Comment Number: OL-10500230
Received: 2/15/2005 4:25:21 PM
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:

I read the Department of Defense, National Security Personnel System – Proposed Regulations, February 10, 2005, Fact Sheet and looked at the NSPS website content. It looks to be a reasonable plan with possibly adequate safeguards.<...<...< <...<...< Presently, I have very good managers and very acceptable ratings. The comments that follow were pounded into me over the last 20+ years (that I worked for my country as a civilian). I can recount specifics, but past is past and what will tomorrow bring ... always better for me (to my great regrets at times). I do hope we get the intended results (they are needed). I believe, strongly, that failure is a command decision and never due to the loyal folks performing the mission.... Anyway have fun with my comments ... I am not good at politics/diplomacy.<...<...< <...<...< Performance-based - My many years of excellent/exceptional performance ratings always left me with wonder. I wondered, did my work-ethic interfere with my career-management. I have noticed over the years that two out of three promotions went to know-nothing and/or do-little career mangers that feed off the team/community's worker-bees and pack-mules; Also, they could golf and/or intoxicatingly socialize (not always) after hours. I was asked one time where is my proof (I chuckled) and replied facetiously (as was appropriate) ... "It has never been my job assignment." So, I have known a few career-managers that have very high performance for self-development in government, but no productive performance for US in Government. I tell new employees that it is great to support the Soldiers in the field, the country, and it is a highly honorable career, but they must always beware of the pet-rocks, power-point engineers/scientist, vapor-success managers, ... and family-friend relationships.<...<...< <...<...< Pay banding system - I expect that the new system (though obviously well intentioned) will provide a pork-barrel payroll scheme for one-out-of-three managers and will not reach the intended "NSPS is performance-based" folks in government service. Regretfully, lying with statistics will prove it to be a great success as Government employee performance continues a downward spiral ... "Looks Great, Cost More, Does Less, .... On this point many corporations suffer from common success delusions (it is evolution for career-managers to become vapor-success managers).<...<...< <...<...< Streamlined hiring processes - This, I believe, is true for at least the best of all (1-in-3, I hope more) managers .... I expect that there could be a vapor-success manager's report (every few years) showing that there is an exodus of poor-performance and behavior-problem personnel. By the end of this decade (maybe) the technology and software-applications will be available to finally fix the problems caused by career and vapor-success managers and poor performance employees. Finding/tracking the origin of productive performance (who is/did/started/carried/...) employees will be possible in the near future on the commercial market (in Government, after I retire 2012/17). Eventually US will win on this for "National Security".<...<...< <...<...< Disciplinary and appeals processes - I am glad expeditious was not possible over the last 20+ years. I am sure (with the career-managers I had a couple times) I would of been disciplined/fired. REMEMBER: above "many years of excellent/exceptional performance ratings" 90%+.<...<...< <...<...< Employees will not lose pay upon conversion to NSPS - I know, I expect I will see a pay increase, until enough younger folks (as I get older) can out-perform me. Competitively speaking it will be about the time I retire ... if then. From the looks of other comments there may be to little employer ethics and too much handicap/age discrimination built into this NSPS plan (yep, you need some adjustment)