[Federal Register: October 16, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 200)]
[Notices]
[Page 63948-63949]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16oc02-109]
[[Page 63948]]
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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project;
Department of Defense (DoD)
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
ACTION: Notice of intent to amend this demonstration by changing the
method for determining and translating retention service credit.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Defense (DoD), with the approval of OPM, may
conduct a personnel demonstration within DoD's civilian acquisition
workforce and those supporting personnel assigned to work directly with
it. (See section 4308 of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 1996 (Pub. L. 104-106; 10 U.S.C.A. 1701 note), as amended
by section 845 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 1998 (Pub. L. 105-85)). This notice proposes to amend the project
plan for this demonstration to change the method for determining and
translating retention service credit.
DATES: OPM and DoD will consider written comments if received no later
than November 15, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Mary Lamary, U.S. Office of
Personnel Management, 1900 E Street NW., Room 7460, Washington, DC
20415.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DoD: Anthony D. Echols, Civilian
Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project, 2001 North
Beauregard Street, Suite 750, Alexandria, VA 22311, 703-681-3553. OPM:
Mary Lamary, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street NW.,
Room 7460, Washington, DC 20415, 202-606-2820.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
OPM approved and published the project plan for the Civilian
Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project in the Federal
Register on January 8, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 5, part VII). Since that
time, three amendments have been published. The first amendment was
published in the May 21, 2001, Federal Register, Volume 66, Number 98
to (1) correct discrepancies in the list of occupational series
included in the project and (2) authorize managers to offer a buy-in to
Federal employees entering the project after initial implementation.
The second amendment was published in the April 24, 2002, Federal
Register, Volume 67, Number 79 to (1) make employees in the top
broadband level of their career path eligible to receive a ``very
high'' overall contribution score and (2) reduce the minimum rating
period under the Contribution-based Compensation and Appraisal System
(CCAS) to 90 calendar days. Finally, the third amendment was published
in the July 1, 2002, Federal Register, Volume 67, Number 126 to (1)
list all organizations that are eligible to participate in the project
and (2) make the resulting adjustments to the table that describes the
project's workforce demographics and union representation. This
demonstration project involves hiring and appointment authorities,
broadbanding, simplified classification, a contribution-based
compensation and appraisal system, revised reduction-in-force
procedures, academic degree and certificate training, and sabbaticals.
2. Overview
The project plan links employees' overall contribution scores
(OCSs) to retention service credit for reduction in force. Experience
during the first three rating cycles showed that the method for linkage
causes two unintended results.
The first unintended result adversely affects high contributors
(that is, employees with a high OCS for the expected contribution range
of their broadband level). High contributors can only receive high
retention service credit if their positions are toward the top of the
salary rate range for the broadband level.
Second, high contributors receive less credit than lower
contributors in some cases. The structure of Table 7, Retention Service
Credit Associated with Appraisal Results, allows such outcomes.
This notice proposes to amend the project plan for this
demonstration to change the method for determining retention service
credit based on Contribution-based Compensation and Appraisal System
(CCAS) process results. For consistency, this notice also proposes to
change Table 8, Translation of Retention Service Credit.
Dated: October 4, 2002.
Office of Personnel Management,
Kay Coles James,
Director.
I. Executive Summary
The project was designed by a Process Action Team (PAT) under the
authority of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and
Technology, with the participation of and review by DoD and the Office
of Personnel Management (OPM). The purpose of the project is to enhance
the quality, professionalism, and management of the DoD acquisition
workforce through improvements in the human resources management
system.
II. Introduction
This demonstration project provides managers, at the lowest
practical level, the authority, control, and flexibility they need to
achieve quality acquisition processes and quality products. This
project not only provides a system that retains, recognizes, and
rewards employees for their contribution, but also supports their
personal and professional growth.
A. Purpose
The purpose of this notice is to propose to amend this
demonstration by changing the method for determining and translating
retention service credit. Other provisions of the approved plan are
unaffected by this proposal. Pursuant to 5 CFR 470.315, changes are
hereby proposed to the Federal Register, Civilian Acquisition Workforce
Personnel Demonstration Project; Department of Defense; Notice, Friday,
January 8, 1999, Volume 64, Number 5, Part VII, pages 1479-82 and 1484.
B. Employee Notification and Collective Bargaining Requirements
The demonstration project program office shall notify employees of
this proposed amendment by posting it on the demonstration project's
web page (http://www.acq.osd.mil/acqdemo/new--site). Participating
organizations must fulfill any collective bargaining obligations to
unions that represent employees covered by the demonstration.
III. Personnel System Changes
Retention Service Credit
The following are the proposed changes to the demonstration project
plan.
Delete all of Section III. D. 9., including Table 7.
Throughout the project plan, re-number Tables 8, 9, and 10 as
Tables 7, 8, and 9, respectively.
Delete the second and third rows of the re-designated Table 7,
Translation of Retention Service Credit, as follows: ``20: Outstanding
or equivalent, Level 5'' and ``16: Highly Successful or equivalent,
Level 4.'' A copy of the revised re-designated Table 7 appears at the
end of this amendment.
Delete the fourth paragraph of Section III. F. and insert the
following:
Employees shall receive additional years of retention service
credit in RIF, based on their CCAS process results. Refer to Figure 2,
CCAS Compensation
[[Page 63949]]
Categories, which depicts the three categories: A, B, and C. To
calculate the number of additional years of retention service credit,
average the number of additional years received for the employees'
three most recent annual placements in category A, B, or C during the
4-year period before the issuance of RIF notices. Use the following
rules to determine the number of years for a given annual placement.
Rule 1--Employees whose annual OCS places them above the upper rail
in category A shall not receive any additional years.
Exception to Rule 1--Category A employees on retained pay may have
lacked the opportunity to contribute at the level of their retained
pay. Therefore, they shall receive 12 additional years.
Rule 2--Employees whose OCS places them in categories B or C shall
receive 12 additional years.
Rule 3--Substitute the annual performance rating of record under
the previous performance management system for one or more CCAS process
results if, before the issuance of RIF notices, (1) three complete CCAS
cycles have not yet occurred or (2) an individual has not completed
three cycles to obtain three CCAS process results. In such cases,
consistent with the re-designated Table 7, Translation of Retention
Service Credit, employees with ratings of record at or above Fully
Successful or equivalent (Level 3) shall receive 12 additional years,
while those with lower ratings of record shall not receive any
additional years. After including both CCAS results and previous
ratings of record, employees who still have only received one or two of
these shall receive credit for performance on the basis of adding the
value and dividing by the number of CCAS results and/or ratings of
record actually received. Those who have no annual performance rating
of record or CCAS results shall receive 12 additional years.
Change Section V. B. 4. to read:
The demonstration project does not use summary level designators.
In this regard, the project differs from non-demonstration appraisal
systems and programs established under 5 U.S.C. Chapter 43 and 5 CFR
part 430. To accommodate this difference and to allow the CCAS
contribution information to be used as equivalent ratings under 5 CFR
part 430, translate retention service credit based on the employee's
OCS for the 3 most recent years of the last 4 years while under the
demonstration project to summary level designators for use by the
gaining agency. The re-designated Table 7, Translation of Retention
Service Credit, shows how to do this translation.
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Retention service credit Appraisal rating level
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12.................................... Fully Successful or equivalent,
Level 3.
0..................................... Unsuccessful, Level 1.
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[FR Doc. 02-26271 Filed 10-15-02; 8:45 am]
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