| Comment Number: | OL-10511594 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 4:15:27 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 opposed to implementation of PL 108-136, Overall: We in DOD passionately support the soldiers. We can and do deploy to Iraq and other war zones. AGILE? We have new hires now, with fast track. We have that capability for quick response. Nothing in our current system prevents that, management right now has the ability to fire poor performers, if they dont' train for better management. NIBLE? BACK UP TROOPS? Without coercion, in this confrontation, as with all others, we have civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, volunteering, some repeatedly, as equipment specialists, supply, contracting, transportation, you name it. If there are not enough civilians, it's because you also need support people at Rock Island, Warren, Picatinney, etc.Clinton Admin thinning left us one-deep in so many areas. We have a stable work force because it was designed that way. There is so much wisdom from experience gained over the years in the mature workforce that you will never regain if you build in this "quick-change" mentality that will mirror private industries in a very negative way. One of the prime values of the stable workforce is the vast resource of knowledge of "Lessons Learned" While touting rewarding "top Performers" looks good on paper, in reality, there are so many performers who are equally top in ways that "Metrics" do not apply. They are people who do the right thing, over and over, yet may not have any outstanding feats other than their steady reliability, to put them into the spotlight America would be proud of us, if they knew the truth. Management now has what's needed at this time to encourage and reward good performers. Subpart A--General Provisions--$$9901.101-9901.108--Collaboration process has been abysmal. I read the transcripts of the meetings between AFGE and Mssrs Chu, England, et al. STONEWALLing was rife. They were egregiously disingenuous, arrogant, relevant and unresponsive to logic. Smog abounded, There were no attempts at taking in suggesions from our representatives. OPM sugarcoats and insults our intelligence. SubpartB-Classification--$$9901.201-9902.231; SubpartC--Pay and PayAdmin-9901.301-9901.373: subpartD--Performance Management--$$9901.401-9901.409; SubpartE--Staffing and Equipment-$$9901.501-9901.516--Immediate pay effects will not likely be a problem; after that, an adverse culture sets in--paybanding is a HRM FAD, pitting worker against worker. Competition looks good on paper but what this will do is ratchet up internal politics, favoritism and distract from the jobs at hand. We do have awards in place to motivate. The proposed setup will rely on vicissitudes of management to reward you...Awards do not appear to count toward retirement high 3 or perhaps a high 7. Proposed setup is MANAGEMENT INTENSIVE. IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH POOR MANAGEMENT AT THIS TIME, TRAINING SHOULD BE STEPPED UP TO HANDLE CURRENT EXISTING DEFICIENCIES. Subpart H--Appeals-$$9901.801-9901-810; Subpart I--Labor-Managment Relations-$$9901.901.928; National, none of this is value-added for the Security of the USA; none of it is value-added for government employees. This is why, we voted this down before 9/11. Subpart F-Workforce Shaping -$$9901.601-9901.611--RIF changes are disturbing. Again, managment favoritism can keep the wrong people. Subpart G--Adverse Actions - $$9901.701--9901.721 Subpart H - Appeals - $$9901.801-9901.810 - Most of us haven't had to worry about this, but now will because we anticiapte poor managment choices. Proposed set-up is HEAVILY STACKED against us. Lip service to DUE PROCESS is sacrificed to "Streamlining." There is no anti-terrorism benefit in anything proposed. Train managers to manage well. Tweak this current excellent system which has worked for so many years to make it work better. Proposed changes are a Human Resource Managment created Rube Goldberg System. It insults, offends, and demoralizes our workforce.