GENERAL INFORMATION BULLETIN No. 23-01

TO: Department and Agency Directors of Human Resources, Personnel and Affirmative Action Officers, Equal Opportunity Specialists, Diversity and Inclusion Specialists

FROM: Jessica Rowe, Director of Staffing Services

SUBJECT: Professional Career Opportunities (PCO) Eligible Lists

DATE: February 14, 2023

This General Information Bulletin (GIB) explains the policies for appointment from the eligible lists established from the PCO examination. It replaces GIB #19-06, Professional Career Opportunities (PCO) Eligible Lists.

Eligible Lists

Five (5) types of eligible lists have been established from the results of the PCO examination, and the policies for appointment vary between lists. Four (4) of these types of lists are Generalist Job Titles lists and one (1) is a Select Job Titles list. The last page of this GIB lists the various eligible lists.  Below are descriptions of the types of eligible lists:

• The Generalist Job Titles list contains the names of all successful candidates for the PCO examination who indicated that they hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in any field or who indicated they will receive a bachelor’s or higher-level degree on or before the date listed on the examination announcement.
• Generalist Job Title eligibles who indicated they meet the qualifications for the Diversity Management list are on a Generalist Diversity list. The minimum qualifications for the Diversity Management lists are shown below in the “Requesting a Diversity Management List” section of this GIB.
• Generalist Job Title eligibles who indicated proficiency in certain languages other than English are on a list for the language parenthetic, even if the language parenthetic is not currently used for a PCO title.
• Generalist Job Title eligibles who indicated the language proficiency and also meet the qualifications for the Diversity Management list are on a language parenthetic, Diversity Management list. The minimum qualifications for the Diversity Management lists are shown below in the “Requesting a Diversity Management List” section of this GIB.
• The Select Job Titles list is for titles where additional qualifications beyond a bachelor’s degree are required.  The minimum qualifications for the Select Job Titles are shown here: www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/pco-titles.cfm. The minimum qualifications for the Diversity Management list are shown below in the “Requesting a Diversity Management List” section of this GIB. Applicants filled out an optional, online questionnaire asking about their language proficiency, diversity management background, college course work, college credits, certifications, and work experience.  Their responses to the questionnaire qualify them for the Select Job Titles, including those requiring proficiency in a language other than English and those positions needing diversity management skills.

Ordering Certifications through ELMS

To order a certification in ELMS, enter the appropriate Title Code and select the list number associated with that title. Procedures for requesting a Diversity Management list are described below.

Note that if a title series has a list for the trainee title and for the journey level title and one of those lists is exhausted (has less than three acceptors for the position) and the other is not exhausted, the viable list must be considered.

Requesting a Diversity Management List

Information found in this section supersedes GIB 18-02

The Department of Civil Service (Department) established a Diversity Management list for the Generalist Job Titles, Diversity Management lists for the language parenthetic lists for the Generalist Job Titles, and Diversity Management sublists for the various Select Job Titles.

The intent of the Diversity Management Option is to provide agencies with qualified candidates to fill positions in which the ability to perform the established duties entails an understanding of diversity management and equal opportunity principles.  Once an agency has identified such a position, the agency Human Resources Office may request a Diversity Management eligible list for the subject title.

To qualify for placement on Diversity Management eligible lists, candidates must have met the following minimum qualifications:

• 30 semester credit hours in the study of people of diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds; gender; socioeconomic class; sexual/affectional orientation; or disability, with no more than six of the semester credit hours in a language area; OR
• One or more years of active involvement or work experience with or for a Community Group or Advocacy Organization whose mission or goal is to promote practical solutions to ensure equality of rights and/or remove barriers of discrimination based on racial, ethnic, and cultural background; gender; socioeconomic class; sexual/affectional orientation; or disability.  Appropriate part-time and volunteer involvement or experience which can be verified will be accepted on a prorated basis.

Examples of a qualifying Group or Organization include, but are not limited to, an equal employment opportunity or civil rights organization, a sorority or fraternity, a minority neighborhood association or organization whose mission or goal is to promote practical solutions that address the challenges faced by individuals due to their racial, ethnic, and cultural background; gender; socioeconomic class; sexual/affectional orientation; or disability (e.g. Centro Civico, NAACP, Out & Equal, the Aids Council).

Agencies may use either the base list for the title, or the Diversity Management list for the title, to fill a position. For example, when an agency is using the Select Job Titles list to fill a Jobs Program Specialist position, the agency can use either the Jobs Program Specialist base list for the title or the Jobs Program Specialist – Diversity Management list for the title dependent on the needs of the position. Agency HR Offices are advised to retain all documentation pertaining to the position and list canvass.

Email Canvasses

Applicants were instructed to provide their email address and to keep their email address current so the Department and other State agencies can communicate with them.  To expedite canvassing of the list, agencies may email canvass the eligibles in accordance with General Information Bulletin #19-04, Email Canvassing Through ELMS: https://www.cs.ny.gov/ssd/Manuals/SPMM/GIBS/GIB19-04.cfm

Minimum Qualification Review

Minimum qualification review for PCO list appointments, including for the Select Job Titles, has been decentralized to agencies.  Agencies must thoroughly review the qualifications of all appointees prior to appointment, and documentation must be kept by agencies.

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s or higher-level degree in any field or have indicated they will receive one on or before the date listed on the examination announcement, to be eligible for a PCO list appointment.  Eligibles must have a bachelor’s or higher degree prior to appointment. Agencies must verify the qualifying degree for the PCO list was received on or before the date listed on the examination announcement. Educational credentials must have been awarded by an educational institution accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the United States (U.S.) Department of Education/Secretary of Education. To determine if the college attended meets accreditation requirements, click on the following link: https://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx.

For foreign degrees and coursework, the Department is no longer requesting evaluations of foreign degree(s) evaluations from applicants with such degree(s). Applicants were instructed to provide a verification of their educational credentials to the hiring agency at the time of the interview. It is the agency’s responsibility to review the type of college degree and/or the course-by-course listing to determine if the eligible is qualified for Generalist titles, or Select Job Titles that require a specific college degree or college course work.

If an eligible cannot provide an acceptable evaluation of their foreign degree(s) or the course-by-course evaluation needed for a Select Job Title, agencies may code them temporarily unavailable (TI) for the life of the cert.  Be sure to explain this carefully and encourage the eligible to get the needed evaluations.  Information about the companies that provide the evaluations is available at www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm.

Restricted Eligibles

With the 2022 holding of the PCO, the Department is not restricting any eligibles on the Generalist Job Titles lists as candidates must have their qualifying degree by June 30, 2023. As noted above, minimum qualification review has been decentralized to agencies, and agencies should verify candidates have their degree at the time of interview. Eligibles must have a bachelor’s or higher degree prior to appointment. For Select Job Title lists that require a specific degree, eligibles who have not yet received this degree will appear the 15th of the month prior to the month they indicated they will receive their degree.

DQ Process for PCO Titles

The Department has developed a process to quickly determine whether someone should be disqualified for appointment to a Generalist Job Title or a Select Job Title. However, since the eligible is entitled to due process, the eligible must remain active and be coded as a non-select (NS) on the list certification while the Department conducts its review.

If an agency determines an eligible does not hold a bachelor’s or higher-level degree, the agency should contact their representative in Staffing Services and provide documentation to support this finding. The representative from Staffing Services may contact the eligible. If the eligible cannot provide proof of a qualifying degree, the Department will remove or restrict the individual from eligibility on PCO lists.

For Select Job Titles, if an eligible does not have the qualifications to be on a Select Job Titles list, the agency must contact their representative in Staffing Services and provide documentation clearly demonstrating why the person is not qualified.  The documentation must include results from the interview with the eligible, or responses to an agency request about the minimum qualifications.  A resume from the eligible is not sufficient. 

Upon receiving sufficient agency documentation, the Department will contact the eligible and remove them from the list in question.  If the agency documentation is not sufficient, the Department will request proof from the eligible that he/she is qualified and provide time for the eligible to provide the necessary proof.  If it is found that the eligible is qualified, the agency will be notified and instructed to consider the eligible.  If it is found that the eligible is not qualified, the agency will be notified, and the applicant will be removed from the eligible list.
Agencies may access instructions on how to work with the Department to disqualify eligibles from their lists at: Eligible Disqualification Process for All PCO Job Titles — Agency Human Resources Staff Guidance.

Transfers and Other PCO Appointments

The standard rules for transfer described in the Voluntary Transfer Checklist https://www.cs.ny.gov/ssd/Manuals/SPMM/1800Appointments/1840D%20Voluntary%20Transfer%20Checklist%20TM-71.htm shall apply for transfer into and between PCO titles, except as described below.

Transfers will be allowed directly to the appointment title from titles within two salary grades. For example, a G-11 employee can only be transferred to a trainee title within two grades of the employee’s current title.  Advancement after transfer to a trainee title requires a year as a trainee unless the transfer is without a change in the employee’s title.

The determination as to how the impact of a transfer between PCO titles during the first year of the traineeship will affect the length of the traineeship is at the agency’s discretion.  Time served in the original title may be considered credited time if both traineeships go to the same level.  For example, time served as an Education Trainee 1, which goes to Education Program Assistant, G-14, cannot be credited toward the first year of a traineeship to a G-18 title.

Transfer between any of the PCO titles where the employee’s title changes during the second year of the traineeship will require that the transferee complete a full year in the new Trainee 2 title prior to advancement unless, at the acquiring agency’s discretion, the employee is early advanced.  If the transferee does not change titles with the transfer, the agency has the discretion to credit time served as a Trainee 2.

Transfer between any of the PCO titles during the first year in the journey level title will require the transferee to complete the probationary period required by Rule 4.5 (b) (4) of the Rules for the Classified Service.

Civil Service Law Section 70.4 transfers will be allowed based on a current or past PCO or PCT passing score or a current or past PATT passing score (if the transferee holds a bachelor’s or higher-level degree) to Generalist Job Titles and Select Job Titles as long as the transferee did not fail a more recent holding of the PCT, PCO, or PATT.  For transfers to Select Job Titles, the transferee must meet the minimum qualifications for the Select Job Title.  There is no requirement that the transferee previously submitted the PCO questionnaire.  Prior to appointment, the agency must submit to their representative in Staffing Services a request for a 70.4 transfer with supporting documentation showing the eligible’s qualifications, and an attestation the eligible meets the minimum qualifications.  Documentation must be kept at the agency.

Early advancements during the traineeship will only be allowed in accordance with SPMM Advisory Memorandum #15-01: https://www.cs.ny.gov/ssd/Manuals/SPMM/1800Appointments/Advisory%20Memo%2015-01.htm and memo https://www.cs.ny.gov/businesssuite/docs/memos/Expansion%20of%20Early%20Advancement%202017.pdf. A Trainee 2 who was advanced after completing year one of the traineeship and who transfers to the same or a different title, whether in the same or a different agency, may be considered for early advancement to the full title after six months of service subsequent to the transfer.   Generally, the conditions for early advancement are that trainees receive the highest performance rating at the 12- and 18-month intervals of trainee service and demonstrate performance of the full range of duties and responsibilities of the target title. The agency must send an email to their Staffing Representative prior to submitting the NYSTEP transaction for the early advancement attesting that the Trainee 2 is performing the full range of duties and responsibilities of the G-18 position.

Advanced Placement from PCO Lists

All advanced placement decisions are at the agency’s discretion.  By allowing advanced placement entry at the Trainee 2 or journey level title, we expect agencies will be better able to attract candidates for their positions.  Advanced placement qualifications are available on each title’s page at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/pco-titles.cfm.

When using the Trainee lists, the standard rules of reachability still apply; however, the level at which the traineeship is filled can be determined by the qualifications of the candidate selected.  For example, if experience is required for advanced placement and the top three acceptors have no experience, agencies must fill the vacancy at the Trainee 1 level by selecting one of those acceptors.  Agencies cannot skip three Trainee 1 level acceptors to reach a candidate who meets the qualifications for advanced placement at the Trainee 2 or journey level.

Advanced placement appointments are made directly from the eligible list to the Trainee 2 or to the journey level title.  Once a permanent trainee appointment has been made, the agency cannot give the employee an advanced placement appointment in that series; the appointee must progress through the traineeship.  For example, if an appointee has nine months of the twelve months of experience needed for advanced placement, the appointee cannot be advanced after three months.  Also, if an agency appoints someone as a Trainee 1 and later finds they could have advanced placed the appointee as a Trainee 2, an advanced placement appointment to the Trainee 2 will not be allowed.

The advanced placement qualifications for all PCO titles are available on each title’s page at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/pco-titles.cfm.  Qualifying experience must be professional experience.   Please note, the updated Generalist Job Titles’ advanced placement qualifications should also be used to determine eligibility for an advanced placement appointment from the Public Administration Traineeship Transition (PATT) list.

An eligible list for the journey level title does not block advanced placement appointments, except that a promotion list for a title must be exhausted before advanced placement from a PCO list to the same title can be allowed.

Process for advanced placement appointments:

• For Generalist and Select Job Titles – Possession of the required education and/or experience is to be determined by the appointing authority at the time of interview. Agencies will no longer need to submit forms ATT-00271 nor the NYS-APP for advanced placement appointments for Generalist titles. Agencies also do not need to forward forms or documentation to the Department for Select Job title advanced placement appointments; documentation for both Generalist and Select Job titles is to be retained in agency records. The agency submission of the NYSTEP transaction is the agency’s attestation the appointee meets the requirements for advanced placement and is reachable on the list. However, to ensure the NYSTEP transaction is processed appropriately, when submitting the NYSTEP transaction, agencies must notify their Staffing Representative via email of their intention to advance place. Such notification should include the name of the candidate, last four digits of the candidate’s Social Security number, and the level at which the agency intends to appoint the candidate. Any questions regarding advanced placement qualifications (found on each title’s page at https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/pco-titles.cfm) should be directed to your agency’s Staffing Representative.

Effect of an Appointment from a PCO List

For Generalist Job titles, an appointment from one of the Generalist lists will inactivate an eligible for appointments at that grade level from all of the Generalist lists, with the provision that inactivation will be dependent on the salary grade of the journey level of the traineeship.  For example, if an eligible is appointed to a traineeship leading to G-16, they will be inactivated on the Generalist lists for all traineeships leading to a title at G-16 and below but will remain active for all traineeships leading to a title above G-16.

Additionally:

• Appointees from the Generalist Job Titles lists will remain active for titles filled from the Select Job Titles list.
• Appointees from a Select Job Titles list will remain active for titles filled from the Generalist Job Titles lists. 
• Appointees from the Select Job Titles list will remain active for all other Select Job Titles for which they qualify.
• An appointment to a base title filled off a Select Job Titles list, will inactivate the eligible on the Diversity Management list for the Select Job Title, and an appointment off a Diversity Management list for a title will inactivate the eligible on the Select Job Title list for the base title.

PCO Lists

List Name
PCO - Generalist Job Titles (Generalist)
PCO - Generalist - Diversity
PCO - Generalist - Chinese Language
PCO - Generalist - Chinese Language - Diversity
PCO - Generalist - Creole Language
PCO - Generalist - Creole Language - Diversity
PCO - Generalist - Farsi Language
PCO - Generalist - Farsi Language - Diversity
PCO - Generalist - French Language
PCO - Generalist - French Language - Diversity
PCO - Generalist - Italian Language
PCO - Generalist - Italian Language - Diversity
PCO - Generalist - Korean Language
PCO - Generalist - Korean Language - Diversity
PCO - Generalist - Manual Communication
PCO - Generalist - Manual Communication - Diversity
PCO - Generalist - Polish Language
PCO - Generalist - Polish Language - Diversity
PCO - Generalist - Russian Language
PCO - Generalist - Russian Language - Diversity
PCO - Generalist - Spanish Language
PCO - Generalist - Spanish Language - Diversity
PCO - Select Titles

Information and Contacts

• PCO Information  http://www.cs.ny.gov/pco/
• Questions and disqualification requests should be sent to your Staffing Services Representative.