Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ)

Download the PDQ form

To download the PDQ form, right click and select “save link as” to save a copy to your drive.

Please Note: Interactive PDFs, like the PDQ, will not open correctly using a web browser's (such as Chrome or Edge) built-in PDF viewer and must instead be downloaded to your computer by right clicking the hyperlink to the form and selecting "save link as" to save the file to your computer. Once downloaded, the interactive PDF file can be opened with Adobe Acrobat and the form can be completed.

Instructions on how to open interactive PDFs in Adobe Acrobat instead of a web browser like Chrome are available.

Using the form

This form is designed to be interactive. A step-by-step user guide with screenshots is available. Because the PDQ form is a dynamic PDF, you will not be able to edit the form. That means you can't add or remove pages from the PDF. When you have additional documents (previous PDQs, organizational charts, etc.) please include the documents as separate attachments to the email along with the PDQ.

Tab through the fields or use your mouse to complete it. Some fields will display or not display, depending on the information you enter. For example, if you indicate the position is currently filled in question one, an additional field will appear where you should enter the name of the person currently in the position. If you indicate the position is currently vacant, that additional field will not appear.

The form is designed to be submitted via email and not printed. The workflow should all take place via email. Do not print the form and forward a hard copy. Do not print a hard copy, scan it, and email the scanned copy.

Save the form on your drive by clicking any of the save buttons found in several places on the form. Email the saved form from your drive to others who need to review and/or approve the form.

There is a spell check button at the bottom of the form.

There is also a check form button at the bottom of the form. Clicking this button will check for the fields that must be completed before the form is submitted to DAS-HRE. Any empty mandatory fields will be highlighted in red. When all mandatory fields are completed, a message box that says, “All mandatory fields have been completed” will appear.

When you're sure all mandatory fields have been completed, save the form and then email it as an attachment to DAS-HRE at pdq@iowa.gov for classification review.

About the latest form revision

Effective September 2021, a revised version of the PDQ form was released to coincide with the transition to Workday.  While the content and functionality of the form is largely unchanged from the previous version, three key changes were made:

1. All references to the M-5 (an electronic document formerly used in HRIS to create/edit a position) were removed.  In Workday, the processes to create a position (i.e., the "Create Position" task) and reclassify a position (i.e., the "Edit Position Restrictions" task) can only be initiated after the PDQ has been reviewed and the final classification determination has been made by DAS-HRE.  In either case, a PDQ classified by DAS-HRE must be attached to the applicable Workday task for review/approvals through the business process.
2. The "Position #" field was modified to only accept 6 digits. With the transition to Workday, the State transitioned away from the 18-digit position number format in favor of 6-digit position numbers in Workday.  In Workday, once a position is created and its unique 6-digit number is generated, the number will always be associated with that position; it will not change, regardless of any funding, location, classification, or other changes over time.
3. A new form field of "Appropriation/Fund/Unit" was added to help agencies track and communicate position costing information.  With the transition away from 18-digit position numbers, this new field was added to capture information to help agency staff populate the required costing-related organizational assignments of "Appropriation," "Fund," and "Organizational String (I3)" for each position in Workday.  

Requesting a review

To be considered for review, a position must have undergone a substantive change since the last time it was reviewed. An employee or agency management may make a request for review. Requestors must document and explain how the job has changed for the request to be considered. Falsification or misrepresentation regarding any information submitted may lead to discipline, up to and including discharge.

All requests for review must include:

• New PDQ.
• Previous PDQ, if review is requested.
• Current organizational chart.

If this form is incomplete and/or the documents are not provided, the request will be returned.

Description of work

Describe the work in detail. Make the description so clear that the reader can understand each task exactly. In the % column, enter the percent of time spent on each task during an average workweek, not to exceed 100%. List tasks in descending order of time spent. If this is a reclassification request, the previous PDQ must also be attached to the email. In your own words, describe the duties that are permanently assigned. If you simply copy statements from the job class descriptions or classification series guidelines, the request will be returned.

• Outline the various tasks involved in the job. Be thorough and specific.
• Enter the percent of time spent on each task during an average workweek, not to exceed 100%. List tasks in descending order of time spent.
• Avoid vague words including "assist," "direct," "assign," etc. Explain what duties are performed and how they are performed. Use examples.
• Attach forms used in the performance of the work if they help explain the task
• Describe what this particular position does, not the work done in the entire work unit.

The total at the bottom of the description of work table must equal 100%. The form will calculate the total for you, but it will not display an error if the total is not equal to 100%.

Essential functions

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination because of disability against qualified (meeting the qualifications of a job class) people with disabilities. Supervisors must determine the essential functions of the position that an individual must perform, with or without reasonable accommodations, to hold the position. There is a hyperlink in the PDQ form to the Drafting Essential Functions guide where you can find more information about writing appropriate essential functions. 

Essential functions focus on what must be done, not on how it is accomplished.  A well-written essential function would state, “Prepares daily statistical reports for agency director.”  Competency statements such as “the ability to type and read” are not well-written essential functions.  Likewise, statements including “must maintain good attendance,” “must display a high level of ethics,” or “must be able to follow policies and procedures” are not essential functions and should not be listed as such.

Special requirements

If identifying special requirements, list only those position-specific competencies that aren’t already identified in the “Competencies Required” section of the job class description. If the job class description states that all positions in the class must have a specific certification, license, or registration, there is no need to include it here.

Bargaining & merit status exemptions

More information on collective bargaining and/or merit status exemptions can be found in the Bargaining & Merit Status Exemptions document, which lists the basis for the most common exclusions from coverage under the collective bargaining and merit systems.

OCIO review

If the position meets one of the following criteria, it must be submitted to OCIO for review and their recommendations before it is submitted to DAS-HRE:

1. Is assigned IT duties; or
2. Supervises primarily or exclusively IT staff.

Email the PDQ to OCIO at CIO@iowa.gov with the subject beginning with "PDQ Review." Once OCIO has reviewed and signed the PDQ, they will email the form back to you. The form may then be submitted to DAS-HRE for the classification review. Please note that PDQs submitted to DAS-HRE without the signed OCIO review will be returned to the sender as incomplete.

Steps for submitting the PDQ form

1. Click the spell check button, and then click start to check spelling.
2. Click the check form button. If there are errors in the form, an error message will display. Once all mandatory fields are completed, a success message will display.
3. Save the form when it is properly completed, and attach it to an email to pdq@iowa.gov.

Remember to include all required additional documentation with the email.

Standardized PDQs

A standardized PDQ serves the function of being the PDQ on file for all existing positions (unless otherwise noted) in the job class for each agency/institution/service area.  Standardized PDQs are generally intended for higher-population, higher-turnover classes where large numbers of identical positions exist, and they are used to allow for a single "update" classification review, vs. having to update several identical PDQs on a position-by-position basis.  Since each standardized PDQ impacts several positions, DAS-HRE recommends that they be kept up to date and reviewed at least once every five years. However, as long as they are still reflective of the positions, they may continue to be used in backfilling existing positions regardless of the date last reviewed by DAS-HRE.  

Please note: Standardized PDQs do not function as a way to (1) create new positions or (2) reclassify positions from different job classes. Such actions can only be brought about through the submission of individual PDQs to document and explain the basis for the position creation/change.  In those cases, it is fine to include the "work performed" content from the standardized PDQ, but DAS-HRE must first review and classify the specific position before approving the applicable Create Position (for new positions) or Edit Position Restrictions (for reclassifications) business processes in Workday.

Understanding "pre-final" PDQs for new positions

A "pre-final" PDQ is a new term related to the classification review process for new positions to be created within Workday.  A "pre-final" PDQ is one that has been classified by DAS-HRE and only differs from a "finalized" PDQ in that it doesn't yet have a 6-digit position number identified in the "DAS-HRE use only" section in the top right corner of the form.  All other fields in that section (i.e., PDQ #, Job class title, Reviewed by, and Effective date) will have been completed by DAS-HRE during the formal review process.  

The pre-final PDQ is provided to the agency for the sole purpose of attaching a PDQ with as much information as possible to the applicable Create Position business process in Workday.  The position number of a new position will be unknown until it is auto-generated by Workday at the completion of the Create Position business process.  [Note: In Workday, once a position is created and its unique 6-digit number is generated, the number will always be associated with that position; it will not change, regardless of any funding, location, classification, or other changes over time.] 

Following the completion of the Create Position business process, DAS-HRE will finalize the PDQ by simply adding the new position number to the empty "Position #" field in the top right corner.  A copy of this finalized PDQ is provided back to the agency for storage and future reference, as has been the case with all other finalized PDQs.