Q&A
DCAS partnerships and civil service exam scheduling process
0:35:14
ยท
6 min
Council Member De La Rosa inquires about DCAS partnerships with agencies for role-specific retention incentives and the process for determining which civil service exams will be scheduled. Commissioner Porter explains DCAS's collaboration with agencies, including:
- Annual examination schedule planning starting in January
- Use of data to determine exam needs (e.g., high number of provisionals, expiring eligible lists)
- Feedback from agencies through a workforce planning questionnaire
Additional details:
- 80-90% of city government positions require a civil service examination
- DCAS releases a tentative examination schedule and seeks agency input
- Some exams, like public safety titles, are automatically included annually
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:35:14
DCAS, do you all ever partner with individual agencies to develop role specific retention incentives, particularly for those roles identified as hard to recruit?
Katrina Porter
0:35:27
So, yes, we're in constant communication with city agencies to help them develop strategies to attract top talent.
0:35:35
One of those ways, of course, is through the administration of examinations.
0:35:39
90 80% of the positions, in city government require, a civil service examination.
0:35:46
We release our annual examination schedule in, on July 1st annually.
0:35:51
However, the planning for that schedule starts, in January.
0:35:55
So just, a few weeks ago we released our tentative examination schedule, which includes, titles that DCAS anticipates being included in the on the schedule this year, and then we send that schedule along with a survey, a workforce recruitment survey to city agencies to provide them with an opportunity to review the titles that we're anticipating and then to also share, you know, their thoughts and, ideas on titles that should be included based on their hiring needs.
0:36:27
And it's, you know, we go back and forth with the agencies.
0:36:29
We also, meet with, agencies, at their at their request to discuss any, you know, special, needs around the timing of the exam or, you know, any specialized skill sets that may be needed, ahead of the exam schedule.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:36:46
And how often do you update if the title's hard to recruit?
0:36:50
How often do you like review that designation?
Katrina Porter
0:36:53
Hard to recruit is usually, at the the agency will provide that information to us and then we would review it at that time.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:36:59
Okay.
Katrina Porter
0:37:00
Our Office of Citywide Recruitment also works very closely with agencies, conducting agency spotlights, to our, community based organizations and educational institutions, to highlight, positions that may be hard to recruit.
Spanish Interpreter
0:37:18
Do you want to add anything?
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:37:20
Okay.
0:37:20
Alright.
0:37:21
Thank you for that.
0:37:23
My colleagues and I have been concerned about increasing wait times for ambulances and emergency response teams to arrive on the scene of patients in crisis.
0:37:31
At at the November hearing held last year by the Committee on Fire and Emergency Management, Hospitals, and Oversight and Investigation, the administration emphasized that emergency responses require incredible collaboration between 911 dispatchers, FDNY, EMS, EMT, and hospital staff.
0:37:52
Does DCAS play any role in the recruitment or examination of 911 call dispatchers, EMS, EMT, or has hospital staff?
0:38:01
And, that's one part of the question.
0:38:03
And then while we recognize that there is a complicated structure, with all of these separate entities, it would be helpful to understand what role, if any, DCAS plays with any of these different groups.
Katrina Porter
0:38:17
So, DCAS's role is to support these agencies by administering examinations.
0:38:24
Much of the titles that you mentioned, with the exception of the hospital emergency room title, are competitive titles in which DCAS administers examinations.
0:38:34
And once again, we, request feedback from agencies on how often they want to have these titles.
0:38:40
Many public safety titles we give multiple times a year to support future, recruitment efforts.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:38:54
Okay.
0:38:54
So let's go a little bit into the exam administration.
0:38:58
Could you please explain DCAT's role in collaborating with agencies to determine which civil service exams will be scheduled and what metrics factor into the joint decision to administer this exam.
Katrina Porter
0:39:11
So once again, our process starts in January Oh, Joanna just had to in which we
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:39:16
Oh, sorry.
0:39:18
I'm sorry, commissioner.
0:39:19
We gotta stop the hearing for one second.
0:39:21
Give us a second.
0:39:22
I think it's the translation.
0:39:24
Yeah.
0:39:25
Just give us one second.
0:39:26
I apologize.
0:40:44
Welcome to Monday at the city council.
0:40:47
Okay.
0:40:49
Sorry, commissioner.
0:40:50
So, again, could you explain DCAS's role in collaborating with agencies to determine what civil service exams will be scheduled, what metrics factor into the joint decision to administer these exams?
Katrina Porter
0:41:05
During the planning process for the exam schedule in January, we start we use data.
0:41:09
Right?
0:41:09
So we look at, titles that may have a high number of provisionals, titles with eligible lists that, may be scheduled to expire within the next year or 2.
0:41:20
Mhmm.
0:41:21
And we come up with that that tentative schedule.
0:41:25
It's really based on data.
0:41:26
And then, you know, prior, knowledge about titles that we give every year.
0:41:31
So, like, public safety titles, police officer, correction officer, probation officer, we give those exams every year.
0:41:38
So they would automatically be included on the tentative schedule.
0:41:43
When we share that tentative schedule with our agency partners, we also send them what we call the workforce planning questionnaire.
0:41:50
Mhmm.
0:41:50
And their feedback in that questionnaire helps us, you know, is pretty much essential to shaping the schedule, to to help them meet their, current and future hiring needs.
0:42:03
So it's a collaboration of data and the workforce planning questionnaire and feedback that we get from the agencies.
0:42:09
That that's what determines what titles we offer.