| Comment Number: | OL-10507310 |
| Received: | 3/14/2005 10:08:24 AM |
| 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:
Back when the NSPS was first proposed I was concerned about the provisions that give a supervisor more control over the pay, performance evaluations and promotions of subordinates. I work in an organization where these matters are largely decided on whether one is a member of the good old boy club. I think we all know what that means. Here it depends on whether one works on the supervisor's car, or his deck, or goes snowmobiling with him, things of that nature. Favoritism is rampant in this organization and is being perpetuated as the older managers retire and put their proteges in positions of authority. Incorporating this new NSPS into an environment such as exists at this installation will remove any remaining hope that employees have of being treated fairly and will not be conducive to teamwork and efficiency. It will tend to set worker against worker. What incentive will an otherwise exemplary worker have to help other workers if he/she is not a member of the good old boy club? Now don't say that he/she should be more co-operative and become a member of said club. There are workers who don't kiss you know what and simply want to do the best job, on the job, that they can. These workers are going to conclude that having to contend with the club is not the way they want to do business and they will leave, or, on the advise of those who know, never come to work for the DoD in the first place. A valuable counterbalance to the organizational group-think will be lost. So, I don't think the provisions of the proposed NSPS are in the interest of individuals or the ability of the organization to do business smartly and get alternate points of view. I'm glad that I'm close to the end of my career and will not be around to see the inefficient mess this will make of DoD. A few general notes please: The introductory notes in the Federal Register, Feb. 14, 2005 say that under the present system managers are often prevented from using civilian employees effectively. "The Department sometimes uses military personnel or contractors when civilian employees could have and should have been the right answer". Why then, I ask, has there been such an emphasis on A-76 and contracting out? The notes also say that DoD has benefited greatly from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) model when setting up this NSPS. But DHS was a brand new agency. There shouldn't have been any expectations on the part of new employees. It seems to me that this NSPS is throwing out the baby with the bath water and that better, less disruptive changes could have been made on an evolutionary, rather than a revolutionary, basis.