Return to Article: Administration declines request to suspend pay-for-performance governmentwide
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81759
Kathy - most workers (fed and otherwise) think they are doing work far above what is required when they are actually doing the work that is required for the job. The problem that presents itself is that once workers have gotten use to being overly rewarded/rated, they can't accept being told that they are doing the job (not walking on water) and being rated accordingly. There is nothing wrong or degrading about a 3 rating (NSPS). You get paid to do a job. Why do you expect to get so much more for doing a job for which you get paid a salary and benefits? And, why would you want to go back to the GS system? It is pass or fail - basically keep breathing during the performance period you pass. You may get a little something extra ($) at the supervisors whim. If NSPS goes away, I would much rather go back to DEMO (DP).
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81693
President Obama, you promised us "change we could believe in" but when it comes to legislative transparency and pay reform all your giving us is more of the same disastrous Bush/ Cheney/Rumsfeld policies. You said we deserved better... we're still waiting.
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81615
I'm confused. Berry earlier said performance management is Balkanized and we all need to get on the same page. Should include PfP but NSPS isn't it. Thus the review. Orzag sez let the Balkanization continue and flourish with the other NSPS wicked step sister, DCIPS. These guys need to get on the same page or has Berry been put in his place.
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81530
So much for change. NSPS allows favoritism and cronyism and it is BLATANT! Everyone I know of wrote about this issue to the panel that met last week to discuss NSPS. Why isn't the administration listening to any of us?? DoD should admit that they made a mistake and restore us to our GS grades again. No one gets rich working for civil service and it is more important for me to get a true rating than to get any money out of it! To be told you are mediocre (ie a #3 and a "valued performer" no matter what you do, no matter how hard you work), is self-defeating. My organization told us NOBODY gets a 5 unless they save somebody's life. Since none of us not doctors or firefighters, we know we will never get a 5. So many people do just the amount fo work to get by as they will get a 3 anyway -and why not - it won't matter if you bust your buns, you are STILL a 3. HOW is THAT for pay for performance?
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81444
Many of the comments are right on. It is very time consuming and thus makes it expensive, job objectives are vague, and boils down to whether you can write a fairy tale. It is told right up front, don't expect more than a 3, there will be very few 4's and unless you walk on water - no 5's. Now that's an incentive. You write your self assessment, trying to tell your story in the character limits; and then it is read, sent back for re-write, read, sent back, etc. It is more subjective than GS and still boils down in many instances to the good old boy network. The it goes to the Pay Pool Panel, who have no idea what you do anyway, and they sit around for days or weeks reading them. These panels usually consist of the highest ranking folks so they are expending a great deal of my taxpayer money that could be used elewhere. Unless you have written a good story, it will be sent back to your supervisor for add'l info to justify what they think or don't think or are told to change the score. If you are awarded a share of money, then you don't even have a choice as to how/where you want it - they decide. Having SRA do this study is like having the fox guard the hen house. No one wants to admit that this system is a big costly mistake so let's find a way to cover it up. If they really want a true picture of what is going on, go out and talk to the folks - do not rely on what management tells. Supervisors have always had the ability to do something about non-performers, so they just need to step up and do their job but don't make the rest of us suffer for the mistakes of a few.
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81243
Where is the "change" that was promised. So far the only change I see is additional spending, creating the largest amount of debt our nation has ever seen, our administration trying to run private corporations, auto makers going under, additional jobs going to other countries and so many other bad changes. NSPS would be an easy fix but I guess that "change" was an empty promise. NSPS take so much time as a supervisor to rate employees and then a pay pool (not the supervisor) decides the final payout to the employee. We have been on it 2 years and the good-old-boy system is alive and well again here...it's called the Pay Pool. NSPS is a bell curve and the majority of employees must be rated as average. Payouts can be less that the cost of living increase for good employees. Not a good system!!
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81228
Pay for performance will never win any employee popularity contests. A recent MSPB survey revealed that 60% of all federal employees consider themselves to be above average performers compared to the peers in their work unit. Another 30% rated themsevles average. As a long time supervisor, both experience and logic reflect that emplkoyee self perceptions don't stand up to the level of actual performance. I worked in both the basic GS and a pay for performance system. I prefer pay for performance, even if there are relative winners and losers when it comes to pay increases. That's life.
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81181
Look CS does not work and it's time to kill it. I was working with a IT contractor doing system maintenance and he was quite frank. he said he makes 1/2 of what the CS in the complex make and he said at best they 2 to 2 1/2 hours a day. he said if they worked for his company they would be on the street. When taxpayers see how little CS work they are aghast
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81153
Second bite. The old regime failed in Iraq then it let Osame escape from Afghanistan. Two Vietnams in one administration. Now the hold overs and newbies want to continue fighting with the civil servants.
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81145
When I read that SRA, the office reviewing NSPS, was a support contractor for the NSPS PEO I was floored. I'm disappointed in this choice and also that the review has been delegated to the department that is pushing for this system. I'm glad to see that at least some members of congress see the problems with NSPS and are doing their best to get rid of it. I've finally come to the realization that the only reason Obama said there were problems with NSPS was to garner government worker support for his campaign. Now that he is in office he's talking the talk but with a tool that does nothing but cause a continuation of a faulty personnel system. I now regret for not sticking by a republican as I always have in the past.
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81144
I figured this would cause a ruckus and, considering what is at stake, I have been trying to figure out what is going on with this administration's effort on this subject.
I, like many other commentors on this topic, never really had an objection to pay-for-performance (P4P) as a concept. Still, I DO believe that NSPS is a lie, an abomination, and does NOT qualify as a valid P4P on WAY too many levels.
I understand that most Americans distrust big government and wish to be assured they are getting their full bang for their buck. I also think that if the Obama administration were to simply turn back the clock on this effort, there would be a swift and harsh reaction from the centrists that tipped the scales in their favor in the last election. President Obama has always expressed his desire for intelligent leadership, for consideration of all the facts, both sides of a discussion before making a decision.
"Orszag said he would not support systems that proved to be discriminatory, or held down federal wages." I don't know about the rest of you out there, but these criteria seem to point directly at NSPS. This says to me that NSPS is NOT the answer this administration is seeking.
In all the verbiage I've seen to date, they have NOT ruled out the GS system albeit with modifications. I still believe that they will uncover the problems with NSPS and make "changes we can live with".
I firmly believe that this review, before elimination, is necessary. It is yet another reach across the aisle that says to the opposition party; "P4P as a concept has merit. It is the American way of life that one should be compensated for their efforts, but we must make sure we do it right."
There are many who will refuse to see any side of this discussion but their own; many who will boohoo any attempt by this administration to "do the right thing", even if it means alienating their own backers or actually consider the value in a system put in place by their predecessors. We don't need to swing like a pendulum from one extreme to the other. But that will take time and input from EVERYONE; proponents and opposition alike.
For the military it's called "Lessons Learned" and must be done whether it stays OR goes.
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81138
Will, you are right on the money.
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81133
While I am not thrilled with the amount of work it takes to manage NSPS - having been under the system for 2 years, I think the system has some benefits previous systems have not had - one being the framework to FORCE managers to actually assess employee performance and TELL the employees about it... We've lived in an environment where supervisors can pencil whip ratings - all of which are mysterously "outstanding", or even in some organizations simply check a pass or fail block. Managers have spent years avoiding the job of truly distinguishing between REAL outstanding performers - the people who get the job done (and get it done well) but aren't going the extra mile or taking on additional duties or initiative - and those that either don't work, don't work well, or require A LOT of supervision and rework. Bottom Line - not everyone is a walk on water superstar and personally I'm tired of seeing the "just get by folks" get the same rating as those that do work their tails off.
I also think people are SO hung up on the fact that they aren't all getting NSPS ratings of 5, that they are going to whine until they lose some pretty decent bonuses and raises - that even ratings of 3 (valued performers) are getting people... I've worked in GS System, under one of the Demo Programs, and now under NSPS, and if managed (and yes controlled to some extent) properly the NSPS payouts are better... And for once in my career I am actually seeing supervisors being FORCED to give ratings that are much more reflective of what people actually contributing. The people doing all the crying are those that have been able to just get by in the past and still get the same top ratings... Based on the outcry - I'm thinking the govt has WAY too many of those folks - and how easy to cry "foul", blame a system - blame your supervisor (when for once they are now being required to do THEIR jobs) instead of do your job and do it well!
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81127
Cannot believe they are talking about leaving us (but only SOME) under NSPS: --system requires way more effort from the supervisor to make it work and they don't have the time needed --Objectives for jobs which are hard to measure (healthcare)--measured against easily quantifiable jobs --Supervisors being told to change ratings ("too many 4s") --Pay pools review records with the names on them; should be masked to avoid favoritism --Jobs filled without advertisement through good old boy method--problem with GS, but at least mngmnt had to pretend they are looking for a qualified person/advertise/interview--also had recourse when that didn't happen --Promotion pay cap of 5% --No provision for option for time off instead of a bonus GS had potential to reward performance but not used correctly
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81125
Dems and Union folks,
NSPS and similar PfP systems are hear to stay. You might as well make the best of it.
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81112
The report, performed by contractor SRA International, acknowledged substantial difficulties in winning workforce confidence in NSPS, but suggested such doubts were "typical of major programs involving significant systemic change."
"Even with massive training and communication efforts, the workforce has unanswered questions," the report stated.
In other words, the efforts to brain wash the employees failed.
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81109
I have been under NSPS for 15 months which means only one Pay Pool payout so far. I am MORE than willing to give this system a chance as under the GS system I could not get my PD corrected to reflect the change in series and duties that happened to me when I was thrust into the position of becoming a supervisor. They said you have to do one then the other but when changing a series without changing the duties you have to lie and say the PD is correct. Then you have to fix the PD to reflect actuality. And of course when your PD changes it is subject to the ever popular stopper list so I was at risk for losing my job. Under NSPS it was a simple matter of revising the PD both for series and an increase of duties which allowed a pay increase of 5%.
Although I felt I should have received more shares in January than I did it was definitely better than under GS where I received nothing additional in my base pay for exceeding my job objectives because I was already at the top of the scale. Yes I could get one time awards but under NSPS I have a higher base pay.
As for those who say it is a cost cutting method and a way to squeeze civilian costs, that is definitely true but it was also true under the GS scale. If your command didn't have sufficient money to hire vacancies at the same level as someone who left you lowered the GS level or gapped the position for months. Either way those left had to do the work without appropriate compensation.
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81107
In spite of parts of NSPS being declared illegal, in spite of evidence presented that says NSPS dicriminates, in spite of the fact that government workers are reporting through multiple channels that NSPS is a failure, in site of the fact that government managers are reporting that NSPS is the worst performance system that they have had to deal with as of this date, in spite of the fact that the unions were never fairly consulted to help build the NSPS system, in spite of the fact that congress is making efforts to bring this system to an end, in spite of the fact that it steals money from civilians and that NSPS is NOT FAIR AND IS NOT HONEST, Peter Orszag does not feel that it is necessary at this time to put an across-the-board hold on further advancement of other pay-for-performance systems in the federal government...In spite of Peter Orszag we need to end NSPS now.
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81103
When all the "kinks" are worked out of NSPS, it will be the "GS" system all over again with a ton of additional workload just to receive an appraisal.
I complained to my supervisor that NSPS is not about how one performs, but how the performance is written up. He agreed. So, this is only pay for performance for good writers, not good workers.
NSPS only allows for a 5% increase. So if you are GS-11 step 1 promoted into a NSPS equivalent of a GS-12 postion, you will not get the "GS" pay increase: you will make less.
NSPS is a farce.
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81098
OMB Director Peter R. Orszag needs to read the feedback from the people already under the NSPS which proves federal wages are held down depending on the Pay Pools. When is it FAIR to deny the Cost of Living raise to anyone? The Cost of Living was designed to offset the high cost of living in certain areas of which Washington, DC area is one but the DoD employees were denied it under the NSPS. DoD employees received a "double whamee" since the cost of Hospitalization increased and they did not receive their Cost of Living increase at the beginning of the year. Why should the DoD employees not receive the Cost Of Living increase when other government workers in the DC area did? The Cost of Living increase SHOULD NOT be tied to the NSPS!
What the government needs is people who can and will make decisions with less Politics and less Bureauacy. It seems people in high positions in the government will not make decisions for fear of jeopardizing their position while others use the position as a stepping stone to further their career.
We've been hearing for years government workers pay is lower than outside salaries and OPM has been working to bring the pay scale closer to the outside in order to retain employees. Has this been a smokescreen? Has this all been lies? What does the future hold for government workers? Will the government workers be standing in the Welfare lines?
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81097
How in the workd can anyone, much less a "leader" in this country stand up and say "we don't want pay for performance in the government". I remember before NSPS all we heard about, and are still hearing, was that we needed pay reform in the government. Then we got it, and now all we're hearing is how terrible it is. Any system will take a few years to work out the kinks. But the good performers appreciate such a system. I am sick of the whining.
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81093
In spite of parts of NSPS being declared illegal, in spite of evidence presneted that says NSPS dicriminates, in spite of the fact that government workers are reporting tohrough multiple channels that NSPS is a failure, in site of the fact that government managers are redporting that NSPS is the worst performance system that they have had to deal with as of this date, in spite of the fact that the unions were never fairly consulted to help build the NSPS system, in spite of the fact that congress is making efforts to bring this system to an end, in spite of the fact that it steals money from civilians and that NSPS is NOT FAIR AND IS NOT HONEST, Peter Orszag does not feel that it is necessary at this time to put an across-the-board hold on further advancement of other pay-for-performance systems in the federal government...In spite of Peter Orszag we need to end NSPS now.
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81092
Obama's people are missing a golden opportunity to go back to the genius of the GS scale. None of these pay for performance systems are worth a darn. Sad to say that past generations of leaders (govt & corporate) were far better than our current crop.
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81088
I voted for Obama but only because of the other choice. The current administration is almost as bad as the last. Too much emphasis on immoral, ultra-liberal, trendy things. To hades with ordinary, decent people.
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81086
Is this guy nuts when he sez ... "Although the General Schedule contains mechanisms for rewarding performance, alternative pay systems may have the potential to improve individual and agency effectiveness by tying objective staff performance ratings and pay more directly to agency goals and achievements," Orszag wrote. As a supervisor setting standards and evaluating performance for "GS Employees" this is exactly what I do!!! These guys must be so far removed from the day-to-day that they have no clue. It's actually scary.
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81084
What a crock! NSPS is merely a validated "good old boys/girls" rating system. If you're liked, you get good ratings. If not, you won't. As implemented, it has nothing whatsoever to do with performance.
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81074
"..alternative pay systems may have the potential to improve individual and agency effectiveness by tying objective staff performance ratings and pay more directly to agency goals and achievements," Orszag wrote." Missing from Mr. Orszag's commentary is whether Government will fulfill it's role, i.e. paying workers in accordance with the 1990 Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act. in 2010, the year Mr. Berry of OPM has set to have a pay reform bill passed by Congress and signed into law will be the 20th straight year that the Executive Branch has sought and utilized the "loop hole" and NOT PAID employees what they were due (under that law). Now the second of two administrations, one which lasted for 8 years, is citing the need to tie performance to pay YET THEY (the administrations) DO NOT PAY.
Employees are not fooled because the money "pie" is only so big and these administrations are NOT making a bigger pie when it comes to employee compensation. So where are the increased pay out amounts to come from under the pay-for-performance system developed to date?..... They come from other workers... What a way to build strong organizations, "Rob from the poor to give to the few." Is this the best idea that can be pursued to "improve" government? There appears to be no long term factual evidence to prove these pay p4p concepts as to whether they do improve performance and BENEFIT organizations through increased productivity, morale and well being. While on the other hand, there is case history against the former "spoils" systems which the General Schedule has served to largely to restrict and to which the current pay-for-performance system appear to workers to be based in cloak.
So, if PAY is the key issue, then perhaps the starting point should be to PAY all of the workers what was due them under the Law without resorting to a Loop Hole excuse for the past 19 years....with interest. Then move on to the next point of dividing the pie... IF Not..., then PAY must not be the issue..... What is it then?
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81070
It would be nice if Gates and Clapper would admit that most of the workers do not trust NSPS and DCIPS. It seems that they don't mind wasting precious time and money on this. DOD must have money to burn on endless paperwork and training for these pay systems. this whole mess is disgusting.
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