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- To make recommendations to the Commissioner for improving the conditions of work, including allowances, hours, and leave.
- To initiate movements for conferences of employees so that the general tone of the Service may be raised.
- To assist the Commissioner in presenting to the Personnel Classification Board data relating to the classification of positions in the Indian Service.
- To assist the Commissioner in presenting to the Budget Bureau and to the Committees of Congress data regarding the needs of the service in respect to personnel, the salary levels for the several classes of positions, and the conditions of work.
This summary statement of duties indicates that the recommended position of chief personnel officer is one of great responsibility. The person selected should have not only technical training and experience in the field of personnel administration but also a judicial temperament, sound judgment, a good personality, and great capacity for hard work. He should be given at least one well qualified technical assistant, so that as a rule one or the other can always be in the Washington office, immediately available to the Commissioner. The other should generally be in the field, visiting schools and agencies. Rarely should a year pass without at least one visit to each jurisdiction from the chief personnel officer or his technically trained assistant, so that they may be intimately acquainted with the field. Experience may demonstrate that two assistants instead of one are necessary to cover the immense territory adequately, but at the outset it would be wise to attempt the work with one. Every effort should be made to resist the temptation to make them responsible for actual administration or to have them make investigations or reports outside the field of personnel. Investigations and reports on the actual administration of particular activities, such as education, agriculture, or home demonstration work should be made by specialists in these fields. The utmost cooperation should prevail between the chief personnel officer and the other officers, both line and staff, because of their common interests.