DoD has proposed several changes to hiring and promotion procedures under its national security personnel system, generally designed to give managers greater leeway in those decisions. Proposed changes published in the December 3 Federal Register include: allowing DoD to exercise direct hire authority without prior approval by OPM; allowing longer extensions of temporary appointments; authority to limit consideration for vacancies to applicants from the local area; and authority to use several alternative forms of competition for merit promotion purposes, including the use of assessment boards, alternate certification procedures, and selection for promotion from among qualified employees with exceptional performance ratings.