Research Data Title Series, CSC Docket No. 2023-2565

BackgroundThe Division of Agency Services (Agency Services), on behalf of the Department of Law and Public Safety (Department), requests the establishment of the Research Data title series in the competitive division of the career service and requests the reallocation of the title series to the noncompetitive division of the career service on an interim basis to facilitate the initial hiring of staff. Agency Services also requests the inactivation of the titles of Principal Investigator, Insurance Fraud Prevention; Chief, Training and Staff Development, Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness; Hospital Comptroller; and Claims Examiner, Workers Compensation/Graduate Nurse.

As background, the Department requested that Agency Services create the following four-level title series: Research Data Analyst 1; Research Data Analyst 2; Research Data Supervisor; and Research Data Manager. The title series would be used to help staff the newly created Office of Justice Data (OJD) established by the Attorney General in 2020 based on recent legislative mandates and would also be used within the Juvenile Justice Commission and Office of Law Enforcement Professional Standards. The title series will be allocated to the competitive division of the career service. The responsibilities of the title series involve data collection, statistical research, statistical analysis, and reporting on criminal justice and juvenile related topics in the State to inform policymakers of data trends and promote transparency regarding law enforcement matters. Incumbents will collect and analyze data, make hypotheses, conduct experiments to test hypotheses, and research and analyze trends to draw conclusions and publish results. Agency

Services advises that these duties and responsibilities are unlike those of any current titles maintained.

However, Agency Services explains that the Department has a critical need to staff its new OJD. To accommodate this need, Agency Services requests interim noncompetitive status be granted in accordance with N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(c)3 to facilitate the initial hiring of staff. Accordingly, Agency Services requests the establishment of the Research Data title series and requests that the title series be designated as noncompetitive on an interim basis for one year to allow the Department to immediately appoint employees into these titles.

It is noted that the appropriate collective negotiations representatives were notified of the creation of the Research Data title series and they did not file any objections.

Agency Services also requests the inactivation of the titles of Principal Investigator, Insurance Fraud Prevention (Title Code 10112), unencumbered since June 3, 2021; Chief, Training and Staff Development, Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (Title Codes 61127C and 61668C), unencumbered since October 2, 2014 and September 1, 2016, respectively; Hospital Comptroller (Title Code 02048), unencumbered since 2013; and Claims Examiner, Workers Compensation/Graduate Nurse (Title Code 07849), unencumbered since 2014. The Principal Investigator, Insurance Fraud Prevention and Chief, Training and Staff Development, Office of Homeland Security titles are assigned to the Department, which has no plans for their future use.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:3-3.2(a) provides that the Civil Service Commission (Commission) shall establish and maintain classification plans for all job titles in the career, senior executive, and unclassified services. Additionally, N.J.A.C. 4A:3-3.3(a)2 provides that this agency shall implement and administer the classification plans and, in this regard, shall establish new titles, abolish unnecessary titles, and consolidate titles.

N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(a) provides that the Commission shall allocate and reallocate career service titles between the competitive and noncompetitive divisions.

N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(b) provides that a career service job title in the competitive division is subject to the competitive examination procedures of N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.

N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(c) provides that a job title may be placed in the noncompetitive division on an ongoing or interim basis when it is determined by the Commission that it is appropriate to make permanent appointments to the title and one or more of the following criteria are met:

1. Competitive testing is not practicable due to the nature of the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the job;

Analysis2. Certification procedures based on ranked eligible lists have not or are not likely to meet the needs of appointing authorities due to such factors as salary, geographic location, recruitment problems and working conditions; or

3. There is a need for immediate appointments arising from a new legislative program or major agency reorganization.

Based on all of the foregoing, ample reasons exist for the establishment of the Research Data title series and its allocation to the noncompetitive division on an interim basis based on N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(c)3. In this regard, the Department has a critical need to staff its new OJD, which was established in response to recent legislative mandates. Additionally, N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(g) provides that if a title is designated noncompetitive on an interim basis, at the end of the interim noncompetitive period, which shall be no greater than one year, the job title shall be redesignated as competitive. Individuals appointed during the interim noncompetitive period shall, upon successful completion of their working test periods, attain permanent status in the competitive division.

The Commission also finds good cause to inactivate the titles of Principal Investigator, Insurance Fraud Prevention; Chief, Training and Staff Development, Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness; Hospital Comptroller; and Claims Examiner, Workers Compensation/Graduate Nurse. Specifically, the titles have been unencumbered for some time. Further, the Principal Investigator, Insurance Fraud Prevention and Chief, Training and Staff Development, Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness titles are assigned to the Department, which has no plans for future use of the titles.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that the Research Data title series be established, effective June 17, 2023. It is also ordered that the request for interim noncompetitive designation for the Research Data title series be granted and effected. This designation will be effective from June 17, 2023 and end one year later. At the end of this period, the subject title series will be returned to the competitive division of the career service.

It is further ordered that the request be granted to inactivate the titles of Principal Investigator, Insurance Fraud Prevention; Chief, Training and Staff Development, Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness; Hospital Comptroller;

and Claims Examiner, Workers Compensation/Graduate Nurse, effective June 17, 2023.

ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.