| Comment Number: | OL-10512012 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 7:48:40 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:
Implementing the NSPS system will not resolve the issues presented in the proposed rule making proposal because NSPS does not adequately address the source of pay and personnel issues. The current system (GS) is set up to deal with all the issues within the proposed rule making. The problems occurring government wide are due to poor selection of supervisors. The Corps of Engineers does not allow upward mobility of technically advanced individuals. Personnel who would like to move up in pay are forced to leave the technical aspect of their job and manage people by becoming supervisors. Many of these supervisors do not possess the skills and personality to mange people. The Corps needs to develop a system that keeps technically competnent people in jobs that fit their abilities and promote qualified people as supervisors. Under the existing personnel system a supervisor has control over promoting staff and giving step increases as they are earned. Many supervisors choose not to stop people from getting promotions or increases out of convenience and making their job as easy as possible. The supervisors choose not to perform their job duties. In regards to discipling and removing personnel from their job duties it can be done. Many supervisors choose not to go through the process because they are not trained in dealing with these problems or are they even capable of performing these functions. Many of the problems supervisors encounter could be dealt with and resolved early on if they had the knowledege, skills, and training to handle them. Changing the current personnel system will not solve the problems outlined in the NSPS information, it will only add another layer of responsibility already inept supervisors are not performing. In regards to hiring staff, a supervisor has options to hire people at any level if they choose. Many supervisors are trying to balance tight budgets, so until programs are adequately funded they hire most people at lower salaries. The implementation of NSPS will be too costly, create more problems for supervisors who already choose not to do their job, and drive more employees to join or start unions in offices that currently do not have unions. How will the government attract a qualified and stable work force if an employees salary can be scaled back. Even the private sector does not hire employees at a certain salary with the option to lower it if a supervisor does not think they are not performing well. People make commitments in life based on their salary.