DoD Submits Proposed NSPS Regulations to Federal Register
February 10, 2005
Today, DoD and OPM have submitted the proposed regulations for the National Security Personnel System for publication in the Federal Register. The proposal offers rules and processes for a new human resources system for DoD civilian employees regarding pay and classification, performance management, hiring, workforce shaping, disciplinary matters, appeals procedures, and labor-management relations.
NSPS was signed into law on Nov. 24, 2003, and for the past year DoD and OPM officials have been working to design a modernized, performance-based civilian personnel system. NSPS will improve the way DoD hires, assigns, compensates and rewards its employees, while preserving the core merit principles, veterans preference and important employee protections and benefits of the current system. The proposed regulations are the result of a broad-based effort that included input from DoD employees, supervisors, managers, senior leaders, union representatives and public interest groups.
At a press conference today, Navy Secretary Gordon England, who serves as the Department of Defense’s senior executive overseeing the National Security Personnel System, and Dan Blair, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, called the publication of the proposed NSPS regulations a critical milestone in the development of this new personnel system that will emphasize performance rather than longevity as it provides more agile, flexible support to DoDs post-Sept 11 missions. England stated, NSPS is a win-win-win system . . . a win for our employees, a win for our military and a win for our nation.
Blair stated that NSPS will give DoD employees and managers greater flexibility to accomplish their vital national security mission. He further stated, True to the intent of the enabling legislation, the proposed regulations successfully balance the mission requirements of the department and the need to maintain core civil service principles and values.
The proposed regulations will be published in the Federal Register on Feb. 14, 2005, initiating a 30-day formal public comment period, providing all interested parties the opportunity to submit comments and recommendations on the content of the proposal. After the comment period, DoD will initiate the statutory meet and confer process with employee representatives for 30 days to discuss their views and concerns regarding the proposed regulations and seek common ground. DoD will report the results and outcome of the meet and confer period to Congress prior to finalizing the regulations, which should occur this spring.
Both England and Blair emphasized the broad-based effort to include all stakeholders in the design and development of NSPS and encouraged all interested parties to submit comments and continue to be part of that effort.
Implementation of the system will begin as early as July 2005, with full implementation in the July 2007/January 2008 timeframe.
DoD employees as well as interested parties are encouraged to visit the NSPS Web site at http://www.cpms.osd.mil/nsps to view and comment on the proposed regulations as well as for the most recent information and announcements regarding NSPS.
To view slides click here: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2005/d20050210nsps.pdf