Chances of Expansion Appear Questionable

Subcommittee members voiced a reluctance to allow any expansion of pay for performance systems, and indicated that existing systems will be subject to continued scrutiny and possible changes in law to set standards in areas such as ratings criteria and employee involvement. "If these systems are not fair and equitable, transparent and credible, and do not have the buy in of federal employees, I do not believe they have place in the federal government," said subcommittee chairman Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill. DoD is continuing to implement "spiral 2" of NSPS for certain managers and other employees not represented by unions, but a recently enacted law would require bargaining over performance pay if union-represented employees were brought in. Such a process could be difficult; even with no represented employees involved to date, unions are pushing for fuller disclosure of how payout decisions are being made and how the program is being funded. The DHS system is on hold at least through the current fiscal year and under terms of a court order, pay for performance would be subject to bargaining there, too. However, a pay for performance system for intelligence community employees is on the drawing board.