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Civil service staff lay out six‑year testing and classification cycle, plan a busy 2025
Summary
Senior analyst Bridal Sullivan presented a detailed 2025 work plan centered on a six‑year classification and testing cycle, multiple assessment centers, hundreds of recruitments and preparations for potential changes to fire dispatch.
Senior merit system analyst Bridal Sullivan told the Civil Service Commission on Jan. 21 that 2025 will be a heavy year for civil service staff as the department implements a six‑year cycle for classification studies and test construction.
Sullivan described the cycle as beginning with a job analysis and new test construction, followed by test maintenance and an eventual six‑year review and rebuild of classifications and tests. “Our intent is that every six years, we're gonna take a test and we're gonna tear it apart and we're gonna rebuild it,” Sullivan said.
Planned work for 2025 includes three assessment centers (complex promotional tests that often require external evaluators), roughly 100–120 open and promotional recruitments, about 50 minor classification-specification updates and ongoing classification studies for higher-priority lines. Sullivan said the department currently manages about 375 classifications on the six‑year cycle and has expanded staffing from four analysts in earlier years to seven analysts today.
Sullivan flagged several items that could require expedited work: a potential return of city fire dispatch from the regional emergency communications center (SREC), which would require dispatcher classifications and recruitments if Spokane resumes dispatch operations; new city functions such as a proposed arts department; and a developing data-science job progression and new IT and digital forensics analyst tests.
She said the department will also standardize several internal processes in 2025, including how it sets passing points for multiple-choice tests, post-test reviews, test-device selection guidance, staff training and a noninvasive conversion of older class specifications into a modern format. Sullivan said the conversion will preserve content while updating presentation and will be shared with bargaining units.
Commissioners asked about timing and whether civil service must wait for funding or official department creation before beginning classification work; staff said they will avoid expending effort until proposals are at least 80–90% certain to proceed to avoid wasted effort.
Sullivan concluded that the mix of planned and unplanned work makes 2025 particularly busy for the Civil Service Department and asked commissioners for ongoing support as the department balances daily recruitments with larger classification and test-construction projects.
