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The Bush administration is not waiting for the Defense and Homeland Security departments to complete their personnel overhauls before moving the effort to the larger federal government, a senior Bush administration official said Friday.

The current Defense and Homeland Security personnel overhauls are designed to scrap the General Schedule system, implement performance pay, limit union bargaining and streamline the appeals process. Officials at the Office of Personnel Management developed legislation last month that would extend similar changes to the rest of the federal workforce. Some lawmakers, however, have called on the Bush administration to wait for results from the ongoing overhauls.

Clay Johnson, the deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, said that every agency will deal with personnel reform differently, and there is no benefit in waiting for results from Defense or Homeland Security.

"We should not wait to see what happens at DoD or Homeland Security; these are all independent events," Johnson said during a conference call with reporters. "There are some agencies, in my opinion, that could more readily implement [reform] than DoD or DHS."

According to the draft legislation, agencies would be required to have a plan developed by 2008 for the implementation of an OPM-certified performance pay system. If agencies cannot meet that deadline, they would be required to adopt a standard OPM system. The plan calls for the General Schedule system to be eliminated by 2010.

The proposed legislation has not yet been sent to Congress, and OPM officials have declined to discuss it. On Friday, Johnson said the bill would be sent to lawmakers "in the weeks ahead."

In February, Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, said that he wanted to see results from the first reforms before the initiative was "cascaded" to other agencies. He acknowledged that he has a difference of opinion with the Bush administration, but he said he would try to slow the timeline.

Union leaders criticized the faster timeline.

"I think it's pretty arrogant. The final regulations aren't even written at the Department of Defense, and at DHS the implementation is far down the line," said John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees. "At the minimum, wait to get some experience in this."

Johnson also said that federal employees would not have their salaries lowered in the new system. Gage, however, said that he believed the underlying motivation for the new pay system was to lower federal pay levels.

COMMENTS

• Dear Another Diva, I’m always sorry to see quality workers leave DoD because what we do for this nation and for our troops is so vital to our way of life. And, I’m even sorrier that dregs like “Six Figures,” who no doubt couldn’t lead hungry wolves to fresh meat, remain in place sucking off the taxpayer, doing little more than assuaging their own egos. Pay bondage will only allow these types to further enrich themselves on the backs of those who do the real work. “What we must decide is perhaps how we are valuable rather than how valuable we are.” Edgar Z. Friendenberg DoD Diva GovExec.com reader Posted June 21, 2005 7:11 AM
• to DoD Diva: Well done. You're correct. I worked for the DoD Navy for years and yes, throwing money and position at people doesn't buy them class or kindness. A good example of it were some of the personnel specialists at my Command. Most of them made incredible salaries (like in the neighborhood of high GS-12 to GS-14 salaries). They either didn't have college degrees, or possessed degrees unrelated to their work. They either got moved up because they knew someone or were there forever. I was always getting dragged into power plays with them, where I was expected to be grateful that they didn't screw with my paperwork for my promotions. When I applied for a new job, they could say that I was only qualified for a GS-4 if they felt like it and there was nobody I could appeal to. Did giving them $80K a year to play with give them class?? Nope. Needless to say, they were arrogant and they abused their power constantly. On the mangement side...I knew a few "six figure income" managers that moved up because it was the 80s (the golden era of DoD). Nothing special about them. I couldn't work with them because they thought they were God because they had been insulated from the real world too long. I want neither of these people deciding my future. That's why I quit the civil service. Another Diva... GovExec.com reader Posted June 19, 2005 12:21 AM
• My congratulations to all of you, except of course "Mr 6 figures", with your accurate insight into NSPS and factual information from existing personnel demo systems. I know my hard work and long hours won't be recognized so I'm afraid it's going to become a "You get what you pay/paid for system" Remember that Higher ups. A rough ride awaits Posted June 16, 2005 2:18 PM