BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 Personnel OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY ACCESSIBILITY: Publications and forms are available for downloading or ordering on the e-publishing website at www.e-publishing.af.mil. RELEASABILITY: There are no releasability restrictions on this publication. OPR: AF/A1PT Supersedes: AFI36-2623, 10 September 2012 Certified by: SAF/MR (Mr. Jeffrey R. Mayo) Pages: 13 This publication implements AFPD 36-26, Total Force Development. It describes the program description, purpose, and uses of Air Force occupational analysis products and services. This publication describes the processes and procedures taken to collect, analyze, distribute, and apply occupational analysis outcomes to establish or adjust Air Force Specialty (AFS) programs or civilian occupational series; and explains how to request occupational studies. This instruction applies to Regular Air Force (RegAF), Air National Guard (ANG), and Air Force Reserve (AFR) personnel. In collaboration with the Chief of Air Force Reserve (AF/RE) and the Director of the Air National Guard (NGB/CF), the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel, and Services (AF/A1) develops personnel policy for military accession policy. This publication may not be supplemented. Refer recommended changes and questions about this publication to the office of primary responsibility using the AF Form 847, Recommendation for Change of Publication; route AF Forms 847 from the field through the appropriate functional chain of command. Ensure all records created as a result of processes prescribed in this publication are maintained in accordance with Air Force Manual (AFMAN) 33-363, Management of Records, and disposed of in accordance with the Air Force Records Disposition Schedule (RDS) located in the Air Force Records Information Management System (AFRIMS). This publication directs collecting and maintaining information subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, Title 5 United States Code (USC) section ( ) 552a. The authorities to collect and or maintain the records prescribed in this publication are 10 USC 8013 and Executive Order (EO) 9397. Forms affected by the PA have an appropriate PA statement. The applicable PA System of Records Notices (SORN) F033 AF B, Privacy Act Request File, and F036 AF PC Q, Personnel Data Systems (PDS) are available online at http://www.defenselink.mil/privacy/notices/usaf. The authorities to waive wing/unit level requirements in this publication are identified with a Tier ( T-0, T-1, T-2, T-3 ) number
2 AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 following the compliance statement. See Air Force Instruction (AFI) 33-360, Publications and Forms Management, Table 1.1. for a description of the authorities associated with the Tier numbers. Submit requests for waivers through the chain of command to the appropriate Tier waiver approval authority, or alternately, to the Publication OPR for non-tiered compliance items. SUMMARY OF CHANGES This document is substantially revised and should be completely reviewed. This revision restructures and realigns information in each chapter to provide clear and concise guidance; updates referenced directives and administrative instructions throughout; and updates terms, abbreviations, and the content and format of attachment 2.
AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 3 Chapter 1 OVERVIEW 1.1. Program Description. Air Education and Training Command (AETC) houses the Air Force Occupational Analysis (OA) Program within the AETC Occupational Analysis Division (OAD). The purpose of this Air Force Program is to equip senior leaders and managers of Air Force personnel and training programs with objective and factual information about Air Force occupations and civilian occupational series. The role of OAD is to conduct occupational studies, develop survey instruments, analyze the data collected, and provide actionable AFS information. Decision-makers associated with personnel program responsibilities for AFSs use OA data to justify or change personnel policies and to refine and maintain occupational structures. Decision-makers associated with training program responsibilities for AFSs use OA data to establish, validate, and adjust training. Additionally, OA data is provided to personnel within the AETC Airman Advancement Division (AETC AAD) to ensure Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS) promotion tests are relevant, fair, and reliable. 1.2. Program Policy. AF/A1 is responsible for policy oversight of the Air Force OA Program and AETC OAD manages the program within the scope of this instruction. 1.3. Program Purpose. Occupational analysis is integral to providing an objective and factual orientation for three force development tenets: personnel classification and utilization (used to identify tasks performed at each career stage and to validate occupational structures); capabilities-based training (used to identify knowledge needed, and specific tasks necessitating training to meet job performance requirements); and WAPS testing (used to identify operationally relevant duties and tasks for test development to promote and retain the best Airmen).
4 AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 2.1. Overview: Chapter 2 OCCUPATIONAL SURVEY PROCESS 2.1.1. AETC OAD conducts occupational studies on enlisted AFSs on a periodic basis (typically a 3- to 4-year cycle) and upon request, if out of cycle. Special studies, to include Special Duty Identifiers (SDI) and Reporting Identifiers (RI), officer AFSs, and civilian occupational series, are conducted upon request. All career field members have pivotal roles with the constructive outcomes of occupational studies. (Note: additional guidance, processes and procedures, outside of this publication, may be employed for special studies.) 2.1.2. AETC occupational analysts coordinate all occupational studies with appropriate career field and functional managers, and the training community for matters such as: 2.1.2.1. Confirming appropriate time to conduct an occupational study. 2.1.2.2. Verifying site visit and clearance. 2.1.2.3. Establishing unique data collection procedures and requirements. 2.1.2.4. Establishing guidance on use and reporting of occupational study results. 2.2. Occupational Study Requests. Submit requests for out-of-cycle enlisted or special studies in memorandum format (reference Attachment 2). The Air Force Career Field Manager (AFCFM) signs requests for all studies. Requests must include: 2.2.1. AFS, family of AFSs, or civilian occupational series to be studied. 2.2.2. Issues and requirements for the occupational study. 2.2.3. Date results required. 2.2.4. Purpose for the data and application(s). 2.2.5. Recommended site visits for subject-matter expert (SME) interviews during the job inventory (JI) development. 2.2.6. Points of contact. 2.3. Data Collection Instruments. AETC OAD analysts will: 2.3.1. Develop a JI comprised of a complete list of tasks performed or knowledge areas applied by members of an AFS or civilian occupational series. The JI development process begins with examining core training and classification documents such as, but not limited to: 2.3.1.1. Career field education and training plans (CFETP), focusing on course training standards (CTS) and specialty training standards (STS) contained in CFETP, Part II; and plans of instruction (POI). 2.3.1.2. Classification documents, such as Air Force Enlisted Classification Directory (AFECD), Air Force Officer Classification Directory (AFOCD), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Handbook of Occupational Groups and Families. 2.3.1.3. Appropriate Air Force directives (AFIs, AFMANs, etc.).
AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 5 2.3.1.4. Previous occupational studies. 2.3.1.5. Career development course (CDC) material. 2.3.2. Refine the task or knowledge listing by visiting training centers and operational locations selected by AFCFMs to interview SMEs who will: 2.3.2.1. Develop the content and organization of the JI (duty areas and task or knowledge statements). 2.3.2.2. Develop AFS background questions of interest. 2.3.2.3. Associate or match duty areas and task or knowledge statements to core training and classification documents. 2.3.3. Coordinate issues and schedules with customers: AFCFM, MAJCOM functional managers, training pipeline managers (TPM), and technical training managers (TM). 2.3.4. Develop additional survey instruments to collect data from select samples of survey participants (e.g., 7- and 9-skill level members, and when warranted, Chief Enlisted Managers (CEM)). These survey instruments collect task factor data (training emphasis (TE) and task learning difficulty (TLD) ratings) reported for tasks contained within the JI. 2.4. Survey Administration. 2.4.1. Surveys are administered to all eligible personnel in the targeted AFS or civilian occupational series through direct e-mail. The survey sample is based on population distributions and personnel listings generated by the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC). 2.4.2. Due to the nature and critical uses of occupational survey data (OSD) (reference Chapter 3); all Air Force members (RegAF, ANG, and AFR) must complete occupational surveys. (T-3) Identified civilians are strongly encouraged to participate. 2.4.3. Leadership at all levels will ensure selected members of their organizations complete and return surveys accurately and promptly. (T-3) 2.4.4. Failure of personnel to complete and return occupational surveys negatively impacts the development of Air Force training programs, WAPS examinations, and the efficient and effective use of personnel and resources. 2.5. Survey Analyses and Reports. AETC OAD analysts will: 2.5.1. Track survey returns to ensure a representative distribution of the survey sample is collected. 2.5.2. Analyze subsets of the OSD, to include identification of: 2.5.2.1. Member groupings based on percent members performing (PMP) work, and percent time spent (PTS) performing work; according to the tasks selected by the survey respondents. 2.5.2.2. Similarities and differences among work identified. 2.5.2.3. Patterns of career progression by skill level and experience groups. 2.5.2.4. Distinctions between tasks performed by surveyed home-stationed and deployed members.
6 AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 2.5.2.5. Distinctions in duties and tasks among MAJCOM groups and components. 2.5.2.6. Task TE ratings reported by 7- and 9-skill level members. 2.5.2.7. Task TLD ratings reported by 7- and 9-skill level members. 2.5.2.8. Background characteristics of skill level and experience groups, MAJCOM groups, home-stationed and deployed groups, and other targeted subsets. 2.5.2.9. Patterns formed by members of identified groups in response to job satisfaction, retention, and work-life balance questions. 2.5.2.10. Operational relevance of training programs by associating OSD to core training documents, such as CFETPs (CTSs and STSs) and POIs. 2.5.3. Prepare an occupational analysis report (OAR) documenting: 2.5.3.1. Survey methodology. 2.5.3.2. Analysis results. 2.5.3.3. Implications/Recommendations. 2.6. Analysis Products. Provide historical documentation for: 2.6.1. Air Force personnel or training specialists. 2.6.2. Outside agency requests. 2.6.3. Source references for longitudinal research and studies on AFSs and civilian occupational series. 2.6.4. A repository of published occupational and special studies. 2.7. Customers. AETC occupational analysts will communicate the results of occupational studies through briefings which encompass discussion of the occupational analysis outcomes, and provide guidance with understanding, interpreting, and application of the data. Customers include: Career field leadership; training managers and specialists; personnel classification or research specialists; and personnel responsible for WAPS test development.
AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 7 Chapter 3 USES OF OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS INFORMATION 3.1. AFSs. Personnel classification specialists (AFI 36-2101, Classifying Military Personnel (Officer and Enlisted)) use occupational analysis outcomes to: 3.1.1. Identify AFS distinctive responsibilities. 3.1.2. Validate classification documents and guidance. 3.1.3. Remove responsibilities (e.g., duties) from classification documents no longer accomplished. 3.1.4. Identify and document new responsibilities. 3.2. Personnel Utilization. AFCFMs use occupational analysis outcomes as an objective source in constructing and updating CFETPs and in making other personnel and resource utilization decisions. AFCFMs and MAJCOM functional managers consider occupational analysis outcomes at Specialty Training Requirements Teams (STRTs), Utilization and Training Workshops (U&TWs), or other AFS planning workshops to: 3.2.1. Revise occupational or classification structures (e.g., AFECD). 3.2.2. Revise personnel and resource utilization practices. 3.3. Air Force Training Programs. OSD is integral to the analysis and evaluation phases of the Instructional Systems Development (ISD) process (AFMAN 36-2234, Instructional System Development, and AFH 36-2235, Information for Designers of Instructional Systems, Volumes 1-13) under the overarching philosophy of continuous process improvement. It provides training developers the supporting data to develop a concise list of operationally relevant tasks performed and knowledge areas applied by an AFS or civilian occupational series. This data determines areas requiring training, when the training is warranted along the training continuum, and suggests the optimal training setting. Analysis results provide factual data used to validate and refine CFETPs (CTSs and STSs) and other training documents; develop new courses, validate or revise existing courses, or discontinue unnecessary training programs (AFI 36-2201, Air Force Training Program and AETCI 36-2641, Technical and Basic Military Training Development). 3.3.1. AETC OAD provides support data, such as OARs and special OSD extracts, to the AFCFM, TPM, and TM prior to the STRT or U&TW. AETC OAD analysts will present occupational study results at STRTs, U&TWs, or other training planning meetings. The TM of a technical training or flying training program must review newly published OARs for implications on current courses. (T-3) 3.3.2. Training development programs should focus on: 3.3.2.1. Tasks performed by a large percentage of members. 3.3.2.2. Tasks with high TE ratings. 3.3.2.3. Tasks with high TLD ratings. 3.3.2.4. Duty areas comprised of tasks with high percentage of time spent by members.
8 AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 3.3.3. For initial skills, AFS-wide training courses, advanced, and specialized courses, focus on training tasks performed by substantial percentages (30 percent or more) of relevant criterion groups, such as: 3.3.3.1. Personnel in their first job or first enlistment. 3.3.3.2. Personnel at the 3-, 5-, and 7-skill levels. 3.3.3.3. MAJCOM groups. 3.3.3.4. Targeted groups. 3.4. Promotion Tests for the WAPS. OSD provides a valuable and reliable measure for Air Force enlisted promotion specialty knowledge tests for the WAPS. Test development experts and SMEs use occupational analyses outcomes to aid in determining valid, data-supported test items within AFS domains (AFI 36-2605, Air Force Military Personnel Testing System). The OSD measure provided to AETC AAD for WAPS test development includes: 3.4.1. Predicted testing importance ratings (comprised of PMP, PTS, and task factor ratings). 3.4.2. Performance by pay grade and skill level groups of specific duty areas and tasks. 3.5. Published Occupational Studies. To access published occupational studies under the category of Unlimited Distribution, refer to the following website: http://oa.aetc.af.mil/. To request access to published occupational studies under the category of Limited Distribution, email requests to: surveymanager@us.af.mil. DANIEL R. SITTERLY Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Manpower and Reserve Affairs
AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 9 References Attachment 1 GLOSSARY OF REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION 10 USC 8013, Secretary of the Air Force AFPD 36-26, Total Force Development, 22 Dec 2015 AFI 33-324, The Air Force Information Collections and Reports Management Program, 6 Mar 2013 AFI 33-360, Publications and Forms Management, 1 Dec 2015 AFI 36-2101, Classifying Military Personnel (Officer and Enlisted), 25 Jun 2013 AFI 36-2201, Air Force Training Program, 15 Sep 2010 AFI 36-2605, Air Force Military Personnel Testing System, 24 Sep 2008 AFMAN 33-363, Management of Records, 1 Mar 2008 AFMAN 36-2234, Instructional System Development, 1 Nov 1993 AFH 36-2235, Information for Designers of Instructional Systems, Volumes 1-13, 1 Nov 2002 AETCI 36-2641, Technical and Basic Military Training Development, 26 Jun 2014 Adopted Forms AF Form 847, Recommendation for Change of Publication Abbreviations and Acronyms AETC OAD Air Education and Training Command Occupational Analysis Division AFCFM Air Force Career Field Manager AFECD Air Force Enlisted Classification Directory AFH Air Force Handbook AFMAN Air Force Manual AFOCD Air Force Officer Classification Directory AFPC Air Force Personnel Center AFPD Air Force Policy Directive AFR Air Force Reserve AFS Air Force Specialty ANG Air National Guard CFETP Career Field Education and Training Plan CTS Course Training Standard JI Job Inventory
10 AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 MAJCOM Major Command OA Occupational Analysis OAR Occupational Analysis Report OSD Occupational Survey Data PMP Percent Members Performing POI Plan of Instruction PTS Percent Time Spent STRT Specialty Training Requirements Team STS Specialty Training Standard TE Training Emphasis TLD Task Learning Difficulty U&TW Utilization and Training Workshop WAPS Weighted Airman Promotion System Terms Job inventory (JI) Product developed through on-site visits and interviews with career field SMEs and leaders at operational locations and training centers. The JI is foundational for the development of occupational surveys; the JI consists of two main areas: duty areas and tasks performed or knowledge areas applied; and background information pertaining to members within an AFS or civilian occupational series, such as demographics, equipment and systems used, etc. Occupation Tasks and duties which comprise a group of jobs which define an occupational entity. Occupational Analysis Collecting and analyzing factual data on the work performed by Air Force career fields. This data is used to provide personnel and training decision-makers with factual and objective job information to justify or change personnel utilization policies and programs, refine occupational structures, and establish, validate, or adjust training and testing programs. Occupational Analysis Report (OAR) Summary of the processes and results of an occupational study. An OAR describes, but not limited to: -(1) Survey methodology and background -(2) Narratives and graphic displays of survey demographics, job structure, skill level analyses, MAJCOM analyses, home-stationed and deployed analyses -(3) Training analyses: identification of duty areas and tasks performed, and the supporting knowledge requirements; and critical OSD correlations to core training documents -(4) Job satisfaction, retention, and work-life balance dimensions -(5) Implications/recommendations.
AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 11 Task Factor Ratings TE and TLD ratings reported by 7- and 9-skill level members of an AFS; each AFSC-specific task contained within the JI is rated and this data is collected through distinct survey instruments. (Note: for special studies, senior members of the AFS or civilian occupational series report the task factor ratings.)
12 AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 Attachment 2 MEMORANDUM TO REQUEST AN OCCUPATIONAL STUDY MEMORANDUM FOR AETC OAD (Date) FROM: (Your three-line address) SUBJECT: Request for Occupational Study of Enlisted Air Force Specialty (AFS) XXXXX) [Special Studies: SDI ; RI ; Officer Air Force Specialty (AFS) or Civilian Occupational Series ] 1. Who should be surveyed? Describe the occupational group you want the Occupational Analysis Division to survey. Do you need more than one specialty surveyed? Do you need officers, civilians, RegAF, ANG, or AFR groups? Provide separate requests for each specialty to be surveyed, unless you want the Occupational Analysis Division to survey multiple populations together. 2. What are the issues and requirements? Highlight issues that create the need for an occupational study, such as a major change since the last occupational study. Cite reports or minutes of meetings that identify or discuss issues. List the following, if applicable: a. New equipment or systems and date of operational deployment b. Major changes in personnel utilization and date of changes c. Major changes in work or management procedures or practices and date of changes d. Career structure problems in classification, training, or job satisfaction 3. Date results required. State the programmed date for your STRT or U&TW. These dates are critical to scheduling OAR completion. As a further consideration, when a significant change has taken place in classification or training, schedule the occupational review to start no earlier than one year after the date of the change. This will allow a better snapshot of the effects of the change. 4. How will you use the data? a. AFS restructuring, such as creating shreds, mergers, or transformations b. Changes in management procedures or practices c. Updating training documents, such as CFETPs (STSs and CTSs), CDCs, and POIs 5. Where should we visit? List bases, commands, and locations representative of the variety of jobs the Occupational Analysis Division should visit during development of the job inventory.
AFI36-2623 2 AUGUST 2017 13 Identify functions or bases critical to both successful survey development and survey administration. 6. Whom should we contact? Include the AFCFMs, MAJCOM functional managers, etc. 7. How important is this request? Help us prioritize your occupational study. Add information helpful in evaluating the priority we should assign this occupational study. EXAMPLE: If we delay results for a year or leave out a subgroup, such as the ANG, describe the impact on your career field. 8. Who is the project officer? Provide the name and phone number of the individual who has the authority to make decisions regarding development and administration of the survey. (Signature Block)