Comment Number: OL-10506457
Received: 3/11/2005 3:42:29 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 am currently a Human Resources Specialist (Recruitment and Placement) for the Department of Army. I understand many of the concerns addressed regarding the pay for performance issues. I also currently service a Laboratory Demonstration Project. I can see the different flexibilities available in a pay band. However, I believe we need more guidance in regard to the recruitment process. My current serviced area utilizes categorical rating for external competitive recruitment. This increases the current workload for ranking and rating applicants. If the same type of rating will be used under NSPS, it will increase the workload currently managed by hundreds of Human Resources Specialists and Assistants for the Department of Army alone. Currently, we have numerous automated tools that are provided to help us accomplish the mission of the Department of Army. These will need to be modified or replaced, this is an added cost. These systems are all modified currently for use with Laboratory Demonstration and Acquisition Demonstration projects. The modifications are mainly workarounds within the current system. As an employee scheduled to be converted in Spiral 1.1, I believe there needs to be more guidance in regard to how the pay bands will be established. This is something that greatly impacts the lives of numerous employees and I feel that we are left to wonder when the other shoe will drop. I have had the opportunity to service two separate Demonstration projects and can see the pros and cons of both. However, I feel that without more information we cannot make an informed decision.