Special Reports
National Security Personnel System
In the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress gave the Defense Department sweeping authority to design an implement a new system governing how more than 700,000 Defense civilian employees are hired, paid, promoted, and disciplined. Thus was born the National Security Personnel System, the Pentagon's effort to move to a pay-for-performance culture. The road to implementation of such a massive new system -- which has implications for personnel reform across the entire federal government -- has been far from smooth. Below are links to Government Executive's ongoing coverage of the implementation process.
RECENT NEWS STORIES
- Leader of Defense pay system overhaul to leave post (04/29/08)
Mary Lacey says it's time to move on after overseeing a massive restructuring of the civilian personnel system. - GAO, union reach agreement on 2008 pay raises (02/11/08)
Some agency analysts would receive a pay boost of 4.49 percent. - GAO says Defense workforce plan insufficient (02/08/08)
The Pentagon is not prepared to tackle a pending retirement wave and other looming workforce challenges, says watchdog agency. - OPM touts success of performance-based pay (01/31/08)
New report analyzes series of systems covering more than 298,000 employees. - Bush signs bill that sends unions back to bargaining table at Defense (01/29/08)
Legislation restores collective bargaining and appeal rights for employees under the new Pentagon personnel system. - Pentagon performance-based payouts average 7.6 percent (01/24/08)
More than half of employees in first group to enter new personnel system are deemed "valued performers" -- the middle of the five-point scale. - Union files Supreme Court appeal of NSPS lawsuit (01/07/08)
American Federation of Government Employees asks the high court to hear challenge to the Pentagon's proposed labor relations system. - Pentagon follows Congress' lead on NSPS raises (01/04/08)
Employees under the Pentagon's new personnel system will receive a 60-40 split between base pay and performance-related increases in 2008. - New Defense personnel system frees managers (01/03/08)
But the ability to link pay raises more closely to job performance and to move employees between jobs comes with a cost. - Conferees move to scale back Pentagon personnel changes (12/07/07)
Final legislation would restore collective bargaining and appeal rights under the National Security Personnel System. - High court extends deadline for appeal of Defense personnel system (11/14/07)
A federal labor union now has until Jan. 7 to determine whether to appeal ruling that implementation of National Security Personnel System can go forward. - Pentagon to add 75,000 employees to new personnel system (10/31/07)
Latest installment will bring the total number of civilians working under the performance-based pay system to 184,000. - Likely 2009 raise figure comes in at 3.4 percent (10/31/07)
Change in Employment Cost Index has become the de facto baseline for recommended average federal salary increase. - Rigid pay systems listed among top workforce challenges (10/23/07)
Panelists cite pay for performance and solid leadership as key to offsetting a potential talent drain over the next decade. - Lawmakers urge Pentagon to hold off on new pay policy (10/16/07)
Three House members say employees under new personnel system should get the raise they had anticipated for 2008. - Senate moves to restrict Defense personnel overhaul (10/02/07)
Chamber votes to repeal the Pentagon's authority to implement controversial labor relations reforms. - Defense labor relations reforms waiting on Congress (09/19/07)
Pentagon personnel official says it wouldn't make sense to enact changes only to have lawmakers repeal them later. - Pentagon changes policy for NSPS pay raises in 2008 (09/14/07)
Some employees in the new personnel system won't get the increase they expected. - Union weighs solo Supreme Court challenge to Defense personnel system (09/12/07)
Other groups in labor coalition pull back, citing concerns over precedent that could be set by unfavorable ruling.
