Comment Number: 05-02582-EREG-122-d7391-c32188
Received: 3/7/2005 8:00:00 AM
Subject: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment
Title: National Security Personnel System
CFR Citation: 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901
No Attachments

Comments:

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you because of my concern about the proposed National Security Personnel System (NSPS) scheduled for implementation for more than 700,000 employees of the Department of Defense over the next year.

As you know, NSPS was authorized under the 2004 Defense Authorization Act, passed by Congress in November 2003.

I first have to ask how is this proposed new payroll system going to change anything? Isnt the current system set up to reward those who perform their jobs satisfactory or better? I always thought the current GS system was designed so, if an employee does not meet the criteria and gets poor performance ratings, that individual doesnt get promoted or even get a step increase. Simply changing the system isnt going to fix the problem, which lies with managers and supervisors who avoid controversy by refusing to give poor performers a poor rating. How will the new pay system change this? It appears to me that all we will have is a new system, which will create new unexpected problems and not fix the existing problems.

The fact is too many times performance is based on management or the supervisors opinion, not on who actually does the best and the most work. The problem is not the GS pay system, the problem is the unaccountability of supervisors and management. This lack of accountability can lead to office bullies, cronyism, intimidation and the good old boy style of leadership, which is the problem with government not the solution. The new pay system will have little if any effect on the good leaders, who give good rating to good employee and bad rating to those who perform poorly. This new system will be a great tool for the poor managers and supervisors who can further bully, intimidate and rule without any decent or disagreement from their subordinates. This proposed new system will result in even fewer checks and balances on managers' actions. This isnt going to solve the problems, it will only compound them and create more injustice and distrust within the federal workforce. If you really want to improve government, the first step is to improve leadership by not just holding them accountable, but by holding them to a higher standard.

Signed:

Luke M. Cory