A Case Study

Here is a comparison of the Factor Level scores for the jobs of Classroom Assistant and Gardener (2) in North Lanarkshire Council.

1. Working Environment (WE) - 1
2. Physical Coordination (PC) - 2
3. Physical Effort (PE) - 2
4. Mental Skills (MS) - 1
5. Concentration (CON) - 2
6. Communications Skills (COMMS) - 2 
7. Dealing with Relationships (DWR) - 2
8. Responsibility for Employees (EMP) - 1
9. Responsibility for Services to Others (STO) - 2 
10. Responsibility for Financial Resources (FIN) - 1
11. Responsibility for Physical and Information Resources (PIR) - 1
12. Initiative and Independence (I&I) - 2 
13. Knowledge (KN) - 3

The total score for Classroom Assistants is 260 points (remember Factor Levels are 'weighted') which resulted in a grade of NLC 4 under North Lanarkshire's 2006/07 job evaluation scheme (JES).

1. Working Environment (WE) - 2
2. Physical Coordination (PC) - 3
3. Physical Effort (PE) - 4
4. Mental Skills (MS) - 1
5. Concentration (CON) - 2
6. Communications Skills (COMMS) - 1 
7. Dealing with Relationships (DWR) - 1
8. Responsibility for Employees (EMP) - 1
9. Responsibility for Services to Others (STO) - 2 
10. Responsibility for Financial Resources (FIN) - 1
11. Responsibility for Physical and Information Resources (PIR) - 2
12. Initiative and Independence (I&I) - 1
13. Knowledge (KN) - 2

The total score for Gardener 2 is 261 points (remember Factor Levels are 'weighted') which also resulted in a grade of NLC 4.

Now I have to say I find some of these comparative scores very surprising.

For example, the fact that the two jobs receive the same scores for Concentration (CON) and  Responsibility for Services to Others (STO) - and that a Gardener's job scores more highly that a Classroom Assistant for Responsibility for Physical and Information Resources.

But most surprising of all is how Labour-run North Lanarkshire Council can say that a Classroom Assistant is not of 'equal value' to a Gardener (prior to 2006/07) when the two jobs both ended up on the same grade of NLC 4.

Seems completely crazy, if you ask me.





Here are the thirteen Factor Levels which are used to assess all of the jobs covered by North Lanarkshire Council's job evaluation scheme (JES).

Every job is awarded a score under each of the Factor Levels (which are weighted) and this produces a points total that, in turn, determines the grade of the job being evaluated.

1. Working Environment (WE)
2. Physical Coordination (PC)
3. Physical Effort (PE)
4. Mental Skills (MS)
5. Concentration (CON)
6. Communications Skills (COMMS)
7. Dealing with Relationships (DWR)
8. Responsibility for Employees (EMP)
9. Responsibility for Services to Others (STO)
10. Responsibility for Financial Resources (FIN)
11. Responsibility for Physical and Information Resources (PIR)
12. Initiative and Independence (I&I) 
13. Knowledge (KN)

Knowledge is power, as they say and it's important that people who are affected by the Council's job evaluation scheme (JES) understand how it works.

More information to follow including an update for Home Carers, the largest single group involved in the ongoing review exercise which should have been completed before the end of December 2015.