Montana Jim
Gold Member
This effects me as an NSPS guy... and mostly it's an item of interest for we DoD civilian employees - not a commentary or opinion.
__________________________________________________
Act ends controversial personnel system (NSPS)
by Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- With President Barack Obama's signature today on the
2010 National Defense Authorization Act, a controversial pay-for-performance
personnel system is abolished.
About 220,000 Defense Department employees who had come under the National
Security Personnel System will transition back to the long-standing General
Schedule system, but that will take time, a senior official said.
Tim Curry, acting program executive officer for NSPS, said department
officials could start transitioning employees in six months. They have begun
a comprehensive planning process, he explained, with the goal of ensuring a
smooth and orderly transition of employees and organizations out of NSPS.
"The department is going to proceed deliberately and cautiously without
unnecessary delay," Mr. Curry said. The transition will take place
organization by organization, he said to minimize disruption. Meanwhile,
employees under NSPS will remain in that system.
"It took three years to bring those 220,000 employees into the system," Mr.
Curry said. "Congress recognized that it was going to take time ... to do it
right."
The new law gives Defense Department officials six months to develop and
submit a plan to Congress detailing the transition. The whole transition
must be finished by Jan. 1, 2012.
"We will work under NSPS for the time being, while we are working on the
transition plan," Mr. Curry said. "When we're at the point where employees
come out of the system, ... the law ensures that no employee's pay will be
reduced when converting out of NSPS."
Employees outside of NSPS are not affected by the change.
Officials in Mr. Curry's office also are studying the new law's other
civilian personnel ramifications. He said these include requirements for
performance management, hiring flexibilities, training requirements and the
department's ability to go back to Congress for added personnel
flexibilities.
"We're looking at what that means and how to proceed," Mr. Curry said.
"We're just assessing the impact and how to move forward."
The major complaint about NSPS was that it was overly complicated and that
no employee understood the pay pool process, Mr. Curry said, pledging that
department officials will take the lessons from the NSPS experience as it
moves ahead.
"We'll be particularly mindful of issues surrounding complexity and
transparency," he said. "Those are certainly important considerations to
ensure employees understand and accept and buy into any rules that will be
put in place."
Civilian employees under NSPS finished a rating cycle at the end of
September. These workers will receive performance ratings and payouts
effective in January under NSPS, Mr. Curry said. A provision of the act
requires that employees with Level 2 ratings or higher are guaranteed a pay
increase in January that's at least equivalent to the pay increase that
applies to General Schedule employees
__________________________________________________
Act ends controversial personnel system (NSPS)
by Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- With President Barack Obama's signature today on the
2010 National Defense Authorization Act, a controversial pay-for-performance
personnel system is abolished.
About 220,000 Defense Department employees who had come under the National
Security Personnel System will transition back to the long-standing General
Schedule system, but that will take time, a senior official said.
Tim Curry, acting program executive officer for NSPS, said department
officials could start transitioning employees in six months. They have begun
a comprehensive planning process, he explained, with the goal of ensuring a
smooth and orderly transition of employees and organizations out of NSPS.
"The department is going to proceed deliberately and cautiously without
unnecessary delay," Mr. Curry said. The transition will take place
organization by organization, he said to minimize disruption. Meanwhile,
employees under NSPS will remain in that system.
"It took three years to bring those 220,000 employees into the system," Mr.
Curry said. "Congress recognized that it was going to take time ... to do it
right."
The new law gives Defense Department officials six months to develop and
submit a plan to Congress detailing the transition. The whole transition
must be finished by Jan. 1, 2012.
"We will work under NSPS for the time being, while we are working on the
transition plan," Mr. Curry said. "When we're at the point where employees
come out of the system, ... the law ensures that no employee's pay will be
reduced when converting out of NSPS."
Employees outside of NSPS are not affected by the change.
Officials in Mr. Curry's office also are studying the new law's other
civilian personnel ramifications. He said these include requirements for
performance management, hiring flexibilities, training requirements and the
department's ability to go back to Congress for added personnel
flexibilities.
"We're looking at what that means and how to proceed," Mr. Curry said.
"We're just assessing the impact and how to move forward."
The major complaint about NSPS was that it was overly complicated and that
no employee understood the pay pool process, Mr. Curry said, pledging that
department officials will take the lessons from the NSPS experience as it
moves ahead.
"We'll be particularly mindful of issues surrounding complexity and
transparency," he said. "Those are certainly important considerations to
ensure employees understand and accept and buy into any rules that will be
put in place."
Civilian employees under NSPS finished a rating cycle at the end of
September. These workers will receive performance ratings and payouts
effective in January under NSPS, Mr. Curry said. A provision of the act
requires that employees with Level 2 ratings or higher are guaranteed a pay
increase in January that's at least equivalent to the pay increase that
applies to General Schedule employees
