The Office of Financial Management (OFM) maintains a classification plan for all positions in the classified service.  Classified employees are those subject to the civil service statute.  The classification plan consists of the titles, definitions, typical work, legal requirements, and desirable qualifications for all categories of jobs within the state of Washington. 

The classification plan must be based on a review and analysis of duties and responsibilities of each position, and it must include a description of each class.  The plan is prepared and revised in consultation with employers, employee organizations, and other interested parties. 

By statute, the plan must:

• be simple and streamlined;
• support state agencies in responding to changing technologies, economic and social conditions, and the needs of its citizens;
• value workplace diversity;
• facilitate the reorganization and decentralization of governmental services;
• enhance mobility and career advancement opportunities; and
• consider rates in other public employment and private employment in the state.

The classification plan may not include requirements for a two-year or four-year college degree for a classification unless the specialized technical or scientific knowledge or certification offered through such a degree program is necessary for an employee to perform the essential functions of the classification.