Civil Service Reforms Still Have a Chance

Although there is little chance of reform of federal pay-setting this year, officials say, there remains a chance that at least some personnel policies will be reformed. The Bush administration and civil service leaders in both the House and Senate have put forth varying plans that would encourage agencies to use alternative job classification and pay for performance systems, offer buyouts and early-out retirements for work force restructuring, increase employee training and improve academic degree study benefits, and make more use of recruitment, retention and other special allowances, among other reforms. Work continues behind the scenes on Capitol Hill to craft a compromise plan, or to put together at least a first-step package that could pass in the short run while work continues on certain issues. For example, the pay-for-performance ideas, especially, could prove difficult to enact because of union concerns about the possibility of favoritism.