Is everyone unhappy with NSPS, or is it just me?

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DEAR BUREAUPATNext
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Is everyone unhappy with NSPS, or is it just me?

By Bureaupat Aug 18 2009, 09:24 AM

Dear Bureaupat,

I am a hard working career Federal employee who has always gone above and beyond what is expected in my performance plan with consistent exceptional performance ratings and awards, until the implementation of the National Security Personnel System (NSPS).

Since I have been under NSPS, I have never received an outstanding performance evaluation. There are no discussions about my performance with my supervisor; she rewards who she likes and the system is not transparent.

Is everyone disappointed with NSPS or is it just me?

Dear Slighted,

There's a Bob Dylan song which should be hummed as a mantra for NSPS employees: "No, no, no, it ain't me babe."

The Department of Defense (DoD) National Security Personnel System (NSPS) has been under scrutiny since its inception and OhMyGov! has provided both global and in the trench reporting on the controversy, including an exclusive interview and investigative reports. There's no shortage of problems, complaints or controversies with the Donald Rumsfeld system, which may be slated for the chopping block due in large part to federal union pressure.

Joining those who think NSPS really stands for "Not Something that Personnel Should-have-to-put-up-with," the GAO recently issued a negative report on the program and Congress even blocked additional DoD conversions to the program. So hang in there, the times they might be changin' soon...again.

Soon after the inauguration, in an attempt to make good on its promise to review NSPS, the Obama administration announced the creation of a Defense Business Board in May 2009.

According to Deputy Secretary of Defense, William J. Lynn III, and Director of the Office of Personnel Management, John Berry, "The task group should deliver recommendations aimed at helping the Department determine (1) if the underlying design principles and methodology for implementation are reflected in the program objectives; (2) whether the program objectives are being met; and (3) whether NSPS is operating in a fair, transparent, and effective manner."

In the next few weeks, the Board is expected to deliver its final report to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Office of Personnel Management Director, John Berry, on the future (or lack thereof) of NSPS.

Keep in mind, no matter what the report says or recommends, President Obama and OPM's Berry are both publicly on the record favoring some form of "pay for performance" - not only at the Pentagon, but throughout the Federal Government. We hope they will learn what not to do from NSPS, otherwise they might as well call the new program BOHICA, (Bend Over Here it Comes Again).

As for your own rating, what you need to understand is that the pay pool managers under the NSPS system are instructed to prevent a surge in bonuses, pay raises and promotions that could result from the new found freedoms in the NSPS system. As a result, they push the belief that "it's good to be a 3," an otherwise satisfactory or average rating, in order to avoid excessive increases in payroll year to year. Many, like yourself, reported in various surveys feeling extremely cheated out of a higher rating, merely because of political decisions and favoritism. Others complain poor performers are still given a free ride and lumped into the average (3) rating category to avoid confrontations - a real morale killer.

While we wait to find out how NSPS can be improved, it may help to know you can protest your rating, although you should evaluate whether or not its worth your time and energy to do so. Otherwise, you can simply weather the storm and post your complaints to others who share in the misery on OhMyGov!

Best of luck.

The only,

~Bureaupat

More on NSPS:

[+] NSPS surveys reveal excessive waste, identity loss, mistrust, racism, and unfair ratings

[+] DoD Pay-for-Performance program review board established

[+] The National Security Personnel System (NSPS): New Insight from our DoD Readers

[+] TOP STORY: Report Reveals Dissatisfaction and Mistrust with DoD's New Personnel System

[+] GAO report says NSPS still has problems

[+] Congress trying to shut down NSPS conversions

Read More: Defense (DoD), Executive Office Of The President (EOP), Office Of Personnel Management (OPM), U.S. Congress, NSPS, Dear Bureaupat

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Bob Dangredo
August 18, 2009 3:22 PM

NSPS is the real road to Abilene. There was a movie that I came across in the early 90's called The Road to Abilene. In it, Sr Management committed to a hair brained idea that no one liked. Their false commitment to the project manifested itself in anger, frustration, blame, but most importantly failure. DoD is attempting to preserve a system that was a hairbrained scheme. It sounded good, but we already had a personnel system that was far superior and has endured the test of time. Why on earth would we not return to a system that has buy in by all parties involved. The NSPS system is disliked by employees, supervisors, components of the system were declared illegal, it is unsupported by the unions, it is a secretive and discriminatory system. We need to get over the fear that NSPS is a failure and get to work on something that moves the federal government on. NSPS needs to die now.

NSPS Employee
August 18, 2009 8:52 PM

Of course employees under NSPS are going to complain about accountability. NSPS is not designed to make the employee happy. It is set up to make sure that HARD WORKING tax paying citizens get their moneys worth from these employees. Are you going to get complaints, of course you are who wants people looking over their shoulder! In the private sector Big Brother is in full affect and they base their compensation on who they like i.e... The good workers, who come to work, don’t miss days, and get this put up metrics to show they are working. Union money runs deep in this big push to oust the NSPS, are their flaws “YES” but no more or less than in the GS system. Government employees have sat on their butts to long with out accountability, it is here and it is going to stay in some shape, way, or form. So put up, shut up, or go to the private sector where you will be monitored even more!!!

Stephen
August 19, 2009 11:43 AM

This comment is mostly for Bureaupat, but does touch on Slighted's comments as well. Bureaupat's comment "what you need to understand is that the pay pool managers under the NSPS system are instructed to prevent a surge in bonuses, pay raises and promotions that could result from the new found freedoms in the NSPS system," is just plain WRONG! NSPS has never been about reducing the amount of funding for civilian personnel...and in fact, with the use of reassignment increases and the flexibility to set pay higher than under the GS, I would bet my house that more money is being spent on civilian pay under NSPS than under GS. The only role of the pay pool is to provide a higher level of review to make sure ratings, salary increases, and bonuses are distributed in a fair and consistent manner...period. And by the way...the LAW requires that the Department spend NO LESS on civilian pay under NSPS than under GS...what you are referring to is union misinformation. One of management's responsibilities is to manage the pay and rewards of their employees - this is true in government as well as the private sector. That's just how it goes...I'd challenge you to try to find a job ANYWHERE where your boss or your boss's boss doesn't control your pay. NSPS isn't introducing anything new here folks!!! Well, new to the Fed maybe, but not new to the rest of the world!!! And as for "it's good to be 3..." pay for performance doesn't work if everyone gets the highest performance rating. And is everyone really a 5 anyway??? Is everyone you work with a 5...or let me say that another way...does everyone you work with perform as well as you do??? Under the GS, those organizations that had a multi-level rating scale (not pass/fail), saw extreme rating inflation where most everyone received the highest rating. NSPS was a chance to re-calibrate performance ratings and provide honest appraisals for DoD employees. Not everyone is a 5...and if you think that you may go through life fairly disappointed. I think NSPS is a great thing for government. There may be some tweaks to make, but the concepts are spot on!!!

Bureaupat
August 19, 2009 11:57 AM

Thanks for the comments Stephen. The information about the pay pool process normalizing pay raises comes directly from senior executives and federal managers that participated in the pay pool process, not from any federal regulation. That is an important point to note for the readers. While I agree the concept of pay-for-performance is sound, the system as it stands needs more than tweaking, it needs repair, both for its systemic failures in preventing favoritism, and in its obliteration of morale and identity noted in surveys of thousands of government employees. ~B

notme
August 20, 2009 4:25 PM

I have met one of the "good ol' boys" on whom management apparently blew the entire pay pool giving a $20K+ raise in one year to retain. He's accepting a job overseas in less than a month. So much for job retention. What did this outstanding manager do to get this kind of raise, equating to more than 10 shares? Heaven knows; I guess took credit for everyone else's accomplishments.

Robert Wade
August 24, 2009 8:40 AM

The phrasing of the comments clearly show the anti-NSPS bias. As prior active duty I watched a revised enlisted performance system quickly get inflated PRECISELY because mental midgets all convinced themselves that most people don't perform "average". I'm sick of people equating the Valued Performer rating with "scum". The FACT is that if you graphed most employees' performance you'd see a pretty stable track along the level 3 with some spikes into 4 or 5 territory. Anecdotal uber-performance does NOT an overall 4 or 5 make, contrary to what a large portion of the employee base thinks. As for the presupposition that we are trying to "drive civilian pay costs down", that's a patent lie. I can speak from specific knowledge that at our location the NSPS emloyees actually did noticeably better than their GS counterparts. Our leadership understood that it was still a zero-sum game (the pay pool funding is what it is) but that they were perfectly willing to push back at higher commands if they caught any grief over what our "bell curve" looked like. There also was no expectation that the next cycle would look anything like the previous cycle. So, if maintained correctly, NSPS works. Could it still use some tweaking? Absolutely--it's still new. BTW, what on earth do the unions have to do with this since union employees (I DESPISE ALL UNIONS, by the way--they are socialists in disguise) are specificially exempt, no positions covered by bargaining units are under NSPS? Message to unions: SIT DOWN, SHUT UP AND COLOR.

Praying for more time
September 17, 2009 11:01 AM

NSPS stinks! Yeah I said it. I was once under it and now I'm not. I was rated 3, 3, 4 and it averaged out to a 3. Go figure. My 4 rating looked good on paper but the payout was based on a 3 overall. I'm still scratching my head on that one. What does DOD got to do to get rid of this. The other Departments have done so without any problems. Make it mandatory for the other Depts too and watch the fireworks fly.