| Comment Number: | OL-10508962 |
| Received: | 3/15/2005 11:42:04 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:
9901.409(a). I urge DoD to reconsider the use of a multi-level rating system. Implementing Pay-for-Performance will be difficult enough without adding the trauma of performance level "labels." Experts from Alfie Kohn to Harvard's Robert Behn agree that labeling the vast majority of any organization's employees "average" (AKA "fully successful") is a tremendous de-motivator and will impact morale, productivity and commitment to the organization. The reality is that for years and years, thanks to rampant ratings inflation, the majority of DoD employees have been told that they are above average. That will, of necessity, change under NSPS with the shift in focus to identifying and rewarding exceptional performers with substantially larger pay increases and performance bonuses. For budgetary reasons alone, that will be a relatively small percentage of those rated. In a five-tier system, level 4 will also have to be a relatively small number though somewhat larger than level 5. That leaves the bulk of DoD employees to fight and scrap for the "leftovers." Rightly or wrongly, today, a level 3 rating is viewed as undesirable since it does represent the lowest actual rating level (less than .01 are rated at levels 2 and 1). It also puts the recipient at risk in a RIF and significantly reduces the chances for upward mobility. Essentially, employees view it as a "slap in the face." Conceptually and emotionally, that will not change under NSPS. It won't matter that employees will receive the same pay increase they would have received pre-NSPS. The message will be that they are "OK but not great" and expendible when we downsize or reshape the workforce. The fact that they are just one of a great multitude won't be much comfort either. As an alternative to a multi-level rating system, I suggest that DoD consider adopting the approach used in the AcqDemo performance appraisal process which does not relay on rating levels to assign shares.