Return to Article: Defense tests new personnel system on laboratories
-
306
I am a personnelist who services Army's first Personnel Demonstration Project. We recently passed our five year review, and while there are things that we could have done differently (with the benefit of hindsight) it has been a highly successful experiment. Other Demonstration Projects evolved down different paths for a variety of reasons, mainly due to diverse workforce dynamics and situational problems such as the CECOM retention problems. The individual Labs are happy with their current Demo rules, and they did not seek out these proposed "improvements". On the contrary, changes desired to improve some Demo projects have been denied in anticipation of moving to this new system.
It is DoD that is ram-rodding this unification of Demo procedures. Unfortunately, one of the drivers behind this (you will not find this in any of the literature) is the contractor supporting the "modern" DCPDS personnel data management system does a disappointingly poor job of adjusting to relatively modest Demo-required changes. Instead of innovation and and vision being supported by technology, it is inadequate technology that makes it necessary to go back to "off the rack" one-size-fits-all programs instead of tailor made programs that make sense for that particular Lab. Talk about the tail wagging the dog!
This is ironic, because the basic theory about a Demo is that one size does NOT fit all, and if there is a better way to do things, management should be given the authority to try to build a better mousetrap. Hopefully, I have given you an idea for another article, which is: If tailormade was good (and our Demo won Vice President Gore's "Hammer Award" for reducing paperwork and bureaucracy) why retreat to one size fits all????
PROMO RIGHT: EVENTS
UPCOMING WEBINARS
NOVEMBER 18
Speed bumps for Teleworking: What are they and how to avoid them?
DECEMBER 3
Achieve Program Success: Unlock the Management Information in Your Data
DECEMBER 10
Practical Transparency: Applying Exchange Networks for Mission Results
PROMO RIGHT: DIRECTORIES
Post a Comment
To post a comment, you must provide a name and a valid e-mail address. Messages must be limited to 400 words. By using this Service you agree not to post material that is obscene, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable. Although Government Executive does not monitor comments posted to this site (and has no obligation to), it reserves the right to delete, edit, or move any material that it deems to be in violation of this rule.