| Comment Number: | OL-10506646 |
| Received: | 3/12/2005 4:14:32 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:
Let's face it--when you think of civilian employees whether it's with DoD or at your local city hall, normal people conjure images of rude, unprofessional, unproficient and not very hardworking people. Many of the other comments submitted I have read talk about these individuals' entitlements to things they have earned based on seniority--give me a break! I am 27 years old and I work for our soldiers and their families via a government contractor (Many of you will stop reading now because surely I have nothing important to say as a young person--those of you who read on, thank you for your curiosity or faith in youth). I know that sometimes my generation is referred to as the "entitlement" generation, but when most of us work for Corporate America, I know I have to work hard to prove my value to my employer--my paycheck, my professional growth and future depend on me--I have no one to blame for my failures (that's right--not even the government). No one working for most businesses anywhere in the world enjoys the blind job security government employees do (many of the folks I work with do not abuse this--and of course, others do). I applaud the NSPS efforts to improve performance as well as cost effectiveness. Additionally, as a married person supporting my own spouse's career in the military, I have felt frustrated to learn that there are many civilian employees who are the "weak links" in our nation's commitment to our military. My concerns are as follows: 1. Training for Managers/Supervisors--my concern here is how the training is delivered. A link in an email containing a slide show vs. classroom instruction? My recommendation is to allow and/or require managers to have a period of time 6 months to a year where they must complete an internship with a corporation or government agency where innovative and exemplary practices are part of that organization's day to day operations; or vice versa where they are subjected to being a non-supervisory employee at a company with poor practices--either experience is quite valuable. Implementation from the top down. 2. Performance based evaluations--I will reiterate a comment submitted by another reader on the subjectiveness of managers based on personal relationships/friendships with subordinates. Again, that's just the "real world" in and outside of government; however, many times supervisors/managers are the "weak links" in their organizations. Case in point, a person who is active duty military who was not stellar yet was easily able to transition into civil service and continue to be not so stellar. 3. NSPS beyond DoD--based on the hoped-for successes of this plan, please consider implementing these changes in other areas of government. Thank you for the opportunity and for your time. I am excited to see the dialogue surrounding this, and from my perspective, I admire the courage of people who say enough is enough, we can do better! Sincerely, Hopeful and Watchful