| Comment Number: | OL-10500123 |
| Received: | 2/15/2005 10:39:08 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:
Performance Management- The single largest challenge to the new NSPS will be the establishment of equitable performance standards for the multible organizational structures which exist throughout the government departments. The three most prevalent are the Competency Aligned Organization, the Matrix Organization and the Line and Staff Organization. The traditional Line and Staff organization provides the maximum oversight of individual performance with direct daily supervision for individuals as well as a defined chain of command including in most cases co-located facilities. The Matrix organization is similar in physical structure to the line and staff organization, however tasking, reporting and execution activities lay outside of the immediate supervisors control and input on performance is either peer to peer or not at all. This places the immediate supervisor in the unenviable role of judging performance based on tasks and assignments coming from outside versus assignments provided directly, in addition, this creates a multi-tasking secenario in which assignments have to be stacked against competing priorities and unfortunately the customer with the lowest priority will be more inclined to provide performance inputs. The Competency Aligned Organization will be the most difficult to manage. Supervision has been relagated to administrative and training efforts with individuals assigned to program teams with a team lead vice a supervisor responsible for providing guidance and assistance rather than direct supervision. So here we have input to performance coming from individuals least likely to have had contact with the employee during the reporting period. As an example I am a Logistics Management Specialist in the 3.0 competency working as a Lead logistician (at Naval Air Depot Jacksonville FL) within a tier IV PMA 290 Naval Air Integrated Program Team (Patuxtent River MD), My supervisor is located at Cecil field FL, I am co-located with my team lead who is an Engineer from the 4.0 competency. Performance inputs will therefore come from an engineer in Jacksonville FL and a Program Manager in Patuxtent River MD for a supervisor at Cecil Field FL. Currently we are in a Pass Fail performance system which would make pay for performance extremely easy or virtually impossible. The previous rating method involved grades which were easy to understand and even easier to apply. (It is good that the NSPS is addressing this issue because this is extermely de-motivating for me to be lumped with marginal performers during annual evaluations). In summary we need a standard organizational structure which can provide sufficient oversight to identify exceptional employees and provide support for marginal and poor performers. We also need a rating method which would aid in the documentation of pay for performance and support of the organizational structure. The wheel does not have to be re-invented we have managed to expose every possible configuration and even though the spokes have change the wheel is still round.