You are on page 1of 1

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

LOCALLY ENGAGED STAFF POSITION CLASSIFICATION

Locally-engaged staff (LES) can be Foreign National Direct Hires (FN DH) or Host Country
Resident Personal Services Contractors (HCR PSC), who are not considered employees.
The Peace Corps (PC) participates with all other Agencies at overseas posts in managing Foreign
National Employees (FN DH). This includes PC participation in all systems, rules and
regulations applicable to FN employees of all agencies at a post, usually managed by the
Department of State (DOS) Human Resources Office.
FN management includes the design of a staffing pattern, authorized by DOS for the particular
post (NSDD 38), which includes a set number of PC positions both US DH and FN DH; position
descriptions; the classification of these positions with a Computer Assisted Job Evaluation
(CAJE) system; compensation according to a Local Compensation Plan (LCP), which includes
salaries and benefits pursuant to prevailing practice at post and can be performed by DOS, or
bought off the shelf; periodic adjustment of this LCP, following the same system; performance
evaluation; an incentive awards system; and disciplinary systems to ensure the satisfactory
performance of all duties. It also includes the recruitment and selection of FN DHs and their
management. FN DH Management also includes Inter-Agency Panels to evaluate classification
action appeals, award nominations, etc.
PSCs are not employees. Their services are procured with closed contracts that need to be drawn
from formats contained in the Peace Corps Manual. When posts procure the services of a person
who is a resident of the host country, they are called Host Country Resident Personal Services
Contracts. They are normally drafted for one year and four 1-year options to renew. The
Country Director at a post has delegated authority from the PC Director for procurement actions
not to exceed US$100,000.00. The total compensation for services performed during five years
normally surpasses this amount. Therefore, a delegation of supplemental procurement authority
needs to be requested and obtained from the Office of Acquisitions and Contract Management
(OACM), before this contract can be signed.
PSC positions are authorized by Regions in Operating Plans.
The LCP is used as a guide to determine possible cost of this PSC. When designing a HCR PSC,
before starting any procurement action, i.e.: competition (publication), negotiation, selection and
contracting, Posts should have an idea of what LCP grade to compare this PSC with. Therefore,
positions encumbered by a PSC are informally classified at the post to arrive at that
determination. We have attached several documents for that purpose. Please remember that the
CAJE system cannot be used for PSCs, because they are not considered employees. Once the
grade is identified, negotiation with the proposed contractor includes salary history to determine
compensation. After a PSC is signed, compensation cannot be adjusted until the initial term or
the exercised option has expired. LCP Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) are integrated when
the PSC is next extended with an option or when a new PSC is written.

You might also like