The Office of Personnel Management has approved an expansion of a Department of Commerce personnel management demonstration project by up to 3,500 employees in several operating units, bringing the total number of covered employees to 8,500.
Authorized under the fiscal 2006-spending bill for Commerce and related agencies, the expansion is taking place in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration –which brings the total number of covered NOAA employees to 6,925, according to the August 28 Federal Register.
The pilot program has been steadily growing since first being implemented in 1998. In 2003 it was authorized for an additional five years and expanded by 1,505 employees. Last May it was modified to revise existing authorities for retention, recruitment and relocation allowances.
The project is designed to provide managers at the lowest organizational level with the authority, control and flexibility needed to recruit, retain, develop, recognize and motivate its workforce, while ensuring adequate accountability and oversight.
The notice expands the departmental personnel management board to include additional board members representing the new major operating units included in the project.
The project is being expanded to cover a number of additional NOAA organizations and employees, including non-bargaining unit employees in the office of the under secretary and office of the chief administrative officer, as well as employees in all locations of the offices of program analysis and evaluation, human resources, and the chief financial officer.
