The Family Planning Association of Kenya (FPAK) was founded in 1961 and has since emerged as the leading non-governmental agency in Kenya's National Family Planning Program. FPAK offices and operating units are spread throughout the country. In recent years, family planning had emerged as a critical factor in the realization of Kenya's long-term economic and social welfare goals. Accordingly, FPAK's contribution to the national program has continued to grow in importance and FPAK's rapid expansion in recent years is likely to continue in the future.
Although FPAK has acquired a prominent and permanent status in a crucial national program, until recently there was mounting evidence that successful job applicants were refusing job offers from FPAK because the salaries were too low. FPAK employees had become demoralized because of frequent disputes concerning job classification and salaries. In response to this problem, FPAK undertook a management review to write new job descriptions for each position in the organization and to develop a new salary structure for these positions. Each position was assigned to a grade, and each grade encompassed several positions, all at the same level of responsibility.
The process consisted of several steps:
FPAK postponed recruitment of new professional staff until the new salary structure was implemented. The new salary structure, once ratified by the FPAK Board of Directors, made FPAK competitive with comparable local organizations. With more attractive salaries and benefits, FPAK was able to recruit four new staff members as Area Managers and to establish the position of Internal Auditor. FPAK management felt the new scale permitted the organization to improve the quality of its managerial staff and that it had thus considerably strengthened field operations.
| Grade | Nature of Job | Education/Experience |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Work involves coordination and control of functions requiring different technical and academic qualifications. Work also involves interaction with other departments and functions. Regular and non-routine decisions required. Constant use of judgement and initiative in the execution of pre-determined procedures. | Degree/diploma with extensive experience (10-15 years) as well as specialized knowledge of a specific discipline. |
| 2 | Head of specific function or technical area of operation. Work involves planning for areas of responsibility. Work also involves use of judgement and initiative on routine matters and requires occasional decisions of a non-routine type. | Either degree with some experience (5-8 years) or diploma plus specialized training and up to eight year of experience. |
| 3 | Head of section responsible for a technical area of operation. Work entails functional accountability for the section, as well as supervision of skilled and semi-skilled staff. | Degree/diploma in the specialized discipline with at least five years of experience. |
| 4 | First senior position which is in direct contact with the client and the public at referral point. Work involves either directing or controlling a group of employees in the application of an established technical process and manual skills. Job requires discretion and initiative. | Diploma or specialized technical training in the area of operation, with 4-5 years of experience. |
| 5 | Deputy to section head. Work involves following standard procedures to meet deadlines or to satisfy certain organizational needs. This is the middle line job (between users and suppliers). | Qualifications in the professional field required for the job. |
| 6 | Work involves application of skills acquired through technical training or the performance of varied tasks of non-routine nature. Involves following standard procedures and requires limited degree of initiative. Does not require much direction and supervision. | Secondary school diploma (SSD) plus some training in specialized area (for example, technical or mechanical). |
| 7 | Work involves routine duties following standard set of procedures. Work is regularly checked and requires close guidance and supervision. | SSD and preliminary training or on-the-job acquisition of skills. |
| 8 | Work requires special on-the-job training to enable job holder to perform the required duties (for example, counseling of clients). Job holder acts as FPAK's front line extension agent. Follows set procedures and refers decisions to superiors. | SSD and on-the-job training with about four years of experience. |
| 9 | Work involves some accuracy and dexterity and consists of established processes of a repetitive nature. Tasks are generally closely directed and checked and carried out in standard routine with short period control. Requires some memory. | SSD and on-the-job training. |
| 10 | Work involves simple tasks individually assigned and a limited degree of communication. Jobs are either closely supervised or follow simple written or verbal instructions. | Primary school education. |
| 10 | Work involves simple tasks individually assigned and a limited degree of communication. Jobs are either closely supervised or follow simple written or verbal instructions. | Primary school education. |