Change management will be one of the major needs in
installing the “national security personnel system” that
is still on the drawing board at the Defense Department,
according to a DoD requirements document. “Because of the
magnitude of the changes that NSPS will bring, there will
be internal resistance to systems’ implementations. These
changes may be further complicated by lack of trust in the
new system and varying degrees of manager/employee buy-in as
NSPS goes through spiral development and fielding,” the
document says.
The NSPS will involve significant changes in how employees
are hired, graded, promoted and disciplined, along with
revisions in labor-management relations and employee appeal
rights. Such significant change can be expected to meet
resistance, the document says.
“This resistance can be offset by strong leadership and by
comprehensive communications about why a new system is needed
and the anticipated benefits the system will produce,” it
says. “Employee/manager dissatisfaction with the existing
system may also mitigate this resistance to change. Change
also will be sought from major stakeholders who are
external to DoD. Significant attention to leading as well
as managing change will enhance the chances of
implementation success.”
