Federal Manager's Daily Report

The government-wide “human capital performance fund” to be created under the recently signed Defense Department budget bill contains language designed to assure that managers and supervisors-as well as individual employees-are properly trained in how the fund will work.

Lack of training and understanding was one of the main themes of the criticisms of such a fund earlier this year when the plan was first presented to Congress. In response, Congress specified that agency plans for drawing money out of the fund provide for “adequate training and retraining for supervisors, managers, and employees” in operation of the pay-for-performance systems on which the payments would be based.

The measure further requires “a process for ensuring ongoing performance feedback and dialogue between supervisors, managers, and employees throughout the appraisal period” and “effective safeguards to ensure that the management of the system is fair and equitable and based on employee performance.”