APPLICABILITY & PURPOSE
This Personnel Management Regulation (PMR) defines the rules of the examination process for regular County of Marin positions, pursuant to the Merit System.
CONTENTS
31.1 General
31.2 Reasonable Accommodation in Testing
31.3 Examinations for Open and Continuous Recruitments
31.4 Passing Scores
31.5 Current Employee Preference
31.6 Veterans’ Preference
31.7 Disabled Veterans
31.8 Promotion Without Examination
31.9 Eligible Lists
31.10 Duration of Eligible Lists
31.11 Examination Appeals
APPROVAL
FORMS AND ATTACHMENTS
31.1 General
A. Within the Merit System, the Director of Human Resources will order an examination whenever feasible and economical in relation to the nature of the position, number of vacancies and time available. The appointing authority will be consulted in advance as to the examination.
B. Examinations will be competitive, impartial, and practical in character and will fairly test the relative ability of the persons examined to perform the duties of the classification for which the examination is given. Only applicants who meet the minimum qualifications as established in the job announcement or class specification will be advanced to the examination process.
C. The examination process may include but is not limited to one or more of the following:
1. An appraisal of qualifications presented in the application materials. A quantifiable rating will be assigned to distinguish those candidates most qualified to be advanced further in the process or to establish rank if no further exam process is conducted.
2. A written examination specifically related to the job functions of the classification for which the examination is being conducted.
3. Field tests and/or performance tests specifically related to the job functions of the classification.
4. Oral examination board or panel which conducts semi-structured interviews (pre-determined questions with job-related follow-up questions when necessary).
5. Individual oral interviews of similarly pre-determined semi-structured questions.
31.2 Reasonable Accommodation in Testing
Should an otherwise qualified applicant for a position, who is disabled within the definition of the state or federal law, request reasonable accommodation for any part of the testing procedure, the Director of Human Resources may, when in his or her judgment the testing procedure would create an artificial barrier, modify the test process so as to eliminate such artificial barrier.
31.3 Examinations for Open and Continuous Recruitments
Examinations for open and continuous recruitments may be administered periodically as applicants are available or as appointments are necessary. The names of all applicants who qualify in such examinations will be entered on a single eligible list. After six months, an eligible candidate's name will be automatically removed from such list, but the remainder of the list will continue as new additions occur, until the recruitment is closed, or vacancies are filled. The Director of Human Resources may extend a candidate's eligibility on a list by up to one year, for a total eligibility time of 18 months.
31.4 Passing Scores
Unless otherwise provided in the recruiting announcement or other official notice, a final score of at least 70% will be required for passing each total examination or any portion thereof. The final score will be a weighted average of each part scored independently, multiplied by the percentage weight assigned to that part.
31.5 Current Employee Preference
A. A regular employee of Marin County who is successful in an open competitive examination will have two (2) points added to the final examination score. An employee who terminates regular employment with the County of Marin shall forfeit any promotional points being added to his/her examination score.
B. A regular employee who is laid off in accordance with the provisions of a County reduction-in-force procedure, and who, within two years after lay off is successful in an open competitive examination, will have two (2) points added to his or her final score.
C. County employees who successfully compete in an entrance examination in which veterans’ or disabled veterans' preference points are granted to other candidates will have a total equivalent number of preference points added to their final scores.
31.6 Veterans’ Preference
A. A person who is successful in an open competitive examination and who has served on active duty in one of the Armed Forces of the United States of America will have two points added to the final examination score if eligible pursuant to the provisions below:
1. The applicant applies for veterans' preference and submits proof of military service no later than the final date for filing applications for the examination; and
2. The applicant shows military service on full-time active duty for at least one hundred eighty consecutive days, or has served full-time for 30 days or more, or in time of peace in a campaign or expedition for service in which a medal has been authorized, or a lesser period if discharged for a service-connected disability, and discharged or released under honorable conditions. Active duty is deemed to be full-time service and shall not include part-time service in any reserve status or National Guard; and
3. The applicant achieves a passing score in each phase of the examination.
B. Veterans' preference will be granted only for initial entry into County service and will not be granted for promotional opportunity.
31.7 Disabled Veterans
A. A veteran who has a service-connected disability rated at not less than 30 percent by an authorized agency of the United States Government and who is eligible for veterans' preference in accordance with the provisions of Section 31.6, set forth above, will have a total of four points added to the final examination score.
B. Disabled veteran’s preference will be granted only for initial entry into County service and will not be granted for promotional opportunity.
31.8 Promotion Without Examination
A. Using the attached form, an appointing authority may request, and the Director of Human Resources may approve, the promotion of a County employee without examination when all the following criteria are met:
1. When the County employee is under filling a higher level allocated position in a lower classification, or is filling the lower classification in a sliding or alternatively staffed classification series;
2. When there is only one employee per position within the department eligible for promotion;
3. When the employee has had satisfactory or better written performance evaluations; and
4. When the employee meets all the requirements for the higher classification.
31.9 Eligible Lists
The names of candidates successfully passing an examination will be entered on an eligible list in order of standing from the highest score to the lowest passing score, when applicable.
31.10 Duration of Eligible Lists
A. An eligible list resulting from an open competitive examination will be in effect for six months from the date it is established, and may be extended by the Director of Human Resources for a period not to exceed 18 additional months.
B. An eligible list generated from a promotional examination will be in effect for one year from the date it is established, and may be extended by the Director of Human Resources for a period not to exceed one additional year.
C. For open and continuous examinations, the eligible list will continue until the recruitment is closed or vacancies are filled, with individual candidate eligibility as set forth in 31.3 above.
D. An eligible list may be abolished at any time by the Director of Human Resources, and a new recruitment and examination ordered.
31.11 Examination Appeals
A. Applicants may appeal examination procedures to the County Personnel Commission. The bases for appeal of an examination are appropriateness or correctness of item or items in written examinations; failure to follow proper examination procedures; or fraud or favoritism in the oral interview process. An appellant is required to utilize the following procedure:
1. Within fourteen calendar days after the notice of results of an examination has been mailed, a written appeal must be filed with the Director of Human Resources. The written statement must include the specific grounds and reasons upon which the complaint is based, and may be filed using the Marin County Examination Appeal Form, provided as PMR 31 – Form 2.
2. Within fourteen calendar days after receiving the appeal, the Director of Human Resources or designee will evaluate the appeal (which may include meeting with appellant), and mail a written decision to the appellant.
3. Within fourteen calendar days after such written decision is mailed, the appellant may petition in writing for a hearing before the Personnel Commission if the decision rendered by the Director of Human Resources is unsatisfactory to the appellant and the appellant chooses to further appeal.
4. The Personnel Commission will establish a date for hearing at its next regular meeting. Hearings will be conducted pursuant to PMR No. 3. The burden of proof shall be upon the appellant, who may appear and produce evidence at the hearing. Appellants may be represented by a representative of their choice at their own expense.
5. Within fifteen calendar days after concluding the hearing, the Personnel Commission will certify its findings and decision. The determination of the Personnel Commission will be final and binding unless the action involves the expenditure of unbudgeted funds, in which case it must be approved by the Board of Supervisors.
6. The decision of the Director of Human Resources or Personnel Commission may, but is not required to, invalidate an appointment already made.
APPROVAL
Effective Date: January 2005
Revisions No. : 0
Prepared By: Laura Armor
Approved: ss/President, Board of Supervisors