SECTION 3.15 POSITION DESCRIPTION QUESTIONNAIRE (PDQ)
A
Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ) (Form CFN 552-0094) is the basic
document used in position classification.
It is a written description of the duties, responsibilities, and
organizational relationships assigned to the position. It is a description which, if properly
prepared, will allow identification of the kind and level of work being
performed. When the kind and level of
work are known, a determination can be made on the proper job class for the
position. As the primary source of job
information, the PDQ is critical to the position classification system.
The
Supervisory Analysis Questionnaire (SAQ) (Form CFN 552-0193) is an addendum to
the PDQ. It is used only for positions
fully supervising two or more employees and provides information on the nature
of the supervision being exercised.
Supervision is defined as “a responsibility assigned to an employee by
management to direct the work of two or more employees and to hire, evaluate,
reward, promote, transfer, layoff, recall, respond to grievances, and
discipline those employees.”
Supervision is different from leadworker responsibilities, which are
defined as “a responsibility assigned to an employee by management to direct
the work (instruct, answer questions, distribute and balance work load, accept,
modify or reject completed work, maintain attendance records, report
infractions and provide input on staffing decisions) of two or more employees
(federal, state, county, municipal, private employment organization,
volunteers, inmates or residents).”
Leadwork duties are included on the PDQ; a SAQ is not submitted for
leadwork positions.
The
Bargaining Exemption Questionnaire (BEQ) (Form CFN 552-0631) is another addendum
to the PDQ. It is used for
nonsupervisory positions that the agency believes meet the collective
bargaining exemption criteria of Chapter 20 of the Code of Iowa.
A
PDQ, SAQ and BEQ, if applicable, must be on file in the personnel office of the
agency of employment for each nontemporary position. A copy of the PDQ and SAQ forms, along with instructions for
their completion, are included at the end of this section.
When to Prepare a PDQ
A
PDQ is to be prepared in the following situations:
·
When a new position is
established.
·
When a job class change
is requested for a position.
·
When a substantive
change is made to a position's duties and responsibilities, even if the change
may not warrant a class change.
“Substantive change” means that sufficient credible evidence exists, in
the form of the deletion and/or addition to the requestor’s duties in the
requestor’s present classification, that would cause a reasonable person to
believe that the duties of the requested classification are assigned and carried
out on a permanent basis and are performed over 50 percent of the time.
·
When DAS-HRE requests
that a PDQ be prepared.
·
When an employee wishes
to submit a PDQ for review.
·
When the essential
functions of a position change.
·
When the performance
evaluation criteria are established.
The
timing of PDQ submission is particularly important when a change in job duties
may result in a reclassification of a filled position. A PDQ must be prepared and submitted to
DAS-HRE before a reclassification review will be initiated. A copy of the previous PDQ and current
organization chart must accompany the PDQ.
Who Prepares the PDQ
When
a position is vacant, the supervisor must prepare the PDQ.
When
a position is filled, the employee or the supervisor may prepare the PDQ. Generally, the employee will prepare the
document, since the employee is most familiar with the duties of the position.
If
the supervisor prepares the PDQ for a filled position, the affected employee is
to be notified of changes to the PDQ. Any substantive disagreement regarding
the assignment or description of job duties is to be discussed and noted on the PDQ before submission to IDOP. Both the supervisor and the employee should
sign indicating that they have reviewed the document.
Regardless
of who prepares the PDQ for a filled position, it is advisable for the employee
and the supervisor to review a draft copy together before the final version is
prepared. This will insure that the job
description is thorough and accurate and will help eliminate future
misunderstandings about job duties and responsibilities.
How to Prepare a PDQ
A
PDQ must describe the duties and responsibilities assigned to a position in
sufficient detail to give the reviewer a basic understanding as to:
·
The purpose of the position.
·
How the position fits
into the organizational scheme.
·
Where the position’s
work comes from and in what form.
·
What the position does
with the work and why.
·
Where the work goes when
the position is finished with it and why.
·
What the essential
functions of the position are.
The
challenge is to provide neither too little nor too much information! Key factors to keep in mind when preparing a
PDQ include the following:
·
Describe job duties
thoroughly. When a general or ambiguous
verb, such as “assist,” “handle,” “prepare,” “audit,” “conduct,” “supervise,”
“manage” or “review” is used, provide additional supporting information that
explains the term.
·
When describing
documents, forms, or procedures peculiar to a work unit or department, provide
additional information to indicate the basic nature of the work.
·
Use your own words to
describe the work, not illustrative examples of work performed found on a class
description or duties copied from another PDQ (unless the duties are
identical).
·
The first time an
abbreviation, acronym, or form number is used, remember to provide an
explanation. The person reading the PDQ
may not be familiar enough with the specific work to understand its meaning.
·
Separate duties rather
than grouping several duties together in large percentages of time.
·
When referring to a job
title, type of occupation, or profession, provide specific information about
the actual work performed.
·
Be sure that all
information provided is accurate and complete.
The
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of
disability against qualified (meeting the qualifications of a class)
individuals with disabilities.
Essential functions are defined as “those functions that an individual
must be able to perform in order to hold the position.” Essential
functions focus on what must to be done not on how it is accomplished.
It
is necessary for the supervisor to determine the essential functions of a
position and to document them on the Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ).
The
following examples have been developed to assist you in making these
determinations.
Example: A position exists to type
correspondence. The ability to type is
therefore an essential function of the position.
Example: A position exists to proofread
documents. The ability to proofread
documents is an essential function of the job.
Example: A
position exists to substitute for other employees on any shift. Therefore, the ability to work at any time
of the day is an essential function of the job.
Example: An
agency wishes to expand services to persons who cannot hear. An essential function of the job is the
ability to communicate using American Sign Language.
Example: If
the child abuse investigation function is removed from a Child Abuse
Investigator position, the position will no longer be classified correctly
because the essential function of the job has drastically changed.
Example: If
the employee spends most of the time operating one machine, this will be
evidence that operating the machine is an essential function.
Example: An Airport Firefighter rarely has to carry a
heavy person from a burning airplane, but being able to perform this function
would be essential to the job.
Example: A
pilot spends only a few minutes of a flight landing the plane, but landing is
an essential function because of the serious consequences if the pilot cannot
perform the function.
Remember
that an essential function does not include all the duties of a
position. All positions perform duties
that are marginally related to the position's primary purpose. The ADA is not concerned with the marginal
functions.
An
employee with a disability may need reasonable accommodations to perform the
essential functions.
A
master PDQ may be developed for those situations where common duties,
responsibilities, and identical essential functions are assigned to a number of
positions within a job class, including positions that may rotate through a
variety of assignments. Care must be
taken, however, to insure that master PDQs do not cover positions that have
some subtle differences that set them apart from the rest of the positions in
the job class. Those subtle differences
could be sufficient to have a position classification impact. If the essential functions are not the same,
separate PDQs should be completed on the positions.