| Comment Number: | OL-10506314 |
| Received: | 3/11/2005 1:35:07 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:
Comments on Section 9901.342: Performance based pay through the use of pay pools seems to be a flawed system. To illustrate, take an example where identical pay pools are allocated to similar Offices A and B with the same sized staff. Office A has 2 outstanding performers and 8 mediocre performers. Assuming that the supervisor is unbiased, then the 2 outstanding employees would receive available pay pool funds for their rightfully deserved performance award. Office B has 10 outstanding performers that work extremely well as a team. Again, assuming that the supervisor is unbiased, all outstanding performers deserve the same raise as the 2 outstanding performers at Office A. However, since both offices were allocated the same pay pools, there is only enough funds to award each of the 10 outstanding performers at Office B only a fraction of the award given to the 2 outstanding performers at Office A. In effect, the outstanding performers at Office B are being penalized for being better performing as a group than Office A. Under the performance based pay through the use of pay pools system, it is in an outstanding performers best interest to be surrounded by average people rather than to be part of an outstanding team. I see this as resulting in people doing what is in their best interest rather than what is in the best interest of the government. I think this concept will destroy teamwork within the Department of Defense. Why would an outstanding performer want to help an average performer become outstanding when it could take money out of their own pocket, even though it would be in the best interest to the Department of Defense and our taxpayer dollars? Of all the government agencies, the Department of Defense should understand the critical importance of teamwork. Effective teamwork is probably the most important asset that makes our fighting forces the best in the world. In combat, our soldiers lives are dependant upon being able to function as a team. The team concept is instilled in the phrase ‘no soldier left behind’. I think it is of equal importance for our DOD civilians to successfully function as a team in support of our combat troops. The NSPS proposal, in its current form, places the value of an individual’s performance over that of the success of the mission. Employees will be too concerned about fighting each other for a limited pool of funds to care about what might be best for the DOD mission. It defeats the concept that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’. Granted, I do understand there is a certain amount of ‘dead weight’ that is draining our resources and taxpayer dollars and that something should be done about this. But do not try to fix this problem by pitting those of us that are successful, hardworking, team players against each other. I request that you revisit these proposed regulations and modify the pay for performance model to incorporate and reward the concepts of successful teamwork and mission accomplishment.