Comment Number: OL-10502695
Received: 3/2/2005 4:05:53 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've read the proposed rule and don't find that it gives good managers any more authority or flexibility than the current Civil Service system. What it does do is create an unmanageable system of compensating employees. From a financial management standpoint, each individual's salary will be different once NSPS is implemented and it will be impossible to budget for salaries - much less the performance pay pool. The biggest question is "how do you measure success"? Many of us work in jobs where we don't control the outcome of various actions that are taken on a daily basis, but our services are required in order to ensure the success of our organizations, the Navy and our country. If we didn't believe this, we wouldn't be in Government service. NSPS also assumes a 'bell shaped' curve within which government employees fall. If managers were truly managing under Civil Service rules and regulations this would never happen. In my 25 years of public service, I truly belive that there is a significant majority of government employees who consistently exceed the expectations of their positions or are truly outstanding. We're told that 'fully successful' is OK - and that in previous performance systems meant that you were entitled to your cost of living increase and step increases when they were due. I find it difficult to believe that we're willing to accept 'average' performance from our workforce - and I don't see that NSPS will do anything to improve this situation. The burden is and always has been on managers to manage their workforce and expect nothing less than superior performance from their staffs. Finally, there is nothing in NSPS for employees - it's all about management. For any plan to succeed, there has to be a benefit or reward for those upon which it is being imposed.