Summary

On April 12, 2005, the Comptroller General testified before Congress at a hearing on "NSPS: The New Department of Defense Civilian Personnel System--Reaching Readiness." This letter responds to a request that GAO provide answers to questions for the record. The questions covered major areas of concern for the Department of Defense's National Security Personnel System (NSPS).

GAO discussed the specific subjects of the regulations that would need to be defined in more detail before they were incorporated into the final system; proposed structure of leadership and powers granted to the leadership within NSPS; the alignment of performance and organizational goals; employee involvement in the system; the need for a written documentation of core competencies; the need for control points in the proposed pay-for-performance rules; the leadership structure of the proposed National Security Labor Relations Board; and the appeals process under the proposed system.