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EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
In Our Nation’s Defense: Taking
the Right Steps to Redesign the Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian
Human Resource System
February 2005
The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal
year 2004 granted DOD the authority to redesign its human resource
management system. Since passage of what has been referred to as
the NATIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM (NSPS), representatives from
DOD and the Office of Personnel Management have been devising a
plan to significantly change major personnel and labor relations
systems at the Department in ways not envisioned nor intended by
Congress. Under the banner of promoting “management flexibility,”
neither the interests of DOD workers nor input from their democratically-elected
representatives have been fairly considered. And, a valid mechanism
to ensure accountability and cost effectiveness when such flexibilities
are exercised is non-existent. Some of the key changes DOD plans
to make are as follows.
Staffing – Similar to those serving in
the military, non-uniformed civilian employees will be reassigned
(on a temporary or permanent basis) to any location around the globe
to address changing mission requirements. Various occupations (job
series) throughout DOD will be consolidated or merged to expand
the duties and responsibilities that each employee will be required
to perform. “Right-sizing” of employee work units is expected
to increase.
Pay – Salaries of employees will be set
according to an undisclosed pay-for-performance system that will
assess the “market value” of the work. The prospect of
periodic monetary increases will be linked to: a.) an evaluation
by management of how well one’s duties were performed, and
b.) special acts that managers believe warrant remuneration. Only
those getting high ratings will be allowed to progress within their
assigned occupational bands and receive pay increases.
Hiring – The hiring process will be streamlined
in some undetermined fashion. In addition, authority to set pay
for new hires (at rates greater than employees already performing
the same type of work) will be used to attract talented individuals
to DOD.
Worker Rights – Provisions of law
that have been in place for over 25 years will be set aside to maximize
management flexibility. No independent third party review of most
decisions will be permitted, collective bargaining agreements will
become null and void, and the legal role of elected employee representatives
will effectively be eliminated (as well as the accompanying system
of checks and balances that serves to ensure that the government
is being run in an effective manner). Legal standards for discipline
and removal actions will be relaxed to make it easier for management
to sustain such cases. Undisclosed procedures will be devised to
address employees viewed as poor performers.
The attached report, submitted by DOD worker representatives,
provides an overview of the key human resource areas targeted for
drastic modification or elimination. For more information, contact
the United Department of Defense Workers Coalition at www.uniteddodworkerscoalition.org.
Related Articles:
Whitepaper:
In Our Nation’s Defense: Taking the Right Steps to Redesign
the
Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Human Resource System
UNITED DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE WORKERS COALITION
Washington, DC - February 2005—This document analyzes various
broad concepts on the National Security Personnel System (NSPS)
that have been advanced by the Department of Defense and the Office
of Personnel Management. It does not waive the rights of the Coalition
or its members to comment on proposed NSPS regulations or to initiate
appropriate legal action. Details >
Joint
Comments and Recommendations
Submitted By the United DoD Workers Coalition
RE: National Security Personnel System/Department
of Defense Human Resources Management System
January 13, 2005—
Dear Mr. Secretary and Madame Director:
The United Department of Defense Workers Coalition
(Coalition), comprised of over 40 independent labor organizations
providing exclusive representation to over 450,000 bargaining unit
employees, has worked with your representatives during the past
year to provide input on certain “pre-decisional concepts,”
which you have reiterated are not “proposals” in the formal
and legal sense, but were submitted to us by the Department of Defense
(DoD) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) (referred to
collectively as the “Agencies”) pursuant to your authority
to implement the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) under
Public Law 108-136. From day one, the Coalition has repeatedly requested
the Agencies to explain the rationale for a complete overhaul of
the DoD Human Resources System. We have requested data, evidence,
and specifics supporting your belief that the existing personnel
system is insufficient or deficient. We have asked how your pre-decisional
concepts will address and enhance national security. We have said
that the Department's authority to depart from Chapter 71 in creating
a labor relations system is limited to two areas--national level
bargaining and independent third party dispute resolution. In response,
you have given us sweeping generalities as to how meeting your collective
bargaining responsibilities, satisfying due process requirements,
and conforming to pay, performance and classification constraints,
inhibits your ability to be “flexible” and “contemporary.”
You have offered no concrete proposals, but have advised us both
publicly and privately that any new human resources management system
will substantially mirror any system put into effect at the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS), though the law authorizing the DoD system
does not allow the broad changes implemented at DHS. Details
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