended descriptions of specific functions and not open-ended responses to broad topics as activities/duties of daily routines, which this research covered. Public sector efficiency depends on employees’ performances. Job analysis identifies knowledge, skills, and expertise required for effective organizations performance (SHRM, 2017).
Recommendation Three: Implement a Position Reclassification
The third recommendation is employee re-classification. Organizations periodically reclassify positions. A reclassification can result in a new title for the position. The employee is not receiving the reclassification, the job is. This is due to the job not being described correctly by its previous title. In any case, if the job description does not match the job correctly, the description does not have to change—the title and pay range can. An upward reclassification signifies an increase in job responsibilities from the previous position. On the other hand, downward and lateral reclassifications typically involve lowered or the same amount of
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 56
responsibility. Sometimes an organization reclassifies positions downward when the activities/duties in the daily routine do not match the complexity, responsibility, decision-making authority or required knowledge that the position requires, in order to increase efficiencies.
Reclassifications include lateral, upward and downward job movement (Bass, 2017).
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 57
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Appendix A
Figure 1: Example of Kern County, Class Specification Bulletins, California Children’s Service
2/8/2017 Kern County - Class Specification Bulletin
PROGRAM TECHNICIAN Class Code: 0905 Bargaining Unit: TECHNICAL SERVICES
KERN COUNTY Revision Date: Aug 1, 2013
SALARY RANGE $17.40 - $21.24 Hourly $1,392.12 - $1,699.49 Biweekly $3,016.26 - $3,682.23 Monthly
DESCRIPTION:
Under supervision, to perform activities in support of a program requiring independent work and knowledge of a programmatic area. Duties might include: providing case documentation, determining eligibility, giving presentations, explaining processes, and making referrals.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
This is the first level of a five level program series. The Program Technician is distinguished from the Program Specialist, which performs paraprofessional activities in support of a program.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Issues authorizations for approved services, benefits, and social services. Provides information and assistance to program participants, potential participants and other interested parties; assists program participants in completing required documents, including those utilized for eligibility determination. Verifies the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of the submission of documents used to conduct annual review and financial eligibility of applicants. Collaborates with professionals and other agencies to coordinate services/care for clients. Maintains accurate documentation and orderly case files for clients receiving services. Conducts assessments of family needs and makes referrals to appropriate community resources. Interviews families and/or individuals, either by telephone or in person, to explain and interpret program purpose, rules, and regulations in order to determine initial eligibility of potential clients; advises families on how to maximize benefits. Verifies benefits/restrictions and interprets coverage based on established scope of services. Inputs a variety of data and information into computer databases.
OTHER FUNCTIONS:
Conducts workshops or classroom training sessions. By assignment, monitors ongoing client services and needs. May prepare draft reviews of current changes in laws and regulations. Performs other related duties as required.
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS: High School Diploma, G.E.D. or equivalent and one (1) year of education, training and/or experience sufficient to obtain the knowledge and skill to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.
Qualifying related work experience may include, verifying documents to determine eligibility for benefits, social services and/or employment; conducting needs assessments; making referrals for services; https://agency.governmentjobs.com/kernco/default.cfm?action=specbulletin&ClassSpecID=976684&headerfooter=0 1/2
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 64
interviewing clients and providing program information to the public.
Volunteer experience may be qualifying if confirmed in writing from a recognized organization.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Some positions may require possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Knowledge of: interviewing techniques; basic socioeconomic principles; program terminology; applicable programs; customer service principles; community resources; basic mathematical principles; alphabetical and chronological filing methods; applicable policies and procedures, public relations and public speaking methods; and telephone etiquette.
Skill in: interviewing potential clients; providing customer services; coordinating resources; filing; performing mathematical calculations; using a computer and related software applications; conducting needs assessments; maintaining case files; prioritizing multiple tasks simultaneously; reading and comprehending complex regulations and procedures; recording information; accessing, inputting, and retrieving information from databases; and, communicating both orally and in writing sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.
SUPPLEMENTAL: A background check may be conducted for this classification.
All Kern County employees are designated "Disaster Service Workers" through state and local laws (CA Government Code Sec.3100-3109 and Ordinance Code Title 2-Administration, Ch. 2.66 Emergency Services). As Disaster Service Workers, all County employees are expected to remain at work, or to report for work as soon as practicable, following a significant emergency or disaster.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 65
Appendix B
Figure 1: Example -Survey Monkey Hosted Survey Questions.
California Children's Services Team Survey Greetings California Children’s Services Personnel
Please answer the following questions with regard to what you actually do at CCS day in and day-in and day-out. Do not write to what you are assigned to do, or what you were hired to do, but write to what you actually do. Thank you in advance for your time and effort! DAILY ROUTINES: * 1.Describe the activities/duties that make-up your daily routine at California Children's Services. Please list each duty on a separate line; please be brief and concise. ADDITIONAL DUTIES: * 2. Describe occasional or nonrecurring tasks, such as assisting with record auditing or quarterly duties. Please list duties individually on separate lines; please be brief and concise.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: * 3. List any experience with specialized tools, equipment, unique requisite skills, license, certifications (including software), college degrees, and/or competencies that are necessary to perform your duties at California Children's Services. Please list each entry individually on a separate line; be brief and concise. CONSUMER RELATIONS: *4. Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ...
on phone with member's 0 parent(s) or guardian(s)? 100 *5. Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ...
on the phone speaking 0 with healthcare providers? 100
*6. Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ...
on the phone with payers, insurers, 0 etc. seeking authorization? 100
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 66
*7. List the names of agencies, departments, bureaus, etc. and estimate what percentages % of your average workday is spent on the phone with each them. COMPUTERS: *8. Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ...
0 working on the computer? 100 *9. Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ...
on the computer 0 entering data? 100 *10. Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ...
working on the computer preforming tasks other than 0 data entry? 100 *11. List all the computer tasks you perform at California Children's Service and an estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent on each task. Each primary computer function should be listed on separate lines; please be brief and concise. PHYSICAL DEMAND: *12. Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ...
0 Walking? 100 *13. Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ...
0 lifting up to 50 lbs.? 100
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 67
Appendix C
Figure 1: Principals of Scientific Management 191
Frederick W. Taylor's Principles of Scientific Management I. Assign all responsibility to managers Managers should do all the thinking related to the rather than workers. planning and design of work, leaving workers the task of carrying it out. 2. Use scienti fic methods to determine the Managers should design each worker's job accordingly, one best way of performing each task. specitying a set of standard methods for completing the task in the right way. 3. Select the person most suited to each job Managers should match the abilities or each worker to to perform that job. the demands of each job. 4. Train the worker to perform the job Managers should train workers to use the standard correctly. methods devised for their jobs. 5. Monitor work performance to ensure that Managers should exercise the control necessary to specified work procedures are followed guarantee that workers under their supervision always correctly and that appropriate results are perform their jobs in the one best way. achieved. 6. Provide further support by planning work Managers can help their workers continue to produce assignments and eliminating interruptions. at a high level by shielding them from distractions that interfere with job performance.
Source: Based 011 information prese111ed in F. W. Taylor. TI1e Principles ofSciemific iWanagement (New York: Norton. 191 /). p. 3~-40.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 68
Appendix D
Figure 1: -Kern County-California Children’s Services- Class Specification Bulletin- Data, n
# Survey Results Data Collection Tool # 1 - 20 Kern County Public Health--California Children's Services--Class Specification Bulletins n=19 Employed =Match @ CCS =No Match JOB TITLE: DESCRIPTION: SURVEY: UNDER Under supervision, performs a wide variety of medical financial services activities, which BILLING OFFICE SPECIALIST I may include: processing billings, collecting money and preparing deposits, resolving 1 customer problems and providing customer service. Under supervision, to perform specialized support activities requiring in-depth knowledge and experience in the area of assignment. Duties might include: preparing statistical data; FISCAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST 1 serving as a lead to lower levels; training new employees; creating spreadsheets; balancing funds; and gathering data and statistics. Under supervision, to perform a wide variety of fiscal support activities requiring previous fiscal experience. Incumbents might perform activities related to: processing billings; FISCAL SUPPORT TECHNICIAN 2 collecting money and preparing deposits; providing customer service and resolving #12 customers' problems; creating databases; and, conducting research. Under medical direction, to provide prescribed occupational therapy services to children OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST between the ages of birth and 21 years who have musculoskeletal or neuromuscular 2 disorders; and to do related work as required. Under supervision, to perform specialized support activities requiring knowledge and
experience in the area of assignment. Duties might include: developing and preparing a OFFICE SERVICES SPECIALIST variety of correspondence, reports, and documents; serving as a lead to lower levels; #18 1 training new employees; and, gathering data and statistics. Incumbents may supervise employees in lower levels in the office services series. Under direct supervision, to perform a wide variety of clerical support activities of average
, , , difficulty and complexity requiring previous clerical experience. Incumbents might perform #2, #3, #7, OFFICE SERVICES TECHNICIAN activities related to: preparing routine reports; collecting money and preparing deposits; 6 , providing customer service and resolving customers' problems; conducting basic research; #10, #17 preparing minutes; and, proofreading, editing, and updating a variety of documents. Under medical direction, to plan for and provide prescribed physical therapy services to PHYSICAL THERAPIST-CCS children from birth to age 21 who have musculoskeletal or neuromuscular disorders; and to 3 do related work as required. Under direction, to perform specialized work in providing paraprofessional activities in support of a program. Duties might include: providing advocacy; assessing client needs, PROGRAM SPECIALIST II 3 preparing a service plan and following up with clients; training and serving as a lead to #4 lower level staff; serving as a liaison; and, providing a local interpretation of programs. Under general direction, to supervise and train specialized program staff and coordinate PROGRAM SUPPORT 1 SUPERVISOR and train volunteers. Incumbents may be "working" supervisors in that they perform the #16 same tasks as the staff they supervise. Under supervision, to perform activities in support of a program requiring independent
PROGRAM TECHNICIAN work and knowledge of a programmatic area. Duties might include: providing case 13 , (CASE MANAGER) documentation, determining eligibility, giving presentations, explaining processes, and #11, #15 making referrals.
Under direct supervision, provides public health nursing services in homes, community, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE I 5 ,, schools and clinics; and performs other related work as required. #1, #6, #13
Under general supervision, provides public health nursing services in homes, community, ,,, schools and clinics; assists in the coordination of the activities of a specialized service or #5, #8, #9, #14, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE II project; assists a Public Health Nurse III in the administration of nursing activities; assists 7 in the training and development of assigned staff; and performs other related work as #20 required. Under direction, assists in planning, developing, coordinating, implementing and evaluating nursing service components in various health programs; supervises and guides nursing PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE III 1 service personnel; functions as lead nurse in special areas; and performs related work as required. Under direction, to be responsible for the planning, development, management and SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER implementation of the department's program specific special projects; and may supervise 1 support staff. A Graduate level college student, under supervision, assists with the performance of work STUDENT INTERN IV activities in a County department working in their chosen field of study; and to do related 4 work as required. Under medical direction, plans, directs and coordinates the California Children Services SUPERVISING THERAPIST (CCS) Medical Therapy Program, and articulates State policies and guidelines for the 1 Medical Therapy Program (MTP). Under direct supervision of a physical therapist, or occupational therapist performs THERAPY AIDE designated tasks related to the operation of the physical therapy or occupational therapy 2 service. Under general direction and/or medical supervision, plans, develops, coordinates, maintains and supervises the activities and services of the hospital's Physical Therapy THERAPY SUPERVISOR 1 Division or a unit of physical and occupational therapists performing therapy work for the physically handicapped.
Appendix E
Figure 1: IRB Letter of Research Approval
Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects Research
Date: 19 April 2017 Chandra Commuri, Ph.D. Department of Public Administration To: Dustin Parker, Master of Science Administration-Health Care Scientific Concerns Administration (MSA-HCA)
Anne Duran, Ph.D. B.J. Moore, Health Care Administration Department of Psychology cc: Scientific Concerns Roseanna McCleary, IRB Chair
Steven Gamboa, Ph.D. From: Isabel Sumaya, Research Ethics Review Coordinator Department of Phil/Rel Studies Nonscientific/Humanistic Concerns Subject: Protocol 17-55: Not Human Subjects Research Grant Herndon Schools Legal Service Thank you for bringing your Protocol 17-55, “Employee Job Description Coherence", to Community Issues/Concerns the attention of the IRB/HSR. On the form “Is My Project Human Subjects Research?” you indicated the following: Roseanna McCleary, Ph.D. Masters of Social Work I want to interview, survey, systematically observe, or collect other data from human Scientific Concerns subjects, for example, students in the educational setting. IRB/HSR Chair NO
Colleen McGauley, MPA I want to access data about specific persons that have already been collected by Community Issues/Concerns others [such as test scores or demographic information]. Those data can be linked to Executive Director, specific persons [regardless of whether I will link data and persons in my research or CASA of Kern County reveal anyone’s identities]. NO
Nate Olson, Ph.D. Given this, your proposed project will not constitute human subjects research. Therefore, it Department of Phil/Rel Studies does not fall within the purview of the CSUB IRB/HSR. Good luck with your project. Nonscientific/Humanistic Concerns
Isabel Sumaya, Ph.D. If you have any questions, or there are any changes that might bring these activities within Department of Psychology the purview of the IRB/HSR, please notify me immediately at (661) 654-2381. Research Ethics Review Coordinator and IRB/HSR Secretary Thank you.
James Velasquez, MSW, ASW Kern County Mental Health Community Concerns/Issues
Isabel Sumaya, University Research Ethics Review Coordinator
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 70
Appendix F
Figure 6: Key Words and/or Phrases Analysis Model
Keywords and/or Phrases
CLUSTER CLUSTER CLUSTER CLUSTER
Keyword Keyword Keyword Keyword
Targets Targets Targets Targets
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 71
Appendix G
Figure 1: Qualitative Survey Response Data.
#9 COMPLETE
PAGE 2: DAILY ROUTINES:
Q1: Describe the activities/duties that make-up your daily routine at California Children's Services. Please list each duty on a separate lines; please be brief and concise. 1. Determine medical eligibility on every case that I review 2. Care coordinate with providers & families 3. Phone call conversations with providers regarding cases (i.e. questions about SAR requests,etc.) 4. Phone calls with families on status of client (i.e. how is the child doing, why the family/client has not been compliant with medicalappointments). 5. Review SAR (Service Authorization Requests) requests and determine medical eligibility 6. Complete Annual Reviews for every client on the CCS caseload. Determine medical eligibility for the next eligibility period. Need to determine if the child remains medically eligible or not, for each diagnosis that the child is open to CCS for. 7. Assist other Nurses with case reviews that are complicated.
PAGE 3: ADDITIONAL DUTIES:
Q2: Describe occasional or nonrecurring tasks, such as assisting with record auditing or quarterly duties. Please list duties individually on separate lines; please be brief and concise. Quarterly duties- Safety Trainings that are required to be completed every 3 months.
PAGE 4: KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Q3: List any experience with specialized tools, equipment, unique requisite skills, license, certifications (including software), college degrees, and/or competencies that are necessary to perform your duties at California Children's Services. Please list each entry individually on a separate line; be brief and concise. 1. Registered Nurse (RN) license 2. Public Health Nurse (PHN) license 3. Use of Excel, Word, Adobe Acrobat
PAGE 5: CONSUMER RELATIONS:
Q4: Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ... 5
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 72
Q5: Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ... 15
Q6: Estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent ... 5
Q7: List the names of agencies, departments, bureaus, etc. and estimate what percentages % of your average workday is spent on the phone with each them.Extra space is provided on the last page of the survey if needed. 1. Children's Hospitals (various ones including: Valley Children's Hospital, Ronald Reagan UCLA, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA), etc.)- 10 %
PAGE 6: COMPUTERS:
Q8: Estimate what percentage % of your an average work day is spent... 100
Q9: Estimate what percentage % of your an average work day is spent... 95
Q10: Estimate what percentage % of your an average work day is spent... 5
Q11: List all the computer tasks you perform at California Children's Service and an estimate what percentage % of your average workday is spent on each task. Each primary computer function should listed on separate lines; please be brief and concise. Extra space is provided on the last page of the survey if needed. 1. Entry of case notes- 95% 2. Timesheets (approval of timesheets and events (time off requests)- 5% 3. E-mails- 5%
PAGE 7: PHYSICAL DEMAND:
Q12: Estimate what percentage % of your an average workday is spent... 5
Q13: Estimate what percentage % of your average Respondent skipped this workday is spent... question
PAGE 8: EXTRA SPACE:
Q14: The entire page is provided for any extra space needs you may have. List corresponding question numbers next to all answers on this page. Select "Done", when you are finished.
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 73
Appendix H
Figure 1: Job Duties & Responsibilities Log
Use action verbs (e.g., evaluates, collects, prepares, moves, communicates, etc.); do not use “assists” or “is responsible for”; specify work objectives/outputs; try to use sentences that answer “what” and “why” questions rather than “how.”
Functions & % Knowledges, Skills & Abilities Equipment/tools/technology or Responsibilities Time Required; Special Licenses Materials Used or Certificates
Check to add up to 100% 100%
PERFORMANCE COHERENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 74
Appendix I
Figure 1: California Children’s Services Organizational Hierarch
Special Projects Manager Tony Pallitto Case Management Fiscal Unit Front Office Unit Medical Therapy Program
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE PROGRAM SUPPORT SUPERVISOR I PROGRAM SUPPORT SUPERVISOR SUPERVISINGTHERAPIST
PROGRAM FISCAL SUPPORT 34th/ Delano Unit SPECIALIST EXTRA FAMILY HELP McKinley Unit SPECIALIST OFFICE SERVICES TECHNICINE Supervisor Supervisor PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH LIAISON NURSE I NURSE II PROGRAM FISCAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST EXTRA FAMILY HELP SPECIALIST Occupational Therapist LIAISON OFFICE SERVICES TECHNICINE Occupational Therapist PROGRAM TECHNICIAN PUBLIC HEALTH FISCAL SUPPORT PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE I NURSE II SPECIALIST EXTRA HELP OFFICE SERVICE Physical Therapist PROGRAN Physical Therapist TECHNICINE ASSISTENT
PROGRAM TECHNICINE Physical Therapist PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH Occupational Therapist NURSE I NURSE II PROGRAM TECHNICINE Therapy Aide Therapy Aide PROGRAM TECHNICINE PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH
NURSE I NURSE II PROGRAM Office Service Technician Office Service Technician TECHNICINE
PROGRAM PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH TECHNICINE NURSE I NURSE II PROGRAM TECHNICINE
PROGRAM PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH TECHNICINE NURSE I NURSE II PROGRAM SPECIALIST
PROGRAM PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST NURSE II OFFICE SERVICE TECHNICINE
PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM NURSE II TECHNICINE
PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM NURSE II TECHNICINE